Not-So-Mighty Ducks Fire Coach
Craig Hartsburg was fired as coach of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Thursday and replaced by assistant Guy Charron.
Hartsburg, 41, became the Ducks coach on July 21, 1998, and compiled an 80-85-29-3 record in 2 1/2 seasons after replacing Pierre Page. He also coached the Chicago Blackhawks from 1995-98.
This season, the Ducks are a disappointing 11-15-4-3 and 5-12-3-1 in their last 21 games. Anaheim is in last place in the Pacific Division, nine points behind first-place San Jose.
Anaheim beat expansion Columbus 5-4 in overtime Wednesday night in Hartsburg's final game.
The Ducks went 34-36-12-3 last season and were swept by Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.
The 51-year-old Charron was hired by the Ducks last June and will serve as the head coach at least through the end of the season.
Before joining Anaheim, Charron spent the previous two seasons as head coach of Grand Rapids of the International Hockey League where his teams went 85-62-17.
He was the IHL coach of the year last season after leading the Griffins to a 51-22-9 record and a berth in the Turner Cup finals.
Charron was an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames from 1990-95, and the New York Islanders from 1995-97. He served as Calgary's head coach for the final 16 games of the 1991-92 season, going 6-7-3.
Before joining the Flames, Charron spent five years with Hockey Canada. He was the director of player personnel and assistant coach from 1985-88, and assistant general manager and assistant coach from 1988-90.
In January 1990, Charron was head coach of the Canadian national junior team, which won the gold medal in Helsinki, Finland.
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