Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter CIX: 56-55

56. Jay Bouwmeester

Bouwmeester, a 6’4″, 212 lb. defenceman, was born in Edmonton, Alberta on September 27th, 1983. He played four seasons for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, scoring 151 points in 194 games, before being drafted by the Florida Pantehrs, third overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Bouwmeester made his NHL debut that next season, playing all 82 games in 2002-03 and scoring 16 points. He played 61 NHL games the following season, and spent the 2004-05 lockout in the AHL. Bouwmeester primarily played with Florida’s affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, but was traded in an AHL transaction to the Chicago Wolves. The Rampage were not going to make the playoffs, but the Wolves were, and Bouwmeester had yet to play a single playoff game. He played 18 with the Wolves, failing to register any points, and recording 14 penalty minutes. Following the lockout, Bouwmeester played another four seasons for the Panthers. All in all, his Florida career ended up with 203 points over 471 games.

Following the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, Bouwmeester’s rights were traded to the Flames for the rights to Jordan Leopold, as well as a third round pick. The Flames then signed Bouwmeester to a five-year contract. Bouwmeester made his Flames debut in 2009-10, averaging 25:55 throughout all 82 games of the Flames’ season. After back-to-back 15 goal seasons, he only managed three goals, recording 130 shots as his shooting percentage plummeted from 8.2% to 2.3%. He also recorded 26 assists for 29 total points, the most productive he would ever be with the Flames. Forty-eight penalty minutes and a minus-4 rating rounded out his season as the Flames finished with a 40-32-10 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002-03.

In 2010-11, Bouwmeester continued to suffer from a low shooting percentage, this time scoring four goals on 121 shots for 3.3%. He had just 20 assists, resulting in only 24 points over 82 games, as well as 44 penalty minutes and a minus-2. While he averaged 25:59 in ice time the Flames once again missed the playoffs, this time with a 41-29-12 record.

The 2011-12 season was Bouwmeester's third and final full season with the Flames. He matched his point totals from his first season, this time scoring five goals on 107 shots for a shooting percentage of 4.7. Twenty-four assists got him back to the 29 point mark, and while averaging 25:57, he also recorded 26 penalty minutes and a minus-21 rating. The Flames finished with a 37-29-16 record and were, one again, out of the playoffs.

By the 2013 season, it was clear the Flames needed to start rebuilding, and as one of their biggest names Bouwmeester was on the trade block. He played another 33 games for the Flames, this time scoring six goals on 55 shots – a much improved shooting percentage of 10.9 – and adding nine assists for a total of 15 points, as well as registering 16 penalty minutes and a minus-11 rating. He continued to play big minutes for the Flames, this time averaging 25:10 before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Mark Cundari, Reto Berra, and a first round pick (Emile Poirier).

With St. Louis, Bouwmeester finally made the playoffs at the NHL level, and scored his first ever playoff point: one assist over the course of a six-game series. The Blues extended Bouwmeester for another five years. He played all 82 games of the 2013-14 season with them, and will remain in St. Louis for the foreseeable future.

All-Time Statline: 279 games, 18 goals, 79 assists, minus-38 rating, 134 penalty minutes, 18.01 point shares.

55. Dave Shand

Shand was a 6’2″, 200 lb. defenceman from Cold Lake, Alberta. Born on August 11th, 1956, he played two seasons for the OHA’s Peterborough Petes before being drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Flames in the 1976 NHL draft, and 18th overall by the Calgary Cowboys in the 1976 WHA draft. He played just nine AHL games in the 1976-77 season for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, and 55 for the NHL Flames. His first NHL season saw him score five goals, a career high, on 79 shots. He also scored 11 assists to give him 16 points, and 62 penalty minutes and a plus-21 rating rounded out his stat line. The Flames finished the season with a 34-34-12 record, and played three playoff games, losing 2-1 to the Los Angeles Kings. Shand played all three games, scoring no points but recording 33 penalty minutes.

In 1977-78, Shand played 80 games, scoring 25 points: two goals on 83 shots, and 23 assists. He also amassed 94 penalty minutes and a plus-23 rating, helping the Flames to a 34-27-19 record. The Flames once again fell in the first round of the playoffs, this time in two games to the Detroit Red Wings. Shand played much tamer in the 1978 post-season, recording just four penalty minutes this time.

The 1978-79 season was Shand’s best offensive season of his career. Over 79 games he scored a career-high 26 points, this time built off of four goals on 81 shots, and 22 assists. He also recorded 64 penalty minutes, and repeated his plus-23 performance. The Flames finished the season with a 41-31-8 record but again fell in just two games in the playoffs, this time to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shand played both games, again failing to record any points, and this time putting up 20 penalty minutes.

Shand’s final season with the Flames came in 1979-80. He played 74 games, scoring three goals on 47 shots, as well as putting up seven assists for just 10 points. His plus-minus dropped to just a plus-1, and he recorded the most penalty minutes to date with 104. The Flames completed the year with a 35-32-13 record and, once again, lost in the first round of the playoffs: this time 3-1 to the New York Rangers. Shand played all four games, recording his first playoff point: an assist.

Following the 1979-80 season, Shand, along with a third round pick, was traded to the Leafs for a second rounder. Shand spent the rest of his career bouncing around various teams, including the Leafs and Washington Capitals. He also spent time in the CHL and AHL before eventually finding a home with Austria’s Klagenfurt AC, where he played the final three seasons of his career before retiring following the 1988-89 season.

All-Time Statline: 288 games, 14 goals, 63 assists, plus-68 rating, 324 penalty minutes, 18.32 point shares.

by Kevin Kraczkowski