Lance Bouma
Image: NHL

Lance Bouma

Hometown:

Provost Alberta

Currently Playing In:

Pro

Birthday:

1990-03-25

Position:

LW

Eligible for draft:

2008

Shoots:

Left

Drafted:

2008

Height:

6-1

Acquired:

3rd round (78th overall), 2008

Weight:

216 lbs.

Probability of Success
  • B

History

2006-07: This was Lance Bouma’s first full season with the Giants (WHL), a 49 game campaign that resulted in eight points (3g+5a). He tallied another three goals and six points in 22 playoff games with Vancouver.

2007-08: The center set several career-highs with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) this season, including games played (71), goals (12), assists (23), points (35) and penalty minutes (93). Expect to see Bouma back for his third installment with the Giants next season.

2008-09: Bouma played his hockey with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) this season, his third full year with the club. In 48 games, the center tallied nine goals and 25 points, along with a career-high 116 penalty minutes. He tallied another 12 points (7g+5a) in 17 postseason games, his best playoff total to date.

2009-10: Bouma experienced a career season in terms of points, although his gains were far more modest. In 57 games, Bouma scored 14 goals and 43 points while captaining the Vancouver Giants. The tenacious checking forward also added 134 penalty minutes (another career high).  His play has helped Vancouver advance to the WHL's Western Conference final, where they face the Tri-City Americans. Bouma lost the last 13 games of the season to a partially torn MCL. Despite the injury, he was able to jump right back into the line-up for the Giants first-round match-up versus the Kamloops Blazers.

2010-11: Bouma had an excellent rookie year with Abbottsford while being called up to play for the Flames on two occasions late in the season. He received playing time as a fourth line checker with Calgary while providing only one assist and a minus one rating in 16 NHL games. The defensively reliable forward returned to help the Heat in their fight for a post season berth after the Flames failed to clinch a playoff spot. The 21-year-old showed some offensive skill, scoring 12 goals with eight assists and a minus 12 rating while taking 53 PIMs (three fighting majors) in 61 AHL games.

2011-12: Bouma re-joined the Flames in January after opening his second pro season with AHL Abbotsford and skated in 27 games for Calgary – missing eight games in March due to an upper body injury. He scored 1 goal with 2 assists and was minus-five with 11 penalty minutes; averaging just over ten minutes of ice time. Playing for Abbotsford he scored 3 goals with 3 assists in 31 games and was minus-nine with 53 penalty minutes. Abbotsford finished second in the West Division.

 

Talent Analysis

Bouma is a hardworking forward who has the versatility to play center or left-wing position. He has solid defensive instincts while playing an agitating, energy role and using his physicality on the fore-check. The hardworking agitator plays an aggressive role with the willingness to fight but occasionally takes the bad, costly penalty at the wrong time. The tough forward has yet to show his offensive skills at the NHL level for the Flames.

 

Future

Bouma will most likely start the year with the Abbottsford Heat of the AHL. If the NHL lockout ends and the physical forward plays well enough in the AHL, then he could compete for a roster spot in Calgary or get an injury call-up during the NHL season.

 

Skilled forwards lead the way in Calgary Flames’ Top 20 update

by David Thicke
on

Johnny Gaudreau - Boston College

Photo: Boston College standout and WJC gold medalist Johnny Gaudreau continues to climb in the Calgary Flames' mid-season Top 20 ranking (courtesy of Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

The Calgary Flames' talent pool has good depth but will need a better development plan in order to have success getting their prospects to the NHL level. The Abbotsford Heat and the Calgary Flames need to use the same systems in order to make the transition between the levels more seamless for their young prospects. With the NHL team's playoff hopes fading as each week passes, the organization might have some very difficult decisions to make that could bring more high-end prospects and draft selections to Calgary.

Read more»

Mid-round selections outperforming top picks from Calgary Flames 2008 draft class

by David Thicke
on
Lance Bouma - Calgary Flames

Photo: Lance Bouma may have seen another opportunity in the NHL during the 2013 season if a knee injury had not prematurely ended his campaign. (courtesy of Kathleen Hinkel/Icon SMI)

 
The Calgary Flames finished the 2007-08 regular season in seventh place and secured a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. The team was knocked out in the first round for the third straight year when the Flames lost a hard fought seven game series against the San Jose Sharks.

Read more»

Size and grit plentiful in Calgary Flames’ minor league system

by David Thicke
on

T.J. Brodie - Calgary Flames

Photo: T.J. Brodie was a leader on the Abbotsford Heat's defensive corps before he was called up to Calgary, where he has recently skated in the Flames' top-four. (courtesy of Bob Frid/Icon SMI)

The Abbotsford Heat finished comfortably in fourth place in the AHL Western Conference for the 2011-12 regular season, playing in the Calder Cup Playoffs after missing them in the previous year. The Heat swept through the first round but was beaten in five games by the Toronto Marlies in the second round of the playoffs. The team lost to a Marlies team that would end up playing for the Calder Cup.

Read more»

Depth and skill improving in Calgary Flames prospect pool

by David Thicke
on

Roman Horak - Calgary Flames

Photo: After spending most of his 2011-12 season with the Flames, center Roman Horak has opened his 2012-13 season with a goal-per-game pace for Abbotsford in the AHL. (courtesy of Bob Frid/Icon SMI)

 
After years of poor draft selections, trading away draft picks to try to win now, and bad development of their prospects, the Calgary Flames have slowly improved their organizational depth and talent pool over the last few years. The Flames still have a lot of work to do in order for their farm system to be where a smaller market team, in today's NHL cap world, needs to be for success as a franchise.

Read more»

Sven Baertschi maintains status as Calgary Flames’ top prospect

by Brad Gardner
on
T.J. Brodie - Calgary Flames

Photo: T.J. Brodie turned in a strong debut with the Calgary Flames in 2011-12, but the lockout will keep the offensively-minded blueliner in the AHL for the 2012-13 season. (courtesy of Bob Frid/Icon SMI)

 
The Calgary Flames prospect pool appears to be on the upswing. A blue-chip prospect on the verge of NHL stardom like Sven Baertschi will do that for an organization, of course, but there are also a handful of prospects who earned NHL experience during the club's 2011-12 campaign. The organization boasts several high-upside prospects developing at lower levels of play as well, giving the Flames as strong a pipeline as they have had in recent years.

Read more»