Bruce Kluckhohn

From the WHL to NHL: Dean Evason

 

Dean Evason spent a decade in the WHL as both a coach and player. Evason’s impressive hockey journey has led him to his current position as the head coach of the Minnesota Wild. During a recent telephone interview, Evason explained how he still feels a strong connection to the WHL, and the Vancouver Giants. The lessons he learned during this period helped him throughout his hockey career.

Playing with Kamloops:

Evason loved his time as a player and coach in Kamloops. The 1983-1984 team provided some of Evason’s best memories in the WHL. Leading the team in scoring with 49 goals and 137 points while winning the WHL championship and making the Memorial Cup are all highlights. One person Evason said had a great influence on his life was head coach Bill LaForge. “Laforge did a great job at creating a family type atmosphere with the team.” Laforge’s leadership style rubbed off on Evason and has contributed to his success in the NHL.

The Dean Evason Award:

Evason has an award named after him in Kamloops. It is awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership. “This is a tremendous honour, and I am proud it represents leadership on and off the ice,” says Evason. This past season, Zane Franklin was named the recipient of the award.

Coaching Kamloops:

After Evason retired from playing in 1999, he was offered the job to coach his former team in Kamloops. This was Evason’s first coaching job so there was a lot of on-the-job learning. Evason says he was excited to come back to Kamloops and start coaching for the first time.

There was a lot of pressure on Evason as Kamloops had a history of winning. After failing to make it out of the first round in his three seasons there, he was released in 2002 and was given an opportunity with the brand-new Vancouver Giants.

A new start in Vancouver:

Evason took over a second-year team in the Vancouver Giants and twice led them to the playoffs. In 2002-03, Evason led the Giants to their first playoff appearance. Unfortunately, they were swept by Kelowna. The next year, Evason faced his former team in the first round and was able to come out on top besting the Blazers 4-1 in the series. The Giants then faced Everett in the second round, falling in six games. Although Evason’s time with the Giants was short, he loved his time here. During his time in Vancouver, Evason was able to coach two players that went on to successful careers in the NHL. Gilbert Brule, who was the Giants’ first high NHL draft pick, and Mark Fistric, who played parts of eight seasons in the NHL.

Gilbert Brule:

During his time with the Giants, Evason was able to help prepare Brule and pass on knowledge about how to play in the NHL. Evason feels that all the hype around Brule really affected him in his draft year and through his time with the Giants. Gilbert Brule still went on to be drafted 6th overall and played parts of eight seasons in the NHL. Brule is currently playing in the KHL.

Mark Fistric:

While coaching for the Giants, Evason helped develop Fistric into a solid NHL defenseman. Fistric was a first-round selection in 2004 and was the definition of a big-bodied, stay at home defenseman. Evason talks about Fistric as “a big strong defenseman who played the game right”. Fistric’s combination of size, skill, and defensive awareness led him to a successful career in the NHL until he retired in 2015.

Although Evason’s time with Vancouver was short, he still wants to see them do well. Evason keeps in touch with some of those involved with the Giants like Ron Toigo and current head coach Michael Dyck. His closest connection to this day remains his former assistant coach Craig Bonner who is now a scout with the Dallas Stars.

Memories of the Pacific Coliseum:

During Evason’s coaching career with Vancouver, their home arena was the Pacific Coliseum. The old home of the Vancouver Canucks was now being used for the new WHL expansion team. Evason has fond memories of coaching in the Coliseum. “It was a special atmosphere in there,” Evason says. The Coliseum is also where Dean Evason fought Pavel Bure while Evason was playing for the Sharks. From their inaugural season to their Memorial Cup Final win, the Coliseum is a special place not just for Evason but for many Giants fans.

Minnesota Wild:

After almost 15 years as an assistant coach and head coach in the AHL, Evason finally got his chance to become an NHL head coach with the Wild. Evason says he felt prepared for the Wild job. The Wild were off to a great start with eight wins in 12 games before the season was paused due to COVID-19. Throughout the pause, Evason ensured that his team stayed focused. “I had constant communication and always had an open door or open telephone line available.” This allowed his team to prepare for the playoffs and what life would be like in the bubble.

The Bubble:

When Minnesota entered the bubble, they were pinned against Travis Green and the Vancouver Canucks. Green and Evason were former teammates with the Canadian National Team and won a gold medal at the World Championship in 1997. Evason talked about how the two coaches would reminisce about their playing time when they ran into each other in the hallways, but when the puck dropped, they would have to put that all behind and focus on the game. While in the bubble, Evason says that the NHL did a great job ensuring the players were safe. Even without fans, Evason was still fired up for his team and enjoyed the experience.

The WHL’s impact today:

Evason still keeps up with the WHL and checks up on how his old teams are doing. The Wild have a couple of former WHL stars on the roster in Matthew Dumba and Jared Spurgeon. “It is fun to talk to players who played in the WHL and compare their time there with mine.” Says Evason. In the next few years, we may see even more WHL grads coming and making the step to the NHL. These players include Calen Addison, Adam Beckman, and former Vancouver Giant Brennan Menell. From the coaches to the players, there are a lot of WHL connections in the Wild Organization. Although his time in Vancouver was short, Evason is another example of a Giants alumni having a wildly successful career.