 In 1951, Bouchard was involved in a legal first when he was a defendant in a lawsuit brought by a New York Rangers fan.The fan claimed Bouchard had struck him with his stick when he was waving to a friend watching the game on TV.Bouchard said the fan had actually raised his fist towards a fellow Canadiens player who was being taken off the ice with an injury and his stick hit the fan accidentally as he tried to ward off the blow.