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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| Current NHL coach | Seattle Kraken | ||
| Coached for | Pittsburgh Penguins Buffalo Sabres |
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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 is currently the head coach for the Seattle Kraken in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before this, he coached the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings and coached minor league teams like the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Coachella Valley Firebirds. Bylsma even coached the United States men's national ice hockey team. A big moment in his career was winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009, only four months after becoming their head coach.
Before becoming a coach, Bylsma played as a forward in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He was picked by the Winnipeg Jets in the sixth round of the 1989 NHL entry draft.
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Early Life and College Hockey
Dan Bylsma was a talented athlete in high school, playing golf, baseball, and ice hockey. He even won a state championship in golf as a freshman. He was also a strong baseball player, being named to the all-state "Dream Team" in his senior year.
Bylsma played amateur hockey before joining junior "B" teams in Canada. He then 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 great student too, earning spots on the Central Collegiate Hockey Association All Academic Team. He even scored a rare goal while his team was two players short, which is very difficult to do!
Playing in the NHL
Even though the Winnipeg Jets drafted Bylsma, he never played for them. Instead, he signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 1994. While playing for a minor league team, his teammates gave him the nickname "Disco Dan" because he loved to dance in the locker room!
Bylsma played for the Kings for parts of five seasons. His main job was to be 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 the Long Beach Ice Dogs.
In 2000, he signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He was a steady player for the team and was even made an alternate captain. In his second season with the Ducks, he scored his highest number of points in a single season (17).
Bylsma often found it hard to stay in the NHL because he wasn't known for scoring many goals. His main role was to help kill penalties (stop the other team from scoring when they had more players on the ice). Injuries also made it tough for him later in his career. He retired from playing after the 2003–04 season.
Coaching Career Highlights
After retiring as a player, Bylsma became a coach. He started as an assistant coach in the minor leagues and then for the New York Islanders in the NHL. In the 2008–09 season, he was coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins' minor league team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
On February 15, 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins were struggling. The team decided to make Bylsma their interim (temporary) head coach. At 38 years old, he was the youngest head coach in the NHL at that time! He quickly turned the team around, winning many games. On April 28, he was named the permanent head coach. Just a few months later, on June 12, 2009, Bylsma led the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup! It was amazing because he won the Cup in his very first season as an NHL head coach. He was also one of the few American-born coaches to win the Cup.
Bylsma continued to be a successful coach for the Penguins. In the 2010–11 season, he won the Jack Adams Award, which is given to the league's best coach. He earned this award because he kept the Penguins as a top team even when their two biggest stars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, were injured.
On April 22, 2013, Bylsma became the fastest NHL coach to reach 200 wins. Later that year, he was chosen to be the head coach for the United States Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. He also became the winningest coach in Penguins history on January 7, 2014, with 233 wins. He reached 250 wins even faster, in just 395 games. However, on June 6, 2014, the Penguins decided to fire him after a new general manager was hired.
After leaving the Penguins, Bylsma became the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres in 2015. He coached them for two seasons before being fired in 2017. He then worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings until 2021.
In 2021, Bylsma returned to the minor leagues as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Checkers. In 2022, he became the head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds, a new team for the Seattle Kraken. After a great season with the Firebirds in 2023–24, Bylsma was promoted to be the head coach of the Seattle Kraken on May 28, 2024.
Awards and Records
- Stanley Cup champion – 2009
- Jack Adams Award – 2011
