Stanley Cup Winning Head Coach Pulls Out of his Contract Due to Personal Reasons
Despite only being a Head Coach in the NHL for two years, Todd Reirden has great respect in the hockey world, but now he's pulled a shock move with the KHL, turning his back on a deal with Avangard Omsk.
In the past few months, speculation has gained traction that former Washington Capitals Head Coach Todd Reirden was headed to the KHL, with the 53-year old expected to be the next Head Coach of Avangard Omsk.
Now however, it appears that deal may be off, as it has been announced that despite going all the way to the one-yard line on a deal, Reirden has now changed his mind.
According to the report, Reirden pulled out for "family reasons", and while it's not been revealed exactly what that is, it's a shocking move for Reirden, who was looking to get his Head Coaching career back on track.
The 53-year old has served as an assistant for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals in the NHL, being a huge part of the one Stanley Cup in Washington during the era of star captain Alexander Ovechkin.
After the departure of Barry Trotz, Reirden served as the Head Coach of the Capitals for two seasons, posting a 89-46-16 record over that time, with two straight first-round exits from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Since his departure at the end of the 2019/20 season, we've not seen Reirden behind the bench as a Head Coach, as he would ultimately return to the Penguins before being released after the 2023/24 campaign.
With his experience, it's likely that Reirden will instead find a role closer to home whether that be in the NHL or the AHL or elsewhere, but for now, all we know is that he won't be headed to the KHL like expected this season.
