Hockey Day Minnesota in Warroad will celebrate Henry Boucha's life and career

WARROAD, Minn. – The town of Warroad remembered its own Henry Boucha on Friday, when about 800 people attended an afternoon funeral service.

They'll remember him again in a different way when the 18th Hockey Day Minnesota comes to Warroad — Hockeytown USA — the final weekend in January 2024.

The three-day celebration features five high school and Division III college games played outdoors, in all the elements.

In August 2022, Warroad was awarded this season's event, which will showcase both their boys and girls teams on television. Not too long after that, Warroad boys assistant coach Michael Tveit and Boucha began collaborating on the design for a special jersey meant to honor arguably the greatest hockey player Minnesota ever produced.

Players will wear jerseys that sport a "No. 16" patch, the number Boucha wore leading his little school to the 1969 state high school championship game against mighty Edina at Met Center. The jerseys also will have a photo of a teenage Boucha sewn inside the collar.

Tveit died in his sleep in July at age 38. Boucha died at age 72 on Sept. 18.

"But the jerseys are still in the works," said Warroad boys coach Jay Hardwick, one of Friday's five eulogists. "It will be a special way to honor both of them. I know Henry was excited to see the jerseys, and Michael was very proud of what he created. I felt terrible neither one of them will be here to see it, but I know they'll both be watching over us."

Boucha conceived a film project with Twin Cities PBS producer Leya Hale to document the lives of 21 U.S. Native American Olympians, starting with his story. They were completing that first film when he died. It likely will be screened during Hockey Day Minnesota weekend.

Boucha led little Warroad to the state one-class high school championship game against Edina at Met Center for the first time in 1969. He played on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team that brought home an unexpected silver medal and played for four teams in six seasons — including Detroit and the North Stars — in an NHL career shortened by an eye injury.

1980 Olympic gold medalist Bill Baker drove 3½ hours from his Grand Rapids, Minn., home, calling Boucha "my hero" when he was young and a friend later after both won Olympic medals. Bloomington's Jim Knutson drove six hours, he said, because of the respect he had for Boucha and the respect they had for each other, "pure and simple."

Knutson was the guy who checked Boucha into the boards in that state title game, sending him to the hospital overnight with a ruptured eardrum. He played just one period while Edina won its first state title in overtime. They remained in touch since then.

"It was very nice of him to be here for this," Baker said. "I thought it was really classy."

The retired jerseys of Boucha and NHL and Olympic star T.J. Oshie (No. 19) hang side by side in Gardens Arena where Friday's funeral was held. Oshie calls Boucha "Uncle Hank," although his father was Boucha's cousin. Oshie skated outdoors for the first time in Boucha's backyard when he was 10. Oshie lived with Boucha for a few months when he moved from Washington state to Warroad to better chase the NHL dream.

"For mine to be up there with his, I just never thought that was ever a possibility," Oshie told NHL.com after Boucha's death. "It's very cool to have our numbers up there and they'll be up there forever."

Oshie said he declined an invitation to speak at the funeral because of preseason commitments with his Washington Capitals team.

Those who didn't attend Friday's funeral are considering returning to Warroad for Hockey Day Minnesota to remember a friend and celebrate the sport they love.

"If they do something for him, I'd like it to be a celebration," said Orono's Craig Sarner, who was Boucha's Olympic team linemate. "That's when I think I'll go and make a weekend of it."

Three-time Olympic medalist and 2005 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Gigi Marvin doesn't miss coming home in summer and at Christmas but might make an exception and come in late January this year as well.

"I actually have my Hockey Day sweatshirt on now," Marvin said from her home in Boston. She won one Olympic gold medal and two silver. "It's a huge thing for our town. If I can, I will be there. If not, I'll be cheering and watching from afar, that's for sure."