Jacques Lemaire, a Hall of Fame player and long-time National Hockey League coach, has stepped down as the bench boss of the New Jersey Devils.
The 64-year-old Lemaire made the announcement after the Devils were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers. It is the third consecutive year the Devils have gone out in the opening round.
“It’s not the team, it is not the result or the lack of result we had in the playoffs,” Lemaire said. “It’s not that at all. It’s the end of the line. I’ll be 65. It’s just time.”
Lemaire said he thought about retiring several times this season.
The team said Lemaire, who made the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984 for his playing career with the Montreal Canadiens, will stay with the Devils in a role yet to be determined.
Whoever gets the coaching position will be the Devils’ third head coach in as many years. Brent Sutter resigned after two seasons last year.
The team then re-hired Lemaire, who led the Devils to their first Stanley Cup in 1995. He had stepped down as Minnesota Wild coach after last season.
Lemaire coached 16 seasons in the NHL with Montreal, New Jersey and Minnesota, compiling a 588-441 won-lost record.
He was an assistant on Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the Vancouver Olympics.
Lemaire was part of eight Stanley Cup winning teams as a player with the Canadiens. He is known for his gentlemanly play, smooth-skating style and laser shot.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to