The New Jersey Devils have announced that they fired Utica Comets head coach Kevin Dineen after the team went winless in its first nine games this season; Utica went 32-29-11 last year while also missing out on the Calder Cup Playoffs. This doesn’t come as much of a shock after the abysmal start to the season. Dinnen was 110-84-31 as the Comets made the Calder Cup Playoffs in his first two years at the helm, both which ended in first-round exits.
“Unfortunately, after the start we had to this season, the organization felt it was time to make a change while the season is still young,” said MacKinnon. “We thank Kevin for his time with Utica and wish him and his family all the best moving forward.”
Utica Comets General Manager Will MacKinnon on the firing of Dineen
Taking over for Dineen is assistant coach Ryan Parent who will hold the interim head coaching gig for the rest of the 2024-25 season. The Prince Albert, Saskatewan native has spent the last seven year as an assistant coach at the AHL level with the New Jersey Devils organization. He has two years of Head Coaching experience under his belt which included a year with the Llyodminster Bobcats of the AJHL and a year with the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. Prior to coaching, Parent spent 10 years in the AHL as a defenseman where he put up four goals and 24 assists for 28 points in 251 career games. Eric Weinrich will join the Comets as an interim assistant coach after spending the last nine years as a player development coach with the Devils.
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