Devils dismiss head coach John Hynes, promote Alain Nasreddine

The New Jersey Devils have fired coach John Hynes.

General manager Ray Shero announced the move Tuesday, roughly 20 minutes before Hynes was to speak to the media before the Devils game against the visiting Las Vegas Golden Knights at the Prudential Center.

Shero said assistant Alain Nasreddine will become the interim coach and Peter Horachek, a pro scout for the NHL team, will join the coaching staff as an assistant.

Shero was expected to address the media before the game.

The Devils have a 9-13-4 record and are coming off embarrassing losses to the rival New York Rangers on Saturday and a disastrous 7-1 defeat on Monday night in Buffalo. They are in last place in the Metropolitan Division and have the second worst record in the Eastern Conference.

«John played an integral role in the development of this team in establishing a foundation for our future and we are grateful for his commitment, passion and unmatched work ethic,» Shero said in a statement.

«John is a respected leader, developer of talent and friend which makes this decision difficult. We are a team who values and takes pride in accountability to the results we produce.»

High hopes with Hughes on board

Hynes had a 150-159-45 record in 354 career regular-season games over four-plus seasons and led the team to the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in six years.

The Devils had high hopes entering the season after drafting Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick just two years after taking Nico Hischier with the No. 1 pick.

Nasreddine played for six different NHL organizations during his 15-year professional career: Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Horachek was a long-time assistant coach for the Nashville Predators, as well as interim head coach of the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been a pro scout with the club since 2015.

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