Ducks Start Over; What Else Is New?

So begins another five-year plan.

The Mighty Ducks were founded on one, or so then-team President Tony Tavares said in 1993, and they will begin fresh next September with another new coach.

The Ducks have begun searching for their fourth coach in five seasons after Guy Charron’s brief tenure ended Monday. Charron had replaced Craig Hartsburg, who was fired in December.

“I think this franchise is getting a fresh start,” defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky said. “The management made a decision to bring in a new coach and start from scratch. As a player, obviously, you don’t want to change coaches every time. Things happen.”

They happen often where the Ducks are concerned. Charron, Hartsburg and Pierre Page have followed Ron Wilson, who was abruptly fired after leading the Ducks to the second round of the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Page followed Wilson and lasted one season. Hartsburg, who took the Ducks to the playoffs in 1999, coached two-plus seasons. Charron was 14-26-7-2 after taking over a team that tumbled fast after injuries to key players.

“I feel sorry for Guy,” team captain Paul Kariya said. “He did a great job with what he had here. With all the injuries, he never had the full lineup for one single game. I thought he did an excellent job. I have a huge amount of respect for him as a person.”

The near-constant turnover has made cohesion difficult at times. A new coach means a new philosophy and a new system.

“Sometimes it is difficult,” Tverdovsky said. “But it’s our job. We’re professional athletes. We have to adjust to change. It’s not a pleasant thing. It’s our job to make sure this circumstance doesn’t happen again.”

Most Duck players took the latest coach firing in stride.

“I was surprised that it happened so soon,” center Steve Rucchin said. “But if it’s going to be done, it’s best that it happens right away. We can move on. The new coach can come in here and have time to get done what he needs to get done.”

Yet another upheaval left players yearning for one thing.

“I hope we’re going to get some stability,” defenseman Ruslan Salei said. “When you’re making these kinds of changes, everybody hopes for the best. You never know what’s going to happen. [Management] did what they had to do and I hope they made the right decision.”