New Coach Randy Carlyle will have ‘immediate respect’ from Ducks players, GM says

His office is still in the same place, neatly tucked behind the locker room, waiting to be personalized in his meticulous way. Randy Carlyle likes his desk area to be organized, and he was waiting for it to be cleaned before he moved back in.

“They’ve upgraded the computer,” Carlyle said. “It’s a Dell.”

It’s a reboot for Carlyle and the Ducks, who officially resurrected their relationship Tuesday when Carlyle was reintroduced as coach, nearly five years after he was fired.

Carlyle signed a two-year contract that includes an option, which can be triggered by playoff performance criteria. Carlyle also has the option to stay in the hockey operations department after he finishes coaching.

He was grateful for the second chance as the team comes full circle — next season marks the 10th anniversary of the Ducks’ Stanley Cup-championship season under Carlyle.

“I’ve touched base with a few players and feel very comfortable and confident with their commitment that we can take this hockey club to the next level,” Carlyle said. “My family and I are extremely, very, very happy, coming back to Orange County.”

Carlyle’s assistant staff isn’t set, but he said, “I would predict there’s not going to be a lot of change,” in reference to Paul MacLean and Trent Yawney, the latter of whom attended the news conference.

Ducks General Manager Bob Murray pointed to Carlyle’s experience, winning record and ability to hold players accountable. The Ducks won 36 playoff games during Carlyle’s original tenure, second only to Detroit’s Mike Babcock (54) from 2006 to 2011.

Murray said he got rave support from consultant Dave Nonis during the vetting process and consulted players, including captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

“Everything came back to Randy, in the end,” Murray said. “He is going to have immediate respect when he walks into the locker room. … I know, in my heart, that this is the right move, at this time, for this hockey team.”

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Murray said he wasn’t humbled about rehiring Carlyle after firing him in 2011. The move isn’t unprecedented. Paul Maurice was rehired by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008, as was Michel Therrien by the Montreal Canadiens in 2012.

The backing of players — namely, the main leadership group of Getzlaf, Perry, Cam Fowler and Andrew Cogliano, who remain from Carlyle’s first stint — was important.

“They said before we need something here,” Murray said. “They are fully behind this.”

Carlyle, 60, said he didn’t have to resell himself to the players he contacted. He says he has adapted and mellowed “dramatically” since the more stubborn, hard-driving days earlier in his career, and that he understands the modern athlete.

“There was no sell at all,” Carlyle said. “There was none of that. The conversation was welcoming them. I hope that I was opening the door, and they were more than receptive in their responses as far as ‘We’re very excited that you’re getting an opportunity to come back into the fold here.’”

Carlyle added, “Now, for three days of training camp, when they’re going to bag skate, they might have a different feeling.”

That likely will mark the end of the honeymoon period for Carlyle and the Ducks as the work ahead becomes clear. Carlyle will reach out to more players in the coming weeks. He won’t have to get a new wardrobe, although he sported a new, bright orange tie for his reintroduction.

“It’s a freebie,” he said with a laugh. “They’re not getting it back.”

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Nate Thompson had surgery to repair a torn Achilles’ tendon suffered more than a week ago during a workout, Murray said.

“We’ll be lucky if we see him before the trade deadline [next year], to be honest with you,” Murray said.

Murray indicated he would expedite efforts to re-sign some of his restricted free agents, specifically goalie Frederik Andersen and defenseman Sami Vatanen. Both have arbitration rights.

“I’ve been trying to work on it,” he said. “We’ve had good discussions with both of those guys. But we’re nowhere near done yet.”

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