The Minnesota Wild have decided to part ways with head coach Dean Evason and assistant Bob Woods following a string of 14 losses in the first 19 games of the season. This is a major shakeup for the team, as Evason had been with the Wild since 2019 and Woods since 2018.
The Wild have been struggling this season, with a record of 8-11-0. They have been unable to find consistency and have been unable to put together any sort of winning streak. This has resulted in the team falling to the bottom of the Central Division standings.
The decision to part ways with Evason and Woods was not an easy one for the Wild. Evason had been with the team for two seasons and had led them to the playoffs in 2019. Woods had been with the team for three seasons and had been instrumental in developing young players.
However, the team felt that a change was necessary in order to get back on track. General Manager Bill Guerin said, “We thank Dean and Bob for their hard work and dedication to the Minnesota Wild organization. We felt that a change was necessary at this time in order to get our team back on track and competing for a playoff spot.”
The Wild have yet to name a new head coach, but they are expected to make an announcement soon. In the meantime, assistant coach Darryl Sydor will take over as interim head coach. Sydor has been with the Wild since 2018 and has experience as a head coach in the AHL.
It remains to be seen if the Wild can turn things around under their new head coach. However, it is clear that the team felt that a change was necessary in order to get back on track. Only time will tell if this move will pay off for the Wild.
