Ducks Hire Eakins as Head Coach

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Dallas Eakins is the Anaheim Ducks’ new coach.

The Ducks announced the move Monday, filling the NHL’s last head coaching vacancy with the veteran coach of their AHL affiliate in San Diego.

San Diego Gulls coach Dallas Eakins
The Ducks have hired Dallas Eakins as head coach. He spent 2018-19 as the San Diego Gulls coach. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Lenny Ignelzi)

Eakins spent the past four seasons with the Gulls, leading them to the AHL’s conference finals this season. He has worked extensively with the homegrown talent that currently fills much of the Ducks’ roster.

Eakins coached the Edmonton Oilers from the start of the 2013-14 season until December 2014, going 36-63-14.

Eakins replaces Ducks general manager Bob Murray, who stepped behind the bench for the final 26 games of last season after firing Randy Carlyle. Anaheim went 14-11-1 under Murray but missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press