Montreal Canadiens fire assistant coach Perry Pearn, want to improve -NHL News Update
Being one of the teams which have struggling since the new 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season kicked off, Montreal Canadiens have decided to shuffle around their coaching staff a little by firing assistant coach, Perry Pearn, on Wednesday, October 26, 2011.
It was learnt that Montreal’s management did not entirely blame the assistant coach but rather termed it as a decision in order to improve things that were not working in their favour by hiring a more befitting person to deal with the situation.
Montreal Canadien general manager, Pierre Gauthier, made the announcement on Wednesday.
“It’s not about an individual person. (It’s) more the result of a change from a global perspective, from a big picture perspective where we need to be better. We need to be more efficient and in order to do that, that’s one of the changes that we decided to make”, he said.
Taking full responsibility for the decision, GM Gauthier also added that they are looking to think outside the box and Pearn was just not a part of that picture.
“This is just one move that starts right away and the big picture of trying to function differently", he said. "Like I told the players earlier, this is not a reflection on Mr. Pearn’s job and it’s not this action that’s going to change anything. But over time, we’re going to function more efficiently”.
Montreal is currently sitting a number 14 in the Eastern Conference with six points, just ahead of the struggling Winnipeg Jets who have five. Unless Montreal can get their act together, the Canadiens will be facing a tough time later on the season. At the moment, they boast a disappointing, 2-5-1 record, which is easily the worst they have ever had in their 70 plus years as a hockey club.
Pearn, who had started off as an assistant coach with the former Winnipeg Jets in 1995-1996, was in his third straight season with the Montreal club after serving under Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers prior to him joining the Canadiens.
After Pearn’s dismissal, the question remains on who will be taking his place and if it will actually make the difference they want.
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