Nobody saw this one coming: Avalanche make a massive change to their coaching staff
Photo credit: TSN.ca / The Canadian Press
The Colorado Avalanche have just hired former Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol as an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
A familiar face with years of coaching experience is making his return behind an NHL bench.
Avalanche make a massive coaching change.
Tyler Kuehl from the Daily Faceoff writes Hakstol joins a seasoned coaching staff led by Jared Bednar, who enters his 10th season at the helm of the Avalanche in 2025-26. He'll work alongside assistant coach Nolan Pratt, goaltending coach Jussi Parkkila, and video coach Brett Heimlich.
Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland acknowledges that adding someone with Hakstol's experience to the coaching staff can be a valuable asset for the team.
«Dave brings a wealth of knowledge and experience behind the bench and will be a great fit on Jared's staff. He has an extensive coaching background with a lot of success and will be a valuable addition to our team.» -MacFarland
Hakstol expressed his excitement about returning to the NHL, saying he's thrilled to join one of the premier organizations in the league.
«I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the Avalanche. This is a proud organization with a lot of talented players and a tremendous coaching staff led by Jared Bednar. I look forward to being a part of this special group and can't wait to get to work and help the team in any way that I can.» -Hakstol
Hakstol had been without a coaching role since being let go by the Seattle Kraken after the 2023-24 season. He served as the inaugural head coach of the franchise when it joined the NHL in 2021 and led them to an impressive second-round playoff run in 2023, ironically knocking out the Avalanche in the first round.
"It was the Alberta native's second head coaching gig in the NHL. He broke into the league with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015. Despite qualifying for the playoffs twice in three seasons, he was let go in the middle of the 2018-19 campaign. Hakstol then moved north, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff as an assistant in 2019, working with the team for two seasons before being hired by Seattle." -Kuehl
Hakstol holds an overall NHL head coaching record of 241 wins, 213 losses, and 69 overtime/shootout losses.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 8 | 23 ANSWERS Nobody saw this one coming: Avalanche make a massive change to their coaching staff Could the Avalanche's new coaching hire change the team's outlook for next season? | ||
| yes | 21 | 91.3 % |
| no | 2 | 8.7 % |
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