The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired head coach Michel Therrien. More momentarily...

Penguins General Ray Shero announced that the team has relieved the Michel Therrien of his coaching duties effective immediately. They have also announced Dan Bylsma as interim head coach. Bylsma had been coaching the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes Barre Scranton. See the official release below.

This is a move that sort of had to be made. Though I still do not think that Michel Therrien was the cause of the losing this season. It just seemed as if he lost the players and once that occurs there is no coming back.

The team will conduct a conference call with Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma this evening. I will have more following the call...

* * * * *

I just finished up with the conference call and I will say this...Ray Shero didn't sound like a happy man. He seemed somber and stern. He is also a very disappointed with how things have gone. He shouldered a large portion of the blame himself and spoke glowingly of his new coach. He said this move wouldn't effect anything that is currently or will be working on for the deadline and the goal is still to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Dan Bylsma sounded equal parts confident, excited and fired up. He seems to have a passion for the game and I think he will quickly earn the players respect. I also get the feeling that he has been formulating some ideas of what he would have been doing with this team. I am anxious to see him in action...

Here is a bit of what went on during tonight's conference call regarding the coaching change.

Tom Fitzgerald named assistant coach. No explanation given for keeping for Yeo and Meloche.

Shero Quotes...

"I didn't particularly like the way the team was heading. The direction wasn't the way I wanted and I wasn't happy."

Did last night's outcome make this decision?

"It wasn't particularly the outcome of the game, so much as the way it was played. As I said, I didn't like the direction that we were going."

Shero flew to Long Island and broke the news to Therrien tonight at 6:30pm. He will meet with the players at 10:00pm.

Why Bylsma?

"I have known Dan for a number of years...been an assistant in the NHL and the minors and is one of the up and coming coaches in this game. We were lucky to have him in the organization to be able to make this move."

When did things go wrong with Coach Therrien?

"I am not sure when it went wrong. I really enjoyed our 3 years working together and I really appreciated his loyalty. I felt I was loyal to him as well. When I first got here there were many people that didn't think that was going to be possible."

"Hard to say, you hear that in sports...where the players tuned out the coach or he lost the team. As a manager I am very close to the situation, it is just a feeling. Things weren't going the way we wanted them to go."

Were expectations to high?

"We have come a long way...things have happened very quickly. High expectations are a part of that. To me, this is a young group, a caring group...they are dealing with adversity right now. We are going to be better for it. I am looking forward to getting back to building something again...feeling good about ourselves."

"Dan is a very bright guy...good with the players...demanding and firm. I am very thankful that he was willing to take this opportunity now."

Shero talked of everyone being accountable...

"We are all accountable. I am the manager...I signed and or traded for these guys. There isn't one guy in that room who I haven't signed to an extension, traded for or brought in. I take responsibility as much as anyone. It starts with me and goes to the coaching staff and the players. The focus right now is to meet with the players tonight and get ready for the game we have tomorrow at 2:00pm."

"I have talked to the players about work ethic and the fact that we are all in this together..."

Some words from Dan Bylsma:

"Being that it is such a short term between tonight and the game at 2:00pm, our only focus now is getting guys on their toes and going."

"Well, I think that tomorrow when I meet these guys there will be no one that I haven't met or worked with or coached at least a little bit. Do I know them intimately? No, but I think we will have a comfort level and that is a positive for me."

He spoke of having great mentors and singled out former Wilkes Barre-Scranton coach Todd Richards, who is currently an assistant with the Sharks.

Said he received a call from Ray Shero saying that he wanted to talk to him on his office phone... waiting the five minutes for the call was a "Whirlwind."

Bylsma had nothing but praise for the team he is taking over...

"When I see what Pittsburgh has, to the get the opportunity to coach such a great team is great start for me. I see a team that can win hockey games right now."

"I do believe that we are team that should be aggressive. Force teams to deal with our speed and skill."

"We all have a great job...we should be passionate about it."

"A lot of the opportunities that come in coaching come at the bottom. This is an opportunity to join of the great players in the world. They are a resilient group. I see a lot of talent at a lot of positions from the centers, wings, and in goal."

Official Release...

DAN BYLSMA NAMED INTERIM HEAD COACH OF PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Dan Bylsma has been named interim head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, replacing Michel Therrien, it was announced tonight by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.

Bylsma, 38, has been serving as head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He will coach his first game with the Penguins Monday at 2 p.m. against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

Therrien was relieved of his duties this evening, and assistant coach Andre Savard was reassigned within the organization.

Assistant coach Mike Yeo and goaltending coach Gilles Meloche will remain with the coaching staff. Tom Fitzgerald, the Penguins’ director of player development, will join the staff as an assistant coach.

“We believe we need a change in direction and, with 25 games remaining in the regular season, our goal remains to finish strong and qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Shero said. “Dan Bylsma is one of the bright young coaches in the game and has done an exceptional job as the head coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.

“We also would like to thank Michel Therrien for his significant contributions to the Penguins organization.”

Bylsma (pronounced BYLE-smuh) played nine NHL seasons as a right winger with Los Angeles and Anaheim from 1995-2004. He played 429 NHL regular season games and also played in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final with Anaheim. He retired as a player following the 2003-04 season.

The native of Grand Haven, Mich. began his coaching career as an assistant with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL in 2004-05. He made his NHL coaching debut as an assistant with the New York Islanders in 2005-06.

Bylsma joined the Penguins organization as an assistant to Todd Richards in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2006-07. In two seasons, the Richards-Bylsma coaching tandem led WB/S to a 98-49-5-8 record. The Baby Penguins won the AHL East Division and Eastern Conference championships in 2007-08 and advanced to the Calder Cup Final.

When Richards accepted a job as an assistant coach with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks in the off-season, Bylsma was elevated to head coach at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

This season under Bylsma, the Baby Penguins are 35-16-1-2. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defeated Worcester today, 5-2, for its eighth straight victory.

In Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, assistant coach Todd Reirden will continue to be a significant part of the coaching staff. The Penguins organization will announce further plans for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton staff on Tuesday.

FOLLOW METZER ON TWITTER HERE

VISIT METZER ON FACEBOOK HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PENGUINS HOCKEY BUZZCAST

FOLLOW METZER AND MAY ON FACEBOOK