“Where’s home?”

It seems like such a simple question.

For me, the answer is easy: Montreal. I was born there and have lived there my entire life.

For others, it's a little more complicated.

Especially when you were born in Rimouski, then lived in Drummondville, Hamilton, Tampa, Switzerland, Ottawa, Montreal and Connecticut—all before turning 20.

That has been the journey of Naomi Boucher, who was selected by the New York Sirens in the sixth round, 67th overall, at the most recent PWHL Draft.

Her father, Guy Boucher, held coaching jobs in most of those places, forcing the family to move time and time again.

Life as a globe-trotter comes with its share of challenges, but it also offers plenty of advantages.

Born on October 17, 2003, Boucher first laced up her skates at the age of three in her native Quebec. She started elementary school in Tampa, however. Arriving in Florida without speaking a word of English, she is now perfectly bilingual, something she credits directly to that chapter of her life.

"Well, you know, when you're young, it's easy. We were at the beach every day. We played soccer and hockey, so it was easy to make friends. I was there from Grade 1 to Grade 4. We didn't speak any English when we got there. It's crazy when you think about it! We didn't speak English and pretty much everything was in English—it was Florida after all! But we learned quickly, and it was a lot of fun."

She also happened to be living in Tampa during the years when Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos starred for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I remember seeing those guys all the time. I even remember them playing mini-sticks with me! We got to go to as many games as we wanted. It was really cool. Before and after the games, we'd go down to the lounges with the other players' and coaches' families. That was just our everyday life. It wasn't until I got older that I realized how lucky I was because not everyone gets to experience that."

The Boucher family's time in Bern, Switzerland's fifth-largest city, also left a lasting impression. Although Boucher attended a French-language school, living in a predominantly German-speaking city meant she picked up some German in addition to French and English.

"I played hockey with the boys in Switzerland, and it was pretty tough. First of all, I didn't speak their language. Everything was in German. School was good because we went to a French school, and even though a lot of people spoke English there, we still had to learn German. There was this one game where you had to call out colours, and I said mine in English. My coach told me, 'No, you're not getting the puck until you say it in German.' It was definitely an experience."

It was also in Switzerland, despite her young age, that she first began playing full-contact hockey.

"In Florida, from ages six to ten, we were all pretty much at the same level. But when I got to Switzerland, it was full contact! When the boys saw a girl on the ice, instead of avoiding her, they'd think, 'Oh, it's a girl—it’s gonna be easy to make her fall, I'm gonna hit her!' That first year was tough. I didn't know how to hit and I wasn't strong enough. But by my second year, I had really learned how. Then when we moved from Switzerland to Ottawa and I started playing with girls, I realized I had become too physical. I had to learn how to find a balance. But Switzerland definitely taught me to play a physical, strong game."

Bouche describes herself as a reliable, 200-foot forward whom coaches can trust—and, thanks to her years in Switzerland, one who isn't afraid to play a physical game. That physical style is something she'll be able to take even further in the PWHL next season.

"I learned to play physically to protect myself. I had a couple of concussions, and I figured I should probably learn how to hit! I've never really lost that part of my game. I just found the right balance once I got to Ottawa, and then I kept it when I went to Yale. Even though hitting wasn't really allowed in the NCAA, our league was still pretty physical, and I loved that. So, I'm definitely looking forward to being even more physical in the PWHL."

Before heading to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where she spent the past four seasons, Boucher played one season with the John Abbott College Islanders in Montreal.

Skating on the top line alongside Émilie Lussier and Sena Catterall, she enjoyed an experience she'll never forget.

"Honestly, it was so much fun. It was one of my favourite hockey seasons ever. We had such a great team. We won the championship, and it was just so much fun playing with players of that calibre."

At John Abbott, Boucher also played under head coach Noémie Marin, now an assistant coach with Kori Cheverie and the Montreal Victoire. Marin left a lasting impression on the young forward.

"It's hard to put into words. She's one of the best coaches I've ever had. She's one of the people who has had the biggest impact on my career, which says a lot considering I was only there for only one year. I wish she had been my coach my whole life!"

Boucher wasn't in Detroit for the draft, choosing instead to watch it from home with her family.

"I was in Saint-Hilaire with my family, and we watched the draft together. It was really nice to be with them. I'd had conversations with a few teams, but I wasn't sure I'd get drafted. It's just so special. I've played hockey my whole life, so to have the chance to keep playing professionally, I never could have imagined it. It's truly a dream. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity."

After a lifetime spent moving from one place to another, relocating to the New York/New Jersey area ahead of next season is the least of her concerns.

"It doesn't really stress me out. I honestly haven't thought much about it. Before the draft, people kept asking me where I wanted to play, and I'd tell them it didn't matter. Adapting to a new place isn't a problem for me."

So let me go back to my opening question.

Where is home, Naomi?

"My mom has a house in L'Île-Perrot and my dad has one in Saint-Hilaire. So, I say Montreal because it's right in the middle!"