BAD DAY FOR FORMER BRONCOS
DESJARDINS, RUFF, DARRYL SUTTER OUT OF COACHING JOBS
All three started junior hockey careers with the Lethbridge Broncos in ’70s
Willie Desjardins seemed to sense he was on borrowed time in the waning weeks of a second consecutive lost season with Vancouver Canucks.
The club’s head coach was increasingly candid with the media, admitting more than once he was aware his job might be in jeopardy as the team limped towards the finish line. The axe fell swiftly on Monday morning. Vancouver fired Desjardins less than 24 hours after an eighth straight loss in regulation that concluded a miserable 2016-17 campaign where the Canucks finished 29th in the NHL’s overall standings with a 30-43-9 record.
“He’s a great person who has great character,” president of hockey operations Trevor Linden said during an afternoon press conference at Rogers Arena. “Our decision was based on just needing to make a change.
“There was a feeling between (general manager Jim Benning) and I there was some areas we can improve.”
The 60-year-old Desjardins was 109-110-27 during his three seasons in charge, but 48 of those wins came in 2014-15 when led the club to the playoffs as a rookie NHL head coach.
The rebuilding Canucks took a big step back last season with a 75-point, 28th-place finish before tumbling further with a dismal 69-point showing in 2016-17.
“It was a hard conversation,” Linden said of how Desjardins took the news. “Willie’s such a good person and has a big heart and loves the game. He was obviously disappointed. It’s a challenging day for us.”
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, not even their Stanley Cup pedigree could secure the jobs of head coach Darrl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi.
The Kings fired both Monday, abruptly dropping the duo that led the franchise to its only two NHL championships.
The Kings promoted former defenceman Rob Blake to vice-president and general manager after four years as Lombardi's assistant. Longtime team executive Luc Robitaille was promoted to president in charge of all hockey and business operations.
The moves bring an emphatic end to a remarkable era for the Kings, a Second Six expansion franchise. Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, but has won only one playoff game since.
On Sunday, it was announced Lindy Ruff will not return as coach of the Dallas Stars after the team went from the Western Conference’s top seed last year to missing the playoffs this season.