Darby Hendrickson Joins Predators Coaching Staff

The Nashville Predators announced on Friday that the team has hired Darby Hendrickson as an assistant coach.

Hendrickson, who spent the past 14 seasons in the same position with the Minnesota Wild, will replace the vacancy on the Predators coaching staff left by Dan Hinote, whose contract was not renewed by the team.

The team has not specified Hendrickson's exact role on the coaching staff. Hinote, whose contract ends officially on June 30, was primarily responsible for the team's penalty kill.

Related: Predators Make Offseason Personnel Changes to Hockey Operations Staff

Hendrickson and Brunette were assistant coaches for the Wild from 2014-16, and the pair also played together in Minnesota for three seasons from 2001-04. In the team's official release about the hire, Brunette praised Hendrickson for his ability to communicate and connect with players:

“I’m thrilled to re-unite with one of my former teammates in Darby and welcome him to the Predators organization. Strong communication, building relationships and establishing a connection with players are the fundamental building blocks of our coaching staff, and he exemplifies those values and skills. He also has a long history of not only developing young players but growing with them, making him a strong addition to our staff that seeks to continuously evolve. I’m looking forward to watching him use his experience as both a player and coach to improve our team.”

Hendrickson joins assistant coaches Derek MacKenzie and Todd Richards and goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok on on head coach Andrew Brunette’s staff in Nashville. General manager Barry Trotz noted in the announcement of the hire that the addition of Hendrickson gives the Predators coaching staff 2,200 combined games of NHL playing experience, which is "something we feel is incredibly valuable for our team’s growth as we strive to achieve our goal of winning the Stanley Cup."

Drafted in the fourth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1990, Hendrickson played 518 NHL games, finishing with 65 goals and 64 assists. He retired after the 2006-07 season and joined Minnesota's coaching staff in 2010; he served as an assistant for Richards, a current Predators assistant coach, when Richards was head coach of the Wild in 2010-11.