Prospects Game, an exhibition for draft-eligible players. In June 2005, Bourdon was the tenth pick overall, selected by the Vancouver Canucks, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Ranked sixth overall for North American skaters coming into the draft, Bourdon was noted as a physical two-way defenceman with significant offensive skills and a strong shot, as well as an excellent skater. He was the second Shippagan-born hockey player to be drafted in the NHL, after goaltender Yanick Degrace was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991. Invited to the Canucks training camp, Bourdon almost made the team as an 18-year-old, but instead was returned to the QMJHL for further development. He began the 2005–06 season with the Foreurs, registering 20 points in 20 games, before being traded to the Moncton Wildcats, who were hosting the 2006 Memorial Cup. In exchange for Bourdon, the Wildcats sent Ian Mathieu-Girard, Jean-Sébastien Adam, a fourth-round pick, and a first-round selection in 2008 to Val-d'Or. Shortly after the trade, Bourdon injured his ankle, suffering a fractured fibula, high and low sprains, and a second-degree ligament tear. Although he returned to join Moncton in the playoffs, doctors told him that it would take two years to fully recover. He managed a full recovery after one year, but his turning ability and backwards skating sometimes lagged. Competing in the Memorial Cup, he reached the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) final with the Wildcats, who lost 6–2 to the Quebec Remparts. After signing a three-year contract, worth $850,000 per year with the Canucks on May 4, 2006, Bourdon earned a spot on the team's 2006–07 opening roster. He played his first NHL game on October 10, 2006 against the Minnesota Wild, but after playing nine games and scoring no points, he was sent again to the QMJHL for further development. On January 8, 2007, Bourdon was again traded in the QMJHL, with Moncton sending him to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in exchange for Mark Barberio and a first round selection in the 2007 QMJHL draft. As a Screaming Eagle, Bourdon lost in the QMJHL semi-final against his former team, Val-d'Or. He finished the 2006–07 QMJHL season with 20 points in 36 games. After his QMJHL season ended, the Canucks sent Bourdon to play five games for the Manitoba Moose, who were in the middle of the AHL playoffs. He was held pointless through five AHL playoff games. Including his