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Report: Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant Coach Jacques Martin Interviewed With Hurricanes

By Matt Gajtka

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Nov 23, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins head coach

Dan Bylsma

(left) and his assistant coach Jacques Martin discuss during the first period against Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

As we get close to three weeks since former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero was dismissed by ownership, it’s only natural that members of the in-limbo coaching staff would be looking out for their own well-being.

After all, it’s likely that whoever takes Shero’s old seat will want to fire Dan Bylsma, whose replacement might turn the entire crew of coaches over in favor of people he’s more comfortable with.

Jacques Martin is one of those Penguins assistants who may not be long for Pittsburgh. The former longtime NHL head coach signed with the Pens last summer in an attempt to meld his brand of sound defensive hockey to Bylsma’s more offensive approach.

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The hybrid system clicked for the most part, although Pittsburgh’s second-round exit to the Rangers after holding a 3-1 series lead has cast a pall over everything that happened during the regular season.

The employment of Martin always seemed like a short-term thing, considering Martin’s decades of experience as an NHL bench boss. Thus, it made sense that Martin’s name came up in a report by Quebec-based television reporter Louis Jean, which connected Martin to the Carolina Hurricanes’ coaching vacancy:

No Hurricanes beat reporter has confirmed Jean’s report, so his tweet stands alone in the meantime.

At any rate, the fate of Martin will be secondary to what becomes of Bylsma – at least in the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Penguins fans.

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