Answers To Your Dan Bylsma Questions

Asked a month ago if he had ambitions of returning to the NHL, Coachella Valley Firebirds coach Dan Bylsma answered, "In no way, shape or form."

That was then. This is now. Bylsma on Tuesday is expected to be named the second head coach in the history of the Seattle Kraken.

With that in mind, we've put together a Dan Bylsma ("DB") Q & A of our own.

Did DB Play In NHL?

Unlike former Kraken coach Dave Hakstol, Byslma played parts of nine seasons in the NHL, all in Southern California. The right wing logged 220 games with the L.A. Kings, and 209 more with the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Primarily a checker and penalty killer, he scored 19 career NHL goals.

In addition to a four year career at Bowling Green University, Byslma also played for nine teams in three different minor leagues. He was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, but never played there.

Where Has DB Coached?

Bylsma is best known for his two previous NHL head coaching stints in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, winning the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009. (More about his NHL coaching resume here .)

The 53-year-old Michigan native began his coaching career in 2004 with the AHL Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. A year later, he became an assistant with the New York Islanders.

Bylsma began the 2008-09 season as head coach of the Pittsburgh farm team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He ended that season by hoisting the Stanley Cup after the Penguins promoted him late in the regular season.

Six years in Pittsburgh and two in Buffalo were followed by three more seasons as an assistant in Detroit. Next stop was the Kraken organization in 2021.

Bylsma also coached Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Why "Disco Dan" Nickname?

TL/DR, it came from his penchant for dancing in the locker room.

"As a player, Bylsma had all sorts of routines, including moving to the music," wrote the Toledo Blade . "(His nickname) used to be 'Bylsie,' but during an NHL work stoppage in 1994-95, he and goaltender Byron Dafoe were on the same minor league team in Phoenix, and Dafoe claimed that nickname.

"It became a game for teammates to find Bylsma a new one. They tacked on a string of monikers based on his antics. 'Disco' stuck. 'Yeah, I've seen him do a lot of off-the-wall things,' says former roommate Davis Payne."

Why Did DB Lose His Two NHL Head Coaching Jobs?

From columnist Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 2014:

"If the Penguins lose tonight (they did, to the New York Rangers), it will be the fifth consecutive year they will have been eliminated from the playoffs by a lower seed.

"They will be just 4-5 in postseason series since they won the Stanley Cup in 2009 under Bylsma. This elimination, should it happen, will hurt more than most because the Penguins had what seemed to be a secure 3-1 series edge. No ownership can be expected to put up with that underachievement."

From WGR Radio's Paul Hamilton in 2017:

“Inside sources have told me that (Buffalo Sabre Jack) Eichel has no desire to sign a contract extension this summer if Bylsma remains the coach.”

Eichel's agent denied the report - just as the Kraken denied reports of player dissatisfaction with former coach Dave Hakstol this season.