Dean Evason waited 21 years for an opportunity that might have lasted 12 games.
He was named the head coach of the Minnesota Wild on Valentine's Day, replacing Bruce Boudreau. The 55-year-old Evason first stepped behind the bench with the WHL's Kamloops Blazers back in 1999, the season his professional playing career ended. He has been a head coach in juniors and in the AHL. He has served as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals and the Wild. All of that led to this moment, this brief audition for GM Bill Guerin.