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New Blue Jackets HC Dean Evason has unfiltered response regarding his Minnesota return for season opener
New Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason opened up about his return to Minnesota for the season opener. Hired by the Blue Jackets on Monday, Evason will face his old team, the Minnesota Wild, on October 10 in St. Paul. The Wild fired Evason last November after a sluggish start to the season. In an introductory press conference on July 23, he was clear about his feelings on the matchup:
“You know what I dislike? It’s when ex-coaches go in and say, ‘Oh, this game means nothing to me.’ That’s such bull. Of course, it means something to you. I mean, they just fired me last year. Of course, it means something to me. Do we want to win any more than we want to win game two? No.
“You want to win every game but does it mean something? Yeah, absolutely. But fortunately, or unfortunately, I can’t put skates on anymore. So, we will do our best to get the team prepared to play that game one and definitely get off on the right foot."
Evason is focused on preparing the Blue Jackets for a strong start to the season.
Dean Evason on his role as Blue Jackets new head coach
Dean Evason shared his excitement about the new role, saying he’s focused on winning games and achieving success with the Blue Jackets.
“If you talk to anyone around the National Hockey League, or probably anyone in this room, they talk about what an incredible city this is, what incredible people are here," Evason said. "And that's not lost on us. It's not lost on my wife and my family for sure.
"But we're here to win hockey games. We're here to do a job. I'm not here to live. I’m here to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets and I'm here to have success. So, that excites me." (H/T NHL.com).
Dean Evason acknowledged how rare the job is and expressed his gratitude for the chance:
“There are 32 jobs in the NHL. It’s not lost how special this is, how appreciative I am for the opportunity."
The team had a tough season, finishing with a 27-43-12 record and ending up last in the Metropolitan Division. Evason’s hiring follows a trend of coaching changes in the NHL this offseason.
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