Predators hire John Hynes as third head coach in franchise history

The announcement of John Hynes’ hiring comes the morning after the Predators relieved Peter Laviolette of his head coaching duties on Monday.

It took 36 days for John Hynes to find another NHL job, as the 44-year-old coach will get another crack at leading a team just over a month after his dismissal from New Jersey. The Nashville Predators announced on Tuesday morning that they have hired Hynes to replace former head coach Peter Laviolette, who was fired Monday night.

Hynes will not take the interim head coach tag for the Predators, as he has been hired as Laviolette’s replacement.

General manager David Poile had high praise for Hynes’ hiring in the team’s press release to the media:

"John Hynes is bright young coach and great leader who has a track record of both effectively developing young players and successfully motivating veterans … We love his coaching resume and are confident that he has learned from every stop during his career, and has the best skill set to get the maximum potential out of our team."

Hynes has four full seasons of NHL coaching experience under his belt, notably with the New Jersey Devils. During his time in New Jersey, Hynes posted a 150-159-45 record with a below average Devils team, leading them to the postseason once in his tenure with the team.

The Devils fired Hynes in December with the team floundering as one of the league’s worst despite coming off a strong offseason that included some major additions. Hynes is not the flashiest name the Predators could have picked as head coach — as bigger names such as Mike Babcock and Peter BeBoer remain on the market.

However, Hynes and general manager Poile have worked together at the USA Hockey level in the past and the connection between the pair still runs deep.

This season, the Predators have underperformed to their talent level, sitting second-worst in the Central Division with a 19-15-7 record and five points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference. Nashville will need more than just a new head coach to turn the team around, as the Predators’ goaltending and special teams play have left much to be desired.

The Predators will play their first game with Hynes as head coach on Tuesday night against the Boston Bruins.