WINNIPEG -- Claude Noel was fired as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday morning, but general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed the axe began swinging on Tuesday night. Nick Foligno Blue Jackets Jersey . Cheveldayoff told reporters at a press conference Sunday afternoon that he first contacted newly hired Jets head coach Paul Maurice on Tuesday after the team played poorly again, mustering only 14 shots in a 4-2 loss to the Lightning. "I ended up reaching out to Paul after the Tampa game, just to see if I was going to go in a direction like that if he had an interesta" said Cheveldayoff, who also dismissed assistant Perry Pearn. "At that point in time, it still wasnt something that I was ready to do, but (Saturday) night I went to ownership and talked to them about making the change." The Jets lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 on Saturday, giving up four goals in the first nine minutes of the second period. Fans booed the team off the ice. "Its not just the last two games, it is the consistency factor," Cheveldayoff said, adding the team kept taking a step forward and then two steps back to stay around .500. The club is 19-23-5 and 10 points back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The loss also put the Jets on a season-worst five-game losing streak, matching the longest regulation-game losing skid since the team moved to Winnipeg from Atlanta prior to the 2011-2012 season. After getting the go-ahead from Jets owner Mark Chipman to fire Noel, Cheveldayoff said he called Maurice again and they reached a verbal agreement on a contract until the end of this season. "We dont have anything on paper, we have a handshake over the phone," Cheveldayoff said. "Hes flying in here (Sunday) night and going in that fashion. Again, hes very passionate about getting here. When we talked about what he would need, basically it was like, What time is the flight?" Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Maurice had been working as a TV analyst for TSN & NHL Network after spending the 2012-13 season as head coach of Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League. The club earned a 27-13-12 record and missed the playoffs. Maurice inherits a Jets team that has struggled in its third season in Winnipeg, thanks in part to inconsistent goaltending and defensive breakdowns. The 46-year-old has been behind the bench for 1,084 games as an NHL head coach. His first game leading the Jets will be Monday at MTS Centre against the Phoenix Coyotes. This will be the third franchise he has coached, after the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He got the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup final and made five total playoff appearances with Carolina. "Hiring Paul Maurice is something that we feel very good about as far as the opportunity that we have to hire an experienced National Hockey League coach to come in here and begin putting his stamp on the team, and also on the evaluation process that were all going to be going through," said Cheveldayoff, who was given a contract extension last September through the 2017-18 season. Hes never worked with Maurice, but the hockey world is small and his background checks produced good references. "There was one common theme; (hes) extremely professional, extremely prepared, extremely knowledgeable about the game and a guy that is very direct in one-on-one with his people and his players," Cheveldayoff said. Cheveldayoff, who called Noel a "special" and "caring" person, said he met with him and Pearn Sunday morning at MTS Centre to tell them theyd been let go. The GM says Noel was "very respectful" and theyll meet again in the coming days. Hired after the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg before the 2011-12 season, Noel went 80-79-18 during his tenure with the Jets. He had been given a one-year extension last June through the 2014-15 season. The team was scheduled to practice late Sunday morning at another local rink, but it was cancelled when Cheveldayoff drove there after the dismissals to give players the news. Captain Andrew Ladd and his teammates shouldered the blame for the coaching changes. "I think it always comes as a shock," Ladd said after the team meeting. "I dont think anyone expected it this morning so its not an easy day. Two good people lose their jobs. Ultimately, it came down to the performance of all the guys in here. Its tough for everyone." Forward Olli Jokinen, a veteran in his 16th NHL season, agreed the players should feel responsible Noel and Pearn had to pay the price for the teams shortcomings. "All of us should be embarrassed that were at the point we have to change the coach," he said. Maurices familiarity with a hockey-crazy market such as Toronto should bode well in Winnipeg, where players are heavily scrutinized by the media and criticized by fans who pack the sold-out MTS Centre. "This is a tough market to play," Jokinen said. "Any Canadian market you play, you know expectations are high. Youve got a lot of media attention, youve got 15,000 GMs watching the games and another couple hundred thousand at home. "So its a place, or any Canadian market, that you as a player you have to put all that aside and focus on doing your job the best you can. Thats all that you can do." He sensed, though, that players were getting easily frustrated and playing "a little bit scared, afraid of making the mistakes." Chevelydayoff, who said his own job "is still a work in progress," admitted he also bears some responsibility for the players he gave Noel to work with. "Ive sat back over the course of 24 hours or whatever and sit there and say, Can I do something else? What else can I do?" he said. "But what I have to be cognizant of is that I dont do something that pushes the franchise backwards from an asset standpoint. Again, this is not without responsibility on my side here, too." The players acknowledged theyll be auditioning for their jobs, although none have played for Maurice. Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, who moved to right wing for the game against the Blue Jackets, denied Noels message was getting old, but said a new guy in charge might help the team. "I think so," Byfuglien said. "Just someone coming in and no one really knowing him, it could be good for us. "Just getting a new face, a different guy with different attitudes, see how it goes." Retired former Hurricanes goaltender Kevin Weekes, now an analyst on Hockey Night in Canada, gave a glowing endorsement for Maurice to a Canadian Press reporter. "In my entire career, he was the best coach that I played for, both technically, his ability to relate to players, how he treated people, his preparation, you name it." Weekes said. "He was the best coach I played for in the National Hockey League. I played for some good ones, Ive been around a lot of really good people, but hands-down hes the best coach I played for." Cheveldayoff couldnt say whether other changes are on the horizon for the Jets, but he thinks hiring Maurice is a step in the right direction. "We believe that we are underachieving," Cheveldayoff said. "Now its up to the players in some respects to show what theyre all about. "But at the end of the day, we have to take a hard, long look at what other steps there are maybe to move forward." Authentic Blue Jackets Jersey .Y. - Dustin Tokarski stopped all 43 shots he faced as the Hamilton Bulldogs blanked the host Syracuse Crunch 3-0 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. James Wisniewski Authentic Jersey . -- One game. After a season featuring more losses than wins, thats all that separates the New York Knicks and the final post-season spot in the weak Eastern Conference standings.WASHINGTON -- After yet another loss for his New York Knicks in whats been a trying -- not to mention 3-9 -- start to the season, Carmelo Anthony did not attempt to pretend everything is wonderful right now. "Its a very tough time," Anthony said. "This is a time where you could easily put your head down and mope around, but I cant do that." Taking their poor home-court play on the road, the Knicks allowed Washingtons John Wall to score 31 points and dropped into a last-place tie in the Atlantic Division by getting beaten 98-89 at the Wizards on Saturday night. "We didnt put a full 48 minutes together tonight," said Anthony, who led the Knicks with 23 points and 12 rebounds. "We played three-fourths of the game -- and that one quarter, they took advantage." Washington trailed 52-49 at halftime, but outscored New York 27-17 in the third quarter and never trailed again. Wall registered at least 30 points in consecutive games for the first time in his NBA career, after scoring 37 in a loss to Toronto on Friday. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft also had seven assists and a soaring block on Iman Shumperts layup attempt in the closing seconds. "John backed up last nights game with another really good game for him. Playing the right way, taking really good shots," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "When he plays and takes what (a) defence gives him -- (that) is the prime thing that he needs to do." Knicks coach Mike Woodson described his teams performance as "flat" and declared: "The only bright spot about tonight was Amare Stoudemire." Thats not a great sign when the best thing you can point to is that one of your many players who is either injured or returning from injury managed to play 21 1/2 minutes and contribute 12 points. Stoudemire surpassed his previous season best in points -- six -- by early in the second quarter, and he even delivered a forceful fast-break dunk. "We cant keep losing these games," said Stoudemire, whose club has the same record as the Brooklyn Nets.. Scott Hartnell Jersey. . Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Wizards, who have won three of four games to improve to 5-8. Martell Webster scored 19, and Bradley Beal 18, making up for a paltry six points from Washingtons reserves. J.R. Smith scored 15 for the Knicks, who shot only 44 per cent on field-goal tries and were awful at the foul line, finishing 6 for 15. Smith himself was 0 for 4. Knicks centre Tyson Chandler remains out with a broken leg, and they were without point guard Raymond Felton for a third consecutive game because of a sore back. Woodson went without a true point guard for stretches of the fourth quarter. Wall definitely noticed. "We know its a different team without Raymond," Wall said, "because Raymond does a great job of penetrating and getting shots for those guys." While theyd been decent on the road so far -- 2-2 entering Saturday, compared to 1-6 at home -- this was not the Knicks finest hour. In addition to missing Feltons direction and Chandlers pick-and-roll possibilities on offence, the defence had no one fast enough to slow down Wall at all. Wall started 7 for 7 on field-goal attempts and scored more than half of Washingtons points -- 17 of 33 -- over the games first 14 1/2 minutes. Later, his floater in the lane made it 76-69 entering the fourth. Apparently, Woodson figures it already is time for some 1-on-1 meetings with players to make sure the season is not slipping away. That included a chat with Anthony after practice Friday. "I just wanted to see where his head was," Woodson said, "and making sure that everybody stays the course. Not just Melo. Ive had some sit-downs with a few guys, just to let them know its still a long season and weve got to start picking it up." Notes: Woodson said that Felton is day to day. "Im sure when hes ready, hell let us know, but right now hes not," Woodson said. ... Wizards coach Randy Wittman is not sure when first-round draft pick Otto Porter will be able to play -- or even practice with his teammates. cheap jerseys from chinacheap jerseys ' ' '
