Steve Konowalchuk only played 110 games for the Colorado Avalanche, but quickly became a fan favorite because of the way he played the game. The NHL veteran spent a bit of time behind Colorado’s bench a decade ago, but most recently returned to be the Associate Head Coach for the Colorado Eagles last season. That is no longer the case, as he was hired by the Springfield Falcons to be their Head Coach after the season ended.

On Wednesday, the Avalanche named his replacement, and it’s someone who was probably even more popular in Colorado.

Dan Hinote, who spent parts of six seasons with the Avalanche and was a member of the 2001 Stanley Cup winning team, will be the new Associate Head Coach of the Eagles. Beyond playing in over 500 NHL games, the 47 year old has plenty of coaching experience. He was an Assistant Coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010-2014, and just spent the last four seasons as an Assistant Coach on the Nashville Predators. In between those stints, he was a scout and also helped coach the U.S. National Development Team.

Here’s what Avalanche Assistant GM Kevin McDonald had to say about the organization bringing in Hinote.

“Dan has a diverse background in professional hockey, including a decade as a player in the NHL and nearly a decade as a coach in the NHL,” said Avalanche Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald. “He is a strong teacher of the game and relates well to younger players with his experience playing in college hockey, at the major junior level as well as his time as a coach with Team USA’s Under 17 and 18 teams. We are excited to have Dan back with the Avalanche organization and look forward to having him behind the Eagles bench this season.”

Hinote joins a staff that includes Aaron Schneekloth as Head Coach and Tim Branham as an Assistant Coach.