Career
Boucha played 247 games over 6 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota North Stars, Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies. His career was cut short by an eye injury. Boucha played high school hockey for Warroad High School in Warroad High School leading his team to the 1969 state tournament where he was injured during a 5–4 overtime loss to Edina.
He is considered to be one of the best players to ever play Minnesota high school hockey.
He participated in the 1971 Ice Hockey World Championships in Bern, Switzerland where he scored seven goals in ten games for Team United States of America. Boucha was drafted in the 2nd Round, 16th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1971 National Hockey League Entry Draft (he was also drafted first overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the rival World Hockey Association but chose not to defect to the WHA). Boucha scored a goal in his first National Hockey League game after the Olympics and was voted Detroit rookie of the year in his first full National Hockey League season.
The Red Wings sent him to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Danny Grant in 1974. Boucha was enjoying a solid year in his home state.
On January 4, 1975, he was assaulted in a highly publicized stick incident by Dave Forbes of the Boston Bruins.
The attack left Boucha with a cracked bone around his eye and blurred vision. Forbes was prosecuted for aggravated assault. His trial resulted in a hung jury.
Boucha never really recovered from the injury.
He attempted a comeback with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA in 1975-1976 and then returned to the National Hockey League as a free agent with the Colorado Rockies in later 1976 where he retired from professional hockey after only nine games. Before the National Hockey League required players to wear a helmet, Boucha wore a headband.
His nickname was "the Chief". Ice hockey world championships, Pool A, 1971 (sixth place) Olympic tournament, 1972 (second place).