The Panthers fired General Manager Rick Dudley today, one day before the team he helped build will play in the Stanley Cup Finals.Dudley, who has been offered another position within the Panthers organization, put together the nucleus of the Tampa Bay Lightning, which hosts the Calgary Flames in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Tuesday night.
The team scheduled a Wednesday news conference to announce the hiring of a general manager and head coach.
Team officials, including Dudley, have met on multiple occasions this month with former Ottawa coach Jacques Martin about the possibility of him becoming the team's fifth coach in three years.Florida increased its point total during both of Dudley's seasons, but failed to make the playoffs. The franchise - which last made the playoffs in 2000 - has had nine coaches in its 12 seasons, three last year alone.
The Panthers were 5-8-2 under Mike Keenan before he was fired Nov. 9. Dudley replaced him and guided Florida to a 13-15-9-3 record, then turned over the coaching responsibility to his assistant, John Torchetti, who went 10-12-4-1 on an interim basis.
Martin spent 8 1/2 years in Ottawa before being fired April 22, ending what was the longest current tenure in the NHL. He won 341 games and three division titles with the Senators. Martin also has met with the Phoenix Coyotes and New York Rangers.
Dudley assembled the Lightning's coaching staff and brought in Nikolai Khabibulin, Martin St. Louis, Dave Andreychuk, Dan Boyle, Fredrik Modin, Tim Taylor, Cory Sarich and Nolan Pratt.
Andreychuk told The Tampa Tribune, "Obviously, Duds pretty much built this team. I feel bad for him, but I know he's watching us. [General Manager Jay Feaster] has done a very good job fine-tuning this team, but Rick Dudley also deserves some credit."
Dudley, 55, replaced acting GM Chuck Fletcher in May of 2002, shortly after Bill Torrey was fired.
