Blue Jackets Announce New Head Coach

July 22, 2024

Columbus Blue Jackets President and General Manager Don Waddell today announced that Dean Evason has agreed to a multi-year contract to serve as head coach of the National Hockey League club. Evason will be introduced at a press conference at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m.

Evason, 59, amassed a 147-77-27 record in 251 games over parts of five seasons as head coach of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. He was named the club’s interim head coach on Feb. 14, 2020, was elevated to head coach on July 13, 2020 and held the position through Nov. 27, 2023. His .639 points percentage ranks fifth among active NHL coaches with 250 or more contestsbehind the bench, while the Wild ranked eighth in the league in points percentage, seventh in goals-per-game (3.28) and 10th in wins during his tenure.He was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL’s Coach of the Year, in 2020-21and finished fourth in voting for the award in 2021-22. He led the Wild to appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his first four seasons behind the bench.

“Dean Evason brings to coaching what he brought as a player – passion, hard work and tenacity – and I couldn’t be happier that he will serve as the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets,” said Waddell. “He 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.”

Evason originally joined the Wild as an assistant coach on June 6, 2018. He spent the previous six seasons as the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals from 2012-18. He guided the club to a record of 242-161-53 (.589) in 456 contests, including a 48-23-5 mark (101 pts./.664) and a Central Division title in 2015-16. During his tenure, the Admirals made four appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

“I am incredibly proud and honored to be named the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and appreciate very much the opportunity that Don, the McConnell family and Mike Priest have extended to me,” said Evason. “There is a great core and a lot of young talent on this team. I am really looking forward to working with this group and helping us become a team that playsextremely hard and competes at the highest level.”

Prior to Milwaukee, Evason spent seven campaigns as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals from 2005-12. During that time, Washington captured four consecutive Southeast Division titles (2007-11), advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his last five seasons (2007-12) and won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2009-10.

Evason began his coaching career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as an assistant coach with the Calgary Hitmen (1998-99). He then served as a head coach of the Kamloops Blazers for three seasons (1999-2002), the Vancouver Giants for two campaigns (2002-04) and co-coach of the Hitmen in 2004-05.

Internationally, Evason has represented Canada at numerous tournaments, both as a player and coach. He skated in the 1984 IIHF World Junior Championships and served as captain of the Canadian National Team during the 1996-97 season, leading the club to a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Championships. He most recently served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships.

A center, Evason was selected in the fifth round, 89th overall, by the Capitals in the 1982 NHL Draft. He finished a 13-year NHL career with 139 goals and 233 assists for 372 points with 1,000 penalty minutes in 803 games with the Capitals, Hartford Whalers, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames from 1983-96. He played the final three seasons of his career in Europe, first with EV Zug in Switzerland (part of 1996-97) before spending two campaigns with EV Landshut in Germany (1997-99).

He played junior hockey with the WHL’s Spokane Flyers and Kamloops Junior Oilers, racking up 150-251-401 in 200 careeroutings from 1980-84. In 1982-83, he tallied 71-93-164 in 70 games and the following season added 49-88-137 in 57 outings to help Kamloops advance to the Memorial Cup Tournament.Evason was born on Aug. 22, 1964, in Flin Flon, Manitoba. He is married to Genevieve and has three children, Bryce, Brianne and Brooke, as well as two grandsons, Connor and Hudson.