Washington Capitals have parted ways with head coach Bruce Boudreau two months into the NHL regular season. He will be replace by Dale Hunter who has not held a coaching position in the NHL before.
Boudreau nicknamed "Gabby" for his boisterous personality was one of the fastest coaches in the history of the league to 200 wins but that could not save him. As GM George McPhee said in the Associated Press "the players were beginning to tune him out.
Hunter was a former capitals player and has his number retired by the team. The former captain coached in the Ontario Hockey League for 11 seasons.
Since taking over the reigns of the Capitals back in 2007 the team has won four division titles, a President's Trophy, which goes to the team with the best record during the regular season and coach of the year in 2008. The team with so much potential with the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Alexander Semin could not get over the hump in the playoffs going 17-20 in his tenure. The team which started of 7-0 have faltered of late and find themselves in the eight spot in the Eastern Conference.
Boudreau earlier this season benched Ovechkin, a two-time league MVP during a crucial point late in regulation against the Anaheim Ducks. A game the Capitals would later win in overtime.
The team will take on the visiting St. Louis Blues Tuesday night.
From The Sports Mind Of RB:
Am I a bit shocked he got fired? Not really because players can't be fired so someone has to be the scapegoat. This team has not fared very well in the postseason and the record shows that. But the players have to look in the mirror and start asking themselves why that is the case?
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