Anaheim Ducks Name Dallas Eakins Head Coach

Photo: Greg Beacham/Associated Press

By Michael Walters

Today the Anaheim Ducks announced that the team officially hired Dallas Eakins as the next head coach. The term of the contract is three years. Eakins was the favorite from the beginning once Randy Carlyle was fired, so it comes as no surprise that he was selected. After all the interviewing was conducted, “It always came back to Dallas,” GM Bob Murray stated today.

Murray also said, “Dallas is an outstanding head coach who has worked well with our players since joining the organization four years ago. He is a tremendous leader and strategist, and deserves this opportunity.”

Eakins has been the head coach for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) from 2015-19. Eakins led the Gulls to a 154-95-23 record and three trips to the Calder Cup Playoffs in his four seasons in San Diego. Since Randy Carlyle was fired, Eakins was the front runner to succeed him and today it was finally made official.

Eakins started the press conference by stating, “Thank you. First, I want to just say how humbled I am to get this position. I’m honored that Susan and Henry, along with Michael Schulman, and most importantly my boss here, entrust this position to me. I’m here to serve as the head coach and I’m very much looking forward to that.”

He later added, “Looking forward here, I just think that this is such an incredible opportunity. The Anaheim Ducks have had such an incredible success rate here in Orange County, and it starts with the division championships, the Stanley Cup. Also, what’s going on off the ice with the grassroots hockey, with the community initiatives. It’s just incredible that the success on and off the ice has gone hand in hand. That’s something that myself and my family are very excited about.”

Eakins has been the logical choice from the beginning when Carlyle was removed. Bob Murray could have rushed to put Eakins in Anaheim back in February, but Murray decided to hold off. In doing so, Murray gave Eakins a chance to continue to develop the players in San Diego with continuity until their season finished. If Eakins would have come in the middle of the Ducks season, then the two teams both would have had a coaching shake up to deal with. Murray decided to wait until the Gulls season and a few of the NHL teams seasons were over to begin interviewing candidates. In the end, he still went with the front runner Eakins. It’s time for the Ducks to start a new chapter.

The questions that remain are who will be the assistant coaches for Eakins? And who will take over as the head coach of the San Diego Gulls?

For the entire transcript of the press conference today, visit: Quotes From Eakins & Murray Press Conference

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June 17th, 2019