Who Wore It: Sabres History – #4
Throughout Sabres history, twenty players have suited up under the jersey number 4, including most recently, Joe Finley. Today, let’s go back some years to a former #4: Bob Boughner.
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BOB BOUGHNER
Defense, b. 1971
Acquired via trade from the Florida Panthers, 1996
Boughner, a native of Windsor, was originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1989 draft, 32nd overall. Despite that, he never actually played for the Red Wings. Boughner began his career out of the OHL by spending most of the 1991-92 season with the ECHL’s Toledo Storm. He’d spend the next two seasons in the AHL, with the Adirondack Red Wings, then go to the IHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones for the 1994-95 season.
At that point, his rights belonged to the Florida Panthers – another NHL team he never actually suited up for. On February 1, 1996, the Panthers traded Boughner to the Sabres in exchange for a 3rd-round draft pick.
Boughner spent parts of three seasons with the Sabres. He played 31 games with the team in the 1995-96 season, notching one assist and racking up 104 pnelaty minutes. He also played for the AHL’s Carolina Monarchs that season. The 1996-97 season saw him put up eight points and 225 penalty minutes in 77 games with the Sabres.
Finally, he scored four points and put up 165 penalty minutes in 69 games with the Sabres during the 1997-98 season.
After his tenure with the Sabres, Boughner played for five more NHL teams before hanging it up in 2006. He played for the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche.
After his playing career came to an end, Boughner took up coaching. He became head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, a position he held until 2010 when he briefly joined the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach before returning to Windsor as head coach. He led the Spits to consecutive OHL championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named OHL and CHL coach of the year in 2008 and 2009.
Boughner is currently the head coach and president of the Spitfires. He was recently named a finalist for OHL Coach of the Year for the 2013-2014 season.
Other players to have worn #4 for the Sabres: Joe Finley, Steve Montador, Mike Weber, Nolan Pratt, Brad Brown, Rhett Warrener, Mike Wilson, Grant Jennings, Alexei Zhitnik, Philippe Boucher, Uwe Krupp, Steve Dykstra, Jim Korn, Jerry Korab, Timo Jutila, Mark Renaud, John Van Boxmeer, Tracy Pratt, Mike McMahon.