MONTREAL — It’s a milestone year for veteran defenceman Francis Bouillon.

On Monday, Bouillon played his 500th game in a Canadiens uniform. And sometime next week, the 37-year-old will play his 700th National Hockey League game.

But Bouillon said there was a time in the fall when he feared he had played his final NHL game.

“I was really worried during the lockout,” he said this week. “I have a one-year contract and I thought that if they cancelled the season, I wouldn’t have an opportunity to show that I could play.”

The lockout was the latest in a series of adversities Bouillon has had to overcome in his career. He has had knee surgery, a groin injury and a serious concussion.

But the first hurdle he faced was proving he could play.

“I saw this kid when he was 16 years old playing midget Triple-A for Montreal-Bourassa and he never got drafted in junior,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. “He wasn’t even supposed to have a junior career, and now he’s playing his 500th game as a Canadien. He got to the NHL with his passion and determination, and to play at the level he’s playing at his age, I’m impressed.”

Bouillon received an early boost to his career when Therrien offered the undrafted teen a tryout with the Laval Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Bouillon spent three seasons in Laval and then moved with Therrien to the Granby Prédateurs. Bouillon was Granby’s captain when the Prédateurs won the Memorial Cup in 1996 with future NHLers Jason Doig and Georges Laraque in the lineup.

Bouillon worked his way up through the East Coast and American Hockey Leagues before Alain Vigneault gave him his first shot with the Canadiens in 1999. A year later, Therrien began his first stint as Canadiens coach.

“He was a hard coach, but he was successful,” Bouillon said, recalling his earlier experiences with Therrien. “He had his own recipe for success and he’s showing it again this year. He’s taking a team that was 15th last season and you add a few pieces to the puzzle and you bring that team to first place, it proves you’re a good coach. Everybody buys into the system, and so far, so good.”

Bouillon said Therrien has changed over the years.

“He’s way different, but he has kept his passion,” Bouillon said. “He has good control of the room and it’s important, especially in the new NHL, that the players want to play for you. He’s put together a coaching staff where the assistants are very different than Michel, but they complement each other.”

Bouillon said Therrien has earned the respect of the players by demanding accountability and adjusting ice time and situations based on a player’s performance.

Bouillon said he was sure Therrien played a role in his return to Montreal after Nashville decided it wanted to bring along its younger defencemen.

“I don’t think (general manager) Marc Bergevin or anyone else in the organization knew what I can do,” Bouillon said. “I think they asked Michel who he wanted and he picked me and he picked Colby Armstrong, who played for him in Pittsburgh. He was looking for some grit. He’s the kind of coach who likes character players.”

When he signed a one-year deal for $1.5 million, it was assumed Bouillon was an insurance policy in case the Canadiens ran into injuries, but Therrien said he always projected the 5-foot-8 fire plug as one of his top six defencemen.

Bouillon has bounced back and forth between Montreal and Nashville. The Predators claimed him on waivers in 2002, but he was back in Montreal after four games.

“It was pretty crazy, but they say when you leave a team you should always be gentle because you never know what’s going to happen,” Bouillon said. “I remember the first time in Nashville, I was so mad because I didn’t know what happened, but I was quiet and then I came back to Montreal. It’s the way I am. I’m not the kind of guy who makes trouble. I always try to be positive.”

Bouillon’s determination almost ended his career. A groin injury slowed him in 2009, but he rushed back to play in a playoff series against Boston.

“I came back too soon, I ripped the groin,” Bouillon said. “I didn’t have a contract for the next season, but I worked hard to rehab and Nashville and San Jose offered me contacts.”

The Predators signed him to a two-year deal in 2010, which proved fortuitous when Bouillon suffered a concussion midway through the 2010-11 season.

“It’s good I had the contract for the next season and I was able to take my time and make sure I was ready before I came back,” Bouillon said.

Bouillon has been averaging about 19 minutes a game and added the power play to his role when Raphael Diaz was sidelined with a concussion. He has four assists and is a plus-6.

The Canadiens had a day off Thursday. They will practise in Brossard Friday morning and play the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night at the Bell Centre before hitting the road for five games, starting Sunday night in Boston.

phickey@montrealgazette.com

Twitter: @zababes1