The appointment of Carlyle didn’t surprise most Leafs fans since general manager Brian Burke worked with him previously in Anaheim when they won the Stanley Cup together in 2007. It was reported that Carlyle’s contract will run out after the 2014/15 hockey season. However, the Leafs are still on the hook for Wilson’s contract next year as Burke inexplicably gave him a contract extension in December even though he’s never coached Toronto to the playoffs in four seasons.
In fact, the Leafs haven’t made the playoffs since the 2003/04 season and haven’t won the Stanley Cup or even appeared in a Final series since 1967. The coaching change comes with just 18 games left in the current NHL season and the Leafs in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 65 points with a 29-28-7 record, and the exact same position they were in last year after 64 games. They’re five points out of a playoff spot, but need to leapfrog over four teams to make the postseason.
Burke, who used to play college hockey with the 56-year-old Wilson close to 40 years ago, said it was tough to fire his friend, but the team needed to make a change if it hopes to make the playoffs this year. He said he didn’t want to see Wilson have to go through another home game at the Air Canada Centre with the fans turning on him and that helped him make the move. He also thanked Wilson for his dedication and hard work.
The move comes after the Leafs have fallen from eighth place to 12th due to winning just one of their past 11 games and losing six in a row. The 55-year-old Carlyle brings a 273-182-61 coaching record with him after six years in Anaheim. He also led the club to the playoffs in five out of his six seasons in charge. He becomes the 29th head coach in Leafs history and is also the 16th who formerly played for the team.
Carlyle’s playing career didn’t last too long in Toronto. He played 94 games with the franchise between 1976 and 78 and scored two goals and 16 assists. He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins and won the Norris Trophy with them as the NHL’s best defenseman. Bob Murray, the GM of the Ducks, said he’s happy that Carlyle will get another chance to coach in the league and said the Ducks organization wishes him luck in Toronto.
Wilson was hired by former Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher in 2008. They finished in 12th place in their conference in his first season and last place the following year. He enjoyed his first winning season with the Leafs last year as they finished three games over .500, but ended up 10th in the conference and out of the playoffs. His record with Toronto was 130-135-45.
Wilson started his 18-year coaching career with Anaheim, followed by stints in San Jose and Washington. At the time of his firing, Wilson had coached 1,401 regular season games with a record of 648-561-91. He also had 101 ties, which were accumulated before the NHL introduced overtime and shootouts for regular season contests.
Written by Ian Palmer via FeedCrossing
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