Minnesota Wild Coach Lemaire To Return For 2008-09 Season

Minneapolis, MN. (AHN) - The first and only coach in the short history of the Minnesota Wild, Jacques Lemaire, will be behind the bench again in 2008-09.

After some speculation that Lemaire may step down after the team's first-round playoff loss to the Colorado Avalanche, he elected to return after meeting with Wild G.M. Doug Risebrough earlier this week.

"When you are younger, it's a lot easier to make a decision. At the end of the year, I said I wanted to ask questions of Doug Risebrough. I wanted to make sure my boss is happy with the work I am doing and with the way I manage the team. This is what we talked about in our meetings. I am reassured of my work and I want to coach again," Lemaire told CBC.

Minnesota racked up an impressive 44-28-10 record during the 2007-08 regular season, capturing the Northwest Division title while finishing third overall in the Western Conference.

Lemaire won eight Stanley Cups as a player with the Montreal Canadians and guided the New Jersey Devils to the title in 1995, but is just 11-18 in the postseason as Minnesota's coach.