Ducks Fill a Big Need

Bryan Murray watched the Mighty Ducks play a late-season game against Toronto and came away with an impression of a team with potential.

If that’s true, that potential now rests in his hands.

Murray was hired as the Ducks’ coach Friday, taking over a team that scraped bottom last season, finishing last in the Western Conference. He signed a multiyear deal, terms of which were not released.

“At this point in the franchise’s history, he is exactly what we need,” General Manager Pierre Gauthier said. “He represents the stability we have talked about.”

The franchise has had a volatile coaching situation since Ron Wilson was fired after guiding the Ducks to the playoffs in 1996-97. Murray becomes the team’s fifth coach in nine seasons.

Murray, who ranks seventh among NHL coaches with 484 victories, spent the last seven-plus seasons as the Florida Panthers’ general manager. He has 13 years’ coaching experience. Since 1992-93, he has been in the front office except for a 59-game stint as the Panthers’ interim coach in 1997-98.

Yet Murray wanted to return to the bench, where he had success with the Washington Capitals (1981-90) and Detroit Red Wings (‘90-93).

In both cases, he took over young teams and got them to the Stanley Cup playoffs immediately. The Ducks have made the playoffs only twice in eight seasons.

“When I saw this team play late in the season, I thought there was a lot of potential,” Murray said. “We are going to have to do a lot of pushing and a lot of confidence building to make that happen. But we will compete on a nightly basis.”

Murray is familiar with the Ducks’ situation last season: poor play, injuries, spiraling attendance. He went through the same things in Florida.

The Panthers were a playoff team in 1999-2000, but fell to 12th place in the Eastern Conference last season. Murray was fired Dec. 28, after the Panthers won only six of their first 36 games. He said he would not seek any more input with the Ducks beyond that of any other NHL coach.

“I kind of got trapped into being a general manager,” said Murray, who was also the Red Wings’ general manager from 1990-94. “The coaching part was what always excited me.

“I found out that a general manager has to keep everybody happy. As a coach, you’re supposed to keep 20 players happy. But you don’t really. All you have to do is win.”

Which is something previous Duck coaches have been unable to do consistently. The team has had only two winning seasons.

Gauthier pronounced last off-season the summer of solutions, after the Ducks barely missed the playoffs in 1999-2000. It turned out to be more like a summer of delusions. With the exception of goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, none of players brought in during the off-season produced.

Coach Craig Hartsburg was fired on Dec. 14 with the team wallowing at 11-15-4-3. Assistant coach Guy Charron replaced him and tried to hold together an injury-riddled team. The Ducks were 25-41-11-5 and finished behind expansion teams Minnesota and Columbus in the conference.

Murray said he has not decided who will be his assistant coaches. He was to meet with Charron on Friday night and will talk with Terry Simpson, the team’s other assistant last season. Murray will also meet with Paul Kariya today.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Bryan Murray’s NHL Coaching Record

*--*

Regular Season Postseason Season Team G Record Pct G Record Pct 1981-82 Washington 66 25-28-13 .477 -- -- -- 1982-83 Washington 80 39-25-16 .588 4 1-3 .250 1983-84 Washington 80 48-27-5 .631 8 4-4 .500 1984-85 Washington 80 46-25-9 .631 5 2-3 .400 1985-86 Washington 80 50-23-7 .669 9 5-4 .556 1986-87 Washington 80 38-32-10 .538 7 3-4 .429 1987-88 Washington 80 38-33-9 .531 14 7-7 .500 1988-89 Washington 80 41-29-10 .575 6 2-4 .333 1989-90 Washington 46 18-24-4 .435 -- -- -- 1990-91 Detroit 80 34-38-8 .475 7 3-4 .429 1991-92 Detroit 80 43-25-12 .613 11 4-7 .364 1992-93 Detroit 84 47-28-9 .613 7 3-4 .429 1997-98 Florida 59 17-31-11 .381 -- -- -- Totals 975 484-368-123 .559 78 34-44 .436

*--*