PITTSBURGH, May 2 (UPI) -- Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Craig Patrick Friday fired brother Glenn, the coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
The minor league team went 36-32-7-5, and won a qualifying series in Glenn Patrick's fourth season as coach, but he had been criticized for his inability to produce NHL-caliber players for the big club.
"After reviewing all of the circumstances, we decided it was time to make a change," said older brother Craig Patrick.
In Glenn Patrick's four seasons with the "Baby Penguins," the team went 115-152-38-15. More importantly, few of the organization's prospects were able to contribute in the NHL.
Only one of Pittsburgh's last 10 first-round picks, right wing Aleksey Morozov, has become a proven NHL player, and some within the organization have blamed Glenn Patrick for his lack of teaching skills.
Minor league defenseman Brooks Orpik, a first-round draft pick in 2000, once said he had no idea what parts of his game needed improving because no one told him, although he later recanted the criticism, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Their AHL affiliate is just one of the Penguins' problems headed into the offseason.
They need a new coach to replace the fired Rick Kehoe, face the possible re-retirement of Mario Lemieux, and have no money to attract free agents.
For the first time since 1983-88, the Penguins have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. They were second-to-last in the NHL this past season at 26-42-6-5, which included a 16-game winless streak (0-14-2) over the final six weeks.
The Patrick brothers are members of one of hockey's most respected families.
Grandfather Lester led the New York Rangers to three Stanley Cup titles as coach and general manager. Father Lynn was an All-Star winger for the Rangers, and later was GM for Boston and St. Louis, and Uncle Muzz was a defenseman and GM-Coach of the Rangers.
