Bissonnette joins Coyotes' radio broadcast team

One of hockey's most colorful personalities is getting a bigger voice.

Former NHL tough customer Paul Bissonnette will join the Arizona Coyotes' radio booth this season as a color analyst, the team announced Wednesday.

"Paul was an incredibly popular player when he played for the Coyotes so I'm confident that our fans will be thrilled to have him back," Coyotes president and CEO Steve Patterson said in a statement. "He will be a great addition to our broadcast team and we look forward to his presence on our website and social media platforms. Paul will also make a positive impact in the community."

While Bissonnette's on-ice stats aren't something to write home about, his legendary status stems from his social media fame, where "BizNasty" has more than 1 million Twitter followers.

"The Coyotes picked me up off waivers in 2009 and provided me an opportunity to keep playing in the NHL. I played five seasons in the Valley and it's always felt like home to me," Bissonnette said in a statement. "The organization has always been first class and the Phoenix media treated me very well as a player.

"I love the community and the people that I've gotten to know here. I'm very grateful to (owner) Mr. (Andrew) Barroway and Mr. Patterson for the opportunity and I look forward to beginning the next chapter in my life with the Coyotes. We have a great young team and a very bright future ahead. This is an ideal role for me and I can't wait for the season to start."

Over five seasons in Arizona, Bissonnette appeared in 187 games, tallying seven goals and 14 assists, alongside 318 penalty minutes.