Mike Keenan, one of the most successful and divisive coaches in NHL history, has been relieved of his duties as coach of the Kunlun Red Star, a second-year Kontinental Hockey League franchise based in China.
Keenan has been replaced by former NHL player Bobby Carpenter, the team's assistant coach, on an interim basis.
The 68-year-old Keenan was hired in March as the team's head coach and an executive member of its international advisory board, for which he will still work. He led the team to a 12-16-8 record this season, but Kunlun was in the midst of a nine-game losing streak before his firing Sunday.