Recycling coaches (NHL edition)

Alain Vigneault introduced
as the New York Rangers head coach.
Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com

What do you do when your team has under-performed and needs a new head coach? You go to the recycling bin and hire another recently-fired coach.

That's what the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars did Friday. The Rangers hired former Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault, while the Stars -- whom Vigneault reportedly spurned in favor of the Broadway Blues -- chose former Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff.

Vigneault and Ruff have each had their share of success in the NHL. Vigneault guided the Canucks to consecutive Presidents Trophies and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, while Ruff led Buffalo for 12 seasons, including one Stanley Cup Finals appearance against Dallas.

Both coaches were unceremoniously dumped by their former clubs this season when the going got tough. Ruff was fired in the midst of a bad Buffalo slump, while Vigneault was sent packing after the Canucks were swept by San Jose in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Never mind the fact that they had both been winners over the balance of their coaching careers. They didn't win enough this year, so out they go!

Now, they're both back in the league with intriguing challenges ahead of them. Vigneault must get a more consistent offensive effort out of the Rangers while dealing with the pressures of working in New York City, while Ruff will oversee the continued development of a young Dallas Stars squad that nearly made the playoffs. In other words, they'll probably feel right at home with their new jobs.

This is, of course, not a new phenomenon in the sports world. But it's always interesting to see where old coaches land.