DENVER, CO – The Colorado Avalanche have made a significant addition to their coaching staff, bringing aboard a familiar face from recent playoff history: former Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol. Announced on Tuesday, Hakstol joins Jared Bednar’s staff with a clear mandate: revitalize the team’s power play.
The move comes in the wake of the Avalanche’s disappointing first-round exit in the recent playoffs, where their vaunted power play unit, featuring stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, managed a meager 3-for-22 performance across the seven-game series against the Dallas Stars. Compounding the issue, the team also surrendered seven shorthanded goals during that same series. The struggles highlighted a clear area for improvement, leading to a coaching adjustment following the season, including the departure of assistant Ray Bennett, who had overseen the power play.
Hakstol, 56, steps into this role bringing a wealth of experience, including three seasons as the first head coach of the Seattle Kraken (2021-2024). His tenure in Seattle included a memorable 2023 playoff run where his Kraken squad notably *defeated* the Colorado Avalanche in a hard-fought seven-game series. Prior to Seattle, Hakstol also served as head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers for parts of four seasons.
His coaching pedigree extends well beyond the NHL. Hakstol spent 11 successful seasons leading the University of North Dakota hockey program, guiding them to seven appearances in the NCAA Frozen Four. On the international stage, he earned two silver medals as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship in 2017 and 2019. Interestingly, the 2017 Canadian roster included Nathan MacKinnon, and the 2019 team featured goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.
Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland expressed confidence in the acquisition. “Dave brings a wealth of knowledge and experience behind the bench and will be a great fit on Jared’s staff,” MacFarland said in a statement. “He has an extensive coaching background with a lot of success and will be a valuable addition to our team.”
For Hakstol, the opportunity to join the Avalanche organization is clearly one he embraces. “This is a proud organization with a lot of talented players,” Hakstol commented. “I look forward to being a part of this special group and can’t wait to get to work and help the team in any way that I can.”
Joining a staff that includes assistants Nolan Pratt and Brett Heimlich (also assistant/video coach), as well as goaltending coach Jussi Parkkila, Hakstol`s primary focus will be on unlocking the offensive potential of the power play unit, which underperformed drastically when the team needed it most. The strategic irony of hiring the coach who recently eliminated them is not lost on observers, underscoring the Avalanche`s determination to learn from their past shortcomings and improve a critical aspect of their game heading into the next season.
