The St. Louis Blues have apparently run out of patience with Andy Murray and fired him Saturday morning. Murray was let go just 48 hours after his former team coughed up a 3-1 lead over the Canucks to head to their fourth straight loss.

Murray was replaced by minor-league coach Davis Payne.

The Blues currently sit 12th in the Western Conference and have a 17-17-6 record. They’re nine points behind Los Angeles and the final playoff spot, so the losing skid wasn’t doing Murray any favours as head coach.

“We just lost too many games we were in a position to win,” Murray said. “Way too many losses at home, too many games we were leading. We’re a .500 team and we haven’t played good enough. Ultimately, that’s what I’m judged on.”

Murray received and deserved heaps of praise last season for his 25-9-7 record in the second half of the season. It appeared that he had given the Blues the shot in the arm they needed as they reached the playoffs for the first time in five years, but a first round sweep at the hands of the Canucks brought the club crashing back down to earth.

Since then it’s been business as usual for the Blues and Murray’s departure really was a foregone conclusion.

Murray was hired by the Blues in December of 2006 and was clearly not in everyone’s good books.

“I don’t think he was on the same page with everybody,” Blues forward Cam Janssen said. “I think guys didn’t know where they stood with him, and I think that’s not a good thing to have in the locker-room. I had no idea where I was with him and I couldn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. It was a bizarre situation.”

Regardless, Murray is a good coach and he’ll land on his feet somewhere in the National Hockey League. His style may not be for everyone, but here’s hoping he winds up behind the bench again as soon as possible.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was posting here about the possibility of the Philadelphia Flyers canning coach John Stevens. And now it looks like the Flyers have made it official, firing Stevens after the team’s loss to the Canucks.

The team officially announced the decision during a press conference and named former Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette as the replacement. The Flyers spoke with Laviolette earlier today. TSN is reporting that Hurricanes assistant coach Kevin McCarthy was also given permission by Carolina to leave and join Laviolette as an assistant.

As many know, Laviolette was behind the bench in Carolina when the squad won the Cup in 2006.

“This was a very difficult decision for me to make given my relationship with John,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said. “I want to thank him for his service to the Flyers organization over the years. However, in watching the team over the past few weeks I felt a new voice was needed in order to get us out of this and in the direction we expect.”

Stevens was named head coach of the Flyers in October of 2006 after coaching the team’s AHL affiliate for six seasons.

With Laviolette, the Flyers are getting a fresh look at things. He’ll bring an entirely new energy to the club, said Holmgren. “We look forward to him putting his stamp on the team quickly and getting our team headed in the right direction,” he said.

“Obviously this is a great opportunity. I am really excited,” said Laviolette. “The Flyers are an organization that has a lot of tradition and a lot of history. This is just an exciting time for me and my family and we are really looking forward to it.”

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Sources in Philadelphia say that coach John Stevens’ job could be in jeopardy if the Flyers don’t improve soon. With tonight’s Philly loss to the Vancouver Canucks, it doesn’t look like things have turned around.

The Flyers were heavily hyped going into this season, picked by many analysts to challenge for the Stanley Cup. They have a solid roster and look terrific on paper, especially after acquiring Chris Pronger, but success hasn’t come easy (if at all) in the City of Brotherly Love. And it looks like Stevens will be to blame.

Stevens is already on the hot seat for his team’s performance, but being shut out by the Canucks isn’t going to help cool things off.

There has already been talk of a replacement for Stevens in Philly, with some interesting names being bandied about by the locals. Craig Berube, former Flyers assistance coach, has been given some consideration along with Peter Laviolette and Craig MacTavish.

Of course, the team claims to be behind Stevens. “We’re 100% behind him,” Flyers centre Jeff Carter told the South Jersey Courier-Post. “All he can do is give us a game plan and it’s up to us to go and play. You can’t push the panic button. The game plan works. We just have to go out and do it.”

The Flyers boasted an impressive record in October, going 8-2-1 only to fall to a dismal record in November. With December on tap, Stevens will have to hope that past history speaks volumes. The Flyers have twice endured 10-game losing skids during his tenure and he’s managed to hold his post thus far.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

If Wayne Gretzky should decide to head back into the coaching arena after his tenure ended rather shamefully in Phoenix, there may well be a spot for him behind the bench of the Los Angeles Kings.

Of course, serious hockey fans don’t need a brush-up on the extensive history between the Great One and the Kings franchise. But Kings president and general manager Dean Lombardi expressed his interest in Gretzky in an interview with the Fan 590 radio station in Toronto, so it looks like a serious possibility should Gretzky elect to return to the game.

Lombardi said that he had spoken briefly to Gretzky, but didn’t specify any role that he would have should he end up as a part of the club.

“I’d like to bring (Gretzky) back in some capacity now that he’s done there,” Lombardi said. “I think when you talk about kids learning to win, I think it would be great if we could bring him back to where he almost brought this place to the promised land.”

Whether Gretzky’s presence in a coaching capacity would be enough to bring the Kings back to the “promised land” would of course remain to be seen, as the struggling franchise has had difficulty getting just about anything done for quite some time. But perhaps the buzz alone will be the shot in the arm for the Kings.

The upcoming season has the franchise hanging its hopes on youth and energy, so even if the Gretzky possibilities aren’t all that realistic, the news alone may be the spark this young club needs to get moving again.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

In locking up head coach Alain Vigneault through to the 2012-2013 NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks have sealed the puzzle for the upcoming season and seem to have all the pieces in place. Vigneault’s contract would have expired at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 season and might have left some question marks on the club’s leadership behind the bench, but GM Mike Gillis has been busy getting things done and locking down key parts.

“This is a significant announcement for our hockey club,” said Canucks general manager Mike Gillis. “Alain and his staff have done an excellent job leading our team to two division titles in three years. I believe strongly in the partnership between management, coaches and players and we are all committed to building a championship team here in Vancouver.”

Last season, the Canucks won the Northwest Division title and managed a regular season record of 45-27-10. They lost in the post-season to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals.

Vigneault’s record since joining the ‘Nucks three seasons ago speaks for itself: 133-86-27. With a winning percentage of .595, he’s the most successful coach in franchise history thus far. In his first year with Vancouver, Vigneault won the Jack Adams trophy for Coach of the Year. Prior to his tenure with Vancouver, he served as coach of the Montreal Canadiens from 1997 to 2000.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Ottawa Senators head coach Cory Clouston has not had an easy time of it thus far. Leading the Senators from behind the bench has not been an easy task, as he’s been at the core of the Dany Heatley drama and has had to deal with a team of, let’s be honest, underachievers.

Still, when Clouston took over the coaching job in Ottawa on the second day in February of 2009, he managed to improve things to a 19-11-4 record. Called up from the AHL affiliate club in Binghamton, Clouston made some adjustments to the line-up that included the lessening of Heatley’s role on the ice.

When Heatley’s response was a demand to be traded, it looked like Clouston was going to be in trouble. But, as with most things, the drama eventually faded after a more-than-interesting summer and Clouston’s happy to be back to business as usual at the helm of the Senators.

Clouston works with the same operational goals in mind as when he was behind the bench in Binghamton. It’s a foundation-based system, utilizing a simple structure to keep things moving on the ice. Simplicity is the name of the game for Clouston, as his desire to have role players work hard and superstars hold up their end of the bargain is apparent.

“Same thing you tell your players: Just do what you can do, and whatever got you to that level, you’ve got to work on that. That’s what’s going to get you to the next level as well. Obviously, there’s certain adjustments you have to make, because you are on a lot bigger stage. And you’re dealing with maybe a little bit older players, more established players. But basically the same ideas hold true,” Clouston said.

April 8th saw Clouston get a two-year contract and the daunting “interim” label dropped from before his name, so it looks like the Senators organization is pleased as punch. The players, except for the aforementioned Heatley, took to the new system and style of play well. Captain Daniel Alfredsson was one of Clouston’s biggest supporters in the early going and continues to be excited for the upcoming season.

“He came in with energy,” Alfredsson said. “He came in with structure, and kind of gave us a little bit of hope.”

With that structure and that little bit of hope, the Senators are hoping Clouston’s system will mesh well with the talent on Ottawa to produce results worth celebrating in the end. Clouston sure has his work cut out for him, but with most of the Senators firmly believe he’s the right man for the job, the sky’s the limit again in Ottawa.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

For Ottawa Senators head coach Cory Clouston, escaping talk of the Dany Heatley issue can be difficult at the best of times. While he took part in a conference call to announce the newest member of his coaching staff Thursday, most of the talk ventured in the direction of Heatley and possible friction between the player and coach.

The call was intended to announce the hiring of Brad Lauer as an assistant coach, but Clouston was quickly put on the spot regarding Heatley.

Clouston made it clear that he had yet to talk to the superstar player. He added that nothing had changed in terms of the situation and that he was surprised at Heatley’s request to be traded from the Senators.

As we well know, Heatley vetoed a trade that would have sent him to the Edmonton Oilers and continues to remain in limbo with the Senators. GM Bryan Murray insists that he’s still a Senator and seems to think there’s still a spot for him on the team, but many fans wonder how Heatley could possibly walk into that locker room given all he’s put the team through.

As for coach Clouston, he knows that he’s just got to start moving forward with the rest of the organization. “I really don’t know what else to say,” he continued. “(But) whatever cards we’re dealt, I’ll work with them. That’s with or without Dany.”

Clouston was excited about the addition of Alex Kovalev and is ready to put him to work to help move things forward from the Heatley situation that has haunted the franchise for the past while. “My first reaction was I was just very excited for the organization,” Clouston said. “Alex brings something into the mix who can change a game in and of itself. Obviously, there’s been a lot of negativity surrounding the organization (over Heatley). It’s like a breath of fresh air.”

In terms of Clouston’s new addition to the coaching staff, Lauer will be a nice fit. He’s an NHL veteran, having played 16 pro seasons, and he should mesh well with the team’s other assistant, Greg Carvel.

Luke Richardson, who retired last season, will also chip in with the Senators on a part-time basis and will help the defence.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Jacques Lemaire is getting set to make a second run with the New Jersey Devils. He coached the team for five seasons in the mid-90s and led them to the first of three Stanley Cups.

Lemaire expects to coach at least two seasons with the Devils, but the terms of the contract were not announced. He was hired to replace Brent Sutter, who resigned as coach after two seasons behind the bench.

Lemaire is excited to be back in New Jersey and reunited with general manager and president Lou Lamoriello and goaltender Martin Brodeur. The group has proven to be a winning combination in the past, so the goal is clearly to recapture some of that former magic. Lemaire hopes to bring over some of what he learned with the Minnesota Wild organization, too, as he coached that club to three playoff appearances since 2000.

“I never thought I would be back,” Lemaire said. “I said at that time when I was leaving after five years, and it was five great years, I wanted to cherish this for the rest of my life and the rest of my career, but I never thought one day I would come back.”

Lemaire likes the current crop of Devils and thinks he’ll be able to make an impact with the team, too.

“When you’ve been coaching for 15 years, when you look at a team, you want to have a chance to win the Cup, there is no doubt about that,” Lemaire said. “Especially in my situation, this would be a great thing to have a chance. Don’t forget there are 30 teams saying the same thing. I want a chance to be part of this and if there is a chance I would love to get another one.”

With 11 Stanley Cups as a player, coach and executive, it’s hard to argue with the resume of Jacques Lemaire. He boasts a a career coaching record of 538-415-176 in 14 seasons with Montreal, New Jersey and Minnesota, so there’s no reason to doubt that he can’t once again lead the Devils to the Promised Land and help bring New Jersey another Cup.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Yesterday we discussed the news of Dave Tippett being shown the door in the Dallas Stars organization. Today we’ve learned that former Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche coach Marc Crawford will be stepping behind the bench of the franchise.

Crawford, who had been working as a CBC reporter on Hockey Night in Canada, will work with Joe Nieuwendyk, the team’s new GM, to help bring the Dallas franchise back to respectability. Nieuwendyk has worked with Crawford in the past, playing for him once in the Olympics.

“What Marc will bring is a real command at the top,” Nieuwendyk said. “The players will know who’s in charge. They will be held accountable on a daily basis. That’s what I think is necessary.”

Crawford, 48, won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996 and has a 470-361-156 record in 13 seasons as coach of the Nordiques/Avalanche, Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He was also head coach of the Canadian Olympic team during the 1998 Winter Games, leading a team that lost in the shoot-out to the Czech Republic in the semifinal game and missed out on the bronze by losing to Finland.

Crawford was also said to be on the short-list for the Edmonton Oilers coaching job before Steve Tambellini went with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney.

Dallas should be a nice fit for Crawford. He comes into the team with something to prove and should have a lot of room in which to work. The Stars boast a good mix of players and Crawford might be a better, tougher coach than Tippett.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

After six seasons in charge, the Dallas Stars have fired head coach Dave Tippett. This is another move in the wholesale change procedure going on in Dallas right now, with new management in place as we reported earlier and moves planned to get the once-fiery franchise back to basics.

Over his six years with the Stars, Tippett boasted a 271-156-28-37 record and twice led Dallas to Pacific Division titles. In the end, however, it wasn’t enough for a team that, by all rights, should be drawing Stanley Cup Finals passes more often than not.

With the Stars now boasting Joe Nieuwendyk as a new GM, it’ll be interesting to see which direction they’ll head when looking for a new head coach. After owner Tom Hicks began to shake up the front office earlier this month in Dallas, there is a feeling that nobody is safe and that nothing will be the same when the puck drops next year.

For a team who endured the likes of Sean Avery and a poor season overall that had them missing the post-season despite a few surges of brilliance, such change will doubtlessly be welcomed with open arms. While it was just the first time the team has missed the post-season under Tippett, there was a sense that a change was needed to help draw some new energy into the club.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.