Hartley says he's on verge of taking job in Russian league
After being dismissed by the Atlanta Thrashers early last season, Bob Hartley is about to land another coaching job -- in Russia.
Hartley said Tuesday morning that he is being courted by Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League and is on the verge of taking a coaching job there.
According to the team's Web site, Omsk fired coaches Sergei Gersonsky and Igor Zhilinsky on Tuesday after a slow 2-4 start.
"I am very interested and excited about the possibilities there," Hartley said.
One of those possibilities is coaching Jaromir Jagr, who signed with Omsk after failing to reach a deal with the New York Rangers.
Hartley, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, was fired by Atlanta in October 2007 after a franchise-worst 0-6-0 start. He was 136-123-32 with the Thrashers.
Scott Burnside is a senior NHL writer for ESPN.com.
