'Hawks Demote Coach Graham

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 22, 1999 / 7:48 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

Dirk Graham, who was known as a hard-hitting forward when he played for the Chicago Blackhawks but who led them to their worst record in 42 years as coach, was demoted Monday.

Assistant coach Lorne Molleken will replace Graham as interim coach, the team announced. Denis Savard will stay on as assistant coach.

Graham, just 59 games into his first season as coach, will remain with the Blackhawks organization, general manager Bob Murray said. However, Murray said a decision hasn't been made on Graham's position.

Molleken called his appointment as interim coach a sad moment for him, adding Graham is a close friend. But he vowed to do things differently than the man he replaced.

"There will be more structure, more discipline," Molleken said. ``Team play has been horrendous. That is what we will focus on."

Murray said he wanted to see signs of things getting better with the Blackhawks. But with 23 games remaining, the team remained at the bottom of the Western Conference with the second-worst record in the NHL.

"We've got to start getting ready for next season," Murray said.

Graham had little coaching experience when he was hired by the Blackhawks last June. He had spent just one season, 1995-96, as an assistant.

But at the time of Graham's appointment, Murray insisted Graham's demeanor in the locker room as a player and captain of the Blackhawks was what mattered. In announcing Graham's firing, Murray admitted to his mistake.

"I've learned to never put a person in the position we put Dirk," Murray said. "We set him up to fail. You have to have some experience to do this job."

Graham was known for motivating his teammates when he played for the Blackhawks from 1988-95.

However, this year's team has shown little motivation under Graham. The Blackhawks have lost 10 of their past 12 games and are 19 games under .500. That hasn't happened since 1955-57, when the Blackhawks finished 23 games under .500.

Graham also made news for his conflicts with players.

During a recent practice, Graham and right wing Tony Amonte got into an expletive-laced argument as the coach denounced the Blackhawks' star for turning over the puck. He later said Amonte and the rest of the first unit should be demoted to the second unit because they weren't doing their jobs.

Despite their disagreement, Amonte said it was unfortunate Graham was losing his job.

"He had the respect of the players," he said. "The players listened to him. (But) everyone sees the game differently."

A tough and aggressive player, Graham won the 1991 Frank Selke award for his defensive skills.

He had 152 goals, 190 assists and 685 penalty minutes in 546 games for Chicago. He also holds the team record for most short-handed goals in a sason, 10 in 1988-89.

Graham was captain for 6½ seasons and part of the 1992 squad that won 11 straight playoff games before losing to Pittsburgh in the Stanley Cup finals.

As coach, he replaced Craig Hartsburg, who was fired in April after Chicago's 30-39-13 season, when it failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1969.

Molleken, 42, came to the Blackhawks last June from the Edmonton Oilers, where he was head coach of two minor league affiliates. He previously coached the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League and was a coach in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

The Blackhawks also announced the appointment of defenseman Trent Yawney as an assistant coach. Yawney, 33, a 12-year veteran of the NHL, broke his arm in a game at Nashville and is out for the year. He said Monday he is "hanging up the blades."