NHL News: Familiar face for Nathan MacKinnon joining Jared Bednar, Avalanche in Stanley Cup pursuit

The Colorado Avalanche are under the leadership of Jared Bednar and are looking to strengthen their coaching staff ahead of the 2025-26 season by adding an experienced coach who can provide leadership and strategic vision in their pursuit of another Stanley Cup. Star forward Nathan MacKinnon will now have a familiar, experienced figure to help guide him and the rest of the team.

MacKinnon remains the Avalanche’s main star and offensive engine. His explosiveness, scoring ability, and leadership on and off the ice continue to make him the team’s unquestioned centerpiece as they aim to make another deep playoff run next season.

Bednar is entering his ninth year as head coach of Colorado, having been named to the position in August 2016 after Patrick Roy’s unexpected resignation. Under Bednar’s guidance, the Avalanche captured the 2021-22 Stanley Cup and are looking to repeat that success with this new addition to the staff.

The new face joining the Avalanche coaching staff

“The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the organization has hired Dave Hakstol as Assistant Coach,” the team stated, confirming his arrival to join Jared Bednar’s staff. “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to join the Avalanche,” Hakstol said, according to NHL.com.

Dave Hakstol, the new assistant coach of the Colorado Avalanche

A familiar face for MacKinnon

Hakstol is a familiar face to MacKinnon, as the two worked together with Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, where they won a silver medal, an achievement the team repeated in 2019. Now they will reunite after having faced each other a few times in the NHL.

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Hakstol’s background

Hakstol previously served as head coach of the Seattle Kraken. Before that experience, he was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. He was also head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2015 to 2019. Prior to that, Hakstol spent 15 seasons as head coach at the University of North Dakota.