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"Blue Jackets Appoint Dean Evason as Long-Awaited Head Coach"

Blue Jackets Appoint Dean Evason as Head Coach to Ultimately Fill HC Position
Michael Taker
By Michael Taker
Reading time: 6 min

Dean Evason was appointed as the new head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, concluding a thorough search for Pascal Vincent's successor.

At 59 years old, Evason had a record of 147-77-27 during his time as head coach for the Minnesota Wild, with a qualifying record of 8-15 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for each of his four previous seasons before being let go early in the 2023-24 season.

\"I am extremely proud and honored to be chosen as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by Don (Waddell, general manager), the McConnell family, and (president) Mike Priest,\" Evason stated. \"This team has a great core and a lot of promising young talent. I am excited to work with this group and help us become a team that plays with determination and competes at the highest level.\"

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Vincent was relieved of his duties at the end of his first season as head coach for the Blue Jackets. The team's last-place finish in the Metropolitan Division marked their second consecutive year finishing last in the Eastern Conference.

In May, the Blue Jackets hired Don Waddell as president of hockey operations after his resignation from the same position with the Carolina Hurricanes. Waddell announced in late June that the search for a new coach had begun, but he prioritized free agency and draft decisions leading up to July.

\"Dean Evason brings the same passion, hard work, and tenacity to coaching that he displayed as a player and I am thrilled that he will be the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets,\" Waddell stated. \"With over two decades of experience in this league as a player, assistant coach, and head coach, I believe that Dean's expertise, combined with his outstanding character, will bring out the best in our players and lead us to success as a team.\"

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