Woeful Panthers fire coach Kevin Dineen

The abysmal Florida Panthers have fired head coach Kevin Dineen after more than two seasons behind the bench.

The abysmal Florida Panthers have fired head coach Kevin Dineen after more than two seasons behind the bench.

Dineen, who was in the role since the summer of 2011, will be replaced by former minor-league defenseman Peter Horacek, who had been coaching the team's American League affiliate in San Antonio. Horacek will include ex-NHLers John Madden and Brian Skrudland on his staff after Dineen's assistants Craig Ramsay and Gord Murphy were also let go. No team has fewer wins than the Panthers (3-9-4), who have only one victory in their past 10 games.

Dineen amassed a 56-62-28 record as Panthers coach and ultimately was dismissed because he couldn't pull Florida out of its tailspin. Horacek, who served as Nashville Predators assistant coach from 2003-2013 before being hired as San Antonio's coach this past summer, has a monumental challenge ahead.