MIAMI — The Florida Panthers have hired Peter DeBoer as their next coach.

The Panthers announced today that DeBoer, a highly touted junior coach from the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers, would take over for Jacques Martin behind the bench.

Martin was stripped of his duties as head coach in April but reached an agreement to remain as the team's general manager.

DeBoer also was a front-runner for the coaching vacancy with the Ottawa Senators. He coached and managed the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL for seven years. While there, he guided the Rangers to two OHL Championships and a Memorial Cup Championship.