Paul Maurice has resigned as coach of the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced on Friday.
Maurice was in his ninth season as Jets coach, amassing a record of 315-223-62.
Assistant coach Dave Lowry has agreed to become the team’s interim head coach ahead of Friday night’s home game against the Washington Capitals.
The Jets are fifth in the Central Division with 31 points in 28 games. Their .554 points percentage is ninth best in the Western Conference. They’ve struggled since mid-November, going 4-7-2 since Nov. 18. The Jets won only once in their past four games, including a 4-2 loss at home to the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 14.
Money Puck gives the Jets a 43.4% chance of making the playoffs this season.
The Jets are 15th in goals per game (2.96) and 13th in goals against per game (2.75), both declines from their numbers last season.
Under Maurice, the Jets made the playoffs in five of eight full seasons, but had only one significant postseason run in 2017-18, when they made the Western Conference final. Winnipeg lost in the second round last season to the Montreal Canadiens in the all-Canadian North Division.
Maurice, 54, previously coached the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs in 1,684 NHL games, the fourth-most in NHL history. He’s sixth in career wins (755) and first in career losses (680).