Coyotes part ways with Associate Coach Jim Playfair

The Arizona Coyotes announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to mutually part ways with Associate Coach Jim Playfair.

After ex-head coach Dave Tippett’s recent departure, this move by GM John Chayka shouldn’t come as a surprise. When a new head coach comes in, they tend to either bring their own staff or search and hire their own, so Playfair’s exit was more of a “when” situation than an “if”.

Reports are that Chayka met with Playfair on Sunday to discuss him leaving the organization.

Playfair has been a coach in some form or fashion across the many leagues in North America since 1993. He was an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames from 2002-2009 (and was the head coach for the 2006-2007 season) before taking the head coaching position for the Abbotsford Heat (now the Stockton Heat), the Flames AHL affiliate until he joined Arizona as an Associate Coach in 2011.

As for the rest of the coaching staff, Sarah McLellan of AZCentral Sports reports that both the current Assistant Coach John Slaney and Goalie Coach Jon Elkin will remain with the Coyotes.

This is a developing story, stay tuned for more information as it is released.