Bob Boughner could be in line for Ottawa Senators assistant coach role
The Ottawa Senators recently named D.J. Smith as their head coach and now the former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant will need to put together his own coaching staff.
With D.J. Smith now the official head coach of the Ottawa Senators, the team will be on the lookout for new assistants to help the team through a crucial rebuild.
One name has immediately emerged as a possible candidate thanks to his previous connection to Smith as well as his experience working with young players – former Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner.
Boughner was recently let go by the Panthers after compiling an 80-62-22 record (.555 win percentage) as a head coach over the past two seasons – with legendary Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville taking his place.
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Boughner’s two seasons in the Sunshine State were his first as a head coach in the NHL, with the Windsor, Ontario native now likely to be looking for an assistant role in the league with only one head coaching vacancy (Anaheim Ducks) available.
With the Senators entering a rebuild that will see the team potential sport one of the youngest teams in the league, Boughner’s experiences as a head coach in juniors is something that will greatly interest the organisation.
Boughner has been the owner and president of the Windsor Spitfires since the 2005/06 season and has had two separate spells as the organisation’s head coach, from 2006 to 2010 and 2011 to 2015.
For the 2010/11 season, Boughner was an assistant with the Columbus Blue Jackets and spent two seasons (between 2015 and 2017) as an assistant with the San Jose Sharks before being named head coach of the Panthers.
In his first stint with the Spitfires, Boughner led the team to back-to-back OHL and Memorial Cup championships.
During that period of success, Smith was one of his assistants and the pair worked with future NHL stars such as Taylor Hall, Cam Fowler, Philip Grubauer and Ryan Ellis.
His chemistry, as well as his experience working alongside Smith, makes him an ideal assistant coaching candidate for the Senators, giving their first-time head coach someone he is comfortable with and has had previous success with.
The fact that the pair have had great success working with younger players is also something that Pierre Dorion would covet, with the Senators rebuild seeing a number of talented young players emerging through the organisation’s development system.
One thing that could prevent Boughner from reuniting with his former assistant in the Canadian capital is the Sharks – where he was a popular figure and could be open to a return.
The Ottawa Senators will need to move quickly if they truly view Boughner as the ideal bench assistant, otherwise, they could find themselves left with few options available.
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What do you think though Sens fans? Would you like to see Boughner join Smith behind the bench? What other coaches would you like to see the organisation bring on board? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!