The New Jersey Devils' search for a head coach has come to an end, as the club introduced Peter DeBoer as the new bench boss on Tuesday.
The coaching job opened with the retirement of Jacques Lemaire earlier this year. The 65-year-old Lemaire came out of retirement to lead the Devils after general manager Lou Lamoriello fired John MacLean on Dec. 23.
"Peter DeBoer is an individual who I have watched coach over the past two decades at the junior, international, and professional levels. His teams have always been well-prepared and disciplined, while maximizing their effort each and every night." General Manager Lou Lamoriello said. "I am looking forward to working with him."
The search to fill the coaching job continued throughout the summer with names like Michel Therrien, Ken Hitchcock, Guy Carbonneau and Devils assistant Adam Oates all mentioned as potential candidates.
DeBoer, 43, was fired by the Florida Panthers this past April, one day after the team finished its 10th straight season without a playoff appearance.
He came to the Panthers in 2008 after 13 seasons in the OHL with the Detroit/Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers, where his teams won two-thirds of their games.
The Panthers put up 93 points in the first season under DeBoer, but things went the other way in the following two seasons.
Florida finished with 77 points in the second season and 72 points in 2010-11, finishing last in the Southeast Division both times.
After three seasons at the helm, DeBoer's record with the Panthers was 103-107-26.
DeBoer, a Windsor, ON, native is a two-time winner of the Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year trophy and led the Kitchener Rangers to a Memorial Cup victory in 2003. He also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2010 World Championships and was a member of the coaching staff for the gold medal-winning Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championship. He also served as an assistant coach at the 1998 World Junior tournament.
