Lightning hire former NHLer Dan Hinote as assistant coach

Tampa Bay Lightning vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced Friday that the club has hired Dan Hinote as assistant coach.

Hinote spent last season as associate coach with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL) the primary affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. He helped the Eagles to the best record in the AHL’s Western Conference, going 43-21-5 with 94 points.

Hinote helped lead the Eagles in goal differential with a plus-65, 13 better than second place, while leading the league in goals with 250 and ranking tied for fourth in goals against with 185. Hinote and the Eagles went on to fall to the Abbotsford Canucks in five games of their best-of-five series during the Division Finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

The 48-year-old former NHLer started his coaching career in 2010-11 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, spending four years behind the bench. Then in 2018, he joined the United States National Team Development Program as associate coach for Team USA’s U17 and U18 teams. Hinote helped Team USA to the Bronze Medal at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championships. Hinote then moved on to the Nashville Predators, where he served as an assistant coach for the 2020-21 season and helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three of his four seasons.

As a player, Hinote appeared in 503 games with the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues where he recorded 38 goals and 90 points. Hinote also appeared in 72 Stanley Cup Playoff contests and notched six goals and 15 points. In 2001, Hinote won the Stanley Cup with Colorado, appearing in all 23 postseason games.