Being 15th in the Eastern Conference and languishing under.500 hockey was too much for the New Jersey Devils.
Waiving goalie Cory Schneider was the shoe to drop. Schneider could not buy a win over the two seasons prior to this campaign and this was one was no different.
That move fixed nothing and the acquisition of Louis Domingue from the Tampa Bay Lightning has not provided respite in the net.
James van Riemsdyk #25 of the Philadelphia Flyers attempts to deflect the puck against Cory Schneider (#35) of the New Jersey Devils
So, the Devils did what every team does, jettison the head coach.
On Tuesday, John Hynes was relieved of his duties as bench boss.
“John is a respected leader, developer of talent and friend which makes this decision difficult,” Devils general manager Ray Shero said. “We are a team that values and takes pride in accountability to the results we produce. We are collectively disappointed in our performance on the ice and believe changes were needed, starting with our head coach.
“I have been consistent in my desire to build something here in New Jersey that earns the respect of teams throughout the League and pride in our fans. That is not where we were heading, and for me to tolerate anything less was not acceptable.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who has not heard that on the end of the firing line?
The Devils are 9-13-4 and spinning their wheels with another bloated roster of underachievers.
Miles Wood (#44) of the New Jersey Devils checked by Justin Braun (#61) of the Philadelphia Flyers
Well, now the players will have to look in the mirror and acknowledge they cost Hynes a job.
Devils assistant coach Alain Nasreddine was named as the new replacement.
“Nas has a long history as a respected leader both as a player and a coach in the respective roles he has served for his teams,” Shero said, via a Devils release. “His experience as a captain and alternate captain on the ice, in addition to his responsibilities behind the bench, will serve him well as he leads this team through necessary changes to alter our current trajectory.”
Hynes went 150-159-45 since his hiring in 2015.
All images by Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com
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