[News] Eakins fired. MacTavish interim head coach. Presser 11:45am

[CaptainCrunch]

Chop wood, carry water, fill out unemployment forms, apply for a job, pee on side of Rexall place.

[bob-loblaw]

Originally Posted by Muta

CONFIRMED: Oilers be firin' at Christmas time; will receive lump of coal from Santa for atrocious timing of event.

Are you kidding? Being fired as the Oilers coach is probably the best gift ever, but not great for any future career though.

After they fired each coach for how many seasons in a row, why would Eakins think that he wouldn't suffer the same fate? I really wonder what MacTavish had to do to convince him to come on board.

If they're actually promoting Todd Nelson to take over then that's another brilliant move to keep on tanking. I guess he does so well with making prospects leave to go play in Europe then he may as well try that at whatever level the big club is playing at.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Greg Wyshynski ‏@wyshynski 7 mins7 minutes ago
So MacTavish held "investigation" into Oilers & cleared himself of responsibility; then said EDM didn't need coach change and hired himself.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Muta

Professionally, it's a pretty ###### move. Could have waited until after Christmas. But then again, this is the organization that fired their previous coach over Skype, so professionalism hasn't ever really been on their 'to do' list.

Merry Christmas, you filthy animal . . .

[Locke]

MacTavish should probably have his coach hiring responsibilities revoked.

[Flash Walken]

Come on, greg, it wasn't an 'investigation' it was a 'forensic analysis'

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm really hoping that someone confronts Mac-T on his dishonesty in his last press conference over the whole 18 months on the job BS.

[btimbit]

Another hour until the press conference.

So this is how my 3 year old feels counting down to Christmas

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Sportsnet Stats @SNstats
Dallas Eakins' .381 points % is the worst in among any #Oilers coach with at least 100 games behind the bench.

Which would presumably make MacT equally inept as GM. Good lord - they've beaten the will to care right out of me.

[Drury18]

That's some fine reporting:

Gene Principe ‏@GenePrincipe
I sent @dallaseakins e-mail asking him if he had been fired.Answer was 'yes'.Not sure why didn't work.He really did try to make a difference

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Drury18

That's some fine reporting:

He doesnt work for the Oilers anymore Gene, you can stop lobbing softballs now.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Drury18

That's some fine reporting:

That guy makes Eric Francis look like Bob McKenzie

[bob-loblaw]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

Don't know why they fired Eakins. He was 'visibly' the best coach in the league. That hair! Oilers are no good.

His hair was good, but everyone has noticed it was visually thinning on top when decided not to use a time-out in the third period of a game last week.

[Erick Estrada]

There's a difference between a regular joe getting fired before Christmas and a guy like Eakins that still gets paid for 3 more years. If anything this enables him to be around his family as he would have been with the team over the holidays and fired after which makes little sense.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

Which would presumably make MacT equally inept as GM. Good lord - they've beaten the will to care right out of me.

Just renounce your Oiler fandom and buy a Flames jersey already, we all know you want to.

[Julio]

Originally Posted by Drury18

That's some fine reporting:

Gene Principe @GenePrincipe · Dec 11 My work certainly isn't elite but status @AirCanada is. Just helped me bypass a huge lineup at Calgary airport.Thanks AC.#manwiththeaeroplan


No it isn't Gene, no it isn't...

[Muta]

Ok, well, I beg to differ. As much as we like to rag on the Oilers (me included), I don't agree with 'firing' someone before a very sensitive holiday, the optics are just terrible.

Sure he's getting paid to not work, and we can all have a laugh at this, but at the end of the day, it's still a ###### move from the Oilers - especially considering Eakins' firing was hardly the solution to this deep-rooted problem (a fun problem to watch for the rest of us, though).

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Muta

Ok, well, I beg to differ. As much as we like to rag on the Oilers (me included), I don't agree with 'firing' someone before a very sensitive holiday, the optics are just terrible.

Sure he's getting paid to not work, and we can all have a laugh at this, but at the end of the day, it's still a ###### move from the Oilers - especially considering Eakins' firing was hardly the solution to this deep-rooted problem (a fun problem to watch for the rest of us, though).

What?

The guy is making millions of dollars to be home with his kids for the holidays and the forseeable future.

He gets to move away from Edmonton, and he won't have to hear how sucky he is from elementary children anymore.

The oilers just gave him a golden parachute.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Muta

Ok, well, I beg to differ. As much as we like to rag on the Oilers (me included), I don't agree with 'firing' someone before a very sensitive holiday, the optics are just terrible.

Sure he's getting paid to not work, and we can all have a laugh at this, but at the end of the day, it's still a ###### move from the Oilers - especially considering Eakins' firing was hardly the solution to this deep-rooted problem (a fun problem to watch for the rest of us, though).

You live in Calgary. Companies in this City do mass layoffs before christmas all the time.

[Senator Clay Davis]

The only thing I'm disappointed about the timing here is that they didn't fire him in 2029. Otherwise, Christmas or no Christmas, doesn't mean anything.