Now that Bob Boughner has officially been named the head coach in Florida, the Sharks will begin the process of looking for his replacement on Pete DeBoer’s staff.

The Panthers made the announcement on Monday morning, confirming several reports from over the weekend. An assistant coach for the Sharks for the past two seasons, this will be the 46-year-old Boughner’s first head coaching job in the NHL.

"I want to congratulate Bob as he takes this next step in an already distinguished coaching career, and thank him for the contributions he made to our team and many of our individual players,” coach Pete DeBoer said in a statement. “While we hate to lose him, it's the ultimate compliment to an organization when members of your team are sought out by others.”

General manager Doug Wilson said: "We are extremely happy for Bob and his family. This is a terrific opportunity for Bob to become a head coach in the National Hockey League and one that he deserves. We will immediately start the process of reviewing candidates to add to our coaching staff in San Jose."

The Sharks will surely be looking for a defensive-minded coach, as Boughner oversaw the team’s blue line and its penalty killers. Former director of player personnel Larry Robinson, whose contract expired, also worked with the team’s defensemen.