The Tampa Bay Lightning hired Jeff Blashill as an assistant coach on Tuesday to assist head coach Jon Cooper.

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The 48-year-old will join a group of assistants including Frantz Jean (guardian manager), Jeff Halpern and Rob Zettler. He is the former pilot of the Detroit Red Wings who suffered the ax at the end of the last campaign, after a stay of seven years at the helm of this formation.

Blashill was 204-261-72 in 537 regular season games at Michigan. He was unable to lead the Wings to the playoffs after pulling it all off in his freshman year.

Previously, the American led Detroit's American League academy, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for three years, and won the Calder Cup in 2013.