After a poor showing in the regular season, the Canucks have let go of the head coach

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Just hours after the Vancouver Canucks closed out a dismal regular season that saw the team hit a record-low 51 losses, changes have been made behind the bench.

Head Coach Willie Desjardins has been fired by the team. He leaves after three seasons and a record of 109-110-27.

.@Canucks have fired coach Willie Desjardins. He leaves after three seasons with a record of 109-110-27. — Ann Schmaltz (@annschmaltz) April 10, 2017

I asked WD post game Sat if he sensed a finality – “you always realize that’s a possibility. If it is, I’ll worry about that when it comes.” — Ann Schmaltz (@annschmaltz) April 10, 2017

The Canucks finished the season with a record of 30-43-9, finishing last in the Pacific Division and 13th overall in the Western Conference. Desjardins was brought in to replace John Tortorella. Vancouver reached the post-season in the his first season behind the bench finishing with a 48-29-5 record. However, the team was bounced from the first round.

The Canucks’ President of Hockey Operations, Trevor Linden, says there are things the team can do better.

“We’ve got a young group of players and we need a coach that can work with them and develop them.”

“It’s challenging times no doubt. No one’s happy with where we finished this year and certainly there’s a level of responsibility taken here at this table.

We’ve got a lot of work to do in front of us.”

“The next coach will have some challenges, no question, We’re going to be young, young players make mistakes…There are going to be growing pains.”

NEWS 1130 Sports Director Ann Schmaltz explains what may have gone so wrong. “For starters, Willie wasn’t given much of a team to work with. Most fans know there is very little skill up and down this roster. One of the faults for Willie is that he was loyal to a fault with the veterans. When it came to the line-up, Loui Eriksson was on that first line with Daniel and Henrik [Sedin] for the first two months and that trio just wasn’t producing. And yet, Willie left Eriksson with those two players.”

Schmaltz says Desjardins treatment of the team’s youth was often criticized. “And most fans know this, he was very reluctant to give kids much ice time, even though development of the youngsters is and what was needed, so I think those were some of the faults that Willie can be blamed for.”

Assistant Coaches Doug Lidster and Perry Pearn have also been let go. “We made a very difficult decision to relieve Willie Desjardins of his duties as head coach today,” said GM Jim Benning in a statement. “It’s been a challenging season and we all share responsibility for the results however, we felt this change was necessary as we continue to develop a young team and look ahead to the future. We’re grateful to Willie, Doug, Perry and each of their families for their dedication and hard work and wish them every success.”

Benning also announced today that the club has re-assigned goaltender Richard Bachman and forwards Nikolay Goldobin and Yan-Pavel Laplante to the AHL Utica Comets.