CHELYABINSK, November 17. /TASS/. Benoit Groulx, head coach of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) team Traktor, has been relieved of his duties with the club, Traktor’s press office said in a statement on Monday.
Richer Raphael-Pier has been appointed the acting Head Coach of the Russian club ahead of its away game against Metallurg Magnitogorsk club on November 18.
"Today, I made the decision to resign as head coach of Traktor, as lately I no longer see myself as the person who should guide the team; I am extremely tired, both mentally and physically and that obviously had an effect on my performance," the Canadian coach said.
"I would like to thank all the Traktor fans and the city of Chelyabinsk for their incredible support from the very first day, as well as the club's management for the opportunity to lead such a large organization. My time with Traktor will stay with me for the rest of my life," he added.
Groulx, 57, took charge as the head coach of Traktor HC in May last year, leading the club to the finals of the Gagarin Cup in his first season, losing to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4-1. He also previously served as the head coach of the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch of the AHL (American Hockey League).
Traktor Chelyabinsk hockey club is currently 5th in the Eastern Division of the KHL League with 31 points after 28 matches played.
The Kontinental Hockey League was founded in Russia in 2008 and currently lists 23 professional ice hockey clubs, namely from Russia, Belarus, China and Kazakhstan.