The Anaheim Ducks are still looking for their next head coach. They’ve reportedly had interest in Utica Comets bench boss Travis Green, their own assistant Paul MacLean, familiar face Randy Carlyle and a few others. It looks like they were also interested in a coach from the junior ranks.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Ducks considered hiring London Knights head coach Dale Hunter, but Hunter wasn’t interested in the gig.
“The Anaheim Ducks were interested in talking to him after he won the Memorial Cup with [the Knights],” said Friedman, per Sportsnet.ca. “The word is this week that he’s not interested in leaving the OHL and going back to the NHL. No confirmation yet.”
The “no confirmation yet” would indicate that there’s still a slight chance that Hunter would consider taking an NHL job again. The 55-year-old coached the Washington Capitals for 60 games back in 2011-12. He had a 30-23-7 record before being bounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Rangers.
Interestingly enough, Hunter was hired by the Capitals after they fired Bruce Boudreau in Nov. 2011. Why are the Ducks looking for a new head coach? Because they fired Boudreau during the off-season.