Edmonton, AB (SportsNetwork.com) – The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Dallas
Eakins on Monday.
Eakins was in just his second season with the perennially rebuilding Oilers,
who reside in the Western Conference basement with a 7-19-5 record. They are
tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the fewest points in the league at 19.
TSN is reporting that general manager Craig MacTavish will take over the
coaching duties on an interim basis. He coached the Oilers for eight seasons
from 2000-09.
Eakins’ dismissal comes as the Oilers are in a free fall, having lost 15 of
their last 16 games (1-11-4).
Edmonton went 29-44-9 last season under Eakins, who landed his first NHL head
coaching job on the strength of a four-year stint directing the Toronto
Marlies, the top minor league affiliate of the Maple Leafs.
Eakins was the Oilers’ fourth head coach since MacTavish’s run.
Edmonton hasn’t reached the playoffs since losing to the Hurricanes in the
2006 Stanley Cup Finals.
