02-23-2006, 04:57 AM
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Hall of Famer
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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Lou Lamoriello to remain as Devils coach for rest of NHL season
NHL.com
Quote:
7:18 PM EST, 02/22/2006
Lou Lamoriello to remain as Devils coach for rest of NHL season
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Lou Lamoriello will remain as coach of the New Jersey Devils for the rest of the season.
Lamoriello, also the team's president and general manager, informed players of his decision to remain behind the bench at practice Wednesday. He said the decision was made during the weekend after talks with Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek.
"I don't think there was anything that didn't go into the decision," Lamoriello said. "The schedule, the timing, the way the team is playing. We sat down and looked at everything."
He said a permanent coach would be named in the off-season.
Lamoriello took over coaching duties after Larry Robinson resigned abruptly on Dec. 19. At the time, New Jersey had lost seven of nine games to fall to 14-13-5 and was in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
On the same day Robinson resigned, veteran defenceman Vladimir Malakhov retired and Patrik Elias, the team's leading scorer, returned after missing several months with hepatitis A.
Bolstered by the presence of Elias and the play of linemates Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez - all three Olympians, Elias for the Czech Republic and Gionta and Gomez for Team USA - New Jersey is 16-9-1 since then, including a nine-game winning streak in January. The Devils currently are in seventh place in the East.
"I've said all along that I'm pleased with the way the players responded to the overall situation of change and adversity that they had to overcome, no matter who was (coaching)," Lamoriello said. "I give them tremendous credit."
Before taking over for Robinson, Lamoriello's NHL coaching experience consisted of one playoff game with the Devils in 1988 while Jim Schoenfeld served a suspension. New Jersey lost that game 7-1.
Prior to coming to the Devils, Lamoriello coached Providence College for 15 years, finishing with a 248-179-13 record, and also served as the Friars' athletic director. He has pulled off an even greater feat of multitasking with the Devils.
"You're always concerned with something like that," he said. "What you have to do for a period of time that's important, you sacrifice in other areas. So it's your private time that's taken."
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