The Ticket has just reported that the Dallas Stars have fired their head coach Marc Crawford after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Crawford was hired by Dallas in the off-season following the 2008-2009 Dave Tippett swan song shortly after Joe Nieuwendyk was hired. GM Joe was adamant from the get go that the Stars would change their philosophy from Dave Tippett's defensive style, inherited from the Ken Hitchcock era, and play a more up-tempo game. He brought Crawford in almost immediately to implement this.

Crawford did so in his first season here with what was largely a group of players drafted and assembled by the previous regime and they finished 12th. This season, with more of a Joe Nieuwendyk stamp on the roster Crawford also failed missing the playoffs by a single victory on the final day of the season.

In Crawford's time here the Stars spent only about $45 million on payroll, severely restricted by the on-going ownership fiasco that is the exit of Tom Hicks and the eventual sale of the team.

This is unexpected, to say the least, and we'll have much more thought and commentary as the week progresses but for right now....Marc Crawford has been fired by the Dallas Stars, who even in their current economic state will pay his salary next season.

From the team: