TAMPA, Fla., July 14 -- One month after paying compensation for Ottawa general manager Rick Dudley, the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday dismissed coach-general manager Jacques Demers, naming Steve Ludzik as their new coach announcing Dudley, the team's vice-president of operations, will assume the role of general manager. 'It wasn't easy, but he (Demers) was very good about it,' said Dudley at Wednesday's news conference. 'We came to the conclusion after this team won 19 games last year that we had to go in a different direction.' It was clear Demers was on thin ice after new Lightning owner Bill Davidson made a deal with Ottawa on June 7 to bring his friend Dudley to Tampa Bay and named him as vice president of hockey operations. Dudley worked for Davidson with the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. Dudley continued the Viper connection when he handed the coaching reins to Ludzik. When Dudley served as general manager for the Vipers, he hired Ludzik as coach and the team went on to win the Turner Cup in 1996-97. The following year, the Vipers reached the finals. 'Obviously, Steve and I have had great success together,' Dudley said. 'Our comfort level with one another is high and we both feel we can make the Lightning a successful operation here in Tampa.' In 1998-99, Dudley left to become the general manager of the Senators and Ludzik remained with the Vipers. This past season, Detroit went 50- 21-11 and finished second overall, but lost in the Eastern Conference finals.
Meanwhile, the Lightning finished with an NHL-worst 19-54-9 record this past season and were 34-94-17 under Demers who was named as Lightning coach by former owner Art Williams back in November 1997 and was later given the title of general manager. Ludzik, 38, becomes the fourth coach in the Lightning's eight-year history. He compiled a record of 154-58-34 with the Vipers. Before joining the staff in Detroit, Ludzik was named the Colonial Hockey League Coach of the Year in 1994 with the Muskegon Fury. As a player, Ludzik spent nine seasons in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres. Demers, 56, guided the Montreal Canadiens to the 1993 Stanley Cup championship but was out as coach less than three years later. He also coached for the Quebec Nordiques, St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings. While with Detroit, Demers became the only coach in league history to win consecutive Jack Adams Awards as the coach of the year (1987-88).
