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Andrew Brunette to be new Nashville Predators head coach with Barry Trotz soon set to take over as GM

By Chris Cerullo

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May 30, 2023 12:37 pm

The Nashville Predators are making a major change to to their coaching staff. Andrew Brunette will reportedly be Nashville’s new head coach, replacing John Hynes after the latter has been behind the bench for four seasons.

Brunette will be the first head coach during the general manager Barry Trotz era in Nashville. Trotz will officially take over for current GM David Poile on July 1.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes dropped the news on his Twitter account.

Brunette will arrive in Nashville after being part of a successful year with the New Jersey Devils. Brunette was an associate coach on Lindy Ruff’s staff after getting his first taste of head coaching duties with the Florida Panthers on an interim basis the season prior.

While Brunette was in charge of the Panthers, the team posted a 51-18-6 record en route to winning the Presidents’ Trophy as they finished with the most points during the regular season. He then guided Florida to a first-round playoff victory over the Washington Capitals before being swept out of the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Instead of retaining Brunette as their bench boss, the Panthers went in another direction by hiring the more veteran Paul Maurice. Maurice has gone on to lead Florida to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 1996.

Brunette, a former Capitals winger, has deep past connections with Trotz. While a member of the Caps organization, Brunette played four seasons under Trotz on the team’s then AHL affiliate, Portland Pirates. Brunette then followed Trotz to Nashville after being selected by the Predators in the 1998 NHL expansion draft and Trotz gave him his first full season in the NHL.

Under Hynes last season, the Predators finished with a 42-32-8 record and did not participate in any postseason action for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Hynes has been in charge of the team since midway through the 2019-20 season after he replaced Peter Laviolette who was fired in early January.

Update (5:20 pm): The Predators have made the firing of Hynes official.

Screenshot: NHL

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