By Jordan Long
The Florida Panthers’ coaching search is over. The job had been open since April 3rd after they fired Tom Rowe who had been the coach since November 27th. They dismissed Gerard Gallent before Rowe took over after 11-9-1 start. The Panthers finished the season at 35-36-11 for total of 81 points and missed the playoffs by 14 points. They decided to fire Rowe for the subpar season and looked for a new head coach. On Monday they hired Bob Boughner.
Boughner has plenty of coaching experience. He coached the Windsor Spitfires and won two Ontario Hockey League Championships. Boughner was with Windsor from 2006 to 2010 before agreeing to be the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Assistant Coach from 2010 to 2011. He came back to coach Windsor from 2011 to 2015. His record with the Spitfires in 8 seasons was 282-213-49.
Once the 2015 season was done, Boughner became an Assistant Coach for the San Jose Sharks. He was there the past 2 years. He helped the Sharks go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 but they were knocked off by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 6 games. This past season the Sharks made the playoffs but lost in the 1st -round to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Panthers decided to hire Boughner. According to NHL.com, Florida Panthers’ General Manager Dale Tallon said, “After an exhaustive search, we are pleased to welcome Bob as the new head coach of the Panthers. He sees the game in a modern way and is eager to work with our young players. During the interview process, Bob blew us away with his preparation, his passion, knowledge and dedication to the game. We believe that he is the right leader to get our team back to competing towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
Boughner is young at 46. He knows the game of hockey well since he was a player in the NHL 11 years. Boughner’s knowledge of the game will improve the Panthers. The Panthers front office must be patient with him. It will take at least a year for the skaters to understand Boughner’s coaching system. Once that happens they will improve in the standings. They may not make the playoffs next season but might be a Stanley Cup Playoff team for years to come.
What do you think of the Florida Panthers hiring Bob Boughner?
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