Capitals trade Chris Bourque to Boston for Zach Hamill

May 26, 2012, 5:38 PM EDT

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Chris Bourque’s long, strange trip just got a bit more odd.

Bourque was traded by the Washington Capitals to the Boston Bruins for prospect Zach Hamill sending Bourque, the AHL’s top scorer this season, to the city his father Raymond carved out his Hall-Of-Fame career in.

Bourque had 27 goals and 66 assists, good for 93 points, with the Hershey Bears but lost out on league MVP honors to Lightning prospect Cory Conacher. Bourque spent the majority of his career in the Capitals organization but also got a 20-game spin with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 33 career NHL games Bourque scored one goal and three assists.

Bourque, 26, may not even see time in Boston (or Providence in the AHL) as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Maybe he won’t need to deal with dad’s shadow directly after all. It’s doubtful that the Bruins will let him walk, however.

Hamill was at one point a top prospect in the Bruins organization but has since fallen on their depth chart. Hamill finished this past season with just eight goals and 13 assists in 41 games in Providence. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.

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4 Comments (Feed for Comments)

danphipps01 - May 26, 2012 at 8:29 PM

How does a guy who can put up nearly a hundred points in the AHL fail to carve out at least a solid fourth-line presence in the big league? I’m baffled. He’s clearly got SOME talent. You’d think he’d have been able to stabilize a lower-level position with a team like the Caps.
- demons87 - May 27, 2012 at 3:16 AM
  
  The AHL Scoring leader list is littered with names of players that never really made it.
  
  Season Player Team
  2011–12 Cory Conacher Norfolk Admirals
  2010–11 Colin McDonald Oklahoma City Barons
  2009–10 Alexandre Giroux Hershey Bears
  2008–09 Alexandre Giroux Hershey Bears
  2007–08 Jason Krog Chicago Wolves
  2006–07 Brett Sterling Chicago Wolves
  2005–06 Donald MacLean Grand Rapids Griffins
  Denis Hamel Binghamton Senators
  2004–05 Mike Cammalleri Manchester Monarchs
  2003–04 Jeff Hamilton Bridgeport Sound Tigers
  2002–03 Eric Healey Manchester Monarchs
  2001–02 Justin Papineau Worcester IceCats
  Eric Boguniecki Worcester IceCats
  2000–01 Brad Smyth Hartford Wolf Pack
  1999–00 Mike Maneluk Philadelphia Phantoms
  1998–99 Jeff Williams Albany River Rats
  1997–98 Paul Brousseau Adirondack Red Wings
  1996–97 Peter White Philadelphia Phantoms
  1995–96 Brad Smyth Carolina Monarchs
  1994–95 Steve Larouche Prince Edward Island Senators
  1993–94 Patrik Augusta St. John’s Maple Leafs
  1992–93 Chris Tancill Adirondack Red Wings
  1991–92 Dan Currie Cape Breton Oilers
  1990–91 Michel Picard Springfield Indians
  1989–90 John LeBlanc Cape Breton Oilers
  1988–89 Stephan Lebeau Sherbrooke Canadiens
  1987–88 Jody Gage Rochester Americans
  1986–87 Glenn Merkosky Adirondack Red Wings
  1985–86 Paul Gardner Rochester Americans
  1984–85 Paul Gardner Binghamton Whalers
  1983–84 Mal Davis Rochester Americans
  1982–83 Mitch Lamoureux Baltimore Skipjacks
  1981–82 Richard David Fredericton Express
  1980–81 Tony Cassolato Hershey Bears
  Mark Lofthouse Hershey Bears
  1979–80 Gordie Clark Maine Mariners
  1978–79 Rocky Saganiuk New Brunswick Hawks
  1977–78 Richard Grenier Binghamton Dusters
  1976–77 Pierre Mondou Nova Scotia Voyageurs
  1975–76 Ron Andruff Nova Scotia Voyageurs
  1974–75 Doug Gibson Rochester Americans
  Barry Merrell Rochester Americans
  Peter Sullivan Nova Scotia Voyageurs
  Jerry Holland Providence Reds
  1973–74 Murray Kuntz Rochester Americans
  1972–73 Yvon Lambert Nova Scotia Voyageurs
  1971–72 Wayne Rivers Springfield Kings
  1970–71 Doug Volmar Springfield Kings
  1969–70 Guy Trottier Buffalo Bisons
  1968–69 Guy Trottier Buffalo Bisons
  1967–68 Eddie Kachur Providence Reds
  1966–67 Roger DeJordy Hershey Bears
  1965–66 Dick Gamble Rochester Americans
  Alain Caron Buffalo Bisons
  1964–65 Len Lunde Buffalo Bisons
  1963–64 Jim Anderson Springfield Indians
  Yves Locas Pittsburgh Hornets
  1962–63 Hank Ciesla Cleveland Barons
  1961–62 Floyd Smith Springfield Indians
  Barry Cullen Buffalo Bisons
  1960–61 Jim Anderson Springfield Indians
  1959–60 Stan Smrke Rochester Americans
  1958–59 Ken Schinkel Springfield Indians
  1957–58 Dunc Fisher Hershey Bears
  1956–57 Paul Larivee Providence Reds
  1955–56 Camille Henry Providence Reds
  1954–55 Eddie Olson Cleveland Barons
  1953–54 Lorne Ferguson Hershey Bears
  1952–53 Ike Hildebrand Cleveland Barons
  1951–52 Steve Wochy Cleveland Barons
  1950–51 Fred Glover Indianapolis Capitals
  1949–50 Roy Kelly Cleveland Barons
  1948–49 Sid Smith Pittsburgh Hornets
  Carl Liscombe Providence Reds
  1947–48 Carl Liscombe Providence Reds
  1946–47 Johnny Holota Cleveland Barons
  1945–46 Joe Bell New Haven Eagles/Hershey Bears
  1944–45 Louis Trudel Cleveland Barons
  1943–44 Pete Horeck Cleveland Barons
  1942–43 Harry Frost Hershey Bears
  1941–42 Louis Trudel Washington Lions
  1940–41 Fred Thurier Springfield Indians
  1939–40 Norm Locking Syracuse Stars
  1938–39 Phil Hergesheimer Cleveland Barons
  1937–38 Phil Hergesheimer Cleveland Barons
  1936–37 Bryan Hextall Philadelphia Ramblers
bethgoesglobal - May 27, 2012 at 2:21 AM

I couldn’t believe that he wasn’t called up regularly from Hershey this season. His preseason play was really pretty good, certainly better than Eakin’s. In fact, I’m pretty surprised that he wasn’t in on opening night.
& Now they trade him to Boston!?! and for who??? I know the Caps need a center but something tells me this guy ain’t it.
Let’s just hope this isn’t a sign of things to come for the Caps this summer.
groversrovers - May 27, 2012 at 4:25 AM

Well played, sir. Bryan Hextall is the patriarch to one of the greatest hockey families ever. They should put Ronnie in just for his rookie year Vezina & losing team Conn Smythe, not to mention career numbers: 2 G 36 A 829 PIM.. as a goalie! Drew more heat as a player than Crosby ever could. I remember fans having to be restrained by security after road games because they wanted a piece of him. If thats not enough, he also revolutionized the position of goaltender. No Hexy, No Brodeur. A dying breed for sure…until they ‘void the zoid’. Anyway, Bourque needed to bulk up and earn his chops in Hershey. Caps’ team management was a little shaky this season, especially early on. He is talented and head strong. He will develop into a solid NHL player soon enough. His younger brother Ryan (spitting image of Raym) was drafted by the Rangers in 2009.