He will be replaced as coach by general
                   manager Bryan Murray, who will do double
                   duty through the end of the season.

                   "A good person went down today, that's what I told the players," team
                   president William Torrey said. "Obviously the performance of our team in
                   the early part of this season is a huge disappointment."

                   Torrey told MacLean of the decision Monday and said the coach took the
                   news well.

                   Murray coached for the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings before
                   becoming a general manager.

                   "I'll be trying to encourage more discipline with fewer
                   penalties," Murray said. "I don't know that I have the
                   remedy. To say much more than that is taking a shot
                   at Doug, and that's not my intention at all."

                   After MacLean's team made it to the finals but lost to
                   the Colorado Avalanche in 1995-96, he signed a
                   new three-year contract in September 1996 to stay
                   with the Panthers through the 1998-99 season.