After improving to 12 goals and 35 points in 71 games for the Giants in 2007–08, Bouma was selected by the Calgary Flames in the third round, 78th overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

[3] He remained in junior for two more seasons, and served as the Giants' captain in 2009–10, in which the team reached the third round of the WHL playoffs before bowing out to the Tri-City Americans.

[7] He made his NHL debut two nights later against the Los Angeles Kings,[8] and scored his first point, assisting on a Mikael Backlund goal, on February 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

[10] Bouma was expected to make the Flames roster for the start of the 2012–13 NHL season, however a labour dispute resulted in his being assigned to Abbotsford instead.

[12] Returning healthy for the 2013–14 season, Bouma established himself as a regular in the Flames lineup with his physical, two-way play and was praised by coach Bob Hartley as being the team's "most improved player".

[15] With two successive disappointing seasons driven by injury and a lack of production on June 30, 2017, the Flames announced Bouma was placed on unconditional waivers to buy out the remaining year of his contract.

On August 15, 2018, Bouma left North America after seven NHL seasons, signing a two-year contract with Genève-Servette HC of the National League (NL).

As a free agent, Bouma returned to Europe, agreeing to a one-year contract mid-season with top-tier Swedish club IK Oskarshamn of the SHL on December 23, 2020.