November 3, 2017 10:25 pm

KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk has fired head coach Ilya Vorobyev, naming former Capital Viktor Kozlov as his interim replacement.

This news came just hours after a 3-1 loss to HK Lada in which Capitals goaltending prospect Ilya Samsonov sustained a concussion.

Kozlov, who was chosen sixth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1993 NHL draft, played two full seasons in Washington, from 2007 to 2009. He scored 29 goals and 66 assists in 148 games in DC. Kozlov has been an associate coach with Metallurg since October 2015, just after he retired from professional play.

While in Washington, Kozlov often acted as a mentor, or maybe den mother, to the Caps’ other Russian players, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin.

Metallurg has struggled mightily this season, just a year after making it to the Gagarin Cup finals, and after winning the Cup the year before. Currently, Metallurg sits at twelfth in the KHL with a record of 14-11-3. Including yesterday’s loss, Metallurg has dropped five of its past six matches.