>> CATHY: MINNESOTA HOCKEY HAD TWO BIG STORIES THE WEEK.

ON MONDAY, THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE HELD ITS DRAFT.

TAYLOR HEISE WAS THE NUMBER ONE DRAFT PICK.

SHE'S FROM MINNESOTA.

MORE ON THAT STORY IN A FEW MINUTES.

WE START BY REMEMBERING HOCKEY LEGEND AND OJIBWE ADVOCATE HENRY BOUCHA, WHO DIED EARLIER THIS WEEK.

BOUCHA'S CAREER KICKED OFF AS HE LED THE WARROAD HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY TEAM TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1969.

THEY LOST, BUT BOUCHA HAD ONLY JUST BEGUN.

HE WENT ON TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY FOR A NUMBER OF TEAMS AND HE COMPETED IN THE 1972 WINTER OLYMPICS.

BUT BOUCHA, WHO WAS OJIBWE, MAY BE MOST REMEMBERED AS AN ADVOCATE IN HIS HOMETOWN OF WARROAD.

BEFORE HIS DEATH, BOUCHA SAT DOWN WITH TWIN CITIES PBS PRODUCER LEYA HALE, WHO IS PRODUCING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE HOCKEY STAR THAT WILL AIR IN 2024.

HERE'S A PREVIEW FROM THAT DOCUMENTARY.

♪♪ >> THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT TO DO WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.

WE JUST MADE OUR OWN FUN.

WE SCRAPED OFF SOME RINKS ON THE RIVER.

PLAYED OUTSIDE A LOT.

WE DID HAVE AN INDOOR ARENA, BUT IT WAS ALL NATURAL ICE.

SO, IF IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE, IT WAS JUST AS COLD INSIDE.

WE COULD SKATE DOWN ON THE RIVER AND I REMEMBER VIVIDLY THE SOUNDS OF SKATING ON FRESH ICE.

YOU COULD HEAR THE ECHOS OF YOUR BLADES ON THE ICE.

A LOT OF THE STARS AT NIGHT SHINING, AND IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME TO BE DOWN THERE.

IT WAS JUST A PLEASURE TO BE ALIVE AND TO REMEMBER THOSE TIMES.

♪♪ THERE HAD BEEN HOCKEY IN WARROAD SINCE THE EARLY 1900s.

YOU KNOW, IT EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS.

BUT THE HANDLE FOR HOCKEY TOWN CAME, I THINK, SOMETIMES IN THE LATE '50s, EARLY '60s, WHEN THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS PLAYED ON THE FIRST GOLD MEDAL TEAM IN 1960.

>> AN UNEXPECTED PLAN CAME WITH THE SUPERB PLAYING, WHICH BEATS HIGHLY FAVORED RUSSIA AND FINISHED A FIVE-GAME SERIES UNDEFEATED.

TEAM OF UNDERDOGS WOULD STOP THE COMPETITION IN THIS SPORT.

♪ SO MUCH TO END, SO MUCH TO LOSE ♪ ♪ SO MANY DREAMS ♪ >> SO WE GREW UP ON THAT, ALONG WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY, AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY GAVE US A LOT OF MOTIVATION.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TV, PER SE, SO WE MADE UP OUR OWN FUN.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHO STARTED PLAYING ROAD HOCKEY.

BUT WE STARTED USING MY DAD'S COPENHAGEN CANS, AND THEY WERE GREAT FOR A WHILE UNTIL THEY ALL GOT ALL BENT UP.

BUT THE HARDER THEY GOT, THE MORE THEY HURT.

SO IT WAS BASICALLY BOOT HOCKEY ON A FROZEN ROAD THAT CARS WENT OVER AND MADE IT ICY.

>> CATHY: JOINING US NOW TO REMEMBER HENRY BOUCHA, PATRICK MADER, THE AUTHOR WHO LITERALLY WROTE THE BOOKS ON MINNESOTA SPORTS.

PLURAL, ON MINNESOTA SPORTS.

IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION.

>> Cathy: ABSOLUTELY.

HENRY BOUCHA WAS SUCH A KIND MAN, REALLY REAT ATHLETE.

WARROAD, AS YOU KNOW, IS KIND OF AN ISOLATED PLACE WAY UP IN NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA.

HOW DID THAT PLACE SHAPE HIM?

>> WELL, HE RECOUNTS THE STORY PRETTY OFTEN, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TELEVISION WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER.

I DON'T THINK THEY EVEN HAD INDOOR PLUMBING UNTIL HE'S OLDER.

SO THEY MADE THEIR OWN FUN, AS HE SAYS IN THE VIDEO CLIP.

AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE STORY HE TOLD ME WAS HE WAS 5 YEARS OLD, HIS OLDER BROTHERS AND SISTER WERE PLAYING HOCKEY, THEY NEEDED A GOALIE.

SO THEY CAME IN, THEY GOT HIM, AND THAT WAS THE START OF IT.

AND HE WAS CTUALLY A GOALIE AND A DEFENSE MAN EARLY IN HIS CAREER, TOO.

>> Eric: I THINK 1969 WITH THE STATE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT, WARROAD AGAINST EDINA, THE AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT HAD JUST FORMED, I THINK, IN JULY OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THERE WERE SOCIAL JUSTICE CROSS-CURRENTS, I DON'T KNOW THAT HE WAS A PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, AS A HIGH SCHOOL KID, BUT HE KIND OF SYMBOLIZED SOME STUFF THAT WAS GOING ON BACK THEN.

I WONDERED IF HE EVER TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT ASPECT OF IT?

>> HE DID.

BUT HE SAID AT THE TIME, HIS QUOTE WAS, IT WAS NOT COOL TO BE A NATIVE AMERICAN AT THE TIME OR TALK ABOUT OR EMBRACE YOUR HERITAGE.

BUT HE DID LATER ON.

HE WORE A HEADBAND WHEN HE WAS PLAYING WITH THE DETROIT ED WINGS AND HE ACTUALLY WAS AN INDIAN EDUCATOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE WARROAD SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND THEN ESPECIALLY LATER IN HIS LIFE, HE EVEN SPOKE SOME OJIBWE TO ME AND PUT THAT IN THE BOOK.

>> Cathy: GOING BACK TO THAT '69 HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE MORE FAMOUS TOURNAMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, HE PRACTICALLY WILLED HIS TEAM TO WIN AND THEY LOST IN OVERTIME.

THAT HIT HE TOOK, I MEAN, THAT WHOLE RUN LEADING UP TO THE TOURNAMENT WAS AMAZING FOR THAT TEAM.

REALLY.

>> YES, IT WAS.

AND HE WAS THE PERSON WHO SCORED THE WINNING GOAL IN THE REGION.

THEY WENT BACK DOOR BECAUSE ROSEAU WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THAT REGION.

>> Eric: THEY REPRESENTED REGION 3, I THINK, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.

>> YES, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE.

AND THEY PLAYED EVELETH IN THE PLAYOFF AND THEY WON WITH HIM SCORING THE WINNING GOAL.

AND HE SCORED THE WINNING GOLL -- GOAL IN BOTH OF THE FIRST TWO GAMES.

AND AS ERIC MENTIONED, HE GOT INJURED IN THE FINAL GAME AGAINST EDINA, MIDWAY THROUGH THE SECOND PERIOD.

SO THEY WERE BEHIND 4-2.

SO KUDOS TO THE TEAM FOR A GUTSY COMEBACK, THEY LOST IN OVERTIME, TOO.

>> Eric: I WAS LOOKING AT VINTAGE MINNESOTA HOCKEY WEBSITE, AND HE'S THE FIFTH OF THE TOP 100 MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS, HE'S NUMBER FIVE.

>> YES.

CONSENSUS SEEMS TO BE JOHN, FROM EVELETH.

>> Eric: HE'D BE NUMBER ONE, SURE.

>> BUT AFTER THAT IT GETS CONTROVERSIAL.

HE'S CERTAINLY IN THE OP TEN AND PROBABLY IN THE TOP FIVE.

>> Eric: HE DEFENDED THE WARRIOR NICKNAME WHEN IT WASN'T PARTICULARLY HIP TO DO THAT, MAYBE.

>> YES.

HE TOOK PRIDE IN IT.

HE SAID THE NAME OF THE TOWN, WARROAD, ACTUALLY WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS A ROAD FOR TRAVELING TO DO WAR AT ONE TIME.

SO, HE SEEMED TO BE PRETTY ACCEPTING OF IT.

AND THE WARRIOR NICKNAME HAS STUCK WITH WARROAD.

>> Cathy: BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT HENRY BOUCHA, HE WAS INJURED IN THAT '69 GAME, OBVIOUSLY, AND, OF COURSE, A VERY INFAMOUS SITUATION HAPPENED TO HIM WHICH ENDED HIS PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY CAREER WITH THAT STICK IN THE EYE, WHICH WAS A CHEAP SHOT, OBVIOUSLY.

DID HE EVER EXPRESS ANY BITTERNESS?

>> YES.

THAT ONE HE DID.

HE DIDN'T ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL GAME.

TO ME.

BUT WITH THE ONE WITH DAVE FORBES FROM THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS, THAT DID LITERALLY END HIS CAREER.

HE SUFFERED FROM BLURRED AND DOUBLE VISION.

HE DID MAKE A BRIEF COMEBACK WITH THE KANSAS CITY SCOUTS, WHO ERE IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE AT THE TIME, BUT HE WAS NEVER THE SAME.

HE DID SAY AT THE VERY END, YOU KNOW, AS PART F HIS CULTURE AND HERITAGE, HE WAS FORGIVING.

BUT IT WAS A LIFE CHANGER OR HIM.

>> Cathy: BEFORE YOU GO, WE'VE GOT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE, THE PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE, PRETTY EXCITING.

TAYLOR HEISE IS A HECK OF A PLAYER.

>> YES, NUMBER ONE PICK, MINNESOTA GOT THROUGH THE LOTTERY SYSTEM.

SHE'S FROM LAKE CITY, WENT TO RED WING HIGH SCHOOL.

THE GENERAL MANAGER IS THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN NATALIE DARWITZ FROM EAGAN.

THEY DRAFTED ANOTHER PERSON, GRACE SUMWINKLE, ACTUALLY THEY DRAFTED SEVEN MINNESOTA PLAYERS TO FILL OUT THEIR SQUAD.

PLUS THEY SIGNED TWO OTHER PLAYERS, LEE STECKLINE FROM ROSEVILLE AND ACTUALLY KELLY PANIC FROM PLYMOUTH.

>> Cathy: I'M SORRY, DO YOU THINK THIS WILL HAVE LEGS, THIS PARTICULAR LEAGUE?

>> I DO.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS BETTER FUNDING THIS TIME, MORE STABLE FUNDING.

AND THE PLAYERS, JUST A TINY FRACTION OF WHAT THE MEN GET, BUT IT'S A STEP.

>> Eric: CAN YOU GIVE S A QUICK WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN CHECK OUT YOUR BOOKS?

>> OH, THANK YOU.

MY NAME, PATRICKMADER.COM OR MINNESOTA ATHLETES, YOU CAN GO TO EITHER ONE.

THANK YOU.

>> Eric: ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE