The Florida Panthers wasted little time contacting Dan Bylsma about their ongoing search for a head coach.
Newly-hired Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford fired Bylsma Friday morning, and Panthers general manager Dale Tallon phoned the former 2011 Coach of the Year to touch base the same day, a team source told the Sun Sentinel.
The two sides have not scheduled an official meeting yet, and Florida is looking at many other options to fill the vacancy.
Bylsma had a 252-117-32 record as head coach of the Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup in 2009 after stepping in at the helm midway through the season. He guided Pittsburgh to 54 wins and the second-best record in the Eastern Conference this season, though the Penguins were defeated by the Rangers in the second round of the postseason.
