The Minnesota Wild have signed head coach John Hynes to a multi‑year contract extension, the organization announced Tuesday.
Hynes, 51, was entering the final year of his existing deal and is now entering his third full season with Minnesota. He has guided the Wild to a 125‑78‑24 regular‑season record and earned two playoff berths, posting a 7‑10 postseason mark. The extension adds years to his current contract.
Last season, Minnesota advanced to the second round for the first time in a decade before falling to the Presidents’ Trophy‑winning Colorado Avalanche in five games. Despite a disappointing Game 4 no‑show and a blown three‑goal lead in Game 5, president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin expressed confidence in Hynes during his post‑season exit interview.
Guerin praised Hynes’ preparation, calling his “lights out” messaging and detailing “I thought John did a great job this year,” Guerin said. “You guys know I’m a big believer in John and what he does and how he operates. I see it firsthand. Not just the amount of work that goes into it, because anybody can sit at a desk and a computer for hours upon time and say they did a lot of work. To me, that’s fine. It’s the detail of which he does it in. If you could have seen the detail of the work and the time that these guys put in in between Game 2 and 3, to make those adjustments, to deliver the message to the team.
“That’s why I believe in John. It’s because of the detail in which he goes through and the messaging. We sit in his office quite a few times a year and talk about messaging to the players, to the power play, to the penalty kill, to the players as a whole — what’s the message? How are they going to grasp it the best? I really think that’s one of the things that separates John from other coaches is the time that he puts into the messaging. It’s not just, ‘This is what I say. I’m cramming it down your throat. Do it.’ He gives them the reason why — why we’re going to do this, why we’re going to have success doing it. He shows it to them, goes through it with them time and time again, and I think when the guys are on and they carry it out, it’s a Game 3. And when they’re not as focused as they need to be or on, it’s a Game 4.”
The Wild entered the season with elevated expectations, highlighted by the mid‑December acquisition of Quinn Hughes. Minnesota, however, was without top shutdown center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin during the Colorado series, a shortage that impacted the team’s ability to contend.
Hynes holds an 11‑25 record in six career postseason appearances, with a solitary series victory. Guerin believes the Wild are still within their Stanley Cup window, and the coaching staff will remain intact for the next push.
Hynes replaced Dean Evason in November 2023 and guided the team to the playoffs in his first full season, thanks to a last‑minute goal by Eriksson Ek in the season finale. The Wild faced the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round that year, losing in six games. This past season, Minnesota captured its first playoff series win since 2015, defeating the Dallas Stars in six games before making controversial decisions in the second round, including starting Filip Gustavsson in Game 2 despite his three‑week absence and an undisclosed hip issue that later required surgery. Although the Wild dominated Game 3, they failed to replicate that performance in Game 4, a turning point in the series.
“I’ve known Hynsie since I was 17. So, kind of weird. But it was really nice to play for him,” said veteran Nick Foligno. “Honestly, I really enjoyed him. I thought he was prepared. I think he had us ready to go every game. I really enjoyed the coaching staff. I mean, it’s a small sample size, but I thought when it came down to it, I think every guy felt extremely prepared for what was to come. They did their work. They gave us a great game plan, so I appreciate all the work they did and really enjoyed playing for Hynsie and the coaching staff and getting to know them. So, yeah, I hope they continue to do their thing.”