Former Red Wings assistant Dan Bylsma Doesn’t Quite Make it Back to the NHL

Former NHL coach Dan Bylsma parted ways with Detroit Red Wings after three seasons as an assistant coach. It took him only two months to find a new job.

The Seattle Kraken hired Bylsma to be an assistant coach with the American League’s Charlotte Checkers. The expansion Kraken are sharing their minor-league affiliate with the Florida Panthers because they don’t have enough prospects to fill an entire minor league roster.

The speculation is this job puts Bylsma in line to be head coach when the Kraken have their own affiliate in Palm Springs, California in 2022-23.

When Bylsma and the Red Wings broke up earlier this summer, Detroit Red Wings general Steve Yzerman said Bylsma saw himself as a head coach and wanted to pursue that.

Bylsma has a Stanley Cup ring, earned as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. He also was a head coach in Buffalo before coming to Detroit as Jeff Blashill’s assistant.

Bylsma didn’t have success in Detroit working with the power play. Fans were hard on him because the Red Wings power play ranked 30th out of 31 teams at 11.4%. They were 29th (14.9%) the season before. Detroit was 19th (18.1) in his first season.

Seattle management has a connection with Bylsma because  Kraken assistant general manager Jason Botterill knew him from time together in Pittsburgh and Buffalo.