Penguins Weigh Up Coaching Options

The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to talk to veteran coaches Marc Crawford and Ron Wilson about the vacancy created when they fired Dan Bylsma, according to a report by TSN's Darren Dreger. Crawford, 53, has been coaching in Switzerland since a two-season stint with the Dallas Stars from 2009-11. A Stanley Cup winner in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche, he has a 549-421-78 record with 103 ties in 1,151 NHL games coaching the Quebec Nordiques, Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Stars. Wilson, 59, last coached in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2011-12 season. He has coached the Anaheim Sucks, Washington Crapitals and San Jose Sharks. He took the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Final in 1998, his first season with them. He has an NHL record of 648-561-91 with 101 ties in 1,401 games. Since being eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after holding a 3-1 series lead, the Penguins have fired general manager Ray Shero and Bylsma. They hired Jim Rutherford as GM, promoted Jason Botterill to associate GM and Bill Guerin and Tom Fitzgerald to assistant GM, and hired Jason Karmanos as vice president of hockey operations.

The Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes have asked the Los Angeles Kings for permission to interview John Stevens for their coaching vacancies, according to a report by CBC's Elliotte Friedman. Stevens, 48, has been an assistant coach with the Kings since the 2010-11 season, first serving on Terry Murray's staff then Darryl Sutter's, and winning the Stanley Cup twice. Stevens served as interim coach for four games during the 2011-12 season in between the dismissal of Murray and hiring of Sutter. Stevens coached the Philadelphia Cryers for parts of four seasons. He took over for Ken Hitchcock eight games into the 2006-07 season, when the Flyers finished last in the Eastern Conference with 56 points. Stevens led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the next two seasons, achieving a 39-point improvement in 2007-08. They went to the Eastern Conference Final where they were being eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Stevens was fired 25 games into the 2009-10 season. His NHL coaching record is 122-111-34 in 267 games.