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.
