Wild fire Yeo as coach after eighth loss in a row
Mired in an eight-game losing streak, the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild fired coach Mike Yeo on Saturday after falling 4-2 at home to the Boston Bruins.
Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher announced the firing without naming any interim replacement after watching the club lose for the 13th time in 14 games.
"I'm a realist," Yeo said. "You can't lose every game and expect to think that there are not going to be changes."
Yeo was in his fifth season as coach of the Wild, having 173 wins in 349 games. Minnesota reached the playoffs the past three seasons after a five-year absence.
"I would like to thank Mike for the hard work and dedication he provided behind the bench," Fletcher said.
Yeo, 42, was hired by the Wild organization after serving as an assistant coach for the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. He coached a developmental team until being promoted to his first NHL head coaching job when Todd Richards was fired in 2011.
Minnesota has not won a home game since December 28, dropping eight in a row. With 23 wins and 56 points from 55 games, the Wild share ninth in the Western Conference with Vancouver and Arizona -- all three points behind Nashville for the last playoff berth in the West.