COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets hired former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason on Monday, filling the NHL's final head coaching vacancy two months before training camps open.
Evason, 59, will be Columbus’ third coach in as many seasons — not counting Mike Babcock, who was hired and then resigned on the eve of training camp last September following allegations he violated the privacy of players.
Monday's hire makes for an intriguing start to the Wild's season as they open the 2024-25 regular season by hosting Columbus.
New Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell fired Pascal Vincent soon after taking over control of the organization’s hockey operations department. Evason ultimately emerged as the top candidate in the coaching search to replace Vincent.
“(Evason) has spent well over two decades in this league as a player, assistant coach and head coach and I believe that experience, combined with the outstanding person he is, will allow Dean to get the best out of our players and put us in a position to succeed as a team," Waddell said in a statement.
The Blue Jackets said Evason agreed to a multiyear contract.
Evason coached the Wild for parts of the past five seasons before being fired and replaced by John Hynes in November. This is his second head-coaching job in the league, a career that also included a stint as an assistant with Washington.
In this role, Evason is tasked with helping end the Blue Jackets' postseason drought. They have missed the playoffs each of the last four years and have yet to get past the second round in 24 seasons as a franchise.
“There is a great core and a lot of young talent on this team," Evason said. "I am really looking forward to working with this group and helping us become a team that plays extremely hard and competes at the highest level.”
Evason was a scrappy center during his playing days, appearing in over 800 games with Washington, Hartford, San Jose, Dallas and Calgary from 1983-96.