Predators Make Offseason Personnel Changes to Hockey Operations Staff

The past week saw the Nashville Predators

Predators Hire Mitch Korn as Director of Goaltending

On May 29, the team announced the hire of Mitch Korn to the new role of Director of Goaltending. In this capacity, Korn will "oversee the organization’s entire goaltending department, including Goaltending Coach Ben Vanderklok, Goaltending Development Coach Jason Barron and European Development Coach and Scout Pekka Rinne; work directly and remotely with the team’s goaltenders and prospects in Nashville, Milwaukee and overseas; and be involved in the scouting of professional and amateur goaltenders."

Korn worked for the Predators' former head coach and current general manager Barry Trotz in Nashville for 16 seasons as the team’s first-ever goaltending coach. He followed Trotz to each of his subsequent head coaching stops with the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, winning the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018. Korn returns to the Predators after spending the previous six seasons as director of goaltending for the Islanders, four of which came with Trotz as his head coach.

Goaltenders playing for Korn during his illustrious 33-year NHL career have won five Vezina Trophies, three William M. Jennings Trophies and two Hart Trophies. Korn's goaltenders have also been named to the first or second year-end All-Star and All-Rookie Teams nine times.

Predators Part Ways With Assistant Coach Dan Hinote After Four Seasons

The Tennessean also reported this week that the Predators do not plan to renew the contract of assistant coach Dan Hinote for the 2024-25 season.

Hinote has been an assistant with Nashville since 2020, and his outgoing, energetic personality has made him popular among Predators players and fans alike. His primary responsibility was overseeing the team's penalty kill, which ranked 18th in the league (78.9%) during his four years in Nashville.

The team confirmed the Predators' two other assistant coaches, Todd Richards and Derek MacKenzie, are expected to return next season. With Hinote's departure, Richards remains the lone assistant holdover from former head coach John Hynes' staff. First-year head coach Andrew Brunette added MacKenzie to his staff last season to replace former assistant Dan Lambert, and he will likely fill Hinote's vacated spot with another hand-picked selection to round out his coaching staff.