Former NHLer gets his first head coaching job.

The summer started off a little rough for former National Hockey League forward John Madden, but he's rebounded very well.

Madden began the summer by losing his job as one of the assistant coaches for the Florida Panthers, but according to multiple reports he has now been hired to take over as head coach of the American Hockey League's Cleveland Monsters, an affiliate team with the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Jackets released the following statement:

“John Madden has a winning pedigree, having been a part of three Stanley Cup championships and a collegiate national championship as a player and being a part of the coaching staff that helped the Florida Panthers become one of the NHL’s most improved clubs over the past three seasons,” said Blue Jackets assistant general manager Bill Zito. “He is a smart, energetic young coach who we believe to be the best person to lead our prospects in Cleveland.” 

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It's just the latest chapter in an already storied hockey career for Madden, and with nearly 900 games of NHL experience as a player as well as some seasoning in Florida, we are sure he's up to the challenge.