The Carolina Hurricanes hope their new coach will take them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
General manager Ron Francis formally introduced Bill Peters as the next head coach today. Peters has been an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings for the last three seasons and has experience as a minor league head coach.
This is the first big hiring decision from Francis, who took over in April. He says Peters is a good fit for a Hurricanes team that is still developing into a competitor for the playoffs.
"He is organized, detailed, demands accountability and a high-compete level from his players, and he's a good communicator and teacher, all attributes we felt were important for our next head coach to possess. He also comes from winning cultures, and I personally am excited to start working together with Bill to build a Stanley Cup contender here in Raleigh," Francis said.
Peters says he will concentrate on improving Carolina's power play performance, which was near the bottom of the league last year.
"It's an exciting time here in Raleigh and for the Carolina Hurricanes. We're going to have a hockey team that's a competitive hockey team. We know where our challenges lay, but we're excited about the challenges. We're going to set the bar high and we're going to give our fans something they can be proud of and they'll want to watch each and every night," Peters said.
Peters replaces Kirk Muller, who had a record of 80-80-27 in three seasons. The 'Canes have made just one appearance in the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.