Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Stars GM would like to hire new coach by draft

Jimm Nill, Tom Gaglardi, Jim Lites

Dallas Stars owner and Governor Tom Gaglardi, left, and president and CEO Jim Lites, right, present Jim Nill, center, with a team jersey after a news conference where Nill was introduced as the team’s new general manager Monday, April 29, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

AP

New Dallas general manager Jim Nill won’t rush the decision to hire the new head coach of the Stars, but if possible, he’d like one in place by June 30.

“There’s no set deadline. I’d like to have it done before the draft. It’d be nice. It’s nice to have your coach there during that,” Nill said Tuesday, per NHL.com. “But I’m not going to rush into something that’s not going to make sense. I’m going to be careful that way.”

Rangers general manager Glen Sather also said he’d like to have his new bench boss in place by the draft.

The Canucks are the only other team with a coaching vacancy.

Lindy Ruff, Alain Vigneault, Willie Desjardins, and Dallas Eakins are four potential candidates for the Stars job, according to TSN. Dave Tippett could be another, though his contract with the Phoenix Coyotes doesn’t expire until the end of the month.

“We’ve interviewed a lot of people and I’ve got more coming up. We’re looking at every angle, whether it’s top NHL coach or the top guys down in the development leagues,” Nill said.