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Boughner reportedly joins Florida’s coaching candidate list

2010 Home Hardware CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game

WINDSOR, ON - JANUARY 20: Assistant Coach Bob Boughner of Team Orr points to a play on the ice during the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects game against Team Cherry on January 20, 2010 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario. Team Cherry defeated Team Orr 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

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Add another name to the growing list of interviewees for the Panthers’ bench boss gig -- per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Florida has been granted permission to interview Sharks assistant Bob Boughner.

Over the weekend, GM Dale Tallon said he’s spoken with a half dozen candidates for the job, adding he plans on interviewing another half dozen. All the names have not been made available, but two -- former Montreal head coach Michel Therrien and Denver University’s Jim Montgomery -- have already been identified.

Whatever the case, it appears Tallon is casting a pretty wide net.

Boughner, 46, has a fairly impressive resume. After a lengthy pro career, he immediately transitioned to the coaching side with OHL Windsor, capturing a pair of Memorial Cups. From there, he spent a year as Scott Arniel’s assistant in Columbus before returning to junior, then moved back to the NHL as Peter DeBoer’s assistant in San Jose in 2015.

Appearing in over 600 NHL games as a rugged defenseman, Boughner has worked primarily with the Sharks’ blueline and penalty kill. He’s been praised by a number of the club’s rearguards, including Brent Burns, while veteran Paul Martin said Boughner “definitely has the pedigree” to become a head coach.

Boughner was reportedly a leading candidate for the Colorado job last summer following Patrick Roy’s departure, though the gig eventually went to Jared Bednar.