Dean Evason may not be a real contender for the Jack Adams award as the NHL's coach of the year this season. Anything is possible, but with the Blue Jackets just missing out on the playoffs, it's a tough hill to climb. He won't go unnoticed however: on Thursday, Hockey Canada made it official, announcing Evason as its head coach for the upcoming World Championships.
The tournament takes place in just a couple of weeks (May 9-25), with games in Sweden and Denmark. Traditionally, this tourney flies under the radar a little bit because it happens around the same time the NHL playoffs are in full swing.
That will definitely be the case again this year. But, it's still a quality international tournament that will be loaded with players from all over the world - including a lot of notable NHLers. Evason will be involved for the second straight year, having served as an assistant coach for Canada last year.
Joining him on the trip to Europe is CBJ assistant coach Steve McCarthy. McCarthy has coached the defense corps for the Blue Jackets for four full seasons now, after being hired prior to the 2021-22 season.
The roster for team Canada is yet to be announced, but it could also be notable for the 5th Line. With Evason making the trip, he could put in a good word for players like Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson, each of whom had a breakout year for the Blue Jackets this season.
Last year, the Canadians had one Blue Jacket on their roster: defenseman Damon Severson. They came home with a disappointing fourth place finish, which Evason and McCarthy will be tasked with improving upon.
Others who competed in the tournament were Elvis Merzlikins (Latvia); and three for team USA: Zach Werenski, Gavin Brindley, and the late Johnny Gaudreau. I would expect to see at least a couple of CBJ players at this year's tournament, whether that includes players on team Canada or not.
Even though a lot of the best players available will still be competing in the playoffs - or perhaps opting out of this tournament - Canada should still have a really competitive team. Hopefully, Dean and Steve can learn a few things; and come back home with some hardware around their necks.