IRVINE (CNS) - The Anaheim Ducks today announced the hiring of Dallas Eakins, who has coached their American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego for the past four seasons, as the NHL team's head coach.
Eakins replaces Randy Carlyle, who was fired on Feb. 10. General manager Bob Murray was interim coach for the remainder of the season.
The Ducks were 35-37-10 in the 2018-19 season, finishing sixth in the NHL's eight-team Pacific Division and missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
“Dallas is an outstanding head coach who has worked well with our players since joining the organization four years ago,” Murray said. “He is a tremendous leader and strategist, and deserves this opportunity.”
Eakins called his hiring “a tremendous honor for my family.”
“I am truly humbled,” Eakins said. “It was a privilege to serve as head coach of the San Diego Gulls during our first four seasons and I look forward to build off that success here in Anaheim.”
The 52-year-old Eakins coached the Gulls to a 154-95-23 record the past four seasons, the best record in the AHL's Pacific Division since its inception in the 2015-16 season.
Eakins coached the NHL's Edmonton Oilers to a 36-63-14 record from the start of the 2013-14 season until being fired 31 games into the 2014-15 season after Edmonton got off to a 7-19-5 start.
He coached the AHL's Toronto Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, to a 157-114-4 record from 2009-13, guiding them to the 2012 Calder Cup Final, where they lost to the Norfolk Admirals.
Eakins was also an assistant coach with the Marlies in the 2005-2006 season and with the Maple Leafs from 2006-2008.
Eakins played 16 seasons of professional hockey as a defenseman, mainly in the AHL. He had nine assists and 208 penalty minutes in 120 NHL games with eight teams.
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