MONTREAL (AP) - The Montreal Canadiens fired assistant coach Perry Pearn prior to Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Pearn had begun his third season with Montreal, rejoining head coach Jacques Martin when he was hired by the Canadiens heading into the 2009-10 season.
He began his NHL career as an assistant coach with Winnipeg in 1995-96 and served under Martin in Ottawa from 1996-2004, and subsequently with the New York Rangers.
Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier said in a statement that he had offered a different role with the team to Pearn, who was responsible for running the team’s power play. Montreal, which is off to its worst start in 70 years, is 3 for 32 with the man advantage.
“He remains a very knowledgeable coach with a strong work ethic and is a true professional,” Gauthier said.
Montreal has lost six in a row and has just one win through its first eight games (1-5-2). It is the deepest the Canadiens have gone into a season with only one win since 1941-42 when they got off to a 1-10-1 start that included a pair of losses to the Brooklyn Americans.
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