• Defenseman
• Played 15 yrs in the NHL with Pittsburgh, Buffalo, San José, New Jersey, LA and Vancouver
• Made his debut with Pittsburgh 1984-85
• Completed his career in 2000 with Vancouver

Doug Bodger was a mobile defenseman with excellent offensive instincts who spent sixteen years in the NHL. He was an asset on the power play and transition game and later added veteran composure to his team's blueline corps.

The native of Chemainus, B.C. was a key offensive player on the WHL's Kamloops Blazers for two seasons. He accumulated 190 points in junior and was named to the league's second all-star team in 1983. After chosing Mario Lemieux first overall, the Pittsburgh Penguins made Bodger the ninth player taken in the 1984 Entry Draft.

The young blueliner scored 31 points as a rookie and saw plenty of action on the power play. He continued to mature over the next four seasons and represented Canada when it finished fourth at the 1987 World Championships. Early in the 1988-89 season, Bodger was part of the package sent to the Buffalo Sabres for star goalie Tom Barrasso.

Bodger spent parts of eight seasons in Buffalo where he topped the 40-assist mark twice and played on both specialty teams. He became a workhorse at both ends of the ice and was a leader in the dressing room. When the Sabres retooled in 1995-96, the veteran backliner was sent to the San Jose Sharks where he added mobility and experience to the young defence. When the club missed the playoffs, Bodger joined Team Canada at the World Championships where it won a silver medal.

Part-way through the 1997-98 season, the close-checking New Jersey Devils sought Bodger's talent for their relatively pedestrian blueline. In the off-season, he returned to California as a member of the improving Los Angeles Kings. Bodger moved up the "left coast" as a free agent to add savvy to the Vancouver Canucks defense in 1999-2000 but retired after dressing for only 13 games.

Interview with a Legend by Ken Newans

Doug Bodger is an excellent athlete; besides hockey he excels in golf and was a superb amateur baseball pitcher. Doug and his wife Tracy have a son, Ryne, and a daughter, Rachel. They run a sporting goods store on the Island and Doug keeps in shape by running 4-5 miles three times a week.

Doug remains a big sports fan. Bobby Hull is his favorite hockey player, Ken Griffey his favorite non-hockey athlete and his favorite team is the Seattle Seahawks, his favorite arena is the defunct Great Western forum and you can tell he has literary taste because Seinfeld is his favorite TV show.

Doug Bodger played with Eastern teams, and that meant a lot of fans in the West never realized what an excellent hockey player he became. Like all good players he was always in the right place at the right time. A great example was the Western Junior final in 1983-84. It was the seventh game in Kamloops against Regina—with four seconds left Bodger intercepted a pass out at the Regina blue line, found an uncovered winger at the side of the Pat net and the game was tied and the Blazers won in overtime, and were in their first Memorial Cup final and Bodger was named the game's first star.

Here are some other Doug Bodger milestones:
• He played 16 consecutive NHL seasons and never spent a day in the Minor leagues.
• Bodger played 1071 games to indicate his durability. He had excellent offensive skills, scoring over 100 goals and 528 points. He anchored the power play and scored 61 power play goals. Bodger could kill penalties with the best of the best.
• Bodger had 42 multi point games.
• Scotty Bowman, the games greatest coach, lauded Bodgers' on ice vision.
• Bodger played for John Muckler for four seasons in Buffalo. Muckler considered Bodger the team leader and best all around rearguard.
• 1986-1987 and in 1996 Bodger played for Canada at World Hockey Championships. In 1996 he was named Canada's best all around defenseman, set up three important goals and won a silver medal.
• His best offensive season was 1992-1993 in Buffalo when he scored 9 goals and 45 assists.
• Bodger and the Sabres made the playoffs six consecutive years.