San Jose Sharks Announce Two New Assistant Coaches
By Felix Chow
The San Jose Sharks announced head coach Peter DeBoer‘s assistant and goaltending coach on Thursday. Bob Boughner will be helping behind the bench along with Johan Hedburg, who will also serve as the goaltending coach.
Boughner spent the last four seasons as the head coach of the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League). He was an assistant coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets back in the 2010-11 season, when the Jackets finished with a 34-35-13 record, and prior to that, served as a head coach of the Spitfires from 2006-10. In his first four seasons with Windsor,
Boughner was named the OHL and CHL Coach of the Year for two consecutive seasons (’07-’08, ’08-’09) and led the team to back-to-back Memorial Cup and OHL Championships in 2009 and 2010. He became the first head coach in CHL history to win two Memorial Cups and two CHL Coach of the Year awards. In his eight combined seasons with the Spitfires, he led his teams to a 282-213-49 record.
Internationally, he coached the Canadian U-18 team to a gold medal at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, going undefeated in the tournament.
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Prior to coaching, Boughner was an NHLer who played in 630 games with the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, and Buffalo Sabres.
Hedberg served most recently as the goaltending coach of the New Jersey Devils‘ AHL affiliate, the Albany Devils. He spent a season in New Jersey with DeBoer as a special assignment scout with the Devils after retiring from the League in 2014.
Before joining the Devils’ coaching staff, Hedburg played 373 career games including 12 seasons with the Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, and the Devils posting a 161-143-36 record, 22 shutouts. and a 2.82 GAA. He ranks 3rd all-time in wins among Swedish-born netminders, behind only Henrik Lundqvist (339) and Tommy Salo (210).
Thomas spent 22 seasons with the Sharks organization, most recently completing his 19th season as assistant general manager and his 14th as vice president.
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In more than 45 years of being involved with hockey, he was a player, head coach, assistant coach, advanced scout and executive. He served three seasons as Sharks assistant coach and assistant GM.
Thomas was very involved with the on-and-off-ice operations, including evaluating players on the Sharks reserve list with special emphasis on goaltenders, scouting other NHL teams and taking an active role in other player personnel matters.
He took on a more advanced, day-to-day role when working with the Sharks goalies on-and-off the ice, and oversaw the development of the Sharks goaltenders in San Jose and as well as Sharks prospects in the AHL and other amateur leagues.
Former Sharks and NHL netminder Evgeni Nabokov, a Sharks fan favorite who was among those influenced by Thomas, was quoted by the San Jose Sharks Twitter account saying this:
Nabby on Thomas: "He was a very patient man. He was a teacher. He would always give a smile. Great man, great career! I wish him the best!"
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) July 2, 2015
Darren Pang, a color analyst for Fox Sports Midwest and CBC/Rogers Sportsnet as well as a former goalie, tweeted his reaction to Thomas’ retirement:
I am forever thankful that Wayne Thomas stepped up on my behalf. He believed I could play. All the best Wayner! @SanJoseSharks
— Darren R Pang (@Panger40) July 2, 2015
Among others influenced by Wayne Thomas include Arturs Irbe, Kelly Hrudey, Miikka Kiprusoff, Vesa Toskala, Thomas Greiss, Alex Stalock, Antti Niemi, Jonathan Cheechoo, Christian Ehrhoff, Ryane Clowe, Jamie McGinn, Joe Pavelski, and Logan Couture.
In his role as Sharks assistant coach from 1993-96, Wayne Thomas assisted with game strategy, advance scouting of opponents and performed individual work with the Sharks goaltenders. He also collaborated with the general manager on a year-round basis regarding administrative matters.
Thomas joined the Sharks coaching and management staff in the 1993-94 season after spending three seasons (1990-93) as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues. Thomas also served as assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987-88 and was head coach at Peoria of the IHL (International Hockey League) from 1988-90 and at Salt Lake City from 1985-87. His 1985-86 team captured the IHL’s Turner Cup Championship.
As a former NHL goaltender, he played 243 games over nine seasons, with a 103-93-34 record as a Montreal Canadien, Toronto Maple Leaf, and New York Ranger. In his rookie season, Thomas was a member of the Canadiens 1972-73 Stanley Cup Championship winners.
More career highlights included being selected to and winning the 1976 NHL All-Star Game as a member of the Maple Leafs, posting 10 career shutouts, including one in his first NHL start, and a total GAA of 3.34. After his retirement in 1981, Thomas spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Rangers.
Thomas has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Wisconsin, where he played three years of hockey from 1967-70.