Get to Know New Lightning Assistant Coach Dan Hinote

This will be your chance to get to know the incoming member of head coach Jon Cooper‘s staff. We’ll discuss his background and what he could bring to the table.

Background of New Lightning Coach

Hinote comes over from the Colorado Eagles – the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for the Colorado Avalanche – as an associate coach this past season.

He worked on the power play for the AHL team and helped the team finish with the sixth-best power play in the league. However, this focus is different from what Blashill was in charge of. He was in charge of the Lightning’s defense and working on the penalty kill. Since Jeff Halpern is still around, Hinote may take on a new task when he arrives in Tampa Bay.

The Eagles had the best record in the AHL’s Western Conference, going 43-21-5 with 94 points. They also led the AHL in goal differential with a plus-65 while leading the league in goals with 250 and ranking tied for fourth in goals against with 185. 

His first coaching role came with the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach ahead of the 2010-11 season. He spent four seasons as a coach before moving to a scouting role. During those seasons, the Blue Jackets saw a turnaround, having a winning record in his final two seasons in that role with a playoff berth in 2013-14.

After a few years with the United States National Team Development Program, Hinote came back to the NHL with the Nashville Predators. They made the playoffs in three of the four seasons he was part of the staff. The Predators never made it past the first round in any of their three playoff appearances.

Before his coaching career, Hinote played in the NHL for the Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche took him in the seventh round of the 1996 NHL Draft. He played in 503 games, tallying 38 goals and 52 assists for 90 points.

To add some extra fun to this hiring, Hinote was born in Leesburg, Fla., which is about an hour north of Orlando. So there’s some Florida-made flair being brought to the team. When he made his debut during the 1999-00 season, he became the first Florida-born player to score a goal in the league.

Addressing Potential Concerns For Lightning

Hinote has plenty of experience in being part of a winning product. While that should be an obvious note, keep in mind that coaches get fired from losing teams and then get jobs elsewhere. The coaching carousel is a real thing. It helps build an extra level of confidence.

The major critique is that he hasn’t been a member of teams that were part of any deep runs. The Blue Jackets and Predators had early exits, and the Eagles won one round before packing up for the offseason. Another note is that he didn’t get hired away when he went to Colorado. The Predators chose to part ways with him.

According to The Tennessean, Hinote was responsible primarily for the team’s penalty kill, which ranked 18th in the league (78.9%) in his four years in Nashville (from ‘Nashville Predators not renewing contract of assistant coach Dan Hinote after four years,’ The Tennessean, May 31, 2024). That doesn’t bode well for the Lightning if he takes over for Blashill and assumes his exact role. They had an 81.6% penalty kill in the regular season, which was sixth in the NHL. However, they only had a 75% penalty kill in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In the end, Hinote’s experience and recent success in a new role earned him another chance. Heading into the season, these are the facts at hand. Take them as you will as we wait to see how it all translates on the ice come October.