A former Leafs coach and a former Leafs executive both fired ahead of playoffs
With the NHL regular season coming to a close for the majority of NHL teams last night, two teams amongst that group have already begun their spring cleanup. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the first to make a change with the Anaheim Ducks coming shortly thereafter. Both teams parted ways with members who have had ties to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the past.
The Penguins announced this morning they would be relieving the President of Hockey Operations, and former long-serving general manager/president of the Leafs, Brian Burke, of his duties. Burke was the President of Hockey Operations for the Penguins since the 2020-21 season, with this being the first year he has missed the playoffs. On top of that, the Penguins continued to clean house, firing general manager Ron Hextall and assistant general manager Chris Pryor.
The team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006, snapping a 16-season postseason long run, which saw the organization win three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017).
In other news, the Anaheim Ducks announced this morning that head coach Dallas Eakins, former head coach of the Toronto Marlies and assistant coach of the Maple Leafs, will not be renewed for the 2023-2024 NHL season. Eakins has been involved with the organization for eight seasons, coaching four seasons with the AHL San Diego Gulls, before becoming the head coach of the Ducks in the 2019-2020 season. In his time in Anaheim, he had not made the playoffs a single season throughout his four-year tenure with the team.
After an unsuccessful 23-47-12 outing this season, the Ducks secured the best odds at landing the number one overall pick after dropping their final game of the season 5-3 against the Los Angeles Kings last night.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 14 | 517 ANSWERS A former Leafs coach and a former Leafs executive both fired ahead of playoffs Will Burke and Eakins be rehired elsewhere? | ||
| Most likely, Yes | 143 | 27.7 % |
| Burke is done, Eakins yes | 189 | 36.6 % |
| No, I don't think so | 138 | 26.7 % |
| Eakins is done, Burke yes | 47 | 9.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
