Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
IRVINE, Calif. — Head coach Dallas Eakins will not return to the Anaheim Ducks after four straight seasons of losing National Hockey League records.
The Ducks announced the news in a press release on Friday.
Less than 24 hours after the Ducks (23-47-12) finished the campaign in last place in the league’s overall standings, general manager Pat Verbeek announced that Eakins will not continue the process of rebuilding the team.
Eakins’ contract expired at the end of the season and the Ducks will not renew it.
During his four seasons in charge, Eakins posted an overall record of 100-147-44. He was appointed to the position in 2019 after leading the Ducks’ farm club in San Diego, in the American League.
Eakins, who also coached the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL, took over shortly before the Ducks declined. The California roster went from a perennial NHL powerhouse in the 2010s to a rebuilding club that scored 58 points, the worst total in franchise history in an 82-game season, in 2022-23 .
“It was a very difficult decision to make, which follows careful and considerable consideration,” Verbeek said in a statement.
“At the end of the day, I just think a new perspective and a new voice will benefit the team.”
In the four seasons that Eakins has been at the helm of the team, the Ducks have never been able to do better than a sixth-place finish in the Pacific Division. They missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year, a record in team history.
