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Hurricanes tab Bill Peters as new head coach

Mike Babcock, Bill Peters

Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock, right, talks with assistant coach Bill Peters during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Detroit, Friday, Sept. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

AP

The Carolina Hurricanes named Bill Peters their new head coach on Thursday.

Peters, 48, was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings for the past three seasons. (He’s pictured to the left of Mike Babcock in this main image.)

This is Peters’ first NHL head coaching gig.

The Canes point out that Peters handled Detroit’s defensemen and penalty kill. The Red Wings’ penalty kill came in 12th in the NHL percentage-wise at 83.0 and Detroit enjoyed solid puck possession in 2013-14, so he’s been fairly successful in that regard. It’s just as likely that new GM Ron Francis & Co. targeted Peters because of his experience in the Red Wings organization in general, though, really.

Here’s a little more information about Peters, the 13th coach of the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers and the fourth bench boss since the team moved to Carolina:

Peters, 48, has served as assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings for the past three seasons, working primarily with Detroit’s defensemen and penalty kill units. Prior to joining Detroit’s staff, Peters served as head coach of Rockford of the American Hockey League (AHL), guiding the Ice Hogs to consecutive 40-win seasons and Calder Cup playoff appearances in 2008-09 and 2009-10. In his final season with Rockford in 2010-11, Peters directed the second-youngest team in the AHL to a 38-33-4-5 record. The Three Hills, Alb., native helped 28 Rockford players reach the NHL during his three seasons. Eight players who played under Peters for Rockford went on to win the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010 or 2013 – Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jordan Henry, Antti Niemi, Corey Crawford, Bryan Bickell, Nick Leddy, Brandon Bollig and Ben Smith.

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