There’s no question that Sharks assistant Bob Boughner feels he’s ready to become an NHL head coach.

Boughner will get an opportunity to interview with the Florida Panthers in the next few weeks, and his name has been mentioned as a possible fit for the Buffalo Sabres as well.

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After plea from HDA and Evander Kane, NHL postpones Thursday and Friday games Boughner, who just finished his second season behind the Sharks’ bench with coach Pete DeBoer, said last week he’ll meet with members of the Panthers organization about its vacant head coaching position.

Saturday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet mentioned Boughner as a possible candidate for the Sabres opening as well. Boughner broke into the NHL with the Sabres during the 1995-96 season and remained in Buffalo for three years.

Boughner, who remains president of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, was granted permission to speak with the Panthers by Sharks general manager Doug Wilson earlier this month. Jason Botterill was named the Sabres’ general manager last week.

“Doug Wilson’s an amazing man, a smart man. He’s always there, has got my back and he says he’ll always give you that opportunity,” Boughner told WindsorEssexTV in a Facebook Live broadcast last Thursday.

About the Panthers’ job, Boughner said, “I’m probably on a list with some other amazing candidates and we’ll see what happens. But obviously, that’s my dream, that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing and cross your fingers.”

Boughner was a finalist for the Colorado Avalanche head coaching job last summer after Patrick Roy abruptly left the team. The Avalanche hired Jared Bednar as Roy’s replacement.

Panthers general manager Dale Tallon has already spoken with Michel Therrien and Jim Montgomery, among others, about the job opening. He told reporters he’ll interview about a half-dozen more candidates before the search ends.

Friedman noted that Tallon is in Europe as part of Team USA’s leadership at the IIHF World Championships and will be there until the tournament ends. Boughner, too, has things on his plate, notably the Memorial Cup that Windsor is hosting and the Spitfires are playing in. That tournament begins Friday.

Boughner coached the Spitfires to Memorial Cup titles in 2009 and 2010, teams that featured a handful of current NHL players, including Taylor Hall, Ryan Ellis and Adam Henrique.

Boughner then became an assistant coach with Columbus for the 2010-11 season under Scott Arniel.

“I’m glad I did what I did,” Boughner said. “This is my third full year on an NHL bench and looking back, at the time when I won a couple (Memorial) Cups, I said, ‘I’m ready to go to the NHL.’ Well, it’s not as easy as you think.

“There’s a lot of learning and the league changes every year and team’s identities. You see teams, the L.A.’s — four or five years ago winning Stanley Cups. Now those teams are built completely different. Now it’s the teams, the Pittsburgh’s, the Nashville’s, all of these speedier teams. So, you’ve got to stay on top of it. You’ve got to know the league.

“I feel comfortable going into a position if I was fortunate to be in that position to one, to manage people. Managing NHLers is different than managing kids in the OHL. I know how teams are playing, their tendencies, their coaching. So that experience has helped me. I’m ready. I’m definitely ready and I want to get my own team.”