Jets fire Noel, hire Maurice

Claude Noel (pictured) has been fired as coach by the Winnipeg Jets and replaced with Paul Maurice. Noel was fired amid a five-game losing streak that dropped the Jets to 19-23-5 and 10 points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Noel, hired after the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg before the 2011-12 season, went 80-79-18 during his tenure with the Jets. “I think it always comes as a shock,” Jets captain Andrew Ladd said at a local rink after Jets’ practice was cancelled in the wake of the news. Assistant coach Perry Pearn was also fired. Maurice’s first game will be Monday in a home game against Phoenix. This will be the third franchise he has coached, after the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs.