By Brian Weidler, Game Time Prospect Department
After failing to steer the Peoria Rivermen into the AHL Calder Cup playoffs for the second straight season, head coach Dave Baseggio was fired by the Blues on Wednesday.
The most thorough coverage is in the Peoria Journal-Star's article.
In 2006-07, Baseggio's first season, the Rivermen missed the playoffs by a single point. This year, the AHL West Division was by far the strongest in the league, and it took 94 points for San Antonio to finish fifth in the West and claim the last playoff spot.
After a strong first half, especially a 13-2-1 January, the Rivermen were in second place in the division on February 1. A disastrous (1-9-1) February, and 12 losses in their last 18 games, left the Rivermen on the outside looking in.
Baseggio is under contract to the organization for one more year, and has been offered a position in the scouting department. Speculation is that assistant coach Davis Payne, who won a Kelly Cup with Alaska in 2006-07, will be offered the head coaching position with the Rivermen.