Watch CBS News

New Jersey Devils Name Peter DeBoer New Coach

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- The Devils have named former Florida Panthers coach Peter DeBoer as their new head coach. The team called a press conference Tuesday at the Prudential Center in Newark to make the announcement.

DeBoer, 43, was fired as coach of the Panthers after the 2010-11 season. In 246 games with the Panthers, his record was 103-107-36. Florida did not make the playoffs in any of DeBoer's three seasons.

DeBoer succeeds Jacques Lemaire, who came out of retirement in midseason after rookie coach John MacLean was fired in December. However, Lemaire's return could not prevent the Devils from missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

The coaching change is the ninth for the Devils since the late Pat Burns stepped down after being diagnosed with cancer in 2005.

Before the announcement former Penguins coach Michel Therrien was widely considered to be a frontrunner for the position. Assistant coach Adam Oates was also mentioned as an internal option.

Is DeBoer the right choice? Let us know in the comments below...

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.