It was a shock when the hockey world found out that head coach of the Dallas Stars was fired. It’s not so much that a coach was let go, but that there were no details of the firing other than that Montgomery had done something unforgivable. At the time, Stars GM Jim Nill called Montgomery’s actions a “material act of unprofessionalism.”
It’s been nearly a month since the termination of Montgomery’s contract and he’s finally talking about what led to his being relieved of his duties.
As part of the report, Montgomery released a statement Friday to the Dallas Morning News that he will enter an inpatient residential program for alcohol abuse. Montgomery states, “Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars last month was a wake-up call. It was also the appropriate call.”
He goes on to say:
“I let the team’s front office, staff and players down. More importantly, I let my wife and my family down. The team’s decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help. I turned to professionals in the field of alcohol abuse for their guidance and counseling. It has been an overwhelming and a very humbling experience knowing that I am not alone.”
Montgomery states that he has the full support of his wife and family and many close friends and that he admitted himself into a residential program. He then asked that he and his family’s privacy be respected. He signed off with a “Thanks, Monty”.
Nill later commented offering his support for Montgomery:
“We are supportive of this decision by Jim and we hope that by pursuing this help, he and his family will be stronger for it. Out of respect for him and his family, we will not be commenting on this situation further.”
No More Details On Exact Incident
There hasn’t been further information about what ultimately led to the Dallas Stars’ decision to release Montgomery other than fans now know it was alcohol related.
It doesn’t sound like information will ever be revealed and perhaps, it doesn’t need to be. All that we can add is that it’s good to know he’s getting the help he needs and that despite losing his job, Montgomery hasn’t lost something more important.
We wish Montgomery all the best and hope he finds the support he needs in treatment.
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