Wild name Evason full-time head coach

The Minnesota Wild on Monday announced that interim coach Dean Evason has signed a two-year extension with the team and is now the full-time head coach.

"I am very excited to announce that Dean Evason is our full-time head coach," General Manager Bill Guerin said. "Dean has done a fantastic job as our interim head coach and deserves this opportunity. I look forward to watching our team under his leadership going forward."

Evason was named interim head coach on Feb. 14 after Bruce Boudreau was fired, and led the team to an 8-4-0 record before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is in his second season with the team after being hired as an assistant coach on June 6, 2018. His extension runs through the 2021-2022 season.

A long-time assistant coach in the NHL, Evason joined the Wild after spending six seasons as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League (2012-2018), seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals (2005-2012) and six seasons as a head coach in the Western Hockey League.

NHL, players approve plan to resume season, extend CBA

Minnesota Wild interim head coach Dean Evason looks up at the clock in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn[AP Photo / Tom Olmscheid]

The Wild are set to play the Vancouver Canucks in a best-of-five series in a playoff qualifying round starting on Sunday, Aug. 2 when the league resumes play.