The Colorado Avalanche fired their general manager Francois Giguere on Monday. They said that the fans and management “deserve better” than a last place finish in the Western Conference.
According to Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix the 2008-2009 season was “unacceptable.”
The Avalanche had a 32-45-5 record and were 28th in the league. This is the first time the team has come in last in the conference since 1995 when the franchise relocated to Denver.
“We are too proud of what we have accomplished in this market to ignore where we are and what happened in just a very short period of time. Ownership and the dedicated Avalanche fans throughout the region deserve better results,” said Lacroix. “The immediate future of this franchise is my primary concern, so it was important to act now and start the process of restoring this franchise to where it belongs.”
There is one problem facing the new general manager: the Avalanche’s salary cap does not offer much financial flexibility. The team also has to wait and see if Joe Sakic will return before investing in any new players.
“That’s obviously a priority – find out what Joe’s intentions are. As soon as he gives us that, we’ll be able to find out what else we can do to try and improve over the summer,” said coach Tony Granato.
