Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher On The Coaching Change

02/14/2016 at 6:35pm EST

from Michael Russo of the StarTribune,

There was something perfectly fitting about Chuck Fletcher talking to a swarm of reporters inside the Hornet’s Nest on Sunday morning.

Now that Mike Yeo has been fired as coach of the Wild with the objective of lighting a match under this extinguished hockey club, the spotlight now shines on the general manager. Inside Edina High School’s locker room at Braemar Arena, Fletcher talked about his culpability with a team that in five weeks has plummeted from seventh in the NHL to 22nd -- and has fallen five points out of a playoff spot.

“I take full ownership. I’ve hired the coaches. I’ve brought the players in,” said Fletcher, in his seventh season as Wild GM. “So, obviously, when you’re the general manager, you’re accountable for everything. I take full ownership.

“We let a very good person go and as I told the group [Sunday], that's an indictment on all of us.”

Not long after Saturday’s loss to Boston – the Wild’s eighth consecutive defeat, eighth in a row at home and 13th in 14 games since beating Dallas on Jan. 9, Fletcher broke the news to Yeo inside the coach’s office.

Fletcher said the gut-wrenching decision was his, although there’s no doubt he felt pressured by owner Craig Leipold, who has found the results in the New Year unacceptable. The Wild has won three of 19 games in 2016.

continued

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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