Maple Leafs Fire Carpenter as Head Coach
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TORONTO — Doug Carpenter was fired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs today, with the NHL team off to the worst start in its history.
“Dougie Carpenter has been released of his duties as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” General Manager Floyd Smith said. “(Assistant Coach) Tom Watt will run the practice today.”
Smith said a decision on a new coach will be made in the next couple of days.
An 8-5 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night dropped the Maple Leafs’ record to 1-9-1.
Carpenter is the team’s 11th coach in the last 13 years.
Jacques Demers, fired after Detroit’s disastrous 1989-90 season, is said to be on Toronto’s list of prospective coaches. Smith, however, declined to discuss who had the inside track.
Demers, currently on the Quebec Nordiques broadcasting team, denied today that he had been in contact with the Leaf organization.
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