Dream deal for a familiar man from Kärpät – Florida Panthers invites!

Familiar from the league, Josef Boumedienne continues his career in the NHL. The Florida Panthers announced on Sunday that they have hired the 48-year-old Boumedienne as the vice president of hockey operations.

Boumedienne worked as the GM of the Swedish men’s national team for the last two seasons. His responsibilities included the 2025 Four Nations tournament and this year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.

During Boumedienne’s tenure, Sweden achieved two World Championship bronze medals and advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Championships twice.

In the NHL, Boumedienne previously worked with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He served in the organization as a European scout and later rose to lead the scouting operations for Europe and professional players.

In Finland, Boumedienne has also worked off the ice, as he has worked with Lukko. As a player, he became known to Finns through Tappara, Kärpät, and Jokerit.

With Kärpät, Boumedienne won two Finnish championships in 2005 and 2007.

In the NHL, he played for the New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals.