Devils have fired head coach Claude Julien

[westbeach55]

Canadian Press

4/2/2007 1:09:31 PM

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CP) - Lou Lamoriello is back behind the bench in New Jersey.

The playoff-bound Devils have fired head coach Claude Julien with less than a week to go in the regular season with the veteran GM Lamoriello taking over for the second straight season.

Lamoriello also stepped behind the bench last season after Larry Robinson stepped down as coach in December.

The surprising move Monday comes with the Devils second in the Eastern Conference with a 47-24-8 record and 102 points. The Devils have won four of their last five games, including Sunday's 3-1 win over Boston. They went 6-6-2 in March while battling key injuries to Brian Gionta, John Madden and Patrik Elias.

Julien, a former Montreal Canadiens coach, took over the Devils on June 13, 2006, after Lamoriello relinquished the coaching duties.





It's reminiscent of the 1999-2000 season when the Devils fired head coach Robbie Ftorek on March 23 and went on to win the Stanley Cup under Robinson that spring.

[nivek_wahs]

This move makes me scratch my head *scratches head*... Is Lou mad (crazy) or is he a genius? Or make that a mad genius.

Gotta feel sorry for Julien... 3 games left in the season and get the boot... very weird :skeptical .

[SectionNDeserter]

I think that they are really going to have difficulty finding a REPUTABLE coach to coach the team when the time comes. Who is going to want to take a job where they get fired prior to the playoffs if they don't win EVERY game.

[nivek_wahs]

I have been pondering this for the last few days and I think I know who might just be the next head coach of the Devils... Longtime Devil and current assistant coach John MacLean. Maybe Lou will keep "it in the family" lol