Predators hire ex-Devils coach John Hynes to replace fired Peter Laviolette

Jan. 7 (UPI) -- One month after being fired by the New Jersey Devils, John Hynes was named the new head coach of the Nashville Predators, the team announced Tuesday.

The Predators fired head coach Peter Laviolette on Monday after six seasons with the team. Hynes becomes only the third head coach in Predators history.

"John Hynes is a bright young coach and great leader who has a track record of both effectively developing young players and successfully motivating veterans," Predators GM David Poile said in a statement. "We love his coaching resume and are confident that he has learned from every stop during his career, and has the best skill set to get the maximum potential out of our team."

Hynes, who was hired by the Devils in 2015, ended his tenure in New Jersey with a 150-159-45 record. The Devils reached the playoffs only once in his last four seasons leading the team.

Before joining the Devils' organization, Hynes served as head coach of the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2009 to 2015.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to join an organization with a history of success, a team with immense talent and a phenomenal fanbase," Hynes said in a statement. "This organization has a strong foundation, from its ownership and executives to the entire front-office staff, and I'm excited to come in and try to maximize this team's abilities."

Since being hired in 2014, Laviolette guided the Predators to a 248-143-60 record. Entering this year, Nashville reached the playoffs in every season under Laviolette, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.

Entering the Predators' Tuesday night matchup against the Boston Bruins, Nashville held a 19-15-7 record this season, sitting seven points out of third place in the Central Division.