WASHINGTON -- Ron Wilson's unpredictable coaching style with the Washington Capitals ran the gamut from fun-loving to hostile. He once took the team bowling to try to cure a slump, but he'd also get upset over the smallest of matters.

After five years, the act was getting old. The Capitals, who haven't won a playoff series since making the Stanley Cup finals in 1998, fired Wilson on Friday.

		Fri., May 10 I'm not surprised that the Caps fired Ron Wilson. I was more surprised when he had originally received votes of confidence from upper management. Something has to give when a team adds a superstar like Jaromir Jagr, then team regresses and misses the playoffs. When Washington was willing to give Jagr a $70 million contract, that sealed Wilson's fate. I think they backed the wrong horse in signing Jagr and letting Wilson go, but that's what had to be done.

"At some point, players sort of tune things out," general manager George McPhee said. "And that's why the change was made. ... He's a very good coach. I didn't believe it that these things had to happen, but I believe it now, that at some point the players need a new message."

Wilson's dismissal came a month after the Capitals, who were thought to be a sure bet for the playoffs after trading for Jaromir Jagr, finished ninth in the Eastern Conference -- one spot away from a postseason berth -- with a 36-33-11-2 record.

Wilson also becomes the latest casualty in the recent massive coaching turnover in the nation's capital. The Capitals, Wizards, Redskins, Mystics and D.C. United have all fired coaches in the last 13 months.

The Capitals were hurt this season by injuries to several key players, including Jagr, but they made a late playoff charge after trading center Adam Oates. McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis said last month that Wilson would be back next season.

But McPhee changed his mind as he reviewed his reports, which included exit interviews with players and input from his staff. He informed Leonsis of his recommendation on a conference call Thursday after returning from the world championships.

"I was surprised given the way we played at the end of the season," Leonsis said, "but not surprised given it's the fifth year and Wilson had had some problems with some of the players."

McPhee declined to discuss specific examples of how the players had tuned out the coach. He did say that Jagr, who left Pittsburgh on sour terms a year ago, did not have a role in the decision.

"He did not," McPhee said. "In fact, I think he and Ron worked real well together."

McPhee said he was in "no rush" to name a new coach and that his pressing priority is preparing for the June 22-23 draft. He said he had one name in mind, but that he had not contacted the person.

Wilson was traveling with his family Friday and did not immediately return phone calls. He will not be available for comment until next week, according to Capitals officials.

Wilson was hired in 1997 and was 192-159-51-8 over five years. In his first season, he led the Capitals, who were seeded fourth in their conference, to their first NHL finals after the top three seeds were eliminated by other teams in the first round. The Caps were swept by Detroit for the Stanley Cup.

Washington then was hit hard by injuries and failed to make the playoffs the following season. In 2000 and '01, the team won the Southeast Division but lost to Pittsburgh in the first round both years.

Leonsis, who bought the team in 1999 and launched a five-year plan to win the Stanley Cup, vowed the Capitals would do better. He traded for Jagr and signed him to an eight-year, $88 million contract, adding him to a roster than already included Peter Bondra, Olaf Kolzig and Sergei Gonchar.

But it was several weeks into the season before Jagr adjusted to Wilson's defensive system, and a knee injury during the first week of the season slowed his transition. Major injuries to Calle Johansson, Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern also hurt the Capitals, who started slowly for the fourth consecutive season before a March-April rally that was too little, too late.

"I was really disappointed," McPhee said. "I thought we had a pretty good club."

Before joining the Capitals, Wilson coached four seasons with Anaheim. He led the expansion team to an impressive 33-46-5 record in its first season, but his contract was not renewed because of "philosophical differences" after the Ducks reached the playoffs for the first time in 1997. His overall coaching record is 312-304-82-8.

Hiring Wilson was McPhee's first move when the general manager came to Washington in 1997. The two had previously worked together in Vancouver, so Friday's decision was a tough one.

"I wanted to be a manager that had coaches in place for six, eight, 10 years, if possible," McPhee said. "I don't want to be manager of an organization that's running through people all the time. I think it's demeaning to the profession.

"It was hard for me to do this, but I have to separate personal from professional. I just thought that it had run its course."