John Van Boxmeer

John Van Boxmeer
Born	(1952-11-20) November 20, 1952 Petrolia, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Colorado Rockies Buffalo Sabres Quebec Nordiques
National team	Canada
NHL draft	14th overall, 1972 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1972–1984

John Martin Van Boxmeer (born November 20, 1952) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He also worked extensively as a hockey coach and scout after his playing career ended in 1984.

Biography

John Van Boxmeer was considered a top prospect, and was drafted 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1972. He was so highly regarded that he began his professional career by travelling to Moscow for the 1972 Summit Series at the request of tournament organizer Alan Eagleson, though he did not play in the famous series. He played 46 games for the Stanley Cup champion Canadiens in 1975–76, but his name was left off the cup as he did not appear in the playoffs. Ultimately, Van Boxmeer had a tough time making a Montreal lineup that was very deep in talent, and rather than spend the majority of his time in the minor leagues, he requested a trade. He was dealt to the Colorado Rockies in 1976 in exchange for a third round pick in the 1979 NHL Draft, which the Canadiens used to draft Craig Levie.

In Colorado, Van Boxmeer finally received the opportunity to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. He played all 80 games in the 1977–78 season, the only time the Rockies qualified for the playoffs in their history. When former Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman moved to the Buffalo Sabres, he acquired Van Boxmeer to bolster the Sabres' blueline, recalling how he had reluctantly traded the defenceman in 1976. To do so, he broke up the Sabres' famed "French Connection" line, sending René Robert to Colorado. Van Boxmeer responded with a plus-40 season and helped the Sabres climb to first place in their division, and the defenseman's best statistical seasons as a pro were in Buffalo.

With the emergence of Phil Housley on the Buffalo blueline, Van Boxmeer became expendable, and he was claimed by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1983 NHL Waiver Draft. He spent the majority of his time during the 1983–84 season in the American Hockey League, and played his final game with the Rochester Americans in 1984 before retiring.

Since retiring, he has served as the head coach of the Rochester Americans and the Long Beach Ice Dogs, and has also been an assistant coach at the NHL level with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings. He won the Calder Cup as the head coach of Rochester in the 1986–87 season. He served as head coach of SC Bern of Switzerland's Nationalliga A until March 2009.

Van Boxmeer suffered a heart attack in August 2008, but recovered quickly and returned behind the SC Bern bench. He was a scout for the Buffalo Sabres until 2020.

Van Boxmeer's son, Hank, was a defenceman who played for the State University of New York at Oswego Lakers. His daughter, Ashley, played college softball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans and for Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1971–72	Guelph CMC's	SOJHL		56	30	42	72	160		—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL		76	5	29	34	139		13	1	6	7	26
1973–74	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		20	1	4	5	18		1	0	0	0	0
1973–74	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL		47	8	20	28	78		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		9	0	2	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Nova Scotia Voyageurs	AHL		43	4	15	19	68		6	1	3	4	9
1975–76	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		46	6	11	17	31		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		4	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Colorado Rockies	NHL		41	2	11	13	32		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Colorado Rockies	NHL		80	12	42	54	87		2	0	1	1	2
1978–79	Colorado Rockies	NHL		76	9	34	43	46		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		80	11	40	51	55		14	3	5	8	12
1980–81	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		80	18	51	69	69		8	1	8	9	7
1981–82	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		69	14	54	68	62		4	0	1	1	6
1982–83	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		65	6	21	27	53		9	1	0	1	10
1983–84	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		18	5	3	8	12		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Fredericton Express	AHL		45	10	34	44	48		7	2	5	7	8
1984–85	Rochester Americans	AHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				588	84	274	358	465		38	5	15	20	37

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1982	Canada	WC		8	2	0	2	8

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database