The Montreal Canadiens fired coach Claude Julien on Wednesday.
Dominique Ducharme was named interim coach and the team added longtime NHL winger Alex Burrows to the coaching staff. The Canadiens also fired assistant coach Kirk Muller, who served as interim coach in the 2020 playoffs after Julien was hospitalized with chest pain and undergone a heart procedure.
The Canadiens were one of the hottest teams in the NHL to start the season and turned out to be serious challengers for the North Division. However, the Habs have only won two of their past eight games and were demoralized by losing back-to-back games in the shootout to the Ottawa Senators who live in the bottom half of the world.
Montreal is 9-5-4; although the Canadiens are eight points behind division leader Toronto Maple Leafs, they are still comfortably in fourth place, which would qualify for the playoffs.
Expectations were raised this season after general manager Marc Bergevin was exceptionally active in the off season. Bergevin improved in every position, bringing in veteran backup goalkeeper Jake Allen, acting for defender Joel Edmundson and bringing in several new forwards, including Tyler Toffoli (team leader 12 goals) and Josh Anderson (fourth on the team with 12 points).
Julien, 60, was one of the highest paid coaches in the NHL, earning $ 5 million a season. His contract ran through the 2021-22 season.
Julien led Boston to a Stanley Cup in 2011 and he ranks 13th in NHL history with 667 wins in his career.
“I would like to sincerely thank Claude and Kirk for their contributions to our team over the past five years of working together,” Bergevin said in a statement. “I have a lot of respect for these two men who I hold dear. In Dominique Ducharme we see a promising coach who will bring new life and new energy to our group. We feel that our team can deliver high standards and time. had come for a change. “
Ducharme, 47, has been an assistant coach with Montreal for two seasons.