Assistant coach Kirk Muller will not be returning to Spencer Carbery’s coaching staff next season.
On Monday morning, the Washington Capitals released a statement from general manager Chris Patrick announcing that Muller had expressed a desire to find another NHL job and that his contract would not be renewed, presenting the decision as mutual between the parties.
“Kirk has expressed his desire to explore other opportunities within the National Hockey League, and we respect and support his decision,” Patrick said. “We thank Kirk for his dedication, professionalism, and the many contributions he made during his three years with our organization. He is an experienced and highly respected coach whose work ethic, leadership, and commitment to player development had a meaningful impact on our team both on and off the ice. We wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of his career.”
The decision comes after Patrick said during his end-of-season press conference with reporters that any decision on the club’s coaching staff would only come after a meeting with Carbery.
“I’ve got to talk to Carbs,” Patrick said on Monday. “We just got through all the player meetings. I’ve got to talk to Carbs, meet with the coaching staff, and see how we move forward from there.”
Muller was in charge of the Capitals’ anemic power play, which finished 25th best in the league last season with a 17.8 percent effectiveness and contributed to the Capitals missing the playoffs for the first time under Carbery. The Capitals’ man-advantage also gave up 11 shorthanded goals, one of just three teams to allow more than 10 this past year, which led to a 29th-place net power-play percentage (13.3 percent).
Carbery was frustrated by his team’s lack of success on the power play throughout the season. However, when asked about the struggles in March, he expressed full confidence in Muller, instead placing blame on the entire coaching staff.
“We’re all involved in [the power play],” Carbery said then. “I’m not going to break down the specifics of who handles each and every responsibility. Kirk runs our power play, does a great job. It’s not a lack of effort, and not a lack of him trying to turn over every rock and find solutions to what’s going on. We all contribute, and we all help where we see fit.”
Muller was first hired to the Capitals coaching staff in the summer of 2023 and spent three seasons in Washington. He first landed in the NHL as a coach in 2006-07 after being hired bythe Montreal Canadiens. He’s briefly served as both head coach of the Habs and Carolina Hurricanes.
