Dean Evason fired as Columbus coach, hired Rick Bones
It’s been a disappointing season so far for Columbus Blue Jackets. They are currently in last place in the Metropolitan Division and tied for last in the Eastern Conference. Despite that a much-needed win over the Utah MammothsThe Blue Jackets have lost 12 of their last 18 games. This led to a head coaching change for the franchise.
The Blue Jackets fired Dean Evason and replaced him as full-time head coach with Rick Bones. according to a team statement on X, formerly Twitter.
Evason was in his second year with the Blue Jackets after spending time as a coach in the AHL and then with the Minnesota Wild in the NHL. The coach was successful in his time in Minnesota. He took over midway through the 2019-2020 season and retained the job for the 2020-2021 campaign. The former NHLer led the Wild to three playoff appearances in his first three years. However, he was released in 2023-2024 after just 19 games and Minnesota’s 5-10-4 start.
The Blue Jackets were hoping to bring past success to the franchise. In his first year in Columbus, the Jackets went 40-33-9, but missed the playoffs. With the likelihood of missing the playoffs again, the front office made a change.
This is a developing story with more to come.
2026-01-12 21:52:00
