Capitals fire head coach Reirden after 2 seasons

The Washington Capitals fired bench boss Todd Reirden after just two seasons on the job, the team announced Sunday.

"We have higher expectations for our team, and we felt a fresh approach in leadership was necessary," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We would like to thank Todd for all of his hard work and efforts with our organization. Todd has been a big part of our team for more than half a decade, including our Stanley Cup run in 2018, and we wish him and his family all the best moving forward."

Reirden was an assistant coach with the Caps for four seasons. He was promoted to head coach following Barry Trotz's departure after the club's 2018 Stanley Cup triumph. Trotz resigned when the Capitals were unwilling to meet his contract demands, and he was hired shortly thereafter by the New York Islanders, who beat the Capitals in Round 1 this year.

The 49-year-old Reirden guided the team to an 89-46-16 record during the regular season but failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in each of his two years at the helm.