Panthers appear ready to hire Bob Boughner as head coach: Report
The Florida Panthers appear ready to select Bob Boughner as their newest head coach.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie Tweeted out on Saturday morning that the Panthers won’t be waiting for the Stanley Cup Final to conclude to talk to Nashville Predators assistant Phil Housley. Boughner has spent the last two seasons as one of Peter DeBoer’s assistants in San Jose following over a decade with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, including two stints as head coach.
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After building up that resume, Boughner, who spent 10 years in the league as a player, told the Mercury News last month that he was ready to make the jump from NHL assistant to NHL head coach.
“I feel comfortable going into a position if I was fortunate to be in that position to one, to manage people. Managing NHLers is different than managing kids in the OHL. I know how teams are playing, their tendencies, their coaching. So that experience has helped me. I’m ready. I’m definitely ready and I want to get my own team.”
Should the deal go through, Boughner would become the Panthers’ 15th coach in franchise history. This would also leave the Buffalo Sabres with one less name in their coaching search as it appears that race will be down to Housley and Pittsburgh Penguins assistants Rick Tocchet and Jacques Martin, according to McKenzie.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
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