Bryce Thomson of the Grand Falls Rapids was presented with his Bob Boucher Hockey Assistance Fund (BBHAF) scholarship for the 2021-22 season during a pre-game ceremony at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro on Saturday as the Rapids visited the Bearcats. The scholarship was presented by Mike Kelly of the BBHAF and James Faulkner, Director of Communications for the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL).
The late Mr. Boucher was a coach and executive, working at levels ranging from Nova Scotia Intermediate to the NHL over the course of his long career. He coached the St. Mary’s (SMU) Huskies for 13 years and led the team to the National Championship game in four consecutive seasons from 1970 to 1973. In total, his Huskies teams captured seven AUS championships. Mr. Boucher was inducted into the SMU Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. The scholarship was established in his name several years ago by a number of Mr. Boucher’s former players as a means to support students within the game who have displayed exceptional scholastic achievements.
Thomson is registered in the Bachelor of Environmental Studies program as a full-time student at the University of Prince Edward Island, where he carried a 4.1 grade point average in completing six courses in 2021-22. Thomson was also registered to take a course during the program’s summer semester. He also received the Student Player of the Year award at the Rapids’ annual awards banquet last season.
Previous winners of the Bob Boucher Hockey Assistance Fund Scholarship:
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- 2020-21 – Chris McQuaid (Summerside Western Capitals)
- 2019-20 – Drew Toner (Grand Falls Rapids)
- 2018-19 – Gabriel Vanier (Edmundston Blizzard)
- 2017-18 – Luke MacMillan (Truro Bearcats)
- 2016-17 – Sam Cameron (Woodstock Slammers)
- 2015-16 – Thomas Stavert (Summerside Western Capitals)
- 2014-15 – Lucas Sangster (Amherst Ramblers)