Dean Evason

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Dean Evason
Dean Evason.jpg
Evason coaching the Milwaukee Admirals in 2012
Born (1964-08-22) August 22, 1964 (age 60)
Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Washington Capitals
Hartford Whalers
San Jose Sharks
Dallas Stars
Calgary Flames
EV Zug
EV Landshut
Current NHL coach Columbus Blue Jackets
Coached for Minnesota Wild
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL draft 89th overall, 1982
Washington Capitals
Playing career 19831999
Coaching career 1999present

Dean Clement Evason (born August 22, 1964) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously served as head coach of the Minnesota Wild. Evason was selected by the Washington Capitals in the fifth round (89th overall) of the 1982 NHL entry draft. Evason was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba, but grew up in Brandon, Manitoba.

Contents

Playing career

Selected by the Capitals in the 1982 NHL entry draft, Evason played in the NHL from 1983 to 1996 for the Capitals, Hartford Whalers, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, and Calgary Flames. He was most successful as a member of the Hartford Whalers, where he compiled career highs with the team with 87 goals and 165 assists for 261 points. Evason was a 20-goal scorer twice with Hartford and was well known for his ability to get the puck to other players for goals during difficult situations on the ice.

Evason also played in Switzerland, for the Canadian National Team, and in the German Hockey League before retiring as an active player. In 803 NHL games, playing primarily as a defensive-minded forward, he had 139 goals and 233 assists.

International play

Medal record
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1997 Finland

Evason first played for Canada at the 1984 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships while during a terrific campaign for the Kamloops Junior Oilers. His selection to the squad was somewhat of a surprise, [1] but he proved to be a productive player, recording six goals and nine points in seven games for the fourth-place Canadian squad. [2] The Canadians narrowly missed out on a medal to the third-place Czechoslovakian team, losing 6-4 in their match against them that decided the medals. It would be thirteen additional years before Evason was again selected to represent his country.

His final opportunity occurred in 1997 when Canadian national team coach Andy Murray offered him a spot on the roster and the captaincy in exchange for playing a full season for the national team, which was then together for ten months per year. [1] Evason was the only non-NHL player on the Canadian roster that won their first World Championships in three years, beating Sweden in the finals, scoring two goals and adding three assists during the tournament. [3]

Coaching career

Before joining the Capitals as an assistant coach, Evason spent many years in the Western Hockey League in various coaching capacities, starting in 1999 as an assistant with the Calgary Hitmen. He then became the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers from 1999 to 2002 and the Vancouver Giants from 2002 to 2004. He returned to the Hitmen for the 2004–05 season as a co-coach.

In 2005, he was hired by the Washington Capitals as an assistant coach. In 2012, he was hired by the Milwaukee Admirals as head coach, where he served for six seasons to become the team's second-winningest coach in their history. In 2018, he was hired by the Minnesota Wild as an assistant coach. [4] On February 14, 2020, Evason was named interim head coach of the Wild. [5]

On July 13, 2020, the Wild dropped the "interim" tag from Evason's title and named him the fifth full-time head coach in franchise history. [6]

After parts of five seasons with the team, the Wild fired Evason on November 27, 2023, after a 5–10–4 start capped by a seven-game losing streak. [7] [8]

On July 22, 2024, Evason was hired as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, succeeding Pascal Vincent. [9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1980–81 Cowichan Valley Capitals BCJHL 5020517139
1980–81 Spokane Flyers WHL 31120
1981–82 Spokane FlyersWHL268142265
1981–82 Kamloops Junior Oilers WHL442155764742130
1982–83 Kamloops Junior OilersWHL7071931641027571218
1983–84 Kamloops Junior OilersWHL574988137891721204133
1983–84 Washington Capitals NHL 20000
1984–85 Washington CapitalsNHL153472
1984–85 Hartford Whalers NHL20000
1984–85 Binghamton Whalers AHL 652749763883589
1985–86 Hartford WhalersNHL55202848651014510
1985–86 Binghamton WhalersAHL269172629
1986–87 Hartford WhalersNHL8022375967532535
1987–88 Hartford WhalersNHL7710182811561122
1988–89 Hartford WhalersNHL6711172860412310
1989–90 Hartford WhalersNHL78182543138722422
1990–91 Hartford WhalersNHL7562329170604429
1991–92 San Jose Sharks NHL7411152699
1992–93 San Jose SharksNHL84121931132
1993–94 Dallas Stars NHL8011334466902212
1994–95 Dallas StarsNHL47871548512312
1995–96 Calgary Flames NHL6777143830110
1996–97 EV Zug NLA 3011240224
1997–98 EV Landshut DEL 428223038603318
1998–99 EV LandshutDEL451325387630112
NHL totals8031392333721,0005592029132

Head coaching record

WHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLOTLSOLPtsFinishWLWin%Result
KAM 1999–00 72363051784th in West04.000Lost in first round (SEA)
KAM 2000–01 72352872793rd in West04.000Lost in first round (SPK)
KAM 2001–02 72382554851st in B.C.04.000Lost in first round (KEL)
VAN 2002–03 72392751842nd in B.C.24.333Lost in first round (KOO)
VAN 2003–04 72342882783rd in B.C.14.200Lost in first round (VAN)
CGY 2004–05 72342396833rd in Central74.636Lost in second round (BDN)
Total4322161613916487 1024.2946 playoff appearances

AHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLOTLSOLPtsFinishWLWin%Result
MIL 2012–13 76412843892nd in Midwest13.250Lost in first round (TEX)
MIL 2013–14 76392467913rd in Midwest03.000Lost in first round (TOR)
MIL 2014–15 76332887815th in Midwest---Did not qualify
MIL 2015–16 764823321011st in Central03.000Lost in first round (GR)
MIL 2016–17 76432643953rd in Central03.000Lost in first round (GR)
MIL 2017–18 76383242826th in Central---Did not qualify
Total4562421612924539 112.0774 playoff appearances

NHL

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
GWLOTLPtsFinishWLWin%Result
MIN 2019–20 12*840(16)6th in Central 13.250Lost in qualifying round (VAN)
MIN 2020–21 5635165753rd in West 34.429Lost in first round (VGK)
MIN 2021–22 82532271132nd in Central24.333Lost in first round (STL)
MIN 2022–23 824625111033rd in Central24.333Lost in first round (DAL)
MIN 2023–24 195104(14)(fired)
MIN total2511477727  815.3484 playoff appearances
CBJ 2024–25 8240339894th in Metropolitan Missed playoffs
MIN total8240339   
Total33318711036  815.3484 playoff appearances

Awards and achievements

References

  1. 1 2 Joyce, Gare, ed. Hockey Canada: Thirty Years of Going for Gold at the World Juniors. Toronto ON: Penguin Group (Canada), 2011. 18-21. Print.
  2. "Elite Prospects - WJC-20 Stats 1983-1984". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  3. "Elite Prospects - WC Stats 1996-1997". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  4. "Dean Evason Hired by Minnesota Wild as Assistant Coach". OurSportsCentral.com. June 6, 2018.
  5. "Wild names Dean Evason Interim Head Coach". NHL.com. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  6. "Wild names Dean Evason full-time head coach". NHL.com. July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  7. "Head Coach Dean Evason and Assistant Coach Bob Woods Relieved of Duties". NHL.com. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  8. "Evason fired as Wild coach, no replacement named". NHL.com. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  9. "Evason hired as Blue Jackets coach, replaces Vincent". NHL.com. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals
20122018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Minnesota Wild
20202023
Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets
2024–present
Incumbent