Friday, May 31, 2002
Blue Jackets coach coming back for third year
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dave King will return to the team to complete the third year of his contract, said the club's president and general manager, Doug MacLean.
There had been speculation that MacLean might dismiss King after the Blue Jackets slipped to a 22-47-8-5 record this season. They were 28-39-9-6 in their inaugural season of 2000-01.
“I'm caught off guard about all of this because he (King) has a third year” on his contract, MacLean said Wednesday on his weekly radio call-in show. “There has never been any question about him coming back.”
“I don't think Dave King deserves to be fired,” MacLean said. “That's my No. 1 thing. ... I don't think we need to develop a reputation as a 'quick-fix' organization. I don't think good organizations really do that.
“I think it's always harder to work through issues than take the easy way out. I think the issues we have are fixable. And that's not just coaching, it's management, it's the total package.”
MacLean acknowledged that the team had confidence and morale problems last year as it failed to duplicate or improve the previous season's record. He said those were natural byproducts of losing.
“I guess the situation is we had a great first year and we didn't have as good a second year,” he said. “I don't think you start laying blame when you've done as well over a two-year period as most new teams have done.
“I don't think you start laying blame in any given area because nobody's really had the chance in any area to do the total job.”
Before being hired by the Blue Jackets, King, 54, was director of European pro scouting for the Montreal Canadiens. He coached the Calgary Flames from 1992-93 to 1994-95, winning Pacific Division titles in the last two of those seasons.
He was in charge of the Canadian national team from 1983 to 1992, when it won the silver medal at the Olympic Games.
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