After incurring an abysmal 8-18-1-1 record, the Caps fired Cassidy and have replaced him with Glen Hanlon.
The 46-year-old Hanlon becomes the 13th head coach in Washington history, taking over a team that is tied for last place with Pittsburgh in the NHL with 18 points.
It is Hanlon's first head coaching job in the NHL.
After a terrible start to the season, the Washington Capitals fired coach Bruce Cassidy on Wednesaday. (CP Photo)
Cassidy, a native of Ottawa, Ont., took over as Caps coach on June 25, 2002. In less than two seasons at the helm, Cassidy had a record of 47-47-9-7.
The team has called a news conference for Wednesday afternoon to officially introduce Hanlon, an assistant under Cassidy, as the new coach.
Cassidy's dismissal comes on the heels on a locker-room outburst last week when he told players they shouldn't use family problems as an excuse for playing poorly.
