New Jersey Devils: 5 Craziest Lou Lamoriello Head Coach Firings

4. Claude Julien – 2007

The New Jersey Devils had an affinity for firing coaches towards the end of the season under Lou Lamoriello, but nothing was quite like how Lamoriello dismissed Claude Julien in 2007. The Devils were preparing for a playoff run, and they were a week from the end of the season. A week! Just when it was the most important time to lock down and get ready for the postseason, the Devils now had a new voice on the bench. That voice was Lou Lamoriello, because of course it was.

He led the Devils to one playoff series win, taking down the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. Then, he lost to the Ottawa Senators in five games.

One of his quotes at the time of the firing was telling. When asked why he would go back behind the bench, he said this as recounted by The Hockey News:

"“It was never my intention to ever possibly go back (behind the bench) again,” Lamoriello said. “It’s just the timing to put somebody else in at this time with the number of games left wouldn’t have been fair.”"

So, Lamoriello knew it wasn’t smart to force someone to add their voice to the organization at such a late point in the season, but he still felt the need to make the coaching change in the first place. Julien would go on to be a Stanley Cup-winning head coach, and the Devils haven’t won the Cup since. It seems like something more than what we know happened here, but it’s Lou so we’ll never learn the truth.