Coyotes aide Brown, Roadrunners GM Soetaert fired
On the heels of their fifth straight non-playoff finish, the Coyotes have made changes to their hockey operations department by firing assistant coach Newell Brown and Tucson Roadrunners General Manager Doug Soetaert.
The team has also decided it will not renew the contracts for pro scouts David MacLean and Jim Roque and will immediately begin a search to replace all positions.
“I’d like to thank Newell, Doug, David and Jim for their contributions to the club,” General Manager John Chayka said in a statement released by the team. “They are all good people but we believe these changes are necessary in order to improve our organization. We wish them the best in the future.”
Brown just wrapped his fourth season with the organization after signing a multi-year extension last May. He oversaw the power play, which ranked 26th in the NHL last season at 16.2 percent. The unit was also in the bottom third in 201516, sitting 20th (17.7), but was better during Brown’s first two seasons when former defenseman Keith Yandle quarterbacked the scheme alongside fellow blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Arizona’s power play was fourth in the NHL and first in the Western Conference at 19.9 percent in 2013-14. The next season, the unit was seventh at 20 percent.
As for Soetaert, he was named the Roadrunners’ first GM last July and had one year remaining on his contract.
Despite an impressive start during the team’s first season in Tucson after the Coyotes purchased and moved their American Hockey League affiliate to the state, the Roadrunners struggled to remain in playoff contention and finished the season 29-31-8, which was 11 points shy of the final playoff berth in the Pacific Division.