Acton Gets a Job

What Would Acton do? aka, at least we're not Toronto Maple Leafs fans:

Paul Maurice was fired as coach of the Maple Leafs on Wednesday after Toronto failed to make the playoffs during his two years. The dismissal was the first big move in what is expected to be an active offseason for the team.

"This is a start of a new era for the Maple Leafs," interim general manager Cliff Fletcher said at a news conference at Air Canada Centre. "This is all part and parcel of that."

The Maple Leafs finished 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-35-11 record and missed a playoff spot by 11 points.

They are looking for a full-time GM after firing John Ferguson in January. In other moves Wednesday, assistant coach Randy Ladouceur was dismissed while assistant Dallas Eakins was offered a position elsewhere in the organization. Keith Acton will remain an assistant.

Fletcher said the ouster will pave the way for the new management team to bring in its own staff.

Yup, that's how I see it.

Acton has spent eight seasons as an assistant coach with the Leafs. He was appointed to the Toronto staff in August 2000 after two seasons as an assistant with the New York Rangers. Prior to that, he was an assistant/associate coach with the Philadelphia Flyers for four years.

Served as N.Y. Islanders assistant coach while Al Arbour was suspended from Jan. 7 to Jan. 15, 1994. ... Named Philadelphia assistant coach on July 12, 1994, had title upgraded to associate coach on July 7, 1997, shifted back to assistant coach on March 9, 1998, and remained in that position until June 16, 1998. ... Named N.Y. Rangers assistant coach on June 18, 1998, and remained in that position through 1999-00 season. ... Named Toronto assistant coach on Aug. 4, 2000.

Keith Acton went to the playoffs the first four years he AC'ed in Toronto. 3 years starting after the lockout, nil. Just before Tor he ac'ed for my team, the New York Rangers. In neither of these years did the Rangers make the playoffs. And what is the difference between assistant and associate coach?

Now he's on a new run. During that time and presuming he remains on the Leafs bench he'll have worked for three GMs and 3 HCs in 9 years. And the Leafs apparently think he's indispensable behind the bench. Why?