Despite a disappointing playoff exit, Bill Guerin is doubling down on his coaching staff, citing meticulous preparation and internal culture as reasons to maintain organizational stability.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — After another playoff exit and growing outside speculation about the future behind the bench, Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin made one thing clear Monday: John Hynes is not going anywhere.
Not only does Guerin expect Hynes to return for next season, but he also expects the entire coaching staff to remain intact.
“I thought John did a great job this year,” Guerin said. “You guys know I’m a big believer in John and what he does and how he operates.”
Despite Minnesota’s second-round exit to the Colorado Avalanche and some at times, frustrating inconsistency throughout the postseason, Guerin pointed directly to Hynes’ preparation, detail, and communication as reasons why the organization continues to believe in its coaching staff.
“If you could have seen the detail of the work and the time that these guys put in between Game 2 and 3, to make those adjustments, to deliver the message to the team,” Guerin said. “That’s why I believe in John.”
The Wild’s season ended with a frustrating five-game series loss to Colorado, including an embarrassing Game 4 performance and a blown 3-0 first-period lead in Game 5 that ultimately ended Minnesota’s playoff run.
Those performances fueled outside criticism and questions about whether the Wild had plateaued under Hynes.
But Guerin’s comments Monday made it clear he does not view the coaching staff as the problem.
Instead, Guerin pointed toward execution, focus, and the team’s inability to consistently play the identity the organization believes gives them the best chance to win.
“Game 4 to me, the disappointment, that’s the one to me,” Guerin said. “Because when we play our game. When we do the things that we’re supposed to do. Play our game. The way we’re built. Not the game you want to play, the game we need to play, and when we do that, we’re very, very hard to beat.”
Guerin pointed specifically to the dramatic swing between Minnesota’s dominant Game 3 victory and its flat Game 4 loss as an example of the inconsistency that frustrated the organization most.
“And in Game 3, I saw our team do that,” Guerin said. “And that game wasn’t close. And then I saw in Game 4, a complete 180. And you saw the result. It wasn’t close the other way.”
Bill Guerin and John Hynes speak at the end-of-season media availability. Photo: Dylan Loucks/THN.Under Hynes, the Wild have shown stretches of structure, discipline, and strong defensive hockey. The Wild are 125-78-24 under Hynes and have made the postseason twice in his two full seasons.
But recurring issues continued to surface throughout the postseason.
The power play remained inconsistent, the penalty kill let up goals in ten consecutive games, and the Wild often failed to elevate their game against elite opponents in critical moments.
Still, Guerin’s endorsement on Monday strongly suggested he believes the foundation remains in place.
“What separates John from other coaches is the time that he puts into the messaging,” Guerin said. “It’s not just, ‘This is what I say. I’m cramming it down your throat. Do it.’ He gives them the reason why.”
The Wild now enter one of the most important offseasons of Guerin’s tenure.
With franchise cornerstone Kirill Kaprizov entering the first season of his massive new extension and a core featuring Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Joel Eriksson Ek, expectations around the organization continue to rise.
But after publicly backing Hynes, Guerin made it clear Monday he believes Minnesota’s next step forward will not come from changing coaches.
Instead, the Wild believe the breakthrough must come from learning how to consistently execute the identity they believe can make them contenders.
“In 48 hours, going from a well-oiled machine that played great, did all the things right, to going 48 hours later not doing those things,” Guerin said, “I think that’s something that we’re all going to need to learn from.”
Hynes now owns an 11-25 career playoff record as an NHL head coach and is still searching for his first victory in an elimination game, falling to 0-6 after Minnesota’s Game 5 loss to Colorado.
He is 7-10 in the playoffs with the Wild and 125-78-24 during the regular season since taking over behind the bench during the 2023-24 season.
Despite the postseason struggles and continued questions surrounding the team’s ability to break through in big moments, Guerin made it clear on Monday he believes in Hynes. Guerin backed that Hynes and his staff remains as the right group to lead Minnesota forward.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
