Josef Boumedienne
Swedish-Finnish defenceman turned executive and coach.
Josef Sami Boumedienne, born 12 January 1978, holds dual Swedish and Finnish nationality and works as a hockey coach and scout. He previously played defence professionally, appearing in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals. Currently, he serves as general manager of the Swedish men’s national ice hockey team.
Boumedienne began his playing career in the 1995–96 season with Huddinge IK in Sweden’s Allsvenskan. The New Jersey Devils selected him in the third round, 91st overall, of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He then moved to Södertälje SK in the Elitserien, and after two seasons there, joined Tappara in Finland’s SM-liiga. During the 1999–00 season, he led Tappara’s defencemen in scoring with 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points.
In 2000–01, Boumedienne shifted to North America, playing for New Jersey’s AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats. He made his NHL debut on 6 October 2001, scoring a goal in his sole game with the Devils. That November, New Jersey traded him, along with Sascha Goc and Anton Butin, to Tampa Bay for Andrei Zyuzin. He appeared in three games for the Lightning, spending most of his time with the Springfield Falcons. In 2002, Tampa Bay dealt him to Ottawa for a seventh-round draft pick. He remained with the Senators organization until December 2002, when Ottawa traded him to Washington for Dean Melanson. He played mainly for the Portland Pirates but dressed in six games for the Capitals. In 2003–04, he played 37 games with Washington and earned a one-year contract extension.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Boumedienne began with Brynäs IF in Sweden’s Elitserien. After 13 games, he moved to Kärpät in the SM-liiga, winning the Finnish championship. The following season, he started with the Zürich Lions in the Swiss NLA but was released after 17 games, with the team citing poor defending. He finished that season with Södertälje SK. In November 2006, he signed a two-year deal with Kärpät, missing the start of the season due to abdominal surgery, and won his second Finnish championship in April 2007.
In summer 2007, Boumedienne signed a one-year, one-way contract with Washington and played the entire 2007–08 season with the Hershey Bears. He then moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization in 2008–09, playing 19 games for the Toronto Marlies. He returned to Kärpät, earning a silver medal.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Left
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 200
- Played For
- Södertälje SK / Tappara / New Jersey Devils / Tampa Bay Lightning / Washington Capitals / Brynäs IF / Oulun Kärpät / ZSC Lions / Dinamo Minsk / EV Zug / Djurgårdens IF / Jokerit / Slovan Bratislava
- Birth Date
- 1978-01-12
- Birth Place
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Draft
- 91st overall
- Draft Year
- 1996
- Draft Team
- New Jersey Devils
- Career End
- 2013
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Boumedienne began his professional career in Sweden with Huddinge IK in 1995–96, then moved to Södertälje SK in the Elitserien. After two seasons there, he played for Tappara in the Finnish SM-liiga, where in 1999–00 he led the team's defenders with 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points. He made his NHL debut on 6 October 2001 with the New Jersey Devils, scoring his first NHL goal in that game. Later that November, the Devils traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Sascha Goc and Anton Butin in exchange for Andrei Zyuzin. Boumedienne played three games with the Lightning, spending most of his time with their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons. In 2002, Tampa Bay traded him to the Ottawa Senators for a seventh-round draft pick, and the Senators later traded him to the Washington Capitals for Dean Melanson in December 2002. He played 37 games with the Capitals in 2003–04 and received a one-year contract extension. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he played for Brynäs IF in Sweden and then Kärpät in Finland, winning the Finnish championship. He later won a second Finnish championship with Kärpät in 2006–07. After a brief stint with the Zürich Lions in the Swiss NLA—where he was released due to poor defending—he returned to Södertälje SK. He signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Washington Capitals in 2007 but played the entire season with the Hershey Bears. He finished his playing career in 2012–13 with HC Bratislava Slovan of the KHL and Oulun Kärpät.
Reader's Guide
Boumedienne's career is notable for its international breadth and his transition from player to front-office executive. He played in Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, the KHL, and the NHL, winning two Finnish championships with Kärpät. After retiring, he became a scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013, was promoted to Director of European Scouting in 2016, and later served as Director of Pro Scouting. He also took a late-season head coaching role with Brynäs in 2021 to help the club avoid relegation. In 2022, he was hired as assistant general manager for the Swedish men's national team, and he served as general manager for Team Sweden during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. In October 2023, he was hired as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. His son Sascha was drafted 28th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2025 NHL Draft. Boumedienne's career illustrates a path from journeyman defenceman to influential figure in player development and national team management.
Did You Know?
- Boumedienne scored his first NHL goal in his only game with the New Jersey Devils on 6 October 2001.
- He won Finnish championships with Kärpät in 2004–05 and 2006–07.
- He was traded from the Devils to the Lightning along with Sascha Goc and Anton Butin for Andrei Zyuzin.
More in Tampa Bay Lightning Players 1-24
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