Eric Boulton

Eric Boulton (born August 17, 1976) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the New Jersey Devils.

Playing career
Boulton was drafted in the ninth round, 234th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Boulton recorded his first career hat trick on December 18, 2010, scoring 3 goals against the New Jersey Devils. He made his NHL debut playing for the Buffalo Sabres, where he played for four seasons. During the 2004 NHL Lockout, he played for the Columbia Inferno of the East Coast Hockey League. After the Lockout ended, Boulton landed in Atlanta. He was re-signed by Atlanta in 2008 to a two year deal, and then signed as an Unrestricted Free Agent with the New Jersey Devils to a 2 year contract for an undisclosed amount. Boulton joins former Atlanta Thrashers teammates Ilya Kovalchuk and Johan Hedberg in New Jersey.

2005 elbowing incident
In October 2005, Boulton was suspended for 6 games after he elbowed Tampa Bay Lightning rookie Paul Ranger causing a hairline fracture of the jaw and a concussion. The incident occurred at the end of a 6–0 rout of the Thrashers on October 20, 2005. NHL vice-president Colin Campbell said, "It is clear Mr. Boulton's actions were careless and caused injury. There is no circumstance that can justify this type of action." Only a week earlier Boulton had made a similar move in a game against Toronto, almost injuring Eric Lindros. Both Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella and Toronto coach Pat Quinn have made angry comments about Boulton's style of play. Tortorella said "no one wants to see him on the ice."