Jim Hulton
Encyclopedia
Jim Hulton is an ice hockey
coach who is currently the assistant coach for the Florida Panthers
of the NHL
.
with the Kitchener Rangers
from 1986–1988, where he played in 115 games, getting 16 points and 85 penalty minutes. In 4 playoff games with the Rangers, Hulton recorded 1 assist. He then spent the 1988-89 season with the Kingston Raiders
, getting 5 points in 13 games. After his junior career, Hulton played for the York Yeomen of the OUAA from 1989–1993, and was named the teams captain for the 1992-93 season.
from 1994–1996, then with the St. Michael's Buzzers
for the 1996-1997 season. He spent the 1997-1998 season as an assistant with the North Bay Centennials
of the Ontario Hockey League
. For the 1998-1999 season, Hulton was hired by the Voyageurs as head coach, however he spent just 25 games with them, posting an 18-6-1 record, good for 1st place in the East Division, before getting hired by the Mississauga IceDogs
of the OHL.
The IceDogs were an expansion team that year, and their first head coach Peter Sturgeon
was relieved of his duties after a 1-21-1 start. Hulton did not fair much better, as the IceDogs went 3-40-2 with him leading the club, as the team finished the year with a 4-61-3 record, by far the worst in the league.
Hulton returned to Mississauga for the 1999-2000 season, as the team finished in last place again, with a 9-56-1-2 record. Hulton then resigned from his position with the IceDogs and took a new job, becoming the head coach of the Belleville Bulls
.
Hulton led the Bulls to a 37-23-5-3 record in 2000-2001, as they won the OHL East Division, and met the Kingston Frontenacs
in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Bulls easily swept the Frontenacs, however the fell to the Ottawa 67's
in the 2nd round, losing in 6 games. Hulton again led the Bulls to the division championship in 2001-02, as they had a 39-20-4-2 record, and faced the Oshawa Generals
in the opening round of the playoffs. The Bulls beat the Generals in 5 games, but again lost in the 2nd round, this time to the Barrie Colts
in 6 games. The 2002-2003 Bulls slipped a bit in the standings, finishing with a 33-27-6-2 record, good for 3rd place in the division. The Bulls then lost to the Toronto St. Michael's Majors
in 7 games in the 1st round of the playoffs. After the season, Hulton resigned from the Bulls, and was quickly hired by their rivals, the Kingston Frontenacs
.
In 2003-2004, Hulton led the Frontenacs to a 30-28-7-3 record, good for 2nd place in the East Division, as Kingston qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and despite losing to the Barrie Colts
in 5 games in the 1st round, they won their first playoff game since 2000. The Frontenacs struggled in the 2004-2005 season with a 28-33-4-3 record, and missed the playoffs by 4 points. Hulton helped the team rebound in the 2005-2006 season, surprising everyone with a 37-24-4-3 record, the Fronts best record since the 1999-2000 season and finished in 2nd place in the East Division. Kingston then met the Sudbury Wolves
and was heavily favoured to beat them, however the Wolves had something else to say about that, as they took out the Frontenacs in 6 games. The Frontenacs, disappointed with their lack of playoff success, decided to go a different route and relieved Jim Hulton of his duties after the playoffs.
For the 2006-2007 season, Hulton, who interviewed for a few vacant head coaching jobs in the OHL, decided to take the head coaching job at Royal Military College
, which is in Kingston, Ontario
so he would not have to relocate his family.
On May 1, 2007, Hulton was hired by the Ontario Hockey League
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
as assistant coach and assistant general manager. The Majors finished 31-32-5 in his only season with the team, finishing third in the Central Division. Mississauga was swept by the Niagara IceDogs
in the first round of the playoffs.
Hulton was hired by the Florida Panthers
on July 9, 2008, as an assistant coach of the team.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
coach who is currently the assistant coach for the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
.
Playing career
Hulton played in the Ontario Hockey LeagueOntario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
with the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
from 1986–1988, where he played in 115 games, getting 16 points and 85 penalty minutes. In 4 playoff games with the Rangers, Hulton recorded 1 assist. He then spent the 1988-89 season with the Kingston Raiders
Kingston Raiders
The Kingston Raiders was a short-lived name used by a Kingston, Ontario, Canada-based major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League for the 1988-1989 season only...
, getting 5 points in 13 games. After his junior career, Hulton played for the York Yeomen of the OUAA from 1989–1993, and was named the teams captain for the 1992-93 season.
Coaching career
Hulton began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Kingston VoyageursKingston Voyageurs
The Kingston Voyageurs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.-History:The Voyageurs entered the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1974...
from 1994–1996, then with the St. Michael's Buzzers
St. Michael's Buzzers
The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Canadian Hockey League.-History:...
for the 1996-1997 season. He spent the 1997-1998 season as an assistant with the North Bay Centennials
North Bay Centennials
The North Bay Centennials were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, who played from 1982–2002. The team was based in North Bay, Ontario.-History:...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
. For the 1998-1999 season, Hulton was hired by the Voyageurs as head coach, however he spent just 25 games with them, posting an 18-6-1 record, good for 1st place in the East Division, before getting hired by the Mississauga IceDogs
Mississauga IceDogs
The Mississauga IceDogs are a former junior ice hockey team in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998 to 2007. A sale relocated the team to St...
of the OHL.
The IceDogs were an expansion team that year, and their first head coach Peter Sturgeon
Peter Sturgeon
Peter Sturgeon is a retired NHL player. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins with the 36 overall pick in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play in 6 NHL games, all with the Colorado Rockies.-External links:*...
was relieved of his duties after a 1-21-1 start. Hulton did not fair much better, as the IceDogs went 3-40-2 with him leading the club, as the team finished the year with a 4-61-3 record, by far the worst in the league.
Hulton returned to Mississauga for the 1999-2000 season, as the team finished in last place again, with a 9-56-1-2 record. Hulton then resigned from his position with the IceDogs and took a new job, becoming the head coach of the Belleville Bulls
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls are a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.-History:...
.
Hulton led the Bulls to a 37-23-5-3 record in 2000-2001, as they won the OHL East Division, and met the Kingston Frontenacs
Kingston Frontenacs
The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The team is coached by Todd Gill and Doug Gilmour is the General Manager. The Frontenacs play home games at the K-Rock Centre, which opened in 2008.Team history predates the OHA,...
in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Bulls easily swept the Frontenacs, however the fell to the Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...
in the 2nd round, losing in 6 games. Hulton again led the Bulls to the division championship in 2001-02, as they had a 39-20-4-2 record, and faced the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
in the opening round of the playoffs. The Bulls beat the Generals in 5 games, but again lost in the 2nd round, this time to the Barrie Colts
Barrie Colts
The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. There were two previous Barrie Colts team which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1907 until 1910 and another from the 1920s to 1940s.-Original Colts:The...
in 6 games. The 2002-2003 Bulls slipped a bit in the standings, finishing with a 33-27-6-2 record, good for 3rd place in the division. The Bulls then lost to the Toronto St. Michael's Majors
Toronto St. Michael's Majors
The Toronto St. Michael's Majors, was a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's...
in 7 games in the 1st round of the playoffs. After the season, Hulton resigned from the Bulls, and was quickly hired by their rivals, the Kingston Frontenacs
Kingston Frontenacs
The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The team is coached by Todd Gill and Doug Gilmour is the General Manager. The Frontenacs play home games at the K-Rock Centre, which opened in 2008.Team history predates the OHA,...
.
In 2003-2004, Hulton led the Frontenacs to a 30-28-7-3 record, good for 2nd place in the East Division, as Kingston qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and despite losing to the Barrie Colts
Barrie Colts
The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. There were two previous Barrie Colts team which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1907 until 1910 and another from the 1920s to 1940s.-Original Colts:The...
in 5 games in the 1st round, they won their first playoff game since 2000. The Frontenacs struggled in the 2004-2005 season with a 28-33-4-3 record, and missed the playoffs by 4 points. Hulton helped the team rebound in the 2005-2006 season, surprising everyone with a 37-24-4-3 record, the Fronts best record since the 1999-2000 season and finished in 2nd place in the East Division. Kingston then met the Sudbury Wolves
Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World...
and was heavily favoured to beat them, however the Wolves had something else to say about that, as they took out the Frontenacs in 6 games. The Frontenacs, disappointed with their lack of playoff success, decided to go a different route and relieved Jim Hulton of his duties after the playoffs.
For the 2006-2007 season, Hulton, who interviewed for a few vacant head coaching jobs in the OHL, decided to take the head coaching job at Royal Military College
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
, which is in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
so he would not have to relocate his family.
On May 1, 2007, Hulton was hired by the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The team was originally known as the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, whose hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906...
as assistant coach and assistant general manager. The Majors finished 31-32-5 in his only season with the team, finishing third in the Central Division. Mississauga was swept by the Niagara IceDogs
Niagara IceDogs
The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996. The team was relocated to St. Catharines and played its inaugural season in the Niagara...
in the first round of the playoffs.
Hulton was hired by the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
on July 9, 2008, as an assistant coach of the team.