Dave Lewis was officially named head coach of the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

His name had been linked to the vacant Bruins' job since Mike Sullivan was fired as coach of the National Hockey League club on Tuesday.

Lewis, 52, is the former head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, compiling a 96-41-21-6 record over two seasons in the Motor City.

He also served as an assistant coach to the legendary Scotty Bowman, helping the Red Wings win three Stanley Cups.

"It's a great honour to be sitting here as the new head coach of the Boston Bruins," Lewis said. "It's an opportunity for me to grow with the team.

"This is a great day, but I hope it's not the best day I have with the Boston Bruins."

A disappointing year

Sullivan led the Bruins to a disappointing 29-37-16 record this past year, finishing 13th in the Eastern Conference and missing the playoffs

During the tumultuous season, star forwards Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov were traded away and general manager Mike O'Connell was fired.

"In the end, I chose Dave Lewis for a variety of reasons," said new Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "We shared many common objectives.

"Dave has a passion for the game, but at the same time he is a student of the game."

With files from Sports Network