Playing Career
Growing up in Winnipeg, Courchaine dominated at the minor hockey level with the AAA-midget Winnipeg Warriors, putting up 119 points in 50 games. In 2001–02, he joined the major junior ranks with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was traded during his rookie season to the Vancouver Giants during their inaugural season and became a cornerstone for the franchise in its beginning years. Courchaine put up a team-high 85 points in his first full season with the Giants, helping them to their first playoff appearance in 2003. His 43 goals established a Giants' franchise record which remained unbroken until Evander Kane surpassed the mark in 2008–09. Courchaine was also named a WHL West Second Team All-Star and was subsequently chosen in the off-season by the Minnesota Wild, 219th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
He played two more seasons with the Giants, leading them in scoring for a second consecutive season in 2003–04 with 82 points while being named to the WHL West First All-Star Team. In four seasons with the Giants, Courchaine led the team in scoring twice and accumulated a franchise all-time leading 126 goals and 273 points in 241 games until both records were broken in 2012 by Brendan Gallagher. His 147 assists was also a franchise record until it was surpassed by defenceman Jonathon Blum on February 7, 2009.
Graduating from major junior in 2005–06, Courchaine was assigned to the Wild's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros. However, he was a regular healthy scratch and was demoted to the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) where he played with the Pensacola Ice Pilots and Gwinnett Gladiators.
Although Courchaine was signed overseas by Zell Am See of Austria, he spent the 2006–07 season inactive. The following season, Courchaine played in the German Bundesliga with the Duisburg Foxes. He enjoyed more success than his rookie season in the minors and led Duisburg in scoring with 50 points. In the following 2008–09 season, he joined fellow German team, the DEG Metro Stars.
Read more about this topic: Adam Courchaine (ice Hockey B. 1984)
Famous quotes containing the words playing and/or career:
“While you’re playing cards with a regular guy or having a bite to eat with him, he seems a peaceable, good-humoured and not entirely dense person. But just begin a conversation with him about something inedible, politics or science, for instance, and he ends up in a deadend or starts in on such an obtuse and base philosophy that you can only wave your hand and leave.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)
“I began my editorial career with the presidency of Mr. Adams, and my principal object was to render his administration all the assistance in my power. I flattered myself with the hope of accompanying him through [his] voyage, and of partaking in a trifling degree, of the glory of the enterprise; but he suddenly tacked about, and I could follow him no longer. I therefore waited for the first opportunity to haul down my sails.”
—William Cobbett (1762–1835)