This former Sabres coach is back in the NHL.
Former Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma is back in the NHL. The Seattle Kraken have hired the 53-year-old to be their second head coach in team history.
Since the Kraken fired Dave Hakstol, Bylsma has been one of the frontrunners for the head coaching gig. This is understandable, as the Michigan native has served as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, since the 2022-23 season.
Bylsma has had great success with the Firebirds. He will finish his tenure with the AHL club with a 94-32-11-7 regular season record. He also led the Firebirds to the Calder Cup Final last year but lost in Game 7 to the Hershey Bears.
Dan BylsmaThis gig with the Kraken will be Bylsma's first time as a head coach in the NHL since 2016-17 campaign when he was with the Sabres. However, he spent the 2018-19-2020-21 seasons as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings.
In 565 career NHL games behind the bench, as a head coach split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sabres, Bylsma has a 320-190-55 record. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009 and the Jack Adams Award in 2011.