OHL names former NHLer Boughner top coach
Spitfires co-owner, president led team to 57-win season
A decent defenceman throughout his 10-year career in the National Hockey League, Bob Boughner is now among the best behind the bench at the junior level.
On Wednesday, the Windsor Spitfires co-owner and president was named top coach in the Ontario Hockey League for a second consecutive season.
Boughner received 58 points in the voting process, 20 more than George Burnett of the Belleville Bulls. Michael Vellucci of the Plymouth Whalers was third with 34 points.
In his third year behind the bench, Boughner guided Windsor to a 57-10-0-1 record, a 16-win and 21-point improvement from a year ago. It was just the second time in franchise history the Spitfires topped 100 points.
The Windsor native will be honoured at the OHL awards banquet on June 3 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
The 38-year-old Boughner will also attempt to lead the Spitfires to a league championship. They open a best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final on Wednesday against the visiting London Knights.
Windsor's season was highlighted by win streaks of 13 and 14 games, the latter stretching from Dec. 19 to Jan. 29.
Boughner, who was drafted to the NHL by Detroit in 1989, played 630 games with Buffalo, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Calgary, Carolina and Colorado before retiring in 2006.
Shortly thereafter, he purchased the Spitfires along with Peter Dobrich and one-time NHL tough guy Warren Rychel.
Boughner posted an 18-43-2-5 record in his first season behind the Windsor bench and went 41-15-7-5 last year.