Columbus Blue Jackets Head Coach Dean Evason has been named head coach for Canada’s National Men’s Team that will compete at the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championships, the Blue Jackets and Hockey Canada announced Wednesday.

 

In addition, Blue Jackets Assistant Coach Steve McCarthy will serve in the same capacity for Canada at the tournament.  This year’s competition is slated for May 9-25 in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark. 

 

“It’s always a tremendous honor to represent Canada and I am humbled and grateful to have this opportunity,” said Evason. “I’m looking forward to working with Steve McCarthy and the rest of our coaching staff and players to do everything we can to win a gold medal in one of hockey’s most prestigious tournaments.”

 

Evason, 60, completed his first season as head coach of the Blue Jackets in 2024-25 and led the club to a 40-33-9 record and fourth-place finish in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus finished as the most improved team in the NHL this season with 89 points compared to 66 during the 2023-24 campaign.

 

The native of Flin Flon, Manitoba has compiled a 187-110-36 record in 333 career games as a National Hockey League head coach with the Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. His .616 points percentage ranks sixth among active NHL coaches with 250 or more contests behind the bench.

 

Internationally, Evason has represented Canada at numerous tournaments, both as a player and coach.  He most recently served as an assistant coach for Hockey Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships. He also skated in the 1984 IIHF World Junior Championships and served as captain of the team during the 1996-97 season, leading the club to a gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Championships.

 

McCarthy, 44, is making his coaching debut for Hockey Canada at a men’s international tournament. He has served as an assistant coach for the Blue Jackets for the past four campaigns after joining the coaching staff on Sept. 13, 2021. Prior to that, he served as an assistant coach with the franchise’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters from 2016-21.

 

The Trail, British Columbia native enjoyed a 16-year professional playing career from 1999-2016. He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round at the 1999 NHL Draft and registered 17 goals and 38 assistsin 302 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and Atlanta Thrashers from 1999-2008.