The Idaho Steelheads, the Dallas Stars’ affiliate in the ECHL, announced Tuesday evening that Hardy Sauter will be taking over as the team's new head coach and director of hockey operations.

Sauter had spent the past three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. He was an assistant coach with the 2007-08 team that won the Memorial Cup and then took over as head coach for the 2008-09 season. He posted a 91-45-8 record during his two regular seasons at the helm, but was let go after the Chiefs got knocked out in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Sauter spent a majority of his professional playing career with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League. He was a nine-time All-Star and twice was the CHL’s Defenseman of the Year.

Sauter takes over for Derek Laxdal, who left the Steelheads to become head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Laxdal had been head coach of the Steelheads for five years, leading the team to the ECHL’s Kelly Cup championship in 2007 and to the Kelly Cup Finals last season.

The full release from the Steelheads is here.