NEWARK, N.J. — Pete DeBoer, who coached the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup finals in his first season in 2011-12, was fired Friday, with his aging and diminished team in danger of missing the playoffs for a third straight season.

Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello would not say who will be the next coach until he speaks Saturday with the players, who are on a three-day Christmas break.

The Devils play the Rangers in New York on Saturday.

New Jersey has been hit with injuries in a 12-17-7 season.

It has not won consecutive games since early last month, going 3-8-5 in its last 16.

“I know that no one wants to hear excuses and I am not going to make any, but I am definitely not going to throw our guys under the bus,” DeBoer said Tuesday. “Guys are trying.”

DeBoer is the third NHL coach to be fired this season, following Paul MacLean in Ottawa and Dallas Eakins in Edmonton.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — West Virginia senior quarterback Clint Trickett is retiring from football because of concussions and won't play in the Liberty Bowl on Monday against Texas A&M.Trickett said Friday that he had endured five concussions over the last 14 months.West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen indicated that sophomore Skyler Howard would start at quarterback for the Mountaineers (7-5) against the Aggies (7-5).Howard is 36 of 64 for 483 yards with five touchdown passes and no interceptions in three games this season.He started West Virginia's regular-season finale against Iowa State.Trickett completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.He hasn't played since being knocked out of a 26-20 loss to Kansas State on Nov. 29.

TOKYO — Japanese media report free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda will return to Japan in 2015 to pitch for his first team, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.The reports say Kuroda, who turns 40 in February, has signed a one year contract worth $3.3 million. Kuroda pitched for Hiroshima from 1997-2007 and then spent four years with the Los Angeles Dodgers before moving to the New York Yankees.The Japanese broadcaster NHK and other reports said Saturday that Kuroda will wear No. 15, the same number he wore when he last pitched for the Carp.Hiroshima kept the number open for him during his time in the major leagues, where he wore 18.From staff and wire reports