Gabby Gone & Captain, er, Coach Kirk

Apparently, four straight division titles and ownership of the record to the fastest to coach an NHL hockey team to 200 wins don't stand up anymore. Bruce Boudreau, who coached the Washington Capitals to consistency and heights they never ascended before, lost his job earlier this week after a less than steller start. Many attribute his departure to his frayed relationship with NHL superstar and team captain Alexander Ovechkin, who began with a career low in goals to this point in the regular season. The controversy came to a head during the late stages of the third period against the Anaheim Ducks on November 1st.

With the Capitals down 4-3 with 1:27 remaining in the third period, Boudreau called a timeout and put out a special power-play lineup to get the goal. Alexander Ovechkin, who expected to be on the ice for the play, stood up in the bench to go on, but coach Bruce Boudreau waved him off. Frustrated, Ovechkin fired off an expletive under his breath in response to the coach's decision.

With the Capitals mired in eighth place in the Eastern conference, it will be the job of Boudreau's replacement, former OHL London Knights' head coach and NHL enforcer Dale Hunter, to bring the Capitals back to their winning ways. Those familiar with the history of the National Hockey League will remember Dale Hunter as the guy that nearly put Islanders star Pierre Turgeon out of the playoffs after scoring an overtime winner against the Isles in 1993. Hunter has a history coaching talented offenses in the OHL, and offensive star players such as the Ducks' Corey Perry and the Islanders' John Tavares; both were first round selections in their respective NHL draft classes ^_^

With the return of Crosby and the Capitals lagging behind, management had to make a change. Washington media and hockey fans, in particular those of Ovechkin, demanded a change and a return to the freewheeling and fun-loving style of hockey that packed ESPN highlight reels with Ovechkin goals and pretty setups. Nevertheless, the Capitals brass charge Dale Hunter with the task of taking the Capitals back to the Stanley Cup final, but in the history of the franchise only one man did that so far, and he coaches the Maple Leafs ^_^

The upward climb of former NHL player Kirk Muller keeps on going, as the former 2nd overall pick in the 1985 draft moves from the assistant coach's spot in Montreal to the head coaching spot in Carolina (the Devils drafted him behind Mario Lemieux, which is pretty good company). My favourite memories of Kirk Muller will always be his locker room interviews before and after games, because he would ALWAYS look at the camera :D LOL You could bet, during a thorough, intelligent, and honest answer, Muller would look at the camera four or five times :)

You can't help but smile, and now he gets to do it again as coach of the struggling Hurricanes, who fired Paul Maurice to end his second stint with the club. The Carolina Hurricanes sit at the bottom of the Southeast Division; if it wasn't for the Hurricanes, however, Dale Hunter may have more work cut out for him o_O Kirk Muller takes over the vacant Carolina post after coaching the Admirals of the American Hockey League (that explains the previous video).

LOVE THAT SUIT: Nothing says "team unity" like a head coach dressed to kill in team colours, am I right, Carolina?

Here is hoping Dale Hunter and Kirk Muller get things going.