Devils hire Constantine
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ESPN.com news services
WEST ORANGE, N.J. -- Larry Robinson was fired as coach of the New Jersey Devils on Monday despite leading them to the 2000 Stanley Cup and within a victory of another championship last year, and he has been replaced by former Penguins and Sharks coach Kevin Constantine.
Constantine currently serves as president and CEO of the Island Sports Center and general manager of the Pittsburgh Forge of the North America Hockey League, a Tier II junior league.
The dismissal of Robinson comes after a 1-2-1 road trip that included losses to Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Devils next play Tuesday night at the New York Islanders.
The Devils, perennially one of the NHL's strongest teams, are fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 21-20-7-3 and are 16 points behind first-place Philadelphia.
They are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, one spot out of a playoff position with 31 games left. The Devils have not won consecutive games since Jan. 1.
The team has made a habit in recent weeks of taking early leads and then giving them away. On Jan. 19, the Carolina Hurricanes rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie New Jersey 3-3 at home.
Constantine most recently was head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who fired him 24 games into the 1999-2000 season. He formerly was coach of the San Jose Sharks from 1993-96.
In 345 NHL games coached, Constantine holds a record of 141-145-59. His playoff record is 19-25.
Robinson was hired by the Devils on March 23, 2000, replacing Robbie Ftorek with eight games left in the regular season. Robinson split those four games before guiding the Devils to their second Stanley Cup championship, beating the Dallas Stars in six games.
The team has since been sold by John McMullen to YankeeNets, which also owns the New Jersey Nets. The company has been leading efforts to move both teams from its home in East Rutherford to a new arena in Newark.
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Bob Probert 01/02
games played: 50
fighting majors: 15
Penalty minutes: 150