Nicholas Carl Boynton (born January 14, 1979) 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 ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...

who played 11 seasons in 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) for the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

and

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

. Boynton was most recently the color analyst for the Arizona Coyotes radio broadcasts.

Playing career

Boynton grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Nobleton, Ontario, with the NobleKing Knights. He played in the 1992

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with the Richmond Hill-Vaughan Kings

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...

team. He played bantam AAA with the Kings before signing as a 15-year-old with the Caledon Canadians Jr. A. club of the Metro Junior Hockey League in 1994–95. He was a standout for four seasons with the OHL's Ottawa 67's, finishing his junior career in 1998–99 with 59 points in 51 games. Boynton was originally drafted by the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. After failing to come to terms on a contract with the Capitals, Boynton was eligible to return to the draft, and he was subsequently selected in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the

. Boynton played for the Bruins until 2005–06. His best season was 2003–04 when he registered 30 points. During the NHL lockout season of 2004–05, Boynton played for the

Nottingham Panthers The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. RHPS are the Panthers' major sponsor for 2024–25. The Nottingham Panthers have won four league ...

in the

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Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...

, memorably scoring the equalizing goal in the British Championship Grand Final. On June 26, 2006, he was traded to the

in exchange for fellow defenceman Paul Mara. After two seasons with the Coyotes Boynton was traded at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft along with Keith Ballard and a second-round pick to the

for Olli Jokinen on June 20, 2008. In the 2008-09 season, Boynton regained his scoring touch and posted 21 points in 68 games for the Panthers. During the season on February 27, 2009, Boynton was sent home from a Panthers road trip and missed three games for disciplinary reasons, later revealed to be after an argument with coach Peter DeBoer. On July 9, 2009, he signed a one-year contract with the

for the 2009-10 season. After playing in 42 games with the Ducks. Boynton was placed on waivers on February 1, 2010. He was then assigned to the

Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre. The fran ...

of the AHL. On March 2, 2010, he was traded to the

, he was then assigned to AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Boynton was later recalled to the Blackhawks and made his debut in a 4–2 loss to the Ducks on March 17, 2010. On June 9, 2010, he won his first Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. On February 26, 2011, Boynton was claimed off of waivers by the

, with whom he played ten games to conclude the 2010–11 season. He retired after the season.

Personal life

Boynton married for the first time on August 3, 2012, to former Chicago media personality Jen Boynton (formerly Jen Patterson). Boynton and his wife have two children together. Boynton also has two daughters from a previous relationship. Shortly before his first NHL training camp, Boynton was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, but the condition did not affect his ability to play hockey. Boynton has spoken about the mental and emotional aspects and repercussions of playing hockey in the NHL.

Career statistics

Awards and honours

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boynton, Nick 1979 births Anaheim Ducks players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Boston Bruins draft picks Boston Bruins players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Canadian people of English descent Chicago Blackhawks players Florida Panthers players Ice hockey people from Ontario King City Secondary School alumni Living people Manitoba Moose players National Hockey League All-Stars NHL first-round draft picks Nottingham Panthers players Ottawa 67's players People with type 1 diabetes Philadelphia Flyers players Phoenix Coyotes players Providence Bruins players Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players Stanley Cup champions Washington Capitals draft picks Sportspeople from King, Ontario