[size=18px]Blue Jackets fire coach Dave King [/size]


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets fired Dave King on Tuesday, severing ties with the only coach the team has had since entering the NHL in 2000.

At 14-20-4-2, the Blue Jackets have the second-worst record in the Western Conference.

King was in the final year of a three-year contract.

President and general manager Doug MacLean will be the team's interim coach, spokesman Todd Sharrock said.

Columbus' 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday night gave the Blue Jackets six defeats in their last nine games. Nashville is the only team in the West with a poorer record than Columbus.

MacLean will be on the bench when Columbus plays at the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

"At this time I don't think we are where we should be as a team," MacLean said, "and this will allow me to evaluate our personnel from a different perspective."

There was speculation that MacLean might dismiss King after Columbus went 22-47-8-5 last season. The Blue Jackets were 28-39-9-6 in 2000-01, their inaugural season.

King had more success in his previous NHL coaching job, going 109-76-31 and winning two division titles with the Calgary Flames from 1992-95. But he was fired after Calgary lost in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year.

He joined Columbus after three years as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens.

King was in charge of the Canadian national team from 1983-92. The native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, also coached Canada to the gold medal at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championships.


nhl.com