Canucks let go of Desjardin
• The Vancouver Canucks have fired head coach Willie Desjardins after a miserable 2016-17 season.
The team announced the move Monday, less than 24 hours after losing its eighth straight game in regulation.
The Canucks finished 29th in the NHL’s overall standings.
In three seasons with Vancouver, Desjardins compiled a 109-110-27 record.
The 60- year- old led the club to the playoffs as a rookie NHL head coach in 2014-15, but the rebuilding Canucks took a big step back last season and things actually got worse in 2016-17.
The team also let go assistants Doug Lidster and Perry Pearn.
“It’s been a challenging season and we all share responsibility for the results,” Canucks general manager Jim Benning said in a statement. “However, we felt this change was necessary as we continue to develop a young team and look ahead to the future.”
Named the 18 th head coach in franchise history in June 2014, Desjardins looked to have things back on track early this fall when Vancouver was perfect through its first four games. But the fast start was mostly smoke and mirrors as the Canucks became the first team in NHL history to win its first three games of a season while never leading in regulation.
Desjardins said following Saturday’s 3-2 home loss to Edmonton that his future in Vancouver was on his mind. “It’s hard not to think about that, but the one thing you do as a coach is I coach,” said Desjardins. “I can’t control that.
“Every day I will work to make our team the best it can be and others will decide what we are going to do. I like our team and I like how the guys competed. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but I liked how the guys competed.”
While rumours concerning his job security swirled, Desjardins seemed to have righted the ship by midseason — the Canucks were 23- 20- 6 on Jan. 25 and occupied the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot — before things cratered in spectacular fashion.
All told, the Canucks wound up 30- 43- 9 in 201617, including 10- 25- 6 over their final 41 games.