Bill Guerin didn’t want to fire head coach Dean Evason. However, with the way the Minnesota Wild have played since the start of the season, the general manager felt he had no choice in making a change behind the bench.
“I think we were at a point where almost no matter what they did, guys were having trouble executing and generating offense,” Guerin said. Something had to change. »
“‘We can’t trade 23 players,’ goes the old adage. But I had this feeling that things were not going to get back together. »
John Hynes replaced Evason on Monday. This was the second time in five years that Guerin replaced his head coach during the season.
Evason, who was named head coach on February 14, 2020 when Bruce Boudreau was fired, had a record of 147-77-27 in 251 regular season games, in addition to an 8-15 mark in the playoffs . Under Evason’s leadership, the Wild never won a series.
The Wild were 5-10-4 until Evason was fired this season.
“It’s the confidence, it’s the audacity, it’s the ability to make plays, it’s the feeling that when you jump on the ice, you’re going to accomplish something,” Guerin said of this that he wants to see. It just didn’t seem like it was going to come back [with Evason]. »
Matt Boldy, who scored 31 goals last season, found the back of the net just once in 12 games in his first season of his new seven-year, $49 million contract.
Evason criticized his young star, asking him to take his game up a notch. The Wild are 22nd in the league in goals per game average (2.95), and second-to-last in goals allowed (3.95). The Wild’s penalty kill is the worst in the NHL with a 66.7% success rate.
Hynes agreed to a contract with the Wild that ends later than this season. Guerin declined to release any more details than that. However, it is obvious that the general manager of the Wild did not just want to fill a position for the remainder of this season.
“I’m excited to lead this group,” Hynes said at a press conference. Looking at the dynamic of the group, there is talent, big players, speed and good goalkeepers. I think this is a group you can win with. »
The team also hired Patrick Dwyer as an assistant coach to replace Bob Woods, who was also fired. Dwyer was with the Wild’s farm club in the American Hockey League.
