It's a bad day to be the head coach of a struggling NHL team. Paul Maurice and Bruce Boudreau now find themselves temporarily jobless in the hockey community.
Both the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals decided to go in a new direction. The 'Canes will now be lead by Kirk Muller; the Caps by Dale Hunter. Both individuals had extremely successful careers as forwards in the NHL.
Kirk Muller
Muller was an assistant coach in Montreal, so he has some NHL coaching experience. From what I've read, Canadien fans are upset the club didn't promote Muller within their organization. The sentiment is something along the lines of, "First Guy Boucher, now him!" Muller actually had a brief, half-year stint as the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals before accepting this offer. The Hurricanes are taking a bit of a gamble with Muller, but he's definitely a capable coach who knows hockey. Being thrust onto a struggling team at the bottom of the league will be a challenge however.
Dale Hunter
Dale Hunter walks into a slightly more advantageous environment. Although the Capitals have slumped as of late, the roster is saturated with skill at every position. Hunter's number currently swings proudly from the rafters in Washington. His work ethic and toughness will do wonders for a lineup that, at times, looks lackadaisical. Like Muller, Hunter has no head coaching experience in the NHL. However, he has been the head coach of the OHL's London Knights for ten seasons. It'll be interesting to see how his personality meshes with the star players on the roster.
Who do you think is next on the chopping block?
Randy Carlyle - The Ducks have been atrocious this season, losing the last five and going 6-13-4 out of the gate. It seems unlikely Carlyle will get the ax though. He has a Stanley Cup ring and five playoff appearances in six seasons. Then again, Bruce Boudreau was the fastest coach to 200 wins and had four division titles in as many years.
Jacques Martin - Martin has been coaching in he NHL for sixteen seasons. Aside from the first four years, Martin's team, no matter the city, has never had a losing record. But, in his 12 playoff appearances, Martin has never reached the Stanley Cup Finals. In a city like Montreal where excellence is expected, another playoff "failure" could potentially spell trouble for the boss behind the bench.
Scott Arniel - Arniel has only one season as an NHL head coach under his belt and it finished 34-35-13. Twenty-three games into the current season, the Jackets possess the worst record in the league, accumulating only 15 points. After a summer of big spending, expectations in Columbus are high. If Arniel can't right the ship soon, he may be relieved of his duties.
Ha, I said duties.
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