By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Some NHL teams (like Gerard Gallant’s New York Rangers) are getting ready for round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Others are announcing that their coach was fired Monday.
One thing about Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon. He’s not shy about making changes.
McCrimmon fired coach Pete DeBoer after the Knights failed to make the National Hockey League playoffs for the first time in their five-year history.
The Golden Knights dropped the news Monday morning with this email to the media: “Pete DeBoer has been relieved of his coaching duties.”
On Jan. 15, 2020, McCrimmon fired original VGK coach Gerard Gallant and hired DeBoer, who was just fired by the San Jose Sharks only a few months before the Gallant termination.
Gallant was more of a lunch-bucket, blue-collar kind of coach, while DeBoer the lawyer was more cerebral in style and even was known to wear a three-piece suit now and then. DeBoer has coached the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks besides the Golden Knights for about 2 1/2 seasons. He reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice — once with New Jersey and once with San Jose.
I bumped into DeBoer two weeks ago at a local Albertsons supermarket. He talked about the injuries decimating the VGK roster, yet the Knights squeezed out 94 points during the regular season and nearly made the postseason. DeBoer coached the Knights in the COVID bubble in Edmonton in Season 3 and led the VGK in the 56-game schedule of Year 4. The VGK made it to the NHL semifinals both seasons. In Year 5, the team was struck by injuries to key players and fell only a few points shy of a playoff spot.
Only one day before the Golden Knights broke the news that DeBoer was fired, Gallant celebrated a Game 7 and first round series win as the New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime at Madison Square Garden in New York.
After the regular season, McCrimmon cited the rash of injuries the Golden Knights coped with during the 2021-22 season and that seemed like a valid excuse to not qualify for the postseason for VGK owner Bill Foley, who said after the regular season that McCrimmon would be back for another season.
After lengthy discussions over the last two weeks, we believe that a new coach will put us in the best position to succeed next season. — Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon
But for DeBoer, who cited the same reason — more than 500 Golden Knights man games missed because of injuries — for not making the playoffs, apparently that was not good enough for McCrimmon.
The Golden Knights managed 94 points in the regular season finishing one position outside the playoffs. At the start of the season, they were seen as a Stanley Cup contender.
VGK fans have already begun buzzing about the possibility of fired New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz taking over the coaching job in Las Vegas.
An interesting quote from McCrimmon during his post-season presser two weeks ago may have shown the GM’s hand when he said the first-year Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals was not sustainable and that the Washington Capitals, which defeated the VGK in five games, was a championship team.
And who was the coach of that championship Capitals team? This guy:
The Golden Knights have scheduled a 1 PM press conference to discuss DeBoer’s firing.
For the record, the Knights included this in their press release: “Since joining the organization, Pete and his staff have guided us through some of the most unique and challenging circumstances we’ve witnessed since our franchise entered the NHL. After lengthy discussions over the last two weeks, we believe that a new coach will put us in the best position to succeed next season.”
ADDITION — At 1 PM today McCrimmon held a 25-minute press conference and offered little insight on the firing. His comments:
“The decision is about next season.”
Players did not influence decision to fire DeBoer.
Owner Bill Foley and hockey chief George McPhee were on board with the firing.
He claimed there has been no discussion with coach candidates.
On the injury front, McCrimmon said Mark Stone, the team captain, will have back surgery on Wednesday.
PSA