Penguins Dump Hlinka After a Winless Start

The Pittsburgh Penguins fired coach Ivan Hlinka on Monday after an 0-4 start and replaced him with assistant Rick Kehoe, the team’s best player before the Mario Lemieux era.

Hlinka, who coached the Czech Republic to the 1998 Olympic gold medal, led Pittsburgh to the Eastern Conference finals in his only full season.

But his limited command of English made it difficult for him to communicate with players, and there were questions even last season if he would return.

With the Penguins off to their worst start in 18 years and Hlinka still largely distant from his players, General Manager Craig Patrick decided to make a change following a 4-1 loss Sunday in Buffalo.

“We’re 0-4, and we can’t afford to be 0-5 or 0-6,” Patrick said. “We’ve got a number of young guys who need to learn the game in the NHL and if there’s any kind of communication problem, it’s going to slow down their progress.”

Lemieux, the Penguins’ player-owner, agreed with Patrick that a change was necessary.

Hlinka “took it hard,” Patrick said. “It was tough on him. He’s been in the business a long time and he understands changes have to be made, but he’s not happy about it.”

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Vancouver Canuck forward Todd Bertuzzi’s 10-game suspension was upheld by the NHL, while Colorado Avalanche forward Scott Parker was suspended for two games. The suspensions will cost Bertuzzi $118,556.70, and Parker $6,055.84 in lost salaries. Bertuzzi’s suspension was automatic after he got a game misconduct for leaving the bench and starting a fight during the third period of the Canucks’ 4-0 win over Colorado on Saturday night.

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Goalie Dan Blackburn picked up his first NHL victory, and Radek Dvorak scored the tiebreaking goal as the New York Rangers won at Montreal, 2-1, ending the Canadiens’ five-game unbeaten streak.

The 18-year-old Blackburn, making his second start, finished with 22 saves.

The 10th overall pick in the draft by New York, Blackburn gave up five goals in a loss to Washington last week.

Ranger captain Mark Messier did not play because of a rib injury sustained against Ottawa on Saturday. Messier will be examined by team doctors today.