Columbus Blue Jackets President and General Manager Don Waddell announced today that Dean Evason has signed a multi-year contract to serve as the club’s head coach in the National Hockey League. Evason will be introduced at a press conference to be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23, at Nationwide Arena.
Evason, 59, served as head coach of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild for five seasons, appearing in 251 games with a record of 147 wins, 77 losses and 27 ties. He was named interim head coach of the club on February 14, 2020 and was promoted to head coach on July 13, 2020, serving in that position until November 27, 2023. Evason’s .639 goals-against percentage ranks fifth among active NHL coaches with at least 250 games played behind the bench, and during Evason’s tenure, the Wild ranked eighth in the league in goals-against percentage, seventh in goals per game average (3.28) and 10th in wins. Evason was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL’s Coach of the Year in the 2020-21 season and finished fourth in voting for the award in the 2021-22 season. He led the Wild to a Stanley Cup playoff appearance each of his first four seasons behind the bench.
“Dean Evason brings the passion, work ethic and tenacity he developed as a player to his coaching role, and I couldn’t be more excited for him to become the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets,” said Waddell. “He’s spent more than 20 years in this league as a player, assistant coach and head coach, and I believe that experience, combined with his great personality, will help Dean bring out the best in his players and put us in a position to be successful as a team.”
Evason joined the Wild as an assistant coach on June 6, 2018. He spent six seasons as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League from 2012-2018. He led the team to a record of 242 wins, 161 losses, and 53 ties (.589 winning percentage) in 456 games, including a 48-23-5 record (101 points/.664 winning percentage) and a Central Division championship in 2015-16. During his tenure, the Admirals appeared in the Calder Cup Playoffs four times.
“I am extremely proud and honored to have been named head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and am extremely grateful for the opportunity that Don, the McConnell family and Mike Priest have given me,” Evason said. “This team has a great core of players and a lot of young talent, and 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.”
Prior to coming to Milwaukee, Evason spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals from 2005-2012. During that time, Washington won four consecutive Southeast Division titles (2007-2011), advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of his final five seasons (2007-2012) and won the Presidents Trophy in 2009-2010.
Evason began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (1998-99) before serving as head coach of the Kamloops Blazers for three seasons (1999-2002), head coach of the Vancouver Giants for two seasons (2002-04) and as co-coach of the Hitmen in 2004-05.
Internationally, Evason has represented Canada in numerous competitions both as a player and coach. He played in the 1984 IIHF World Junior Championship, captained the Canadian national team in the 1996-97 season and led the team to a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Championship. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Evason, a centre, was selected by the Capitals in the fifth round, 89th overall, in the 1982 NHL Draft. He finished his 13th year in the NHL with 139 goals, 233 assists, 372 points and 1,000 penalty minutes in 803 games with the Capitals, Hartford Whalers, San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames from 1983-1996. He played the final three seasons of his career in Europe, first with EV Zug in Switzerland (part of 1996-1997) and then two seasons with EV Landshut in Germany (1997-1999).
He played junior hockey with the Spokane Flyers and Kamloops Junior Oilers of the WHL, appearing in 200 games with a record of 150 wins, 251 losses and 401 ties from 1980-1984. In 1982-1983 he recorded 71 wins, 93 losses and 164 ties in 70 games and the following season he recorded 49 wins, 88 losses and 137 ties in 57 games, helping Kamloops reach the Memorial Cup tournament. Evason was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba on August 22, 1964. He is married to Genevieve and they have three children, Bryce, Brianne and Brooke, and two grandchildren, Connor and Hudson.
Media Date – Tuesday 23rd July
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell and head coach Dean Evason will meet with the media at 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday in the Founders Club on the suites level of Nationwide Arena.
The session will be streamed live on the Blue Jackets YouTube page and then recorded and posted on BlueJackets.com.
