Busy news day for Canada’s NHL clubs
The Edmonton Oilers announced Friday that head coach Todd McLellan will keep his job after a disappointing 2017-18 season, while assistant coaches Ian Herbers and Jim Johnson have been relieved of their duties.
The 50-year-old McLellan presided over a dud of a season that saw the Oilers miss the playoffs with a 36-40-6 record despite another MVP-calibre campaign from captain Connor McDavid.
McLellan is 114-109-23 in three seasons with Edmonton.
LEAFS DENY RUMOURS
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews and head coach Mike Babcock deny there’s a rift between the two after Toronto’s first-round exit.
Babcock said he met with Matthews Friday as the Leafs cleaned out their lockers. Babcock told reporters that while he pushes Matthews, he has “a good relationship” with his star and was told there are no issues.
Matthews, who had just two points in the series with Boston, echoed those sentiments.
“I don’t think it’s true at all,” he said. “Stuff happens, people speculate. I can tell you right now it’s not the case.”
HABS ADD ASSISTANT
Canadian world junior championship coach Dominique Ducharme has made the jump to the NHL as an assistant coach with the Canadiens.
The Nabss dropped assistant coaches Jean-Jacques Daigneault and Dan Lacroix and hired Ducharme away from the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec junior league on Friday. The club also gave a contract extension to goaltending coach Stephane Waite.
BURKE LEAVES FLAMES
Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke will be leaving the team May 1, ending a near five-year run with the NHL team.
The hockey operations side will be directed by GM Jim Treliving, vice-president of hockey operations Don Maloney, and assistant general managers Craig Conroy and Brad Pascall, the team said.