The Devils today introduced former Florida Panthers coach Peter DeBoer as the Devils' new head coach. DeBoer and general manager Lou Lamoriello were the only people on the podium today at the Prudential at a press conference announcing the hiring.

"I've known Pete and watched Pete coach many year," Lamoriello said. "He's technically as sound as anyone."

DeBoer has been in Newark interviewing with general manager Lou Lamoriello, but the new coach said he didn't accept the position until this morning. The Devils coaching staff around DeBoer has not yet been set, DeBoer and Lamoriello said.

Although Michel Therrien and several others were, at various points, considered the leading candidates to succeed Jacques Lemaire behind the Devils' bench, DeBoer quietly won the job.

DeBoer deflected questions about how many points the team will accumulate this season, or who will be named captain, but did state the team's goal: "Obviously we want to be back in the playoffs. Having seen them a few times in the second half of the year, they played very well."

DeBoer, 43, was fired as coach of the Panthers after the 2010-11 season. In 246 games with the Panthers, his record was 103-107-36.

Despite not making the playoffs in his three seasons in Florida, DeBoer said today: "While I'm not proud of the actual record, I'm proud of the way we played.

"I can tell you I'm a much better coach having gone through the learning experience down there" in Florida, DeBoer continued.

DeBoer said he will maintain the defense-first mentality that has made the Devils one of the NHL's most consistently successful teams during the Lamoriello era. Though, DeBoer said he doesn't characterize himself as a defensive coach, calling himself a "hybrid."

"I don't know if I fit in one of those boxes," he said.

He is a part owner of the junior Oshawa Generals of the OHL.

Three current Devils have played for DeBoer already in the minor leagues: David Clarkson, Mark Fraser and Travis Zajac.

Since Pat Burns coached the Devils to their last Stanley Cup in 2003, the team has had eight different coaches, with Lamoriello and Lemaire each having two different stints. In chronological order, the coaches have been: Burns, Larry Robinson, Lamoriello, Claude Julien, Lamoriello, Brent Sutter, Lemaire, John MacLean, Lemaire and DeBoer.

For more Devils coverage, follow Rich Chere on Twitter at twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com