GENE'S BLOG: S-Evan Bouchard

As you read the title for this week's blog you might be thinking, "Has Gene spent too much time in the sun?" The answer to that would be yes. I spent much of Sunday in Tempe, Arizona at the pool working on Monday's broadcast and this blog.

The premise of this article came after Sunday morning's team practice. I wanted to talk to the Edmonton Oilers defenceman about his season. In case you missed it, he scored another OT game-winner (like he did in Montreal) and added an earlier goal to provide two of the four Oilers tallies in Saturday's victory over the Dallas Stars.

In the process, he added to his career high points total which stands at 50 (tied for fifth amongst NHL defencemen) and his 14 goals this season are two more than his previous high and tied for second in the league. The blueliner is evolving into exactly what Edmonton envisioned when they drafted him 10th overall in 2018.

As if the numbers I just wrote weren't enough for an article on the Oilers blueliner, my focus was actually on family since today is Family Day in Canada. A statutory holiday is observed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick. In Manitoba, it's Louis Riel Day, Heritage Day in Nova Scotia and Islander Day in Prince Edward Island.

The purpose of the day is to promote family values and provide people with a break from their daily routines to spend time with loved ones. The background on Family Day is that it was started in Alberta by then Premier Don Getty. He felt it was important for Albertans to spend time with their families and this holiday would emphasize the importance of family values. On the advice of the Premier, the holiday was proclaimed by Lieutenant Governor Helen Hunley for the third Monday of every February.

I chatted with Evan after the skate, and it was a great one-on-one conversation. I had spoken to him after being a star against the Stars. That was professional. This conversation was personal.

Evan, just so you know, is as nice a kid as you will meet. Kind, polite and friendly. I knew Evan had three brothers (pictured below). Their names are Adam, Marc and Ryan. Funny thing, when I asked their ages, he said Adam was a 96, Marc a 98 and Ryan an 01. Instead of an age it's a birth year as they do it in hockey when it comes to your draft year. By the way, Evan is a 99 so he is the second youngest between Marc and Ryan.

"It was great having four boys. You always had someone to play with for road hockey or mini sticks," Bouchard said. "It was always competitive, and the game would finish with someone crying."

Evan did add the crying would normally stop within about an hour. They also played soccer together, so not surprising that Adam and Ryan are running a soccer coaching business while Marc is in Dublin, Ireland going to school to become a doctor.

Despite the boys being spread out from one country to another, Evan said they are still best of friends and always stay in touch via Snapchat. However, that is just half the story and this justifies the title for this article.

Evan has three brothers but also three half-sisters. Throw in the Bouch Bomber and you get S-Evan Bouchard.

"Ashley and Danika are my two older half-sisters from my dad's first marriage and then my mom had a daughter (Sophie) with her second husband."

Sound complicated? Certainly isn't for Evan and his family.

"It's crazy to try and get everyone in the same room once or all at the same time," he said. "It's fun at all gatherings when everyone is able to show up."

He sees his older sisters a little less than his younger one.

"My little sister Sophie lives with my mom, so I see her more often. We're all very protective of Sophie," he laughed. "I wouldn't want to be the guy who shows up to date her."

Unfortunately, with Marc in Ireland at school, Evan in Arizona with the Oilers and the siblings having their own separate lives, there's no chance for a Family Day gathering this year.

For you and yours, I hope you spend the day together enjoying each other's company. Families aren't perfect but they don't have to be to love one another. Happy Family Day 2024!