May 28, 2024, 05:28 PM ET
SEATTLE — When Dan Bylsma took the job as an assistant coach in the American Hockey League in 2021, his hope was to rediscover some enjoyment being a coach.
Being back on an NHL bench at that point was the furthest thing from his mind.
“I think I needed to discover the joy of coaching again and changing a little bit in establishing relationships with the players,” Bylsma said. “Having done that over the past three years, it’s led me to this wanting to be the opportunity that I took next.”
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Bylsma was introduced as the second head coach in the history of the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, putting him in charge of an NHL bench for the first time since 2017.
It’s been a bit of a journey for Bylsma since his previous head coaching job at the NHL level in Buffalo. There were a few years as an assistant coach in Detroit after his dismissal in Buffalo. There was the assistant job with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL during the 2021-22 season that became the stepping stone to taking over as the head coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds for their first season in 2022-23 as the top affiliate for the Kraken.
And now comes the chance to again oversee a team and see if he can replicate some of the success from his first stint as an NHL head coach in Pittsburgh when he won a Stanley Cup title, made the playoffs six times and won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
“He’s worked hard to get back to this level and earn this opportunity,” Seattle general manager Ron Francis said.
Bylsma replaces Dave Hakstol, who was fired following his third season in charge after the Kraken took a significant step backward and struggled badly at the offensive end of the ice. Seattle made the playoffs in its second year and earned Hakstol a two-year contract extension, but he was let go before that extension ever kicked in.
Francis said he interviewed five candidates for the job before eventually choosing Bylsma.
“Watching him work with Coachella Valley the…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/40235654/kraken-dan-bylsma-rediscovered-joy-coaching-ahl
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Publish date : 2024-05-28 23:00:13
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