The Minnesota Wild coaching staff will be getting more of a shake-up than just the arrival of incoming head coach Bruce Boudreau, according to the Star Tribune.
Two new assistant coaches will be hitting the bench, with Rick Wilson and Darryl Sydor having been informed that they will not be a part of the new coaching staff in St. Paul. Both have contracts that conclude on June 30.
Meanwhile, Andrew Brunette, who was the architect of a frustratingly tepid power play the last two seasons, will be moved upstairs off the bench.
Brunette has a year left on his contract and had originally been hired by general manager Chuck Fletcher as a part of the hockey operations staff. He was later asked by then head coach Mike Yeo to become an assistant coach.
Goaltending coach Bob Mason and assistant coach Darby Hendrickson, who is not an on-bench coach, are expected to be offered a contract renewal to stay on in their same position.
Michael Russo also reports that John Torchetti, who served as the Wild’s interim head coach at the end of last season, has been granted permission to speak with the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers about vacant assistant coach positions. He has another year left on his contract as the head coach of the Iowa Wild.
Should he not find employment with either of those organizations, it is expected that he will return to the organization to discuss his future with the Wild.
Boudreau has been given leave to pick his own assistant coaches. That could be any number of people, but former Anaheim assistant coaches Bob Woods and Brad Lauer are available. They worked under Boudreau in Anaheim, but were previously fired by GM Bob Murray.