Wild fire coach Dean Evason amid losing skid

Field Level Media|published: Mon 27th November, 18:28 2023

Oct 13, 2022; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason looks on during the second period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. credits: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

After a seven-game losing streak and a 5-10-4 start to the season, the Minnesota Wild fired head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Bob Woods on Monday.

The moves come in advance of the Wild's home game against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. No replacement or interim coach was immediately named.

Minnesota is 0-5-2 over its seven-game skid and 3-4-2 at home this season.

Evason, 59, departs with a 147-77-27 record since he was named head coach in February of 2020. The Wild advanced to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons under Evason but never got past the first round. They lost a qualifying-round series in 2020.

Only the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are worse than the Wild in the Central Division, while Minnesota is the third-worst team in the NHL. The Wild's 77 goals allowed are fourth worst in the league they are the NHL's worst team with a 66.7 penalty-kill percentage.

"We need to understand what is at stake here," Wild forward Pat Maroon said after a 4-1 loss Sunday to the Detroit Red Wings. "We're losing points by the sack."

—Field Level Media