Marlies’ Eakins heading to Edmonton

The Edmonton Oilers have appointed Dallas Eakins as the club’s new head coach.

Eakins, 46, has spent the past eight seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, including the last four as head coach of the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, accumulating a record of 157-129-26. He guided the Marlies to consecutive North Division titles in 2011-12 and 2012-13, and earned a berth in the 2012 Calder Cup Finals as the Western Conference champions.

Eakins was also a member of the coaching staffs at the 2012 and 2013 AHL All-Star Classics.

Eakins was an assistant coach with the Marlies in 2005-06 and served in the same role with the Maple Leafs for two seasons (2006-08) before spending the 2008-09 campaign as the team’s director of player development.

A 1985 draft pick by the Washington Capitals, Eakins played 120 career NHL games as a defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers and New York Islanders.

The Dade City, Fla., native also suited up in 609 AHL games during his playing career, winning a Calder Cup with Chicago in 2002.