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Maurice Back in Carolina, Sakic Out 6+ Weeks |
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Per a team press release, Carolina is announcing a Coaching change today at 11:30 and Darren Dreger is reporting that Paul Maurice will be the new (old) Head Coach of the Hurricanes..
Carolina currently sits 8th in the Wales Conference at 12-11-2. Last year they finished in 9th, two points back of Boston and Ottawa.
Laviolette was hired in late 2003 (replacing Maurice) and won the Cup in his second season as Canes' Coach.
Update - Here's the team release, followed by the news on Sakic:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Dec. 3, 2008
HURRICANES NAME PAUL MAURICE HEAD COACH
Peter Laviolette relieved of coaching duties; Ron Francis assumes associate coach role
RALEIGH, NC—Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, announced today the team has relieved Peter Laviolette of his coaching duties and that Paul Maurice will assume the role of head coach. Rutherford also announced that Ron Francis has been named the team’s associate coach, and that the remainder of the team’s coaching staff will remain in place.
“This is a real strong addition with Paul and Ronnie leading our coaching staff,” said Rutherford. “As we go into a very tough group of games in December, my hope is that the coaches make minor adjustments to the system and the players regain their confidence.
“We would like to thank Peter for his years of service to the Hurricanes organization, and we wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
Maurice, 41, returns to Carolina as the winningest coach in franchise history, having scored 268 wins in his 674 regular-season games coached during his eight-plus seasons with the team, from Nov. 6, 1995, until Dec. 15, 2003. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native has amassed a coaching record of 344-357-137 record in 11 NHL seasons with the Carolina franchise and the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he coached in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Maurice guided the Hurricanes to the 2002 Eastern Conference title and two Southeast Division crowns during his first stint as the team’s head coach.
This marks Francis’ first coaching assignment since his retirement as a player in 2005. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2007 as the NHL’s second all-time assists leader (1,249), third all-time games-played leader (1,731) and fourth all-time scoring leader (1,798 points). He played 16 of his 23 NHL seasons with the Carolina franchise and is the team’s all-time leader in nearly every statistical category. Francis, 45, has served as the Hurricanes’ director of player development since November 2006, and was named the assistant general manager on Oct. 4, 2007. Jason Karmanos will reassume the role of vice president and assistant general manager which he held from 1998-2007, before rejoining the team this year as executive director of hockey operations.
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AVALANCHE CAPTAIN SIDELINED AT LEAST SIX WEEKS WITH A HERNIATED DISC
DENVER (December 3, 2008) – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that captain Joe Sakic will be sidelined at least six weeks while receiving treatment for a herniated disc in his back.
This latest injury was sustained during his first shift of the November 28 game at Phoenix and he did not return.
“He’ll continue to be monitored by our medical staff who will prescribe a treatment regimen that will hopefully allow Joe to be back playing as quickly as possible,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere. “Our team physicians are confident that this course of action is the best for Joe at this point in time.”
“I’m comfortable with the plan going forward and will work as hard as I always have in order to return to the lineup,” said Sakic.
Sakic originally strained his back in a weight room session that caused him to miss the November 6 game against Minnesota. He returned on November 8 versus Nashville before being sidelined for the next five games. An infected tooth caused him to miss the November 24 game at Anaheim before he returned to the lineup on November 26 against St. Louis.
Danny -
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