Last summer, the Dallas Stars hired Jim Montgomery to be head coach. Montgomery had been the head coach at the University of Denver, winning a national championship and sporting a resume of winning at all levels he had coached in his second career after retiring from playing hockey professionally.
It was a risky hire for several reasons.
There were big expectations heading into the season for the Stars. They had a core locked up and ready to be competitive now. Anything less than a playoff appearance would be a failed season. There was also the fact that the Stars were on their third coach in three seasons.