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Hurricanes fire Paul Maurice; Kirk Muller named new head coach

Dallas Stars v Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Paul Maurice of the Carolina Hurricanes reflects during a time out in his game against the Dallas Stars at the RBC Center on November 29, 2010 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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It’s a bad Monday to be a head coach in the NHL as the Carolina Hurricanes have fired coach Paul Maurice as their bench boss. Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford announced the move today just hours after Washington fired Bruce Boudreau and brought Dale Hunter in there.

In this case, Rutherford says the team will announce a new coach later today and TSN’s Bob McKenzie says that it will be Kirk Muller that gets the call to take over. Muller has never been a head coach in the NHL but spent time in Montreal as an assistant to Jacques Martin and was the head coach of the Predators’ AHL team in Milwaukee this year.

(Update 12:09 p.m. ET: Hurricanes officially announce Kirk Muller to take over as head coach)

Maurice’s second term in Carolina ends as roughly as his first go-round did winding up getting fired in both cases. The last time Maurice was fired, Peter Laviolette took over and led the Canes to a Stanley Cup in 2006. The Hurricanes this time around would love to have the same thing happen here but Muller’s hands will be full in trying to get Eric Staal’s season turned around and helping the rest of the team figure themselves out.

Muller’s main goal will be to get the team’s defense straightened out as they’re last in goals allowed this season and in last place in the Southeast Division, just 14th out of 15 in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes just missed out on a playoff spot last season but have been beyond miserable this year. Muller’s task ahead is a tough one for a team that seemed to lose their skills over the summer.