Former Red Wings coach Wayne Maxner dies at age 80

The Detroit News

Former Detroit Red Wings coach Wayne Maxner, who guided the team for parts of two seasons in the early 1980s before Mike Ilitch bought the franchise in 1982, died on Thursday at age 80 in Clinton, Ontario.

Maxner coached the Red Wings from 1980-1982 with a career record of 34-68-26 in 129 games, a winning percentage of .368. His winning percentage and victories during the team's pre-Stanley Cup championship years ranks 15th among Detroit coaches with at least 100 regular-season games behind the bench.

After only 20 games as coach of Detroit's AHL farm team in Adirondack in 1980, Maxner replaced Red Wings coach Ted Lindsay on Nov. 25, 1980 and led the team to a record of…