Tampa, FL (Best E Casino) - The Tampa Bay Lightning made another addition to their front office on Wednesday, hiring Brian Lawton as vice president of hockey operations.

Lawton spent the last 14 years as a high-powered player representative. The 42-year-old Rhode Island native was the former first-overall pick of the Minnesota North Stars in 1983 and spent nine seasons in the NHL with six clubs.

"As a former NHL player who is very accomplished on the agency side, we believe Brian is a perfect fit with the team we are assembling here in Tampa," said club owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie in a statement. "As stated, our No. 1 intention is to win hockey games in both the short term and the long term. Brian is focused, driven and goal-oriented and he will help us as we strive to reach those goals for our team and our fans."

It's been a busy week for the Lightning. The franchise selected Steve Stamkos with the first overall pick of the NHL Entry Draft on Friday, introduced the franchise's new ownership group on Monday and brought in former ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose as new head coach Tuesday.

Tampa is attempting a quick turnaround from last season's performance, which saw the club finish with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.