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Report: Washington interviews ex-Chicago assistant Haviland for head coaching gig

havilandgetty

James

Per the Chicago Sun-Times, a league source confirmed that former Blackhawks assistant Mike Haviland has interviewed for Washington’s head coaching position.

Haviland was controversially fired in May after a rumored rift within the Chicago coaching staff. The move was surprising because many viewed Haviland as one of the league’s best assistants -- he was a finalist for Winnipeg’s head coaching gig last summer -- and he was revered by players.

‘‘Havy was an awesome coach,’’ former ‘Hawk Colin Fraser told the Sun-Times. ‘‘I had him for three years as a head coach in the minors. We got along great. He was my favorite coach.”

It’s unclear who else Caps GM George McPhee has interviewed for the head coaching gig, though it’s not the only position he needs to fill. After stating it was unlikely that assistants Dean Evason and Jim Johnson would return for 2012-13, McPhee saw Evason take the head coaching gig with Nashville’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.