Incoming Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette is bringing a former colleague to his coaching staff. The team announced Thursday that Derek MacKenzie will join the Preds as an assistant coach.

MacKenzie served as an assistant coach both alongside and under Brunette in Florida from 2019 to 2022. He spent last season as head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, leading them to their first playoff appearance since 2019.

Before starting his coaching career, MacKenzie spent 16 seasons in the NHL as a player for the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Florida Panthers, serving as the Panthers’ captain for three seasons.

While this will be MacKenzie’s first link to the Predators, there’s some familiarity with the current group already. MacKenzie was former teammates with Ryan Johansen in Columbus, where the two were coached by current Predators’ assistant Todd Richards. Another Preds assistant, Dan Hinote, was a member of Richards’s staff during that time as well.