Brunette hired as coach of Predators, replaces Hynes

Andrew Brunette was hired as coach of the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, one day after John Hynes was fired.

The 49-year-old was an associate coach for the New Jersey Devils this season. The Devils went 52-22-8, finished second in the Metropolitan Division and reached the Eastern Conference Second Round, a five-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, with their first Stanley Cup Playoff series win since 2012. New Jersey set single-season team records for wins and points (112), an improvement of 25 wins and 49 points from the previous season.

Under Brunette, the Devils power play was 13th in the NHL this season (21.9 percent); it was 28th (15.6 percent) in 2021-22 before he arrived. The Predators finished 27th on the power play this season (17.6 percent).

"I wouldn't say I'm an offensive coach," Brunette said. "I think my philosophy on how I see the game is I kind of want to dominate the puck, and I want to have it as much as I can have it. I don't want to chase it around too much. So it's not really offensive. It's more, 'When you have it, keep it, and when you don't have it, get it back as soon as possible.' I don't want to defend. I want to check, and I want the puck back."

That philosophy is incoming general manager Barry Trotz feels best suits the Predators.

"When I look at our roster and those in our system, we have a lot of fast, skilled players and we will likely select more of those types of players in this year's draft," said Trotz, who will take over as GM July 1, after David Poile retires. "We want to become more of an offensive team and Andrew specializes on that side of the ice -- he lived it as a player, and he coaches it as a coach. He is as good of an offensive teacher and power-play coach as there is in the game today."

Brunette finished second last season in voting for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year to Darryl Sutter of the Calgary Flames, going 51-18-6 for the Florida Panthers after Joel Quenneville resigned as coach Oct. 29, 2021. Florida finished 58-18-6 (122 points), the best record in its history, and won the Presidents' Trophy for the best record in the regular season. The Panthers' six-game victory against the Washington Capitals was their first series win since 1996. They were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round.

Prior to joining the Panthers coaching staff June 4, 2019, Brunette worked seven seasons for the Minnesota Wild as an assistant coach and in various management roles.

Brunette played 1,110 games in 16 NHL seasons (1995-2012), including the Predators' inaugural season in 1998-99. He scored the first goal in Nashville history, on Oct. 13, 1998, when Trotz was coach.

"I am super excited to be back in Nashville and a part of the Predators organization," Brunette said. "I feel like this is coming full circle for my career, from pulling on the jersey for the first time 25 years ago to returning now to take care of some unfinished business. It has been awesome to see how this city and its fan base have grown since I played here and I look forward to continuing the legacy and the culture behind the bench that Barry cultivated that inaugural season."

Brunette also played for the Washington Capitals, Atlanta Thrashers, Wild, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks.

"As we look to bring back some of that iconic 'Predators culture,' I can think of no better coach than Andrew to lead our team moving forward," Trotz said. "He thrived in that culture, and I believe he will coach our team in that same manner. And while we did not hire Andrew because he was a key part of our first-ever team, I do like the fact that he has played games as a member of the Predators."

Nashville (42-32-8) failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14, finishing three points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card from the Western Conference. It qualified in each of Hynes' first three seasons but did not win a series.

"He will be great with our young players, and I know, because of his background as a player, he will connect well with our top, skilled players," Trotz said of Brunette. "At the end of the day, he is a good person who looks forward to working in partnership with our players to make them, and our team, better. I can't wait to get in the foxhole with him."

RELATED: [Video: Andrew Brunette on becoming Predators' new head coach]

Brunette is the second coach hired since the end of the regular season, following Video: Andrew Brunette on becoming Predators' new head coach on Tuesday.

Hynes, who had one season remaining on a two-year contract he signed with the Predators on May 19, 2022, was 134-96-18 in 248 regular-season games with Nashville since replacing Peter Laviolette on Jan. 7, 2020. He was 3-11 in 14 postseason games.

Assistant coach Dan Lambert also was fired.

Hynes helped the Predators remain in the playoff race this season even after they moved several players prior to the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on March 3, including defenseman Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton Oilers), and forwards Nino Niederreiter (Jets), Tanner Jeannot (Lightning) and Mikael Granlund (Pittsburgh Penguins). Defenseman Roman Josi (concussion), and forwards Matt Duchene (finger), Filip Forsberg (concussion) and Ryan Johansen (surgery on right leg) also missed significant time because of injuries this season.

"John Hynes is a good man and a good hockey coach," Trotz said Tuesday. "He did an outstanding job after the trade deadline with our team, especially with our young players, and he is a well-prepared, hard-working coach who will continue to grow in the NHL. After our year-end meetings and some additional evaluation, it was time to change the voice and time to go in a different direction. On behalf of all of us at the Predators, we'd like to thank John for all his work here and wish him and his family all the best moving forward."

Hynes is 284-255-63 in 602 regular-season games as coach of the Devils and Predators, and 4-15 in 19 playoff games. He is the sixth coach to be let go since the season ended, joining Dallas Eakins (Anaheim Ducks), Peter Laviolette (Capitals), Brad Larsen (Columbus Blue Jackets), Sutter (Flames) and Gerard Gallant (New York Rangers).

NHL.com independent correspondent John Glennon contributed to this report

Photo: John Russell/Nashville Predators