Career
As a publicity stunt, the Americans billed Boileau, a French Canadian, as "the first Native American in the National Hockey League" and claimed his name was Rainy Drinkwater. Boileau, a 150 lb (68 kg) native of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, played his only season in the National Hockey League in 1925-1926. Prior to joining the Americans, he played three seasons of amateur hockey in Montreal.
Americans manager Tommy Duggan was anxious to promote the first-year Americans and upon signing Boileau used him as part of a publicity stunt.
The Americans official announcement on the signing promoted Boileau under the pseudonym "Rainy Drinkwater" and announced that the French-Canadian player was instead from the Caughnawaga Indian Reservation, and the first Native American to play in the National Hockey League. The Canadian press took note of the promotion. Former Toronto Star sports editor Milt Dunnell said that "He received more ink than Sitting Bulletin".
He played only seven games with the Americans, scoring no points. Boileau spent the next five seasons playing professional hockey with the Niagara Falls Cataracts of the Canadian Professional Hockey League, New Haven Eagles of the Canadian American Hockey League and Saint Louis Flyers of the American Hockey Association.
He then played two seasons of semi-professional hockey in Quebec teams before retiring in 1934.
