Well that was quick.
The Vancouver Canucks have fired head coach Willie Desjardins, along with assistant coaches Perry Pearn and Doug Lidster.
This firing comes on the heels of back-to-back losses against the Edmonton Oilers, and a 29th place finish in the standings.
With just 30 wins and 69 points, it was one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
A disoriented Canucks fanbase stumbled out into the streets in confusion, unsure what to make of this brave new world. Who gets benched after scoring now? What is and isn’t “real good” anymore? After three seasons of Willie behind the bench, it will take some practiced unlearning to understand this club.
Most emotionally impacted by the decision was forward Jayson Megna, who is currently holding a teary, candlelight vigil in front of the statue of Roger Neilson.
Vancouver hired Desjardins in 2014 following a 25th place finish under John Tortorella. He led the team to an unexpected 48 wins and a playoff appearance in his first season, before a regression and two bottom-place finishes. After sticking out three seasons in blue and green, Desjardins accumulated 109 wins. Surprisingly, that places him fifth all-time, behind Alain Vigneault, Marc Crawford, Pat Quinn and Harry Neale, and just ahead of Neilson.
While I don’t disagree with today’s decision, this would have been a perilous assignment for pretty much any coach. I have always appreciated his calm manner and patience with the media. We wish him the best.
On the firing, management was about as candid as you'd expect.
"It's been a challenging season and we all share responsibility for the results however, we felt this change was necessary as we continue to develop a young team and look ahead to the future.”
One curious note: rather than exit by train, plane or automobile, Desjardins was forced to make his departure from the Arena on a goat of all things. Not his choice either.
Why did Jim Benning insist on such a strange means of conveyance? Well, after such an horrific season, Benning was adamant that the team needed an escape goat.
