Capitals fire coach Ron Wilson
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Washington Capitals fired coach Ron Wilson, who led the team to the 1998 Stanley Cup finals but hasn't won a playoff series since.
Wilson's dismissal Friday came a month after the Capitals, who were thought to be a sure bet for the playoffs after trading for Jaromir Jagr, finished ninth in the Eastern Conference - one spot away from a postseason berth - with a 36-33-11-2 record.
The Capitals were hurt by injuries to several key players, including Jagr, and owner Ted Leonsis said at the end of the season he would not make a coaching change during the offseason.
Apparently, he changed his mind.
"Needless to say, this was a difficult decision," general manager George McPhee said. "Ron is a very good coach, but sometimes a coach's relationship with a team runs its course.
"After an analysis of the past season, a coaching change was in the best interests of the Washington Capitals." Wilson was hired in 1997 and went 192-159-51-8 over five seasons. In his first season, he led the Capitals, who were seeded fourth in their conference, to the league finals after the top three seeds were eliminated by other teams in the first round. The Caps were swept by Detroit for the Stanley Cup.
Washington then was hit hard by injuries and failed to make the playoffs the following season. In 2000 and '01, it made the playoffs but lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round both years.
Leonsis vowed the Capitals would do better, and he traded for Jagr, then signed the former Penguins star to an eight-year, $88 million contract. It was several weeks into the season before Jagr adjusted to Wilson's defensive system, and a knee injury during the first week of the season slowed his transition.
Also, major injuries to Calle Johansson, Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern hurt the Capitals, who started slowly for the fourth consecutive season. They rallied toward the end of the season to make a run for the playoffs, but it was too late.
While Leonsis had previously said Wilson would return next season, the owner also hinted he would make a midseason coaching change if the Capitals started poorly again.
Before joining the Capitals, Wilson coached four seasons with the Anaheim.
He led the expansion team to an impressive 33-46-5 record his first season but was fired after his only playoff appearance, a first-round loss in 1997. His overall coaching record is 312-304-82-8.
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