Wildcats fire head coach, director of player operations John Torchetti

Minnesota Wild head coach John Torchetti directs his team against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP)

MONCTON, N.B. – The Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced on Saturday that the club has parted ways with head coach and director of player operations John Torchetti.

The team released a statement saying it is "a personnel-related matter," and that "a decision was made for internal reasons."

Assistant coach Darryl Boyce will take on the role of interim head coach, while Ritchie Thibeau, assistant director of hockey operations, will oversee hockey operations.

The club added it will have no further comment.

Torchetti, from Boston, Mass., was hired by Moncton in Jan. 2019 to take on both roles with the club. He had been away from the club for stretches over the past several weeks for what the club had called personal reasons.br>
He won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach to Joel Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2009-10.

Moncton beat the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 3-0 earlier Saturday to improve its record to 24-9-0.

The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 3 in the 60-team Canadian Hockey League.

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