The New Jersey Devils have fired head coach Lindy Ruff, per Mike Morreale of NHL.com. Travis Inexperienced will step up as interim head coach. Inexperienced has served as an affiliate coach in New Jersey this season — his first teaching gig since being relieved from a five-year stint because the Vancouver Canucks head coach in 2021-22.
Ruff has been with the Devils because the 2020-21 season, relieving Alain Nasreddine from his 43-game stint following John Hynes’ departure. He led the Devils to their highest level complete in membership historical past final season, incomes 112 factors and New Jersey’s second playoff berth of the final decade.
However the Devils didn’t make a lot come from the historic season, getting booted by the Carolina Hurricanes within the second spherical. They’ve struggled to get their prowess again this yr, falling to a 30-27-4 report largely because of their lengthy checklist of accidents — together with Dougie Hamilton, whose season was lower quick by a torn pectoral in November and stars Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, who have performed in simply 45 and 50 video games respectively.
Their circumstance can be difficult for any group to deal with, although Ruff’s lineup selections have been referred to as into query many occasions. His use of younger ahead Alexander Holtz has been significantly divisive, with Holtz averaging simply over 11-and-a-half minutes and minimal power-play time regardless of scoring 13 objectives and 24 factors.
Holtz has expressed frustrations together with his function, telling NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky, “I don’t know, it’s arduous to say. … Some video games I don’t play that a lot. I’m simply attempting to focus to get higher each day and present them I’m capable of play extra.”
Holtz will now be commanded by Inexperienced, who had loads of expertise mentioning younger gamers in Vancouver — serving as the pinnacle coach for Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes of their rookie seasons. Inexperienced totaled a measly .462 win share throughout his 5 years in Vancouver, although he did lead the group to the second spherical of the playoffs within the 2019-20 season.
The Canucks have been Inexperienced’s first NHL teaching function, coming after he served 4 years as head coach for the AHL’s Utica Comets. He now steps into a brand new function with expertise in hand, and will actually have a likelihood to safe the job with the Devils on the cusp of the playoff race.
