Penguins promote Sergei Gonchar to assistant coach

Sergei Gonchar has been promoted to assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the club announced Wednesday, one day after losing Rick Tocchet and adding Mark Recchi behind the bench.

Gonchar had been working as Pittsburgh's defensemen development coach for the past two seasons, which both resulted Stanley Cup championships. And while the Penguins' blue line was identified as a weakness during both runs, the former five-time All-Star played a key role in the postseason success.

"He was invaluable during the playoffs, especially working with our young defenseman," head coach Mike Sullivan said.

Over a 20-year playing career, Gonchar was one of the league's premier offensive defenseman, notching 811 points in 1,301 contests. He also captured a Stanley Cup with the Penguins as a player in 2009.