Dallas Stars: Top 3 coaches to replace Jim Montgomery

The Dallas Stars have shocked the NHL by firing former head coach Jim Montgomery. Here are three coaches they should pursue.

The Dallas Stars have announced they have fired head coach Jim Montgomery. While the specifics of the situation aren’t known and might never be known, the Stars said he was fired due to “unprofessional conduct”. Regardless of why he was fired, the team now has to move on.

Their coaching situation is a unique one. You usually don’t see teams who are five points out of first place in the Western Conference fire a head coach. Perhaps this shows how serious whatever Montgomery did was. For now, Rick Bowness will serve as their head coach, but it’s not hard to imagine them looking for a more permanent option.

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Bowness has 463 games of head coaching experience in the NHL. However, in nine seasons, he has only taken his team to the postseason once. That was with the 1991-92 Boston Bruins. Furthermore, Bowness hasn’t been a head coach since he was an interim head coach with the Coyotes back in the 2003-04 season. He had a 2-12-3-3 record with that group.

If the Stars are looking for a head coach, they certainly won’t have a hard time finding candidates. They’re a very talented team close to being in first place in the Western Conference. Let’s take a look at some candidates they should consider.

John Hynes

John Hynes was recently fired as the New Jersey Devils head coach. He’s widely respected around the league as a genuinely nice guy who deeply cares about other people. Which, given the circumstances of Montgomery’s firing, is not insignificant.

Of course, Hynes would have to answer for the issues in New Jersey. He wasn’t able to help a team with postseason potential live up to the hype. The Stars are a more talented team than the Devils, but still, the Stars have Stanley Cup aspirations. They need someone who can help take them to the next level. It’s fair to question if Hynes is someone who can do that. But he’s easily one of the best available candidates.

Guy Boucher

The Stars need someone who can come in and command respect. They need someone who can help them win a Stanley Cup. Guy Boucher could be that guy. Let’s take a look at how each of the teams he has coached did in his first season with them.

• 2010-11 Tampa Bay Lightning: 46-25-11 record, lost in Eastern Conference Finals to Boston Bruins 4-3
• 2016-17 Ottawa Senators: 44-28-10 record, lost in Eastern Conference Finals to Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3.

Of course, Boucher has quickly fallen out of favor with his teams. But he has a track record of getting his teams to have immediate success. Frankly, that’s what matters for the Stars right now.

Dan Bylsma

Currently, Dan Bylsma is serving as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings, who might be considering moving on from head coach Jeff Blashill. But it’s fair to assume someone with Bylsma’s resume would have something on his contract about being allowed to pursue another head coaching job.

It’s a tough job to replace a head coach in the middle of a season. Bylsma has experienced that and knows what it’s like. He’d be dealing with a talented squad that features Miro Heiskanen, Tyler Seguin, Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, and Alexander Radulov.