BUDAPEST – The Hungarian national team will be led by a new coach this week. Rich Chernomaz was signed for the remainder of the season, succeeding Kevin Primeau.

The Manitoba native spent most of his playing career in North American minor leagues and in Germany where he has been living since 1995. He played four years for the DEL’s Schwenninger Wild Wings before becoming the team’s head coach for two years. Other coaching stints followed in the league with Kölner Haie, Augsburger Panther, the Frankfurt Lions and ERC Ingolstadt where he was released five weeks ago.

Chernomaz won two German championships as a coach, 2002 with Kölner Haie and 2004 with Frankfurt. In November, the 49-year-old was also coaching Team Canada in the 2012 Deutschland Cup in Munich.

Chernomaz’ goal will be to lead the Hungarian national team to the Top Division where it played most recently in 2009. To earn promotion, Hungary must finish the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A among the top-two teams. The opponents on home ice in Budapest will be Italy, Kazakhstan, Japan, Great Britain and Korea.

This week, Hungary will participate in the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge event in Tychy where it will play host Poland, Korea and Romania.