Dan Bylsma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dan Bylsma |
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Bylsma in 2009
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| Born | September 19, 1970 Grand Haven, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Los Angeles Kings Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
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| Coached for | Pittsburgh Penguins Buffalo Sabres Seattle Kraken |
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| NHL Draft | 109th overall, 1989 Winnipeg Jets |
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| Playing career | 1992–2004 | ||
| Coaching career | 2004–present | ||
Daniel Brian Bylsma (born September 19, 1970) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He has coached teams in the NHL, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Seattle Kraken. He also coached teams in the American Hockey League (AHL), like the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Bylsma also led the United States men's national ice hockey team. He won the famous Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. This was only four months after he became their head coach! Before coaching, he played as a forward for the Los Angeles Kings and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The Winnipeg Jets first picked him in the 1989 NHL draft.
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Early Life and Sports Talents
Dan Bylsma was a great athlete in high school. He played many sports, including golf, baseball, and ice hockey. He even won a state golf championship when he was a freshman.
He was also a starting player on his high school's state championship baseball team in 1985. In his last year of high school, he was chosen as one of the best baseball players in the entire state.
Hockey Journey Before the Pros
Before playing professionally, Bylsma played amateur hockey in different leagues. He then played Junior "B" hockey in Canada for the St. Marys Lincolns and the Oakville Blades.
He went on to play college hockey at Bowling Green State University from 1988 to 1992. The Winnipeg Jets drafted him during his first year of college. He was a very good student and won awards for his grades and his play on the ice. He even scored a rare goal when his team was two players short!
Professional Playing Career
Even though the Winnipeg Jets drafted him, Dan Bylsma never played for them. He signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 1994. While playing for a minor league team, his teammates gave him the nickname "Disco Dan." This was because he liked to dance in the locker room.
Playing for the Kings and Ducks
Bylsma played for the Kings for parts of five seasons. He was known as a defensive forward, meaning he focused on stopping the other team from scoring. He also played for several minor league teams, like the Phoenix Roadrunners and Long Beach Ice Dogs. He even reached the finals of the Calder Cup, a championship for minor league hockey.
In 2000, he joined the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He was a steady player for the team and was even made an alternate captain. He had his best scoring year with Anaheim, getting 17 points.
Bylsma's main job in the NHL was to kill penalties, which means playing defense when his team had fewer players on the ice. He often struggled to score goals. Injuries also made it hard for him to play later in his career. He stopped playing hockey after the 2003–04 season.
Coaching Career Highlights
After retiring as a player, Dan Bylsma became a coach. He started as an assistant coach for minor league teams and then for the New York Islanders in the NHL. In the 2008–09 season, he was coaching the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, a minor league team for Pittsburgh.
Leading the Pittsburgh Penguins
On February 15, 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins were not playing well. They decided to make Bylsma their new head coach. At 38 years old, he was the youngest head coach in the NHL at that time.
Bylsma quickly turned the team around. His record was amazing, winning 18 of his first 25 games. On April 28, 2009, he was named the permanent head coach. Just a few months later, on June 12, 2009, Bylsma led the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup championship! He was only the second coach ever to win the Stanley Cup in his first season after taking over mid-season.
In 2011, Bylsma won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the league. He earned this award because the Penguins were still a top team even when their star players, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, were injured.
Breaking Records and Olympic Coaching
Bylsma continued to set records with the Penguins. On April 22, 2013, he became the fastest NHL coach to reach 200 wins. Later that year, he was chosen to coach the United States Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
On January 7, 2014, Bylsma became the winningest coach in Penguins history, with 233 wins. He also became the fastest NHL coach to reach 250 wins on April 4, 2014. He achieved this in just 395 games. However, on June 6, 2014, the Penguins fired Bylsma after a new general manager was hired.
Coaching the Buffalo Sabres and Beyond
After leaving the Penguins, Bylsma became the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres on May 28, 2015. He signed a five-year contract with the team. He coached the Sabres for two seasons.
On April 20, 2017, the Sabres fired Bylsma. There were rumors that he had disagreements with some of the players. After this, he became an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings in 2018. He left the Red Wings in 2021.
Return to the AHL and the Seattle Kraken
On August 10, 2021, Bylsma returned to the AHL as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Checkers. Then, on June 21, 2022, he was named the head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds. This team is the minor league affiliate for the Seattle Kraken.
After a very successful season with the Firebirds in 2023–24, Bylsma was promoted to head coach of the Seattle Kraken on May 28, 2024. However, on April 21, 2025, the Kraken fired Bylsma after just one season as their head coach. The team's general manager said they wanted to go in a different direction.
Awards and Achievements
- Stanley Cup champion – 2009
- Jack Adams Award (Best Coach) – 2011
