The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that Dan Hinote has been named associate head coach of the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
Hinote, 47, returns to the Avalanche organization where he played his first six NHL seasons and won a Stanley Cup in 2001. Selected by Colorado in the seventh round (167th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Hinote appeared in 353 regular season games with the Avs from 1999-00 to 2005-06, recording 65 points (27g/38a). He skated in a career-high 76 contests during the 2000-01 campaign and went on to dress in all 23 playoff games that spring to help Colorado win the Stanley Cup.
The Leesburg, Florida, native has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators, helping the team advance to the playoffs in three of those four campaigns. Hinote began his coaching career with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010-11, spending four seasons behind the bench (2010-14) before moving into a professional scouting role with the Jackets. After four years as a scout (2014-18), he joined the United States National Team Development program, serving as associate coach with Team USA’s Under-17 and Under-18 squads from 2018-20. Hinote was an assistant coach on the United States’ bronze-medal entry at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship in Russia.
“Dan has a diverse background in professional hockey, including a decade as a player in the NHL and nearly a decade as a coach in the NHL,” said Avalanche Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald. “He is a strong teacher of the game and relates well to younger players with his experience playing in college hockey, at the major junior level as well as his time as a coach with Team USA’s Under 17 and 18 teams. We are excited to have Dan back with the Avalanche organization and look forward to having him behind the Eagles bench this season.”
Hinote concluded his NHL playing career with 90 points (38g/52a) in 503 regular season games with the Avalanche and Blues. He added 15 points (6g/9a) in 72 Stanley Cup playoff contests. After departing the Avalanche, he played three seasons with St. Louis from 2006-09 and then one season with MODO in Sweden (2009-10) before retiring.
Prior to his pro career, Hinote spent two seasons with the Oshawa Generals from 1996-98, where he helped Oshawa win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in 1996-97. He joined the Generals after playing two seasons at the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1994-96.
