Francis made his professional debut the
1996–97 season in the
ECHL with the
Wheeling Nailers and played the following season in the
IHL with the
Quebec Rafales before he was signed as a
free agent to an NHL contract by the
Montreal Canadiens in 1998. He played the next 11 seasons, the majority of his career (except for a short stint with the Predators in
2002–03) within the Canadiens organization. At 5'8" and 194 lbs, Bouillon is considered small for an NHL defenseman but is never one to shy away from physical play. According to
Pierre Houde, he is one of the strongest players in the
NHL as shown by official physical tests. On September 30, 2009, just prior to the
2009–10 season, Bouillon was signed to a one-year contract as a late inclusion to the Nashville Predators after joining the team on a tryout for training camp. In returning to the Predators after an initial four-game stint in 2002, Bouillon established himself within the Predators defense as a stay-at-home defenseman to appear in 81 games, missing only a single game, for 3 goals and 11 points. On June 18, 2010, he signed a two-year extension to remain with the Predators. On July 1, 2012, Bouillon signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with the Montreal Canadiens. His play during that season earned him a one-year extension with the team. Following the 2013–14 season, the Canadiens declined to offer Bouillon a contract and on July 1, 2014, he became an unrestricted free agent. Bouillon attended the Canadiens' training camp for the
2014–15 season on a tryout, but was released by the team on October 6, 2014. On October 14, 2014, he signed with
HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss
National League A. He announced his retirement on September 25, 2015. ==Personal life==