Columbus Blue Jackets hire Dean Evason as new head coach

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TJ Tucker
July 22, 2024 (2:55 PM)

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Dean Evason, former coach of the Minnesota Wild, has been announced as the new head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets starting in the 2024-25 season

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that Dean Evason will be the team's newest head coach, and has signed on for more than one year to lead the team behind the bench.

"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 has a coaching record of 147-77-27 in 251 games over five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. He was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in 2020-21 and finished fourth in voting for the award in 2021-22.

"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 Blue Jackets General Manager Don 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."

Outside of coaching, Evason played more than 800 regular season games in the NHL, most of them with the Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers. He also suited up with San Jose Sharks, the Dallas Stars, and Calgary Flames.