After a slow start to the 2023-24 season, the Minnesota Wild have fired head coach Dean Evason. He will be replaced immediately by former New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators coach John Hynes, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
The Wild have gotten off to a 5-10-4 start this season, and they’re currently seven points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Considering the team had playoff expectations coming into the season, that won’t cut it, and general manager Bill Guerin decided to make a change.
On Monday evening, Minnesota announced that it was firing Evason, who spent five seasons with the franchise. In that time, Evason compiled a 147-77-27 record. In his first four years behind the bench, Evason took the Wild to the playoffs but they never reached the second round.
“Dean did an excellent job during his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, especially as head coach of our team,” Guerin said in a statement. “I am very thankful for his hard work and dedication to our organization.
Hynes comes in with nine years of head coaching experience, between the Devils and Predators. Hynes coached New Jersey from 2015 to 2019, and he led the franchise to a 150-159-45 record and one playoff appearance.
Shortly after Hynes was fired by the Devils in December of 2019, the Predators hired him to replace Peter Laviolette in January of 2020. In his four seasons with Nashville, the team went 134-96-18 and made the playoffs three times. However, the Predators won just three playoff games under his watch.
The Predators fired Hynes in the offseason after they failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2013-14. Hynes won’t have to wait long to face his former team because the Wild pay a visit to Nashville on Thursday night.
