Montgomery fired as Dallas coach

STARS FIRE HEAD COACH FOR UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

The Dallas Stars fired secondyear coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday for what the team called unprofessional conduct.

General manager Jim Nill said Montgomery had acted inconsistently with “core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League.” He did not elaborate.

Nill said he became aware Sunday of an act by Montgomery and the decision to fire him came after an internal investigation that included discussions with the team’s general counsel. Nill said only that it was not because of a criminal act, had no connection to players, past or present, and didn’t involve another employee of the team.

Nill, who hired Montgomery, called the incident a “total surprise.”

“A very tough decision,” Nill said. “I have got a lot of respect for Jim Montgomery. He’s a very good coach. And unfortunately, you know, sometimes in life, the hardest decisions are the toughest. And this is one of them.”

Montgomery did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

Rick Bowness, who came on as an assistant coach with Montgomery, was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season, starting with Tuesday night’s home game against the New Jersey Devils.

In all, four NHL coaches have lost their jobs already this season — three of them amid allegations of misbehaviour.

The move by the Stars came one day after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, at a meeting of the Board of Governors, said the league will work swiftly to make changes to better deal with personal conduct issues raised by players and former players in recent weeks, including allegations of racism and physical abuse by coaches. Montgomery’s firing is not related to that kind of misbehaviour, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not elaborated on the reason for Montgomery’s dismissal. Nill hired three coaches in his first six seasons with the club and faces the prospect of doing it again next summer. Nill said the current coaching staff would remain in place for the rest of the season while the Stars try to live up to high expectations.