When the Dallas Stars fired Glen Gulutzan in 2013, they had the opportunity to promote Willie Desjardins, who had just finished his first year as head coach of the Texas Stars after serving as Gulutzan’s assistant head coach.
Instead, the team elected to hire Lindy Ruff. Desjardins went on to win Texas their first Calder Cup in just his second year on the job and, less than a week later, signed on to be the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
Fast forward three years — the Stars announced that Ruff would not be returning as head coach, while the Vancouver Canucks had fired Desjardins after just three seasons.