BREAKING: New Jersey Devils Fire Head Coach And Replace Him Immediately

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Hunter Bowman
March 4, 2024 (6:59 PM)

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In a bid to rejuvenate a season that has not lived up to expectations, New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald announced a significant change at the helm.

Head coach Lindy Ruff has been relieved of his duties, with the team opting for a fresh direction under the guidance of Travis Green, the former Vancouver Canucks head coach who had been serving as Ruff's associate.

Fitzgerald, emphasizing the organization's high standards, stated, "I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender. Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision.

This was an extremely difficult conversation to have with Lindy based on the relationship that he and I have. He was the right coach to develop our young players on the ice, and above all else, he is a tremendous person."

The move reflects Fitzgerald's urgency to steer the team back to its competitive aspirations, especially with the Devils lagging eight points behind in the race for a wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with only 22 games left on the schedule.

Adding an intriguing layer to the coaching shake-up, TSN Insider Pierre Lebrun highlighted the volatility of coaching tenures in the NHL, noting,

"Ruff signed a contract extension back in the fall. So 2 coaches who signed extensions early in the season, Ruff and Todd McLellan, both fired months later."

This transition marks a critical point in the Devils' season as they aim to claw back into playoff contention under the new leadership of Travis Green.

Source: Bladeofsteel