Barroway continues Coyotes shake-up with Tippett departure
Andrew Barroway is wasting little time.
The new sole owner of the Arizona Coyotes continued his organizational housecleaning late Thursday, announcing the club has parted ways with head coach Dave Tippett.
Tippett's exit is the latest storyline to come out of the desert since Barroway gained complete ownership of the Coyotes on June 12 in a deal that saw the Philadelphia hedge fund manager buy out his former minority partners, including Anthony LeBlanc and Gary Drummond.
LeBlanc and Drummond played double duty with the Coyotes, as CEO and president of hockey operations, respectively. Six days ago, Barroway announced neither would retain his post.
As for Tippett, who joined the Coyotes in 2009, his tenure in Arizona ends after an eight-year run. The veteran bench boss guided the Coyotes to the playoffs in his initial three seasons, including a trip to the Western Conference Final in 2012, the team's last postseason appearance.
Last April, following the firing of general manager Don Maloney, the Coyotes signed Tippett to a five-year extension, a move which also saw him take on the role of vice-president of hockey operations, while analytics guru John Chayka was promoted to GM to work alongside Tippett.
Those plans changed Thursday with the ouster of Tippett, who had four years remaining on his contract owing $4 million per season, according to Cap Friendly. As part of the separation, Tippett walked away from the Coyotes with a $3-million buyout in hand, reports Sportnset's John Shannon.
Tippett's departure comes six days after the Coyotes dealt starting goalie Mike Smith to the Calgary Flames, a move that reportedly did not sit well with the coach, Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports reports.
Nor did the handling of Shane Doan's future with the club, after the Coyotes announced they would not re-sign their longtime captain. Doan, 40, chipped in just six goals last season and will need to explore free agency if he wishes to continue his career. But it won't be with the Coyotes, a franchise he has been a part of since the original Winnipeg Jets drafted him in 1995.
With Smith, Doan, and Tippett out, times are changing in Arizona as Barroway puts his stamp on the team.
More moves could be around the corner. Round 1 of the entry draft is Friday in Chicago, and early reports indicate Arizona could be a big part of the action. Last week, the Coyotes were connected to New York Rangers center Derek Stepan.
Arizona has a deep prospect pool, plus two first-rounders in its arsenal, so the ammo is there for the Coyotes to make their next big move.