Ex-Wild coach Dean Evason returns to Minnesota, ready to move on and embrace his new challenge

Dean Evason, in Prague in May as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the World Championship, had just gotten done with dinner and was strolling around Old Town Square with his wife, three kids and mom when Evason’s son, Bryce, pointed: “Dad, there’s Billy.”

Evason hadn’t seen Bill Guerin since November, when the Minnesota Wild general manager called him into his office and fired him as coach. Yet there Guerin was, sitting on a patio with Mike Sullivan, the Penguins’ coach and the man Guerin has picked to coach the United States in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Winter Olympics.

What are the chances? As Evason crept up, he overheard Guerin explaining to Sullivan why he let Evason go.

As loud as can be, Evason surprised Guerin by yelling, “Well, if you didn’t fire your f—ing coach, you probably would have made the playoffs!”

Guerin, hysterically laughing, stood up and gave Evason a bear hug, then came out to the street to say hello to Evason’s family.

Evason’s mom, at first, was standoffish. Guerin asked Sheila for a hug. Sarcastically, she said, “Just this one time,” before punching Guerin, let’s just say, way, way … way down low.

Wild fans who watched Evason for six seasons — parts of five as head coach — now know who Evason gets his…