It seemed like just a matter of time before the Toronto Maple Leafs cut ties with Randy Carlyle.
That time came Tuesday, when the Leafs announced they had fired the head coach.
Assistants Peter Horachek and Steve Spott will assume Toronto’s coaching duties in the interim.
“I want to thank Randy for all of his hard work and dedication,” Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said in a statement. “It’s never an easy decision to make when changing your leadership, but our team was not trending in the right direction, and we felt an immediate change was necessary.”
Carlyle was in the middle of his fourth season with the Leafs after taking over midway through the 2011-12 season. Toronto was 21-16-3 this season but had dropped two in a row and was just 3-7-0 in its last 10 games. Carlyle’s overall record with the Leafs was 91-78-19.
The Leafs made the playoffs only once during Carlyle’s tenure, in 2012-13, when they appeared to be on their way to upsetting the Boston Bruins in the first round. However, Toronto blew a three-goal lead in Game 7 in a historic collapse that sent the Leafs home.
Thumbnail photo via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports
