The Columbus Blue Jackets have completed one big task this offseason, finally selecting a new head coach and naming Dean Evason as their bench boss going forward.
Got our guy 🤩
We have named Dean Evason our new Head Coach!
We are pleased to welcome Dean and his wife Genevieve #CBJ family!
📝 https://t.co/BMpvXKi4yc pic.twitter.com/Fu7N16zAN5
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 22, 2024
Evason will be the Blue Jackets’ fourth coach in the past 15 months. Brad Larsen was fired in April 2023, and at this time last year, the team began its infamous head coaching drama by bringing in the controversial Mike Babcock. The team later admitted it was a mistake, fired him before he even coached a single game in Columbus, and abruptly replaced him with assistant Pascal Vincent just days before the start of training camp.
Naturally things got messy and after another disappointing season, Vincent was relieved of his duties.
Evason’s only previous NHL job was a highly successful one with the Minnesota Wild, where he appeared in 251 games over five seasons and compiled a record of 147 wins, 77 losses and 27 ties. He finished in the top four in Manager of the Year voting twice and led the Wild to a playoff appearance in each of his four seasons with the Wild.
“Dean Evason brings the same passion, work ethic and tenacity he developed as a player to his coaching role, and we couldn’t be more excited about him becoming the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets,” said Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell. “He’s spent more than 20 years in this league as a player, assistant coach and head coach, and we believe that experience, combined with his great personality, will help Dean bring out the best in his players and put us in a position to be successful as a team.”
The Wild struggled to get off to a good start last season, going 5-10-4 and leading to the firing of coach Evason, but the Wild’s loss was the Blue Jackets’ gain.
Columbus finished last year with a record of 27 wins, 43 losses and 12 ties under Vincent, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Photo: © Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
