TAMPA, Florida (AFP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning fired Barry Melrose, just 16 games into the National Hockey League season and less than five months after making him the sixth head coach in franchise history.
Rick Tocchet was promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach of the Lightning, who are in fourth place in the NHL's Southeast Division with five wins and seven losses.
The 52-year-old Melrose was fired Friday following a 4-3 loss to first place Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Tampa Bay general manager Brian Lawton said the surprise move was made because the players needed a change.
"This was a tough decision to make," Lawton said.
"Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success.
"However, the results were unacceptable, and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them."
The former Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman Melrose spent 12 years as a television analyst before being hired by the Tampa ownership group which includes Hollywood producer Oren Koules, who is known mainly for producing the horror flick Saw series.
"I would've liked to have more time to turn things around," Melrose said in an interview with ESPN.
Melrose spent three seasons (1992-95) as the head coach in Los Angeles, leading the Kings to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in 1993.
He began his head coaching career in 1987 when he led the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers to a national junior championship where they collected the Memorial Cup trophy.
Tocchet is in his 25th year in the NHL as either a player or a coach. He played 18 seasons with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix, appearing in 1,144 career games.
Tocchet was sentenced in 2007 to two years' probation after pleading guilty to promoting gambling and conspiracy to promote gambling.
At the time, he was also slapped with a three-month suspension by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for his involvement in the gambling ring.
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