Blue Jackets hire Evason as head coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets named Dean Evason their new head coach Monday.

Evason, 59, spent parts of five seasons as the bench boss of the Minnesota Wild, amassing a 147-77-27 record. He was fired on Nov. 28 and replaced by John Hynes.

"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," president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement.

"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," Waddell continued.

The Blue Jackets fired head coach Pascal Vincent on June 18 after one season. Vincent was promoted after Mike Babcock resigned before the campaign began.

Evason was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award in 2021 and finished fourth in voting the following year. Minnesota made the playoffs in each full season under Evason.

"There is a great core and a lot of young talent on this team," Evason said in a statement. "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."

Former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft was also reportedly a finalist for the job.

Columbus finished last in the Metropolitan Division with a 27-43-12 record and hasn't made the postseason since 2020.