Brewin Flames Posted May 28, 2024 Posted May 28, 2024 Bylsma hired as coach of Kraken, replaces Hakstol 53-year-old will lead 1st NHL team since Sabres in 2016-17 © Bill Wippert/NHLI ByNHL.com @NHLdotcom 12:33 PM Dan Bylsma was named coach of the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. The 53-year-old, who won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, replaces Dave Hakstol and is the Kraken's second coach since they joined the NHL as an expansion team for the 2021-22 season. Bylsma will coach in the NHL for the first time since 2016-17 with the Buffalo Sabres. He guided Seattle's American Hockey League affiliate in Coachella Valley to the Western Conference Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs in each of his two seasons and is 320-190-55 in 565 NHL games coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sabres. He will continue to coach Coachella Valley through the Calder Cup Playoffs. Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is Wednesday in Palm Springs. “I have a familiarity with a lot of the players and staff here and think we have a chance to build something special together,” Bylsma said. “I’d like to thank everyone with the Coachella Valley Firebirds for welcoming my wife and me with open arms, and I’d like to thank Samantha Holloway and the entire Kraken ownership group, as well as Ron Francis, for trusting me with this opportunity.” The Kraken (34-35-3) fired Hakstol on April 29. They failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing sixth in the Pacific Division, one season after advancing to the Western Conference Second Round, a seven-game loss to the Dallas Stars. Bylsma was an assistant coach for Charlotte, the 2021-22 regular-season champions affiliated with the Kraken and Florida Panthers. He coached the Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup championship after replacing Michel Therrien on Feb. 15, going 18-3-4. At 38-years-old, Bylsma was the youngest coach in the NHL at the time. Two seasons later, he won the Jack Adams Award voted as NHL coach of the year when the Penguins went 49-25-8 despite 350 man-games lost because of injury and missing forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the final 35 regular-season games. “Dan is a winner with a proven track record of developing both young and veteran talent, and his leadership will help our team as we move forward,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. “He has had success at every level, winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, earning a Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach in 2011, and he led the Firebirds to Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals last year in the team’s first season. He knows our franchise and has worked with several of our NHL players. We are excited to have him behind the bench and guiding our team next season.” Bylsma coached the United States at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and guided the Sabres for two seasons (2015-17). He was a Detroit Red Wings assistant for three seasons before joining the Kraken player development group for the 2021-22 season. He was also an AHL assistant in Cincinnati and Wilkes/Barre Scranton and the New York Islanders before becoming Wilkes/Barre Scranton coach in 2008-09. He played 429 NHL games as a forward for the Los Angeles Kings and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim after he was a sixth-round pick (No. 109) of the Winnipeg Jets in the 1989 NHL Draft. He earned the nickname "Disco Dan" while playing for Phoenix of the International Hockey League from 1994-96. The San Jose Sharks are the only team without a coach. Since the regular season ended, the Sabres hired Lindy Ruff on April 22, Travis Green joined the Ottawa Senators on May 7, the Toronto Maple Leafs named Craig Berube to the position May 17, Sheldon Keefe was hired by the New Jersey Devils on May 23 and Scott Arniel became coach of the Winnipeg Jets the next day. Quote
flyercanuck Posted May 28, 2024 Posted May 28, 2024 Smart move....with Gavin McKenna slated to go 1st overall in the 2026 draft, Bylsma is the guy to get them there! 1 Quote
OccamsRazor Posted April 21 Posted April 21 On 5/28/2024 at 1:39 PM, flyercanuck said: Smart move....with Gavin McKenna slated to go 1st overall in the 2026 draft, Bylsma is the guy to get them there! Even bud we miss you i'm talking to your Ghost i know i need my head examined. Well this didn't last long. One year was enough i guess... Quote
Brewin Flames Posted April 21 Author Posted April 21 Kraken fire coach Dan Bylsma after 1 season The Seattle Kraken have fired coach Dan Bylsma after one season, the team announced Monday. Bylsma was fired after guiding the Kraken (35-41-6) in a single campaign that saw them finish 20 points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot and miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season. "We thank Dan for his commitment and the energy he brought to our organization over the past four years at the NHL and AHL levels," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. "After a thorough review of the season and our expectations for next year and beyond, we've made the difficult decision to move in a different direction behind the bench." This now means the Kraken will be searching for their third head coach in as many seasons having fired Dave Hakstol last offseason. Bylsma previously coached the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins. It was in Pittsburgh that he saw his most success, winning the Stanley Cup in his first year on the job in the 2008-09 season, and then winning the Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach in the 2010-11 season. Before being hired as the Kraken's head coach, Bylsma spent the previous two seasons as the head coach of the team's AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Kraken now join a slew of teams seeking a new bench boss this offseason. On Monday, Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford told reporters that the team declined to pick up the option on coach Rick Tocchet, but offered him a new, more lucrative deal in the hopes that he'll stay and not head elsewhere. Over the weekend, the New York Rangers fired Peter Laviolette and the Anaheim Ducks fired Greg Cronin. Quote
ruxpin Posted April 22 Posted April 22 When is it time to fire Ron Francis? Asking for a friend. Quote
Brewin Flames Posted April 22 Author Posted April 22 5 hours ago, ruxpin said: When is it time to fire Ron Francis? Asking for a friend. Didn't get fired...got Promoted instead. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.