| Born: | February 27, 1967 | Draft: | 1985 Capitals, 208th overall |
| Hometown: | Dade City, FL, USA | Position: | Defence |
| Known For: | Shoots: | Left | |
| National Team: | United States/Canada | | |
Dallas Franklin Eakins is a former American-Canadian hockey player. He has served as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks since 2019, having previously coached the Edmonton Oilers. Eakins has also been an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he has coached the San Diego Gulls of the AHL.
Eakins was born in Dade City, FL and moved to Peterborough, ON when he was seven. He played four seasons for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, playing as a defenseman. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1985, but he never made an appearance for them. Eakins subsequently spent most of his playing career with numerous AHL teams and did not make his NHL debut until 1992, playing for the Winnipeg Jets.
Eakins played 16 seasons across the NHL and the AHL, but his playing time in the NHL was severely limited to 120 appearances during that time. He was the second Florida-born player to play in the NHL, and the first to record a point. After he retired in 2004, he became an assistant coach for the Toronto Marlies. He moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006, serving as an assistant coach for three years before he returned to the Marlies to serve as their head coach.
The Edmonton Oilers appointed Eakins as head coach in 2013; he was fired in December 2014 after losing 15 out of his last 16 games. He was appointed the head coach of the San Diego Gulls – the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks – in 2015. Eakins was appointed the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks in June 2019.
Years as a NHL player: 1993-2001
Years as a NHL coach: 2013-present
Dallas Eakins Statistics
Deeper Dive
- Dallas Eakins to Oilers: Good Move?
- Dallas Eakins: Edmonton Experience & AHL Success With the Gulls
- Ducks Need to Give Eakins Best Opportunity
Coaching History
- Toronto Marlies (Assistant Coach) 2004-2006
- Toronto Maple Leafs (Assistant Coach) 2006-2009
- Toronto Marlies (Head Coach) 2009-2013
- Edmonton Oilers (Head Coach) 2013-2014
- San Diego Gulls (Head Coach) 2015-2019
- Anaheim Ducks (Head Coach) 2019-present
Awards
As Player
- Won Turner Cup in 2000 and Calder Cup in 2001 for the Chicago Wolves.