(My Sportsbook) - The Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Dave King Tuesday. He will be replaced on an interim basis for the remainder of this season by club president and general manager Doug MacLean.

King compiled 64-106-21-13 record in 204 games with the Blue Jackets since being named the club's first head coach on July 5, 2000. He was in the final year of a three-year contract.

"This was an extremely difficult decision to make because Dave King is a tremendous person who has worked extremely hard for the Blue Jackets organization over the past three years," said MacLean. "However, at this time I don't think we are where we should be as a team and this will allow me to evaluate our personnel from a different perspective. It is important for our organization to move forward."

Through 40 games this season, the Blue Jackets are 14-20-4-2, including a 7-15-3-1 mark since November 12. They are 2-1-1 in their last four games, but are coming off a 5-1 home loss to Nashville Monday night.

"It's a shame the coach has to take the penalty for our mistakes," said rookie forward Rick Nash.

Only the Predators have less points then Columbus in the Western Conference.

"I just felt after watching last night that that performance was most certainly not acceptable," MacLean said.

MacLean's first game behind the bench will be Wednesday night when Columbus visits the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center.

Associate Coach Newell Brown and Assistant Coaches Gerard Gallant and Gord Murphy will remain on the staff.

Columbus posted a 28-39-9-6 record during its inaugural season in 2000-01 and went 22-47-8-5 during the 2001-02 campaign. Prior to joining Columbus, King served as the head coach of the Calgary Flames from 1992-95.

"He taught us everything," said forward Jody Shelley. "We just didn't get the job done for him. It's a business, and we've got to win to keep people's jobs. We didn't do that."

The 48-year-old MacLean was named general manager of the team in February, 1998, and a month later he was named president of the organization. He has spent the past 17 years in the National Hockey League, serving in a variety of coaching and personnel capacities with the Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals.

MacLean also served as head coach of the Panthers, where he compiled an 83-71-33 record. In his first season as a NHL head coach, he led the club to the 1996 Eastern Conference championship and a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Colorado Avalanche.

WHAT'S AHEAD

The Jackets will kick off a four-game road trip Wednesday in Minny that will also include stops in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.