Crawford Fired From Dallas After Failing To Make Playoffs

Added on Apr 12, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced today that the Stars were firing head coach Marc Crawford. Crawford failed to make the playoffs with the Stars both seasons he had been coach, and failed to make the playoffs this year after a shocking loss to the Minnesota Wild. A team they had beaten four times this year, and out-scored them 12-3. This forced them out of the playoffs by one point.

Nieuwendyk said they appreciated his focus and hard work, but the team needed to in another direction. He said “I would like to thank Marc for the hard work he provided to the Dallas Stars over the last two seasons. We wish him the best in the future.”

Stars had an unbelievable start to the season going 30-15-5 in the first four months of the 2010 season, but they hit a rough patch at the end of the 2010-11 season. They ended up going 12-26-6 in the last 34 games of the season. Nieuwendyk hired him before the 2009 season, and said it was because he knew he was a tough minded coach. Nieuwendyk played under Crawford on the 1998 Olympic team.

In Crawford’s 2 seasons he went 79-60, and loss 25 times in over time. He also went 43-40 in 8 playoff appearances, and he won the Stanley Cup once in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche. Crawford came to the Stars after being fired by the Los Angeles Kings after two seasons. He also failed to make the playoffs in both of those seasons.

Marc Crawford is the fourth coach fired in the NHL since Friday, and thats including the Coach that kept him out of the playoffs. Minnesota wild Todd Richard’s was fired yesterday, Ottawa Senator’s Cory Clouston was fired on Sunday, and Florida Panther’s Peter Deboer was let go on Saturday.