*Photo from Buffalo News*
Buffalo Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger has been fired by the team, according to an announcement made by the Sabres. Assistant coach Steve Smith has also been ousted. The change comes as the Sabres sit at a dismal 6-18-4 record this season, the worst record in the East Division and the NHL. The moves were announced this morning by the Sabres.
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said the team needs to show more pride, saying that "To love, to look around the city of Buffalo and see Sabres hats and signs and people wearing jerseys, that matters. That has to be within the DNA of our team. I don't care where we are in the standings right now. If we do not show up at the rink tomorrow and for the rest of that season and have that characteristic about our team, it's going to be unacceptable."
Assistant coach Don Granato has been named the interim head coach, and director of player development Matt Ellis and development coach Dan Girardi will serve as interim assistants until Granato's and Smith's positions are filled. The search for a permanent head coach will begin immediately, according to Adams.
Adams discussed the play of the Sabres leading to the change, saying that "I said it a couple weeks ago, it's unacceptable in every area. So, why do we do it? Well, we're doing it because we feel we have to start to improve. Of course, results matter. This is a results business and where we are is unacceptable, it speaks for itself. But it's deeper than that. To change the culture and to do what we have to do to get this headed in the right direction, I felt this was the move that we had to make."
Halfway through the Sabres season, they sit with just 16 points in the standings, worst in the NHL by a decent margin. They are halfway through their regular season schedule, with 28 games left to play in 52 days. Buffalo welcomes the Boston Bruins to town tomorrow night for a two game series.
Adams talked about how long the search for a head coach could take, saying that "For me, it's about getting it right. If we felt it was absolutely the right person and it happens quicker then OK. If it needs to take a longer time because we haven't found the right person or this isn't that easy of a time to have conversations and meet people face-to-face either, I don't want to rush into anything. It's about getting it right and that's something I've talked about since June."
With the firing, Krueger becomes the 3rd NHL coach to be fired this season, and the first by a US team. Claude Julien was fired by the Montreal Canadiens on February 23, and Geoff Ward was fired by the Calgary Flames on March 4.
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