OCTOBER 23, 2009 -- A 4-2 victory over division rival Anaheim Wednesday night kept the Dallas Stars in the thick of things in the early part of the season. The Stars have lost just twice in regulation in nine games, and have racked up a tidy 11 of a possible 16 points against Western conference foes.  (Continued)

Tippett fired, Crawford hired

JUNE 11, 2009 -- FRISCO, TX -- Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced Thursday that the club has hired Marc Crawford as the 20th head coach in franchise history, and has relieved Dave Tippett of his head coaching duties. Crawford will be formally introduced at a press conference this afternoon at American Airlines Center.

Marc Crawford Photo Gallery Crawford, 48, is the 16th winningest coach in NHL history with 470 career victories, and has also coached the 15th most games in league history at 987, over 13 seasons with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He has posted a 43-40 all-time mark in Stanley Cup Playoff games, including the 1996 Stanley Cup championship with Colorado, as well as five division titles and six seasons of 40-or-more wins. Crawford remains the youngest recipient of the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year (1995 with Quebec, at the age of 34).

“I am very excited that we have been able to secure Marc Crawford as head coach of the Dallas Stars,” Nieuwendyk said. “Marc is a winner with extensive experience in this league, and I am confident he will get the most out of our hockey club. I look forward to working with him as we prepare for the 2009-10 season and beyond. Dave Tippett did a very good job in his six seasons here with the Stars, however it was my feeling that our team needed a new direction moving forward.”

Crawford remains the all-time winningest coach in Vancouver Canucks history with 246 wins over seven seasons from 1999-2006. The Canucks made the playoffs in four of his last five seasons as head coach. Crawford began his NHL coaching career with Quebec in 1994 and, after the Nordiques relocated to Denver in 1996, became the third-youngest coach in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup.

The native of Belleville, Ont., served as the head coach for Team Canada at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan, finishing first in its pool and advancing to the semifinals before losing to the eventual champions, Czech Republic. Crawford spent three seasons as the head coach of St. John's in the American Hockey League from 1991-94, where he won the 1993 Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as AHL Coach of the Year, and two campaigns with the Cornwall Royals of the Ontario Hockey League from 1989-91.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Crawford was selected in the fourth round (No. 70 overall) of the 1980 Entry Draft by Vancouver, and skated in 176 career NHL games, all with the Canucks, recording 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points. He made his NHL debut with Vancouver during the 1981-82 season, which he split between the Canucks and the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League.

“I’m very excited and honored to have been selected as head coach of the Dallas Stars,” said Crawford. “This is a winning organization and I look forward to building upon the success that it has earned over the years. This club has a great deal of potential, and I’m eager to get to work in restoring the franchise to among the league’s elite.”

Dave Tippett

Tippett, 47, posted a record of 271-162-59 in six seasons (2002-2009) as head coach of the Stars. He led the club to two division titles (2002-03 and 2005-06), playoff appearances in five of his six seasons, including five straight from 2002-03 through 2007-08, and the Western Conference Finals in 2008.

Tippett was hired as the 19th head coach in franchise history on May 21, 2002 from the Los Angeles Kings, where he had spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach. He had previously served as general manager/head coach of the Houston Aeros in the International Hockey League, leading the club to the 1999 Turner Cup championship.

Additionally, Mark Lamb was relieved of his duties after six seasons as an assistant coach with the club. The remainder of the coaching staff will continue to be evaluated.

Related:

Nieuwendyk new GM; Hull, Jackson reassigned

MAY 31, 2009 -- FRISCO, TX -- Dallas Stars Owner Thomas O. Hicks announced today that he has restructured the NHL club’s hockey management staff, naming Joe Nieuwendyk as the team’s new General Manager. As part of the reorganization, Co-General Managers Brett Hull and Les Jackson have been reassigned within the organization into positions that focus on their respective strengths. Hull will serve as Executive Vice President and Alternate Governor while Les Jackson will return to his long-time role as Director of Scouting and Player Development.

“We are very excited to secure Joe Nieuwendyk as the General Manager,” said Hicks. “These moves are all about helping this club take the proverbial ‘next step.’ Joe is a leader and has been a winner in everything he has done. He is ready for this opportunity and has a bright future as an NHL General Manager. We want that future to be with the Dallas Stars.

“Brett and Les have done a great job as Co-General Managers, but after analyzing the situation, it is in the team’s best interest to return them to roles that fit their respective strengths. Brett will assist the club in several business areas and serve as an advisor to me and Jeff Cogen, while Les will go back to what he does best - overseeing our scouting department.”

The Stars are going back to a single-leader mentality at the top of their hockey staff. Much like when Bob Gainey was the General Manager, Nieuwendyk brings years of playing experience, a winning pedigree, intelligence (he went to Cornell for three years), respect for the game, and leadership. Basically, he is the total package.

Nieuwendyk, 42, is considered by many to be one of the top up-and-coming hockey executives in the league today. The former Stars player returns to Dallas from the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he served as Special Assistant to the General Manager this past season. Prior to joining the Leafs and after his 2006 retirement, Nieuwendyk worked as a Special Consultant to the General Manager with the Florida Panthers. As Assistant General Manager, he also helped lead Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Hockey Championship when the team won a silver medal.

“I am very excited about returning to the Dallas Stars as General Manager,” said Nieuwendyk. “I am ready for this opportunity. The Dallas Stars have built a winning tradition over the years and I want to help continue that legacy. My family is very excited about returning to Dallas. I have great memories from my playing days with the Stars and look forward to helping this team win as General Manager.”

A veteran of 20 seasons as a player in the National Hockey League, Nieuwendyk played seven with the Dallas Stars (1995-2002). He won the Stanley Cup for three different teams, in three different decades (Calgary in 1989, Dallas in 1999, New Jersey in 2003). Nieuwendyk was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs most valuable player in 1999 when he led Dallas in post-season scoring on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. The Whitby, Ontario, native played in 1,257 NHL games, scoring 564 goals and 562 assists for 1,126 points. He also appeared in 158 career playoff games, recording 116 points on 66 goals and 50 assists. Nieuwendyk played in 442 games for Dallas, scoring 178 goals and 162 assists for 340 points.

Hull and Jackson were named as the Stars’ Interim Co-General Managers on Nov. 13, 2007. The interim tag was removed last May. The Stars amassed a record of 74-58-15 regular season record under Hull and Jackson, with a trip to the 2008 Western Conference Finals.

Hull, 44, played 19 years in the NHL and is a two-time winner of the Stanley Cup (Dallas in 1999, Detroit in 2002). He joined the Stars’ front office in 2005 as a Special Assistant upon his retirement as a player.

Jackson, 55, has worked in the Stars organization for 22 years, dating back to the team’s days in Minnesota, spending much of it managing and overseeing scouting and monitoring the development of all amateur and professional prospects.

Nieuwendyk will be formally introduced to the Dallas media at a press conference on Monday.

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