Larry Pleau, who has been with the...

Larry Pleau, who has been with the Hartford Whalers since the team was formed, was fired as coach, less than a week after the National Hockey League club named a new general manager.

Pleau’s firing, announced in a written statement by General Manager Ed Johnston, ends 18 years of work for the franchise.

Pleau, 41, was the first player signed by the franchise in 1972, when the team was the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Assn.

Since retiring in 1979, he has served as an assistant coach, coach, general manager, announcer and general manager, and coach of the Whalers’ American Hockey League farm team in Binghamton, N.Y.

Pleau coached the Whalers three times, first in 1981 and 1982, again briefly in 1983, and most recently since Feb. 7, 1988.

His record was 81-117-26, including 50-51-5 since taking over last year when the team replaced Jack Evans. This past season, Hartford went 37-38-5 and finished fourth in the Adams Division before being swept by division champion Montreal in the playoffs.