Former Dallas Stars coach Jim Montgomery, fired last month as coach of the NHL club, said Friday he is receiving treatment for alcohol abuse and has entered a rehabilitation program.
Montgomery, a 50-year-old Canadian who played 122 NHL games from 1993-2003, guided the Stars into the 2019 playoffs in his only full season in charge before being axed last month for what the club called “unprofessional conduct.”
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“Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars was a wake-up call,” Montgomery said in a statement. “It was also the appropriate call. I let the team’s front office, staff and players down. More importantly, I left my wife and family down.
“The team’s decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help.”
Montgomery, replaced by Rick Bowness, went 60-43 with 10 over-time losses as Stars coach, including a 17-11-3 start this season. The Stars lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis in the second round of last year’s playoffs.