By Michael Caples –
The Red Wings weren’t able to make the splash they wanted in free agency this off-season, but they might have landed just the right guy behind the bench next to Mike Babcock.
The club announced today that they have hired former Edmonton Oilers head coach Tom Renney as the Wings’ new associate coach, taking the spot left vacant by Jeff Blashill’s move to Grand Rapids. Renney agreed to a three-year deal with Detroit.
The 57-year-old Renney worked for the Oilers the last three seasons, starting as an associate coach for the 2009-10 season. He was promoted to head coach on June 22, 2010. He finished with a 57-85-22 record during his time in Edmonton, coaching a team that has been in the midst of a rebuild for quite some time now.
Renney served as head coach for the Rangers from 2005-2008, leading New York to a 164-121-42 record, and three consecutive 40-win seasons.
He got his first NHL head coaching job in 1996, with the Vancouver Canucks.
Renney also coached the Canadian National Team to a silver medal in the 1994 Olympics in Norway.