Minnesota Wild fire Bruce Boudreau, former coach of the Ducks
The Minnesota Wild fired coach Bruce Boudreau on Friday, a day after the team suffered its 30th loss of the season.
First-year general manager Bill Guerin fired Boudreau in the aftermath of a shootout loss to the New York Rangers. Assistant Dean Evason was named interim coach.
“I would like to thank Bruce for his hard work and commitment to the Minnesota Wild during his tenure with the organization and wish him and his family the best in the future,” Guerin said.
Boudreau, who was the head coach of the Ducks from 2011-2016, is the eighth NHL coach to lose his job this season and the sixth fired for performance reasons. That matches the most for one season in NHL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Minnesota is 27-23-7 and three points out of a playoff position in the Western Conference with 25 games left.
Boudreau was in his fourth season with the Wild and was hired by Chuck Fletcher, who has since been fired. Boudreau is in his 13th season after previously coaching the Washington Capitals and Ducks. The 65-year-old took Minnesota to the playoffs in his first two seasons there, and his teams have made the playoffs in 10 of 12 full seasons. His 567 wins rank 22nd all-time in the NHL.
Evason is in his second season with the Wild after coaching the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals the previous six years. He was an assistant under Boudreau for parts of five seasons in Washington.
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