It's hard to judge Jim Nill as the Dallas Stars' General Manager seeing how he's only been on the job for just over two weeks, but considering that the 55-year-old career hockey man is taking his time and using an approach to finding a replacement for now-former head coach Glen Gulutzan, who along with top assistant Paul Jerrard was relieved of his duties on Tuesday, that can best be characterized as diligent, it's safe to say he's in no rush to find Gulutzan's replacement behind the Dallas bench. Evidence of Nill's attention to detail surfaced almost immediately after he was hired to replace Joe Nieuwendyk on April 29. At his introductory press conference on that final Monday in April at American Airlines Center, Nill iterated that he would not make a decision on Gulutzan's future as head coach of the Stars for at least two weeks. The new Dallas GM said that he first wanted to conduct exit interviews with players as well as with Gulutzan and the rest of the coaching staff before he made a decision either way. Dallas was 64-59-9 in the two seasons with Gulutzan at the helm and the Stars have not made the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2008. In the end, Nill used a very bottom-line approach when deciding not to retain Gulutzan and Jerrard. "Unfortunately, we're in a results-orientated business," Nill said. "Results haven't been here. We just decided that we'd make some changes." And at Tuesday's short afternoon press conference at Stars headquarters in Frisco, the new GM wanted to thank Gulutzan and Jerrard for all they did for the organization during their two full seasons on the job. "I just want to thank them for their fine service. They're both very great men and great coaches," Nill said. "They're going to be big coaches down the road and they're going to do a good job moving forward." While Gulutzan and Jerrard will be heading elsewhere, the new face of the Stars' front office did state once media were allowed to ask questions that top assistant Curt Fraser, a former head coach in Atlanta who joined the Dallas bench prior to last season and goaltending coach Mike Valley, who was hired by Marc Crawford, would be retained. "Yeah, Mike [Valley] does a great job. I had a good talk with Kari Lehtonen. He has a great relationship with him. He's done a great job, so that's something we want to move forward with. He does a great job with our younger goalies," Nill said. "Curt Fraser, I know Curt going back to Detroit days, have strong rapport with him and I know he's real good assistant coach and I look forward to working with him." Nill was a bit evasive when asked to name the specific criteria he plans to utilize in finding the Stars' next head coach, but he did say that he does know what he's looking for and that he will know exactly when he has found someone who has the right fit. - See more at: http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/n...ill-vacant-coachin?blockID=902285&feedID=3572
