Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

The New Jersey Devils fired John MacLean as coach Thursday after just 33 games, and replaced him on an interim basis with Jacques Lemaire, who led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1994-95.

It is Lemaire’s third stint with the team. His first run was from 1993 to 1998, after which he coached the Minnesota Wild for eight seasons. He returned to the Devils last season, but announced his retirement aftter they lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Lemaire, 65, told ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun Thursday that Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello called to offer him the job Wednesday.

Lemaire was on his way to Newark, and plans to be behind the bench Thursday night for the Devils’ game against the New York Islanders.

The Devils are 9-22-2 and tied with the Islanders for last place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points. They have lost three straight.

The Devils, a perennial contender in the Eastern Conference, were expected to be among the leaders again this season after signing All-Star forward Ilya Kovalchuk to a 15-year, $100 million contract in the offseason.

Kovalchuk, however, has just eight goals and 10 assists in 32 games, with a minus-22.

In late October, with the team off to a 2-6-1 start, Lamoriello told ESPN.com that MacLean had his support, and there was ‘no thought’ to dismissing him.

“John has done an exceptional job. I have no issue with him. Our record certainly isn’t what any of us like, but it has nothing to do with coaching,” Lamoriello said.

Information from ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun and The Associated Press was used in this report.