TOTOWA, N.J. -- Three days after being branded a 'Mickey Mouse operation' by the NHL's premier player, the New Jersey Devils have acted forcefully to shed their cartoon image.
The Devils, whose 2-18 start matches the second-worst getaway in league history, Tuesday fired general manager and coach Billy MacMillan and named Tom McVie as coach. The 1930-31 Philadelphia Quakers left the starting gate at 1-19-1.
McVie, who was the coach of the Devils' minor-league affiliate in Maine, ran practice as New Jersey held a press conference only a few feet away. The Devils also installed their vice president of hockey operations, Max McNab, as the new general manager. In the same shakeup, director of player personnel Bert Marshall was fired and replaced with assistant coach Marshall Johnston.
'It's our obligation to give our fans something better,' said club president Bob Butera. 'None of our fans expect us to win the Stanley Cup. But they do expect us to be in every game and to work harder. We thought that we had lost that edge.'
MacMillan's ouster had been building for some time. The team was flogged 13-4 in Edmonton Saturday night and after the game, Oilers' superstar Wayne Gretzky ridiculed the Devils.
'They are putting a Mickey Mouse operation on the ice,' said the four-time Most Valuable Player of the NHL. 'They struggled in Kansas City, they were awful in Colorado and now look what is happening. They had better start getting better personnel and start putting them on ice. It is ruining hockey.'
Butera denied that Gretzky's criticism had anything to do with the club's decision to fire MacMillan.
'No, emphatically,' said Butera. 'We are incensed that any hockey player, particularly one of the character of Wayne Gretzky, would make those comments. We don't want any hockey player telling us how to run our club.'
On Tuesday, Gretzky issued an apology through a statement released by the Oilers.
Gretzky admitted 'he was out of line and regrets having criticized the Devils' organization ... (He) admits he was out of line in terms of his remarks. He says his intention was to draw attention to the problems facing weaker teams in the NHL, and in no way were his comments meant to be injurious to the New Jersey Devils' players or management.'
McVie has previously coached in the NHL with Washington and Winnipeg, neither time with great success.
'When I had the players I won and when I didn't, I didn't,' said McVie.
Maine player John Paddock will replace McVie as coach of the Mariners.
