Today Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz announced that the team has hired Darby Hendrickson as an assistant coach. Hendrickson brings to Nashville plenty of coaching experience and familiarity with the current Predators coaching staff.
Andrew Brunette and Hendrickson were teammates together for the Minnesota Wild from 2001-2004. Hendrickson was named an assistant coach for Minnesota in 2010, and was reunited with Andrew Brunette behind the bench for two seasons as Brunette served as an assistant coach alongside Hendrickson. Brunette was then named the assistant general manager for Minnesota until the end of the 2018-2019 season. Hendrickson remained an assistant coach until he was relieved of his duties in May of this year. During his 14 season tenure in Minnesota, Hendrickson worked with current Nashville Predators assistant coach Todd Richards who served as the head coach of the Wild from 2009-2011.
At the end of the season, the Predators announced that assistant coach Dan Hinote would not be re-signed by the team after joining the Predators in September, 2020. This move made way for Brunette to hand pick an assistant coach in Hendrickson. Nashville has not announced what Hendrickson’s specific role will be with the team.