NEWARK, N.J. – Lou Lamoriello says he won’t accelerate his search for a New Jersey Devils head coach just to have one hired before this weekend’s NHL draft.
“There is no sense of urgency,” said Lamoriello, the team’s president and general manager, in a Monday telephone call with The Associated Press. “We would like to get it done as quickly as possible, but you go through a process.”
Brent Sutter resigned as the Devils’ coach two weeks ago, citing a desire to spend more time at home in Alberta after a two-year stint in New Jersey. There have been reports that Sutter will become the Calgary Flames coach.
Lamoriello declined to say whether the Devils have given the Flames permission to talk to Sutter, who had a year left on his Devils’ contract, about the job.
“I will not have any comment on that situation until there is something definite one way or the other, and don’t misread or be misled by that,” Lamoriello said. “That is something I have been consistent with.”
Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur said last week that he would not mind seeing former coach Jacques Lemaire return to New Jersey. Lemaire recently resigned as head coach of the Minnesota Wild.
However, Brodeur said he liked the way the Devils’ offense improved under Sutter’s system.
The day Sutter resigned, he said that Devils assistant coach John MacLean was ready for a head coaching job.
The Devils won the Atlantic Division this past season but for the second straight year were eliminated from the playoffs in the opening round.
