Jim Hulton Jim Hulton ( born January 7 , 1969 in Kingston , Ontario ) is an ice hockey coach who is currently the assistant coach for the Florida Panthers of the NHL . Playing career . Hulton played in the Ontario Hockey League 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 . Coaching career . Hulton began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Kingston Voyageurs 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 1st , 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 9th , 2008 , as an assistant coach of the team .