Guy Boucher named Senators head coach

The Ottawa Senators have hired Guy Boucheras the club's new head coach, the team announced Sunday.

Boucher, 44, signed on for a three-year contract with Ottawa andbecomes the 12th head coach inSenators franchise history.

Boucherserved as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for more than two seasons, posting a 97-78-20 record in 195 games. Boucher led the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Final in 2010-11. He was fired during the 2012-13 campaign after a disappointing13-17-1 start.

Since then,Boucherhas spent parts of the last three seasons as the head coach of SC Bern of the National League A in Switzerland, posting a 44-29-5 record.

"Over the past three weeks, Pierre Dorion and our hockey operations staff have undertaken a thorough and comprehensive search for our next head coach. Following a detailed evaluation of all coaching candidates, there was overwhelming consensus that Guy was our top candidate,"Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said in a statement released by the team.

"We wanted a great coach and this process yielded our top pick. I couldn't be happier."

The Senators fired head coach Dave Cameronand three assistant coaches last month after the team ended the 2015-16season eight points out of a playoff spot.