Stars officially name Montgomery as head coach

The Dallas Stars officially named Jim Montgomery as their new head coach on Friday.

Montgomery spent the last five seasons behind the bench for the University of Denver. This is the 48-year-old's first NHL head coaching gig.

"We are extremely happy to announce Jim as the head coach of the Dallas Stars," general manager Jim Nill said. "He has achieved success at every level throughout his coaching career, establishing a unique culture around every team that he has led. He has created a standard of excellence by building trust with his players, while putting systems in place that allow his teams to compete for championships season after season."

Through his tenure with the Pioneers, Montgomery held a record of 125-57-26 and appeared in two Frozen Fours, winning the national championship in 2017. He also had a brief career as an NHL player, suiting up in 122 games for the Blues, Canadiens, Flyers, Sharks and Stars.

Ken Hitchcock, the winningest coach in Stars history, retired in April.