Todd Reirden is not headed to the KHL after all.
The former Washington Capitals bench boss was reportedly in the final stages of inking a 1.5-year deal with Avangard Omsk to become the team’s newest head coach but pulled out of the negotiations at the final stages. According to Match TV, Reirden had already been issued a work visa but abruptly canceled plans, citing family circumstances.
Original reporting had Reirden as the winner of a three-candidate race that also featured fellow former NHL head coaches Gerard Gallant and Todd McLellan. The Russian outlet says prior experience in the NHL is a “mandatory requirement” for the job.
There is no information on whether the team will now turn back to one of Gallant or McLellan. Per sports.ru reporter Alexander Plekhanov, the two more experienced options were “allegedly demanding a lot of money,” which could have helped push Reirden to the front of the pack.
Per Arthur Khairullin of Sport-Express, Gallant was seeking a yearly salary of $2.5 million per year while Reirden was ready to accept the job for just over $1 million.
Avangard currently sits fourth in the Chernyshev Division with a 9-13-2 record through 24 games. They are three points out of a playoff spot in the KHL’s Eastern Conference.
Reirden has been out of a job since the Pittsburgh Penguins dismissed him from his role as associate coach last May.
