New Jersey Devils fire Lindy Ruff, promote Travis Green - ESPN

The New Jersey Devils, struggling to contend in a clogged Eastern Conference a season after winning a playoff round last season, fired coach Lindy Ruff on Monday, the team announced.

Travis Green, an assistant for Ruff and the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks, was named the club's interim coach. The announcement was made by Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, a day after New Jersey lost to the Los Angeles Kings 5-1.

Green will start in his role at Tuesday's morning skate in advance of a home game vs. the Florida Panthers. The remaining existing assistants — Ryan McGill, Chris Taylor, Sergei Brylin and goaltending coach Dave Rogalski — will all remain on staff.

«I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender,» Fitzgerald said. «Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision.»

Ruff was hired with the objective that he could take what was considered to be a promising future that was centered around stars such as Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, among others, and parlay it into long-term success.

«This was an extremely difficult conversation to have with Lindy based on the relationship that he and I have,» Fitzgerald said. «He was the right coach to develop our young players on the ice, and above all else, he is a tremendous person.»

The Devils gave Ruff a multiyear extension before the start of the season, which was his last under his previous contract. But as time wore on — and chants of «Fire Lindy!» continued to be heard at home games — the change seemed like it was inevitable. The Devils have lost three of the last four games, and were outscored last weekend, 9-4, in