Colorado Avalanche boost firepower with Hakstol as assistant coach

The Colorado Avalanche announced the hiring of former NHL head coach Dave Hakstol as an assistant to Jared Bednar’s staff on Tuesday.

The 56-year-old Hakstol will be joining forces with Nolan Pratt as assistant coaches to Jared Bednar.  

Hakstol last held an NHL head coaching role with the Seattle Kraken. He spent three seasons as the Kraken’s first-ever head coach, leading the club to a playoff appearance in their second season. That situation earned him a nomination for the Jack Adams Award in 2023.

Before taking over the head coaching role in Seattle, Hakstol spent two seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hakstol mainly ran the Leafs’ power play unit.

Hakstol got his first NHL coaching break. Taking over the Philadelphia Flyers for parts of two seasons. He coached the 2017-18 season, but was let go the following year after a 12-15-4 start.

However, Dave Hakstol is well known in NCAA circles as he coached the University of North Dakota for 16 seasons. He spent four seasons coaching the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL before jumping to the NCAA.

Hakstol also made stops with the Canadian National Team in between NHL coaching jobs. His last stint was in 2024-25, when he acted as an assistant for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup. Hakstol served under Gerard Gallant. Unfortunately, Team Canada was eliminated in the semi-final.

Hakstol brings knowledge and experience to Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland had nothing but praise for Hakstol, describing what he brings to the team.

MacFarland had this to say about Hakstol as quoted by NHL.com:

"Dave brings a wealth of knowledge and experience behind the bench and will be a great fit on Jared's staff. He has an extensive coaching background with a lot of success and will be a valuable addition to our team."

In addition to coaching at virtually every level in professional hockey, Hakstol’s specialty is the power play. As an assistant in Toronto under former coach Sheldon Keefe, the Maple Leafs had a 27.1% power play.

That experience is something that will surely benefit the Avalanche. Last season, the Avs were eighth overall with a 24.8%. While not bad, the Avalanche wouldn’t mind improving on that mark.

Hakstol’s experience will also help the Avalanche make the most of their offensive weapons. The team was sixth in the NHL, scoring 3.33 goals per game. Under Hakstol, the club hopes to improve on that mark, as well.

All told, fans should be highly optimistic about Dave Hakstol joining Jared Bednar’s staff. His skills and experience are something that can only benefit the team moving forward.