After a disappointing end to their season, the Calgary Flames announced the firing of head coach Mike Keenan on Friday afternoon.
"Our team did not meet expectations,” Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter said in a statement. ''Following detailed evaluation over the past three weeks, and taking into consideration all factors affecting our season ending result, we believe this is a necessary change required to allow our team to continue toward our objective of winning the Stanley Cup."
Keenan became the Flames head coach on June 14, 2007. In two years with Keenan at the helm, the Flames posted a record of 88-60-16, making two playoff appearances but exiting in the first round both years.
"I was hoping he was going to come back for another year but Darryl's got to make the decision he feels is best for the team," said Flames' veteran centre Craig Conroy. "He could have been harder on the players but he was trying to be fair and he tried to put a lot of the onus on the players."
This season Calgary finished in fifth place in the Western Conference, but were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks six games into the post-season.
"The Calgary Flames organization appreciates and respects Mike for accepting the opportunity to come to Calgary and are thankful for his efforts over the past two years."
Calgary was Keenan's eighth stop as an NHL head coach. He is ranked fourth all-time among coaches in wins with 672, has 95 playoff wins and one Stanley Cup on his resume but since 1996, his teams have not made it past the first round of the playoffs - the St. Louis Blues the last to do so.
