Harry Lichtman
The Washington Capitals have announced that they are parting ways with assistant coach Kirk Muller. Muller’s contract was set to expire in June.
On Monday morning, Capitals general manager Chris Patrick released a statement regarding Muller. The assistant coach wants to pursue “other opportunities in the National Hockey League.”
“Kirk has expressed his desire to explore other opportunities within the National Hockey League, and we respect and support his decision,” said Patrick. “We thank Kirk for his dedication, professionalism, and the many contributions he made during his three years with our organization. He is an experienced and highly respected coach whose work ethic, leadership, and commitment to player development had a meaningful impact on our team both on and off the ice. We wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of his career.”
Muller joined head coach Spencer Carbery’s staff in June 2023. He was brought in to work with the Capitals’ forwards and running the power play.
This past season, Capitals’ power play struggled and ranked eighth-worst in the NHL at 17.8 percent. The man advantage’s inconsistency led to the team missing the playoffs for the first time under Carbery.
Over Muller’s three-year tenure, the Capitals’ power play operated at 20.6 percent and ranked closer to the middle league-wide.
Muller’s NHL coaching tenure began with the Montreal Canadiens in 2006-07. He briefly served as head coach for both Montreal and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Capitals will look to fill another void on the coaching staff this summer. It’s already looking to be a busy offseason for the team in general.
