Anaheim Ducks Part Ways with Coach Dallas Eakins

The Anaheim Ducks announced they will not renew the contract of coach Dallas Eakins after his fourth season leading the team.

The Anaheim Ducks finished their season on Thursday, and they announced coach Dallas Eakins will not return to the team on Friday.

Under Eakins, the Ducks had a 100-147-44 record between 2019 and 2023.

“This was a very difficult decision, one that comes after careful and considerable deliberation,” Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “At the end of the day, I simply feel that a fresh perspective and new voice will be beneficial for the team. Dallas has handled himself with class and character through a difficult season, and we wish him the best in the future.”

The Ducks had a season to forget, finishing last in the NHL. However, that means they clinched the highest odds to win the NHL draft lottery, with promising prospect Connor Bedard all but locked to go first overall.

Still, having finished at or near the bottom of the NHL standings during his entire tenure, a change was inevitable. 

Having compiled arguably the best crop of young players and prospects under the age of 22 in the NHL, headlined by the likes of Trevor Zegras, Mason MacTavish, and Jamie Drysdale, the Ducks will likely find themselves on the upswing in the coming years. The need for a new voice overseeing them all, as Verbeek iterated, is likely accurate, with Eakins' firing more or less serving as the dawn of the next era of Ducks hockey – one that will hopefully be more successful than the last. 

After one full season at the helm, Verbeek will now be able to hand-pick the coach that he believes is capable of taking his team to the next level. 

Until then, Ducks fans will shift their focus to the draft lottery.