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Ducks fire coach Dallas Eakins after 4 seasons

April 14, 2023

IRVINE — Dallas Eakins is out after four seasons as Ducks coach with the official word coming down Friday morning, less than 12 hours after the completion of their regular season.

With the Ducks, who said they decided not to renew the coach’s contract, Eakins’ record was 100-147-44, which was punctuated by this season’s last-place finish in the NHL. They went 23-47-12 and went without a win for nearly a month down the stretch, dropping their final 13 games.

That late-season swoon helped secure the spot in the league’s cellar and the best odds (25.5%) of winning the draft lottery May 8. By finishing with the worst record in the league, the Ducks can drop no lower than third. The shiny prize, of course, is generational talent Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats.

But that finish and a slow start – 1-6-1 in their first eight games – created a feeling of inevitability that change would be coming after the Ducks failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

This was the first major move in what is expected to be an eventful offseason of change for the Ducks.

“We thank Dallas for his eight years with the organization as head coach of both the Ducks and Gulls,” said Ducks owner Henry Samueli said in a statement. “Susan and I are especially proud of his commitment to the community in both Anaheim and San Diego, which included countless charitable initiatives. We know Dallas will succeed in his future endeavors, as character people often do.”

Eakins was first hired by the organization as coach of the San Diego Gulls, starting in the 2015-16 season. He was named Ducks coach in June 2019.

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“This was a very difficult decision, one that comes after careful and considerable deliberation,” said Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “At the end of the day, I simply feel that a fresh perspective and new voice will be beneficial for the team. Dallas has handled himself with class and character through a difficult season, and we wish him the best in the future.”

There was no immediate word on the status of the rest of the coaching staff, but Verbeek was scheduled to hold a media availability later Friday morning in Irvine at Great Park.

More to come on this story

Orange County Register

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Ducks fire coach Dallas Eakins after 4 seasons

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