Red Wings name Bill Peters & Jeff Blashill to coaching staff

Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland announced that the team has hired Bill Peters and Jeff Blashill as Assistant Coaches. Both gentlemen have signed three-year contracts. As per club policy, no further details on either of these deals will be disclosed.

“To succeed in the National Hockey League, you constantly have to try and stay ahead of your opponents’ systems and strategies,” said Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock. “In looking to fill our coaching staff, I wanted successful and innovative coaches that would challenge us with new ideas in order to continually help the Red Wings become a better hockey team. I’m very happy to welcome Jeff Blashill and Bill Peters to the Red Wings coaching staff.”

Peters, 46, spent the past three seasons as the Head Coach of the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) where he amassed a record of 122-97-7-14 in addition to a pair of Calder Cup Playoff appearances. Prior to his tenure with the IceHogs, Peters led the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs to the 2008 Memorial Cup title as champions of the Canadian Hockey League in the final season of his second stint with the team. Peters also was a member of Babcock’s staff in Spokane in the late 1990’s prior to coaching the University of Lethbridge Hurricanes (CIS) for three seasons. The Three Hills, Alberta, native also has impressive international credentials, having served as Head Coach of the Gold Medal-winning Team Canada at the 2008 U-18 Junior World Cup.

Blashill, 37, spent the 2010-11 season behind the bench at Western Michigan University where he led the Broncos to their first berth in the CCHA Championship Game since 1986 after turning in a 19-13-10 regular season record and defeating the top-ranked University of Michigan Wolverines 5-2 in the tournament semifinals at Joe Louis Arena. For his efforts, Blashill was a finalist for the CCHA Coach of the Year Award and was named National Coach of the Year by College Hockey News, USCHO.com and Inside College Hockey. The Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, native has previously served as Head Coach and General Manager of the USHL’s Indiana Ice, with whom he captured a Clark Cup title as league champions in 2009. Prior to his two-year stint with the Ice, Blashill served as an Assistant Coach at Miami University from 2002-08 and at Ferris State, his alma mater, from 1998-2002. The former goaltender and father of three has been a member of Team USA’s coaching staff three times – at the 2009 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge, the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships and the 2006 U-18 Junior World Cup.