Pittsburgh Penguins
Could Former Penguins Coaches Reunite With Kraken?
A pair of former Pittsburgh Penguins coaches may reunite with the Seattle Kraken.
PITTSBURGH – Could another former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization find their way to the Seattle Kraken? Dan Bylsma was recently announced as the second head coach in Kraken franchise history, and one of his first orders of business will be finding assistant coaches to work with.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Bylsma might have his eyes on a former Penguins assistant. Friedman has been told that Bylsma is interested in former Penguins assistant Todd Reirden.
“I’ve also heard that Byslma is interested in Todd Reirden,” Friedman said. “They have a history together. So I’m not surprised to hear that.”
Reirden first joined the Penguins organization prior to the 2010-11 season as an assistant to Bylsma. In their first season working together, Bylsma finished the season as the NHL’s Jack Adams Award winner as the league’s best coach.
The Penguins fired Bylsma and Reirden within a month of each other in 2014. After 10 years apart, the two may reunite in the Pacific Northwest.
Friedman stated that Reirden could be a top choice for the assistant coaching position, following Jessica Campbell, the current assistant with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Campbell and Bylsma have had a successful working relationship with the Firebirds in their two seasons of existence. Last year, they went to the Calder Cup Final and are looking to punch their ticket to the Final for the second straight season.
Friedman reports that Campbell is likely the front-runner as her name came up in Bylsma’s interview process.
As the Kraken continue to collect former Penguins, Reirden may become another name to keep an eye on heading to Seattle.
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