Doug Weight will retain his role as head coach of the New York Islanders, the club announced Wednesday.

Weight had been serving as the team's interim head coach after Jack Capuano was fired back on Jan. 17.

"Doug has earned this opportunity from the tremendous work he has put in over the past five seasons in our front office and especially from the time he took over as interim head coach earlier this season," president and general manager Garth Snow said in a release. "His leadership and experiences from both playing and behind the bench are valuable intangibles that not every coach can translate into a winning formula. He's gained the trust and respect from our entire team, making him the best choice to become head coach."

Weight's transition into coaching was nothing short of extraordinary. Under his guidance, the Islanders went an incredible 24-12-4 down the stretch, ultimately missing out on the postseason by a single point.

Prior to being named interim head coach, he served as the club's assistant GM - a position he'll continue to hold as head coach.

"I'm honored to be named head coach of such an historic franchise with one of the most passionate fan bases in the NHL," Weight said. "There is a deep history of winning with the Islanders and I look forward to doing everything in my power to return to the playoffs and have success."

In his stint as a player with the Islanders, Weight recorded 13 goals and 64 points in 107 games.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.