Craig Hartsburg doesn't mind that he wasn't the first choice for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks coaching job. The important thing is he got the job.
The Ducks hired Hartsburg on Tuesday and gave him a three-year contract. Anaheim general manager Jack Ferreira initially offered the position to minor league coach Butch Goring, who turned it down in a salary disagreement."I don't care that someone was picked before me," Hartsburg said. "I'm sure there's been coaches all over this league that have been hired not as the first choice. To me, it's a moot point."
Hartsburg, 39, was fired in April as head coach in Chicago after the Blackhawks failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 29 years. He had a 104-102-40 record in three seasons there.
"I'm not going to make excuses for myself," he said. "We faltered last year, but it's a fresh start for me."