Todd Reirden Fired
Head coach Todd Reirden has been fired by the Washington Capitals following their second consecutive first-round playoff exit.
The dismissal was announced by general manager Brian Maclellan on Sunday just three days after the loss. The defeat was underlined by their opponent… the Barry Trotz coached New York Islanders.
Maclellan released the following statement. “We have higher expectations for our team, and we felt a fresh approach in leadership was necessary. Todd has been a big part of our team for more than half a decade, including our Stanley Cup run in 2018, and we wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”
Reirden was promoted to head coach after Washington’s Stanley Cup winning run in 2018. The Capitals had reached a contract impasse with Trotz despite the success they had enjoyed under his watch. As it was suspected they could lose Reirden to another team, the Capitals chose to promote him.
What This Means Going Forward
Since that time, Trotz’s New York Islanders have advanced to the second round in both years while the Capitals struggled and lost in the first round both years under Reirden. This back-to-back first round losses for Washington is the first time since 2013 and 2014.
Todd Reirden as the fifth first-time NHL head coach hired in the Alex Ovechkin era. Trotz was the only experienced coach in this time to be hired and the only one to provide the team with any playoff success, including the 2018 Cup win. No other coach had even gotten the team to the Conference Finals.
With the Capitals still viewed as a Stanley Cup contender, this result was simply unacceptable to ownership and management. Particularly with superstar Alex Ovechkin entering the final year of his deal. It is imperative that the team shows him that they are still a contender if they hope to re-sign him.
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