Red Wings Name Lewis Coach

NHL teams

"I know I'm going to be watched," Lewis said. "I know the team is going to be watched."

Lewis was a Red Wings assistant for 14 years and an NHL player for 15.

"Beware of the wrath of a patient man," said the 49-year-old Lewis. "I'm not afraid of that by any means. I'm looking forward to that opportunity and challenge. Sooner or later, Scotty was going to retire."

The Red Wings retained Barry Smith as associate coach and promoted former Red Wing Joe Kocur from video technician to assistant coach. Smith was the only other person to interview for the opening.

"In the days after Scotty Bowman retired, I had some of the top players on our team recommend to me that the best thing we could do for our team was to hire a coach from within," said general manager Ken Holland. "We obviously had two great choices in Dave and in Barry Smith. It was a difficult decision, but I just felt in the end that Dave was the man for our hockey club."