Crawford appointed Stars coach

The Dallas Stars have fired coach Dave Tippett and promptly named Marc Crawford as his replacement. Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk confirmed the move after a season in which Dallas went 36-35-11 to finish a lowly 12th in the Western Conference. Crawford, still only 48, has 470 NHL wins to his name, putting him 16th all time in the coaching ranks after stints with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He led Colorado to Stanley Cup glory in 1996. "I am very excited that we have been able to secure Marc Crawford as head coach of the Dallas Stars," Nieuwendyk said. "Marc is a winner with extensive experience in this league, and I am confident he will get the most out of our hockey club. I look forward to working with him as we prepare for the 2009-10 season and beyond." The Stars, who won the Stanley Cup in 1999, have not won a division crown since 2006, and Crawford has set his sights on ending that run as soon as possible. "I'm very excited and honoured to have been selected as head coach of the Dallas Stars," he said. "This is a winning organisation and I look forward to building upon the success that it has earned over the years. "This club has a great deal of potential, and I'm eager to get to work in restoring the franchise to among the league's elite." Tippett spent six seasons with the Stars, compiling a 271-162-59 record and winning a pair of division titles. "Dave Tippett did a very good job in his six seasons here with the Stars, however it was my feeling that our team needed a new direction moving forward," Nieuwendyk added. *PA Sport