The Predators have elected to make a change behind the bench for next season. The team confirmed to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean that they will not renew the contract of assistant coach Dan Hinote when it expires at the end of June.
Hinote was an energetic winger over his nine-year NHL career split between Colorado and St. Louis. He opted to play in Sweden for one final season in 2009-10 before hanging up his skates.
However, Hinote wasn’t out of a job for long as after retiring, he was named an assistant coach with Columbus. The 47-year-old spent four seasons in that role before moving into scouting where he spent four more years with the Blue Jackets. From there, he spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program before former Nashville GM David Poile brought Hinote onto their staff back in 2020. After four years in that job, Hinote will now be on the lookout for another job.
While Hinote won’t be returning, their other assistants will. Daugherty added that Nashville’s two other assistant coaches, Tom Richards and Derek MacKenzie, are expected to return next season so there will only be one new voice behind the bench on Andrew Brunette’s staff.
I could see Hinote going to the Wild to work with Hynes again now that they have an assistant coach vacancy.
Dan has a great name for a cannabis strain.
Happy Bird Seeds should name a strain after him.