Vegas fires DeBoer
The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Peter DeBoer on Monday in the aftermath of missing the playoffs for the first time in their five-year history.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon thanked the head coach who led the Sharks to their only Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2016, and the Golden Knights to the past two Western Conference finals, but said the team was looking for a fresh voice.
“The decision was made based on next year. The decision was not based on last year,” McCrimmon said during a news conference. “I’m not going to be critical of Pete or point out specifics as to why this decision was made. I’ve got a lot of respect for Pete as a man. I’ve got a lot of respect for him as a coach. These decisions are made for the future.”
Vegas failed to qualify for the playoffs after a barrage of injuries compounded by salary-cap problems wreaked havoc on the lineup, most notably in goal. The Golden Knights at one point were first in the Pacific Division but after 82 games, they found themselves three points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference despite acquiring center Jack Eichel in a trade with Buffalo and other moves along the way designed to make them a perennial Cup contender.
DeBoer coached the Golden Knights for 2½ seasons after being named in January 2020 to replace Gerard Gallant, who guided the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season in 2017-18 and back to the playoffs in 2019. DeBoer was coaching his fourth NHL team after stints with Florida, New Jersey and San Jose. He took the Devils in to the Finals in 2012.
⏩ When the New York Islanders fired head coach Barry Trotz, general manager Lou Lamoriello said the team needed a new voice. That new voice is coming from inside the same coaches’ room. The Islanders named Lane Lambert, 57, as Trotz’s replacement, giving his longtime assistant his first head-coaching job in the NHL.
Trotz was fired last week after the Islanders missed the playoffs for the first time in his four seasons behind the bench. Lambert, 57, has worked on Trotz’s staff the past 11 years with Nashville, Washington and New York.
⏩ Sakari Manninen scored and added two assists for host Finland, which beat the United States 4-1 and kept a perfect record at the ice hockey world championship in Tampere.