Words of Praise for Hartsburg

Goaltender Guy Hebert heard the news Craig Hartsburg had been fired as Duck coach while watching a hockey game on television Thursday night. At first, he didn’t believe the words at the bottom of screen.

Left wing Paul Kariya received a phone call from new coach Guy Charron.

Defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky’s agent broke the news to him with a call.

If the Ducks were shocked by Thursday’s coaching change, it was difficult to tell by their reactions at Friday’s morning skate.

“I was surprised, but not overwhelmingly so,” said Hebert, the last member of the inaugural 1993-94 team still on the roster.

“In the end, something was going to happen.”

Kariya praised Hartsburg.

“Craig is a great person,” Kariya said. “I really enjoyed working with him. I learned a lot from him. Any time someone is fired, you feel a sense of responsibility. It’s difficult. We developed a good relationship.

“He wasn’t the problem. Coaches can only do so much. The players win and lose the games.”

Tverdovsky said he believed Hartsburg’s experience as an NHL defenseman for the Minnesota North Stars in the 1980s helped him grow as a player.

“I like people who are honest with me,” Tverdovsky said when asked about Hartsburg’s reputation as a no-nonsense coach. “I don’t like mind games. I want to know if I’m doing something wrong. Brutal truth I can accept.”