Boutilier named assistant coach in Belleville

Photo: HockeyCanada.ca

The Belleville Senators have announced the hiring of Paul Boutilier as assistant coach for the 2017-18 season.

A native of Dartmouth, N.S., the 54-year-old Boutilier joins Kurt Kleinendorst’s staff with the Senators after serving as assistant coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the past three years, winning a President’s Cup championship in 2017.

Boutilier has a long and distinguished career in the hockey world as a player and coach, including being a member of the 1983 Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders and a gold-medal winner at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championships.

“The players’ development and performance is what I am accountable for, so I’m looking forward to working closely with each player in accomplishing their development, performance and team objectives,” Boutilier said.

Boutilier was a first-round selection by the Islanders (21st overall) in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, and played 329 games in the NHL for the Islanders, Boston, Minnesota and Winnipeg. He also played 208 games in the American Hockey League with New Haven, Moncton and Maine, and was a First Team AHL All-Star defenseman in 1989.

Boutilier started his coaching career at St. Mary’s University in 1991, where he was an assistant coach for two years and head coach for another four. He has also served as an assistant at Dalhousie University (2009-13), and was head coach for Team Canada at the Under-17 championships in 2017, winning a silver medal. In 2013-14 he worked in defense development for the Nashville Predators.