Stars Name Marc Crawford as Coach
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
Updated 10:45 AM CST, Thu, Jun 11, 2009
The Dallas Stars named Marc Crawford as their new coach Thursday, bringing in a well-traveled NHL veteran to replace the fired Dave Tippett.
The coaching change is the first significant move by general manager Joe Nieuwendyk since he was hired May 31.
Crawford has a 470-361-156 record in 13 seasons as coach of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He was the Avalanche coach when they won the 1996 Stanley Cup. His last season on the bench was for the Kings in 2007-08, when they were 32-43-7.
Tippett finished with a 271-162-59 record in six seasons with the Stars. He took them to the playoffs five times before falling short last season.
"I am very excited that we have been able to secure Marc Crawford as head coach of the Dallas Stars," Nieuwendyk said in a statement. "Marc is a winner with extensive experience in this league, and I am confident he will get the most out of our hockey club. ... Dave Tippett did a very good job in his six seasons here with the Stars, however it was my feeling that our team needed a new direction moving forward."
Nieuwendyk and Crawford were scheduled to appear in a news conference later Thursday.
The Stars made it to the Western Conference finals in 2008 and entered last season with high expectations. But they had an injury-plagued season, going much of the year without captain Brenden Morrow and veteran defenseman Sergei Zubov.
Soon after the season, owner Tom Hicks reassigned co-general managers Brett Hull and Les Jackson within the organization and hired Nieuwendyk, the Conn Smythe Award winner in the team's 1999 Stanley Cup-winning season.
The Stars also said assistant coach Mike Lamb had been fired after six seasons.
Copyright Associated Press
First Published: Jun 11, 2009 10:34 AM CST
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