Dean Evason Named Minnesota Wild Full-Time Head Coach, Agrees to New Contract

The Minnesota Wild announced Monday Dean Evason has been named the team's full-time coach after serving on an interim basis since February. 

"I am very excited to announce that Dean Evason is our full-time head coach," general manager Bill Guerin said in the release. "Dean has done a fantastic job as our interim head coach and deserves this opportunity. I look forward to watching our team under his leadership going forward."

The Wild are among the 24 teams set to resume their season in August after the season was suspended in March. The No. 10 seed in the Western Conference will face the No. 7 Vancouver Canucks in a best-of-five qualifier series.  

Minnesota was in the midst of an up-and-down season under Bruce Boudreau with a 27-23-7 record to start 2019-20. Though Boudreau entered his tenure with high expectations, he led the organization to the playoffs just twice in four seasons and never got past the first round.

Evason took over and led the squad to an 8-4-0 record in 12 appearances. Though it was a limited sample size before the NHL season was paused, the front office trusted him enough to hand the coach an extension through 2021-22.

This is the first head coaching opportunity for Evason in the NHL after serving parts of two seasons as an assistant for the Wild and seven years as an assistant with the Washington Capitals from 2005-12. He has also spent time as a head coach in the AHL and WHL dating back to 1999.

The 55-year-old is perhaps best known for his playing career that spanned 13 seasons from 1983-96. Evason appeared for five different organizations, including his seven years with the Hartford Whalers, totaling 87 goals and 148 assists in 434 games.