Rene Bourque (b. December 10, 1981 in Lac la Biche, Alberta) is a professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL. He is the first cousin of North American Native Boxing Champion Wayne Bourque.

 

Rene Bourque played junior hockey with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, where he made the All-Rookie team, and played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

Bourque played for the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League in 2004-05, the season of the NHL lockout. Bourque set a franchise record for most goals scored, with 33, and also led the team with 27 assists and 60 points. He played for the Canadian team in the AHL All-Star Classic on February 9, 2005, and won the hardest shot contest at the AHL All-Star Skills Competition with a slapshot measured at 99.8 mph. Bourque was named to the 2005 AHL All-Rookie Team, and won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding rookie. Bourque was never drafted in the NHL Entry Draft, and he was signed by Chicago on July 29, 2004.

 

On November 12, 2006 in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Bourque left the game late in the second period after being accidentally cut in the neck by Columbus' right wing Nikolai Zherdev's skate blade during a pileup in the Blackhawks' crease. Bourque was listed in stable condition when he was taken on a stretcher, to The University of Chicago Hospital. The next day, it was announced, Bourque would be expected to miss three to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair the deep laceration to his neck.

 

In an interview on dailysouthtown.com, it was revealed that the blade had cut through a neck muscle and gouged Bourque's jugular vein, coming very close to ending the life of the 2-year veteran. Battling various injuries, Bourque continued to play out the remainder of the 2006-2007 NHL season. Finishing with 7 goals 10 assists for 17 points in 44 games.