Reirden named assistant coach; Hynes named Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach - 07-31-10

The Penguins have promoted Todd Reirden (right) from head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team to assistant coach with the NHL club.

Reirden takes over for Mike Yeo who left the club last month to accept a head coaching position with the Houston Aeros, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

Reirden as served as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' head coach since Feb. 15, 2009 when Dan Bylsma left that position to take over the NHL club as a replacement for Michel Therrien. In parts of two seasons as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' coach, Reirden had a record of 55-43-2-6. He reached the postseason each of those seasons.

Reirden, 39, is a former teammate of Bylma. Both played for Bowling Green in the early 1990s. Reirden spent parts of five seasons in the NHL with the Oilers, Blues Thrashers and Coyotes. In 183 NHL games, Reirden, a defenseman, scored 46 points.

To replace Reirden, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton assistant coach Todd Hynes was promoted to the head coach position. 

EN Says: No word  yet if Reirden will simply assume Yeo's old duties of overseeing the power play and the defenseman, but it won't be a rough transition for him as the organiztion runs the same style of play at the NHL and AHL levels.

(Photo: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)