Randy Carlyle 2.0 coming to Ducks' bench

Now playing soon at Honda Center: Randy Carlyle Reloaded.

Not only do the Ducks finally appear set to name a coach, but signs are they’ll soon unveil a sequel as reports surfaced Monday night the club will hire Carlyle, bringing back the coach who guided the franchise to its lone Stanley Cup in 2007.

Two sources who know Carlyle well confirmed to the Register initial reports by ESPN’s John Buccigross and TSN’s Darren Dreger that the Ducks’ all-time wiingest coach will have a second stint in Anaheim. An official aouncement could be made as soon as Tuesday.

Carlyle, 60, hasn’t been behind the bench since he was fired by Toronto on Jan. 6, 2015, but he emerged as a finalist in the interview process conducted by General Manager Bob Murray, who spoke with several candidates since firing Bruce Boudreau on April 29.

A team spokesman said Monday night no deal had been struck on a coach. However, Carlyle and Murray were set to talk again after their initial formal meeting and it is possible they are working on a contract.

Travis Green was the other finalist after interviewing twice and impressing Murray, but it appears the GM will go with the more experienced hand for a team in win-now mode that hasn’t reached the heights Carlyle has been to. Green, 45, played for the Ducks on two occasions and is coach of Vancouver’s AHL affiliate.

Murray let Carlyle go 24 games into the 2011-12 season, but the hard-driving coach had an otherwise successful run over the other six seasons with the Ducks. His teams made the playoffs five times, wiing seven out of 11 series. But they lost three of four playoff series after the Cup triumph.

Carlyle’s teams were known for their brawny, physical style, but his greatest success came with Scott Niedermayer as captain and Teemu Selae and Chris Pronger as other key leaders. Current franchise pillars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry were up-and-coming stars.

Getzlaf succeeded Niedermayer as captain to start the 2010-11 season and Perry had his best year, scoring a league-best 50 goals and wiing the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. The two stars were among those who grew weary of Carlyle in 2011-12 and a seven-game losing streak ultimately did him in.

Those close to Carlyle say he remains a demanding boss but one who has mellowed over time and is better at dealing with younger players. The Ducks are also at a point where a firm hand may be needed to push them over the top after years of playoff disappointments.

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Ducks center Ryan Kesler played for Carlyle when the two were with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and raved about the coach in a recent interview with the Vancouver Province.

“I remember that he probably played me 30 minutes a night,” Kesler said. “He was a very good bench coach and very detailed. We worked on faceoff plays every practice and on the power play every practice – things that you really need to work on every day.”

Critics contend that Carlyle’s style conflicts with the direction the NHL is heading, most recently exemplified by Pittsburgh and its speed-laden team wiing the Cup on Sunday. Few question Carlyle’s ability to run his bench and get the most out of his top players.

Carlyle also interviewed with Calgary and was under consideration for openings in Miesota and Ottawa. Miesota hired Boudreau, while Ottawa went with Guy Boucher. Calgary has yet to hire a coach, though Glen Gulutzan is believed to be the front-ruer.

Tampa Bay associate coach Rick Bowness is believed to have made the final cut as well. Mike Yeo, who was hired by St. Louis to coach the Blues in 2017-18, said he had a “great interview” with Murray but was considered a second-tier candidate.