The Devils are right back where they were last May, without a coach. There have been suggestions that general manager Lou Lamoriello might eliminate the next middleman and just talk Jacques Lemaire back from retirement again.
Lemaire said it isn’t happening.
“I’m ready for retirement, for the rest of my life,” Lemaire said yesterday.
Lemaire said Lamoriello did try to keep him behind the bench.
“He asked me right after the season, seeing if I wanted to come back,” Lemaire said. “That was it.”
The Devils went 29-17-3, including a 23-3-2 stretch, under Lemaire after he replaced John MacLean on Dec. 23. The list of coaching candidates includes Ken Hitchcock, Craig MacTavish, Guy Carbonneau, Marc Crawford and Kirk Muller.