Jay Bouwmeester Bio: Marriage, Career, Retirement & Cardiac

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From winning the Olympics’ gold medal with his country to having a cardiac arrest mid-game, Jay Bouwmeester has done it all inside the ice rink.

Just before his life-threatening scare, Jay won the Stanley Cup to achieve every young Canadian kid’s dream.

Furthermore, the 40 year old is widely regarded as an icon of the game, having been involved in the NHL for 18 years and counting.

Additionally, only a few have achieved the level of success Bouwmeester has done with his country, Canada.

Jay Bouwmeester age
Jay Bouwmeester, 37, NHL Player

Thus, due to our dear readers’ popular demand, we have written this article to inform you about the two-time All-Star’s 18-year journey in the NHL and his early years.

Besides you will also find details regarding his salary, net worth, age, family, wife, kids, and social media.

So let’s get warmed up with some quick facts.

Jay Bouwmeester: Quick Facts

Full Name Jay Daniel Bouwmeester
Birth Date September 27, 1983
Birth Place Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Nick Name Not available
Religion Not available
Nationality American
Ethnicity White
Education  Not available
Horoscope Cancer
Father’s Name Dan Bouwmeester
Mother’s Name Gena Bouwmeester
Siblings Jill Bouwmeester
Age 40 Years Old
Height 6’4″ (1.93 m)
Weight 215 lbs (98 kg)
Shoe Size Not available
Hair Color Blonde
Eye Color Blue
Body Measurement Not available
Build Muscular
Married Yes
Fiancee/Girlfriend No
Spouse Devon Cunningham Bouwmeester
Position Defenceman
Profession Ice Hockey Player
Net Worth $50 million
Clubs   St. Louis Blues (Current); Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames (Former)
Jersey Number 19 (St. Louis Blues)
Social Media None
Merch  Autographed Items, Rookie Cards
Last Update March, 2024

Jay Bouwmeester: Early Life and Family

Jay Daniel Bouwmeester was born to his parents, Dan Bouwmeester and Gena Bouwmeester, on September 27, 1989, in Edmonton, Alberta.

He grew up alongside his sister, Jill Bouwmeester. Similarly, Dan was a school teacher and coach in Edmonton and played defense for the University of Alberta during his youth.

Moving on, from very early on in his life, all Bouwmeester wanted to do was play ice hockey.

His father even said that young Jay played with hockey sticks at a very young age and learned to skate just after he learned to walk.

Jay Bouwmeester family
Jay Bouwmeester with his family

Contrarily, Boumeester’s talents were not just limited to ice hockey. The Alberta native also played soccer and baseball competitively during his college years.

Additionally, Jay also played volleyball, basketball, and running track.

Jay Bouwmeester: Career

Jay started his junior career playing for the Edmonton South Side Athletic Club in the 1997-98 midget championship. Subsequently, the two-time All-Star helped his side win the trophy.

Consequently, the Alberta native got selected first overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers at the Western Hockey League (WHL) 1998 Bantam Draft. After that, he stayed with the Tigers for four years before moving on to the NHL.

However, his time with the Medicine Hat Tigers was outstanding, to say the least, as he scored 53 and 61 points in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons, respectively, as a 17 and 18-year-old.

Additionally, Bouwmeester was also selected in the WHL’s East All-Star team for the 2001-02 season.

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Thus, being one of the best players at such a young age, Jay was tipped to be selected in the first round and as the first overall pick.

NHL Career

Although Bouwmeester was not chosen as the first overall pick, he went third to the Florida Panthers.

Subsequently, Jay’s first year with the Panthers began gloriously as he broke the franchise rookie record by appearing in all 82 games.

Consequently, the Alberta native earned a selection in the 2003 NHL All-Rookie Team on defense. Jay spent the next two years playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) due to a lockout.

However, after the league resumed in the 2005-06 season, Bouwmeester showed his quality in the big company as he managed five goals, 41 assists, and 46 points in 82 games, all career highs time.

The following season was even better for the Alberta native as he made his first appearance in the NHL All-Star game. Additionally, he scored 12 goals, 42 points, and assisted 41 times.

Jay Bouwmeester NHL
Jay Bouwmeester for NHL

After that, he stayed with the Panthers for another two years before getting traded to the Calgary Flames.

Nonetheless, before his eventual trade, Bouwmeester managed his second and final All-Star appearance to date in his last season with the Panthers in 2008-09.

In addition, Jay ended up with 471 appearances for the Florida-based franchise, in which he scored 53 goals and 203 points, along with 150 assists.

Overall, the Canadian defenceman enjoyed glorious six seasons with the Florida Panthers.

Panthers

On the contrary, Bouwmeester’s time with the Panthers came somewhat bitter as they could not agree on a new deal.

Consequently, Florida Panthers traded his negotiating rights with the Calgary Flames in return for the negotiating rights of defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third-round draft pick.

Thus, according to the contract, Flames had four days to reach a deal with the Alberta-born defenceman before he ended up on the free agency market.

Fortunately, for the Calgary-based franchise they managed to do what Panthers could not, to match his contract demands.

Consequently, the two-time All-Star secured himself a bumper payday with a five-year $33 million deal.

After that, Bouwmeester stayed with the Flames for four years, in which he broke the record for most consecutive appearances by a defenseman with 486 games.

Furthermore, he finished his time with the Flames amassing a tally of 18 goals, 79 assists, and 97 points in 279 appearances.

However, the Calgary-based franchise could never reach the playoffs during his four years. As a result, Jay decided he needed to move on to achieve his dream of becoming a Stanley Cup winner.

Consequently, Bouwmeester signed for the franchise he is currently playing for, St. Louis Blues, hoping to reach the NFL playoffs for the first time in his career.

And that is precisely what happened as the two-time All-Star reached the playoffs in his first full year with the franchise in 2013.

Since then, the Blues and Jay have reached the playoffs six times in their eight seasons together.

The Alberta-born defenseman achieved most Canadian kids’ dreams by winning the prestigious Stanley Cup in the 2018-19 season.

In doing so, Bouwmeester became only the twenty-ninth player in the sport’s history to be included in the Triple Gold Club.

To explain, the Triple Gold Club only includes players that have won the gold medals in the World Championships and Olympics, along with winning a Stanley Cup.

Jay Bouwmeester: Cardiac Arrest & Retirement

However, his joy was short-lived as recently, on February 11, 2020, Bouwmeester went into a cardiac arrest and fainted on the bench during a game against Anaheim Ducks.

Since then, the 36-year-old defenseman has recovered, but his playing career seems to be in doubt due to the life-threatening injury.

Contrarily, there has been no confirmation regarding this matter from Bouwmeester or his representatives. Nevertheless, we hope Jay makes the right decisions as he has three kids and a wife.

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Additionally, the recent world pandemic of Corona Virus (COVID-19) has affected the NHL, due to which the league has been postponed until further notice.

Thus, we here are Playersbio feels this might be the last hurrah for the 36-year-old.

If that is the case, then Bouwmeester would have finished his career with 88 goals, 336 assists, and 424 points in 1240 appearances.

In conclusion, I feel that the Alberta native should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

International Career

Talking about his international career, Bouwmeester’s journey is as eventful as his club career, if not more. To explain, the 36-year-old won the World Championships twice in his career during 2003 and 2004.

Jay has even voted the Best Defenceman in the 2003 World Championships and was included in the All-Start team of the same competition.

Additionally, Bouwmeester won the Olympic gold medal during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Furthermore, the Alberta-born defenceman has won the World Cup twice in 2004 and 2016, while also bagging a silver medal at the 2008 World Championships.

To conclude, Jay has been a serial winner from the start of his international journey and has been continuing to do so.

And if he does retire from the game, only a handful of players have achieved what Bouwmeester has achieved in his 18-year-long career.

Jay Bouwmeester retires quietly

It is no secret that Jay has suffered severe health issues. Well, there will be one less smoothest skater on the ice.

The 37-year-old retires after playing 17 seasons on the ice. He has defended teams like Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues in those years.

In 2018-19, the skilled NHL player hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Blues. Following that, he had much success on the international stage as well.

Jay quietly finished his competitive career and has been healthy ever since.

“Oh yeah. To be quite honest, I knew I was done essentially when it happened.” 

Jay talked, recalling the moment he collapsed on the St. Louis blues bench during a game in Anaheim where he suffered a cardiac arrest.

“It’s crazy; it’s almost been a year since it happened. To me, it seems like it happened yesterday.”

Jay Bouwmeester | Career Stats

 
  Regular Season Playoffs
Season   Lge GP G A Pts PIM +/- GP G A Pts PIM
1998-20 NHL Totals NHL 1240 88 336 424 635   75 0 13 13 50

Jay Bouwmeester: Age, Height & Health Condition

Being born in 1983 makes Jay’s age 40 years currently, which is quite old for an NHL player.

The reason is that NHL players often smash each other with their bodies to throw their opponents to the floor or the glass wall.

Moreover, the 36-year-old stands 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and weighs 215 lb (98 kg).

Due to his tall build and muscular physique, Bouwmeester has consistently been one of the best defensemen in the league throughout his illustrious 17-year career.

What happened to Jay Bouwmeester?

Unfortunately, on February 11, 2020, Jay collapsed on the bench of his team St. Louis Blues during a game against Anaheim Ducks.

The reason was a cardiac arrest or a heart attack during the game’s first period.

Then that same month, the player underwent an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator procedure. This operation which was conducted in Anaheim, restored his heart’s normal rhythm. 

Since then, the 40 years old has recovered, but his playing career seems to be as good as over.

Jay Bouwmeester: Net Worth & Salary

As of 2024, Bouwmeester has an eye-watering net worth of $50 million, mainly through his playing career in the NHL.

Moreover, his massive net worth should come as no surprise because the 40 years old has played in the league for over 18 years and continues to do so.

Furthermore, Jay has been earning millions since he entered the lucrative NHL. To explain, the Canadian defenceman made $1.1 million during his first season with the Florida Panthers.

Since then, Bouwmeester has gradually been increasing his pay, with his highest yearly salary coming during the 2009-10 season when he pocketed $7 million.

Jay has earned over $73 million throughout his career, reflecting how good a player he is.

However, in light of his recent cardiac arrest during a game in February 2020, we think that the 36-year-old should retire from the grueling sport and think about his future and family.

Jay Bouwmeester | Wife & Kids

Talking about his personal life, Jay is happily married to his wife, Devon Cunningham.

Likewise, the couple got married in 2011 at a gorgeous wedding in front of more than 300 families and friends.

jay bouwmeester wife and kid
Jay Bouwmeester with his wife and kid

Furthermore, the two lovebirds have been blessed with three children. The first child, Linna Bouwmeester, was born in 2012, shortly after their wedding, while their second child Carys Bouwmeester was born in 2018.

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Unfortunately, the details regarding the third child are unknown to the prying eyes of the media. We guess that the couple wants to shield their youngest child from the glitz and glamour of the paparazzi.

Jay Bouwmeester | Social Media Presence

It seems the NHL player is not active on any social media accounts.

Jay Bouwmeester | FAQs

Is Jay Bouwmeester still playing hockey? 

No, Jay Bouwmeester officially retired from professional hockey on January 11, 2021, 11 months after his heart attack. 

Has Jay Bouwmeester retired from NHL?

Yes, the athlete recently announced in an interview with The Athletic that he was retiring from the National Hockey League. His retirement came 11 months after his cardiac arrest. 

How many World Junior did Jay Bouwmeester play in?

The hockey player played in three world juniors with Canada’s national junior team. 

What is Jay Bouwmeester doing now?

Jay Bouwmeester has been long key about his activity since his retirement in early 2021. The former NHL player is spending time with his family, taking care of his diet, and recovering well. 

Aaditya Bhatta
Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta is a dynamic writer and sports enthusiast, whose passion for both realms is reflected in his work. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Aaditya brings a unique perspective to his writing, captivating readers with his engaging content.

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Aaditya's journey as a writer and sports aficionado began at a young age when he discovered his passion for both pursuits. Throughout his academic and professional endeavors, Aaditya has honed his skills in content creation and sports analysis, immersing himself in the intricacies of the games he loves.

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