Eric Boulton (born August 17, 1976) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

left winger In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

. Boulton was drafted 234th overall in the ninth round of the 1994 draft by the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

. While he never played for the Rangers, he played for the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

and

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

between 2000 and 2016. Boulton was best known for his role as an enforcer.

Playing career

Boulton was drafted in the ninth round, 234th overall by the

in the 1994 Entry Draft of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL). Despite being drafted by the Rangers, he would eventually make his NHL debut playing for the

, where he played for four seasons. During the

2004 NHL Lockout 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...

, he played for the

Columbia Inferno The Columbia Inferno were an ECHL team based in Columbia, South Carolina. Beginning in 2008, the team went on voluntary suspension awaiting construction of a new arena in suburban Lexington County, South Carolina. However, the ECHL dropped Colum ...

of the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

. After the Lockout ended, Boulton began playing with the

. In October 2005, Boulton was suspended for six games after elbowing

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

rookie Paul Ranger, causing a hairline fracture of the jaw and a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

. The incident occurred at the end of a 6–0 rout of the Thrashers on October 20, 2005. NHL vice-president Colin Campbell said, "It is clear Mr. Boulton's actions were careless and caused injury. There is no circumstance that can justify this type of action." Only a week earlier, Boulton had made a similar move in a game against the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

, almost injuring

Eric Lindros Eric Bryan Lindros (; born February 28, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals prior to being chosen first overall in the 1991 NHL entry d ...

. Boulton was re-signed by the Thrashers in 2008 to a two-year deal. He recorded his first career

hat trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechan ...

on December 18, 2010, against the

. He then signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Devils for a 2-year contract worth $575,000 in the first year and $750,000 in the second, joining former Thrashers teammates

Ilya Kovalchuk Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals in ...

and

Johan Hedberg Johan "Moose" Hedberg (born 5 May 1973) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career that lasted from 1993 to 2014 he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, and New Jers ...

. After a dismal season in which the Devils did not record a single goal for with Boulton on the ice, Boulton was bought out of the final year of his contract on June 30, 2012. The next day, Boulton proceeded to sign a one-year deal with the

. He re-signed with the Islanders for the next three consecutive seasons as well, all on one-year deals. Boulton is the Thrashers' all-time leader in penalty minutes with 639 penalty minutes. After the 2016–17 season, Boulton ended his professional career, however continued his association with the Islanders in accepting a scouting role.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boulton, Eric 1976 births Living people Albany Devils players Atlanta Thrashers players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Binghamton Rangers players Bridgeport Sound Tigers players 21st-century Canadian sportsmen Buffalo Sabres players Canadian ice hockey left wingers Canadian people of English descent Charlotte Checkers (1993–2010) players Columbia Inferno players Florida Everblades players Fort Wayne Komets players Houston Aeros (1994–2013) players Ice hockey people from Halifax, Nova Scotia Kentucky Thoroughblades players New Jersey Devils players New York Islanders players New York Rangers draft picks Oshawa Generals players Rochester Americans players Sarnia Sting players