Kevin Charles Dean, born on April 1, 1969, is a prominent figure in the world of ice hockey. He transitioned from a successful playing career to a respected coaching role. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Coach for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL).
TD Garden, where Kevin Dean has coached.
Early Career and NHL Debut
Kevin Dean's journey in professional hockey began when he was drafted 86th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.
Prior to his NHL debut, Dean spent four years honing his skills at the University of New Hampshire before transferring to the American Hockey League (AHL).
AHL and Stanley Cup Success
In the 1994-95 season, Dean played a crucial role in helping the Albany River Rats secure the AHL's Calder Cup championship. He made his NHL debut the same season and was a member of the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.
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Kevin Dean was a member of the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.
Following a few seasons transferring between the minors and NHL, the Atlanta Thrashers claimed Dean in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft.
He would play for multiple teams in the NHL but never secure a permanent spot, retiring in 2002.
Transition to Coaching
After retiring from professional hockey, Dean transitioned to coaching, initially within the Devils organization. He worked with their American Hockey League team in Lowell and their East Coast Hockey League team in Trenton.
Prior to the 2011-12 season, he was named an assistant coach with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League.
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In the 2016-17 season, his first as a head coach in the American Hockey League, he led the Providence Bruins to the AHL playoffs.
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Dean takes a measured approach to his coaching career, focusing on continuous learning and improvement. "I don’t have aspirations to be a head coach in the NHL yet,” he says. “I’m not ready. I still have a lot to learn."
Return to the NHL as Assistant Coach
Dean’s coaching journey eventually led him back to the NHL. On a late October morning, half a dozen games into his first season as an assistant coach in the National Hockey League, Kevin Dean ’91 works a Boston Bruins practice session at the team’s Warrior Ice Arena facility in Brighton, Mass.
While head coach Bruce Cassidy conducts a drill at mid-ice, Dean shags pucks, checking in on a couple of Bruins defensemen as he tours the ice.
Connection to the University of New Hampshire
Dean maintains a strong connection to his alma mater, the University of New Hampshire (UNH). He gets to Durham as often as he can, usually to talk hockey with men’s head coach Dick Umile ’72 and associate head coaches Mike Souza ’00 and Glenn Stewart ’94.
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Dean played alongside Stewart as a Wildcat, and he and Souza became fast friends when both lived and worked in Providence, Dean with the minor league Bruins and Souza as an assistant at Brown University.
“You’re a student first, you’re a person, you’re someone’s son, you’re a part of the university,” Dean says. “You’re not just there to play hockey for four years and leave. You’re there to add something back to the university and have some esprit de corps, for lack of a better term.
UNH provided that balance. There are great people up in Durham.
Personal Life
Dean and his wife, Jill, live in North Andover, Massachusetts, with their four children.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Born | April 1, 1969 |
| Drafted | 86th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils |
| NHL Debut | 1994-95 season with New Jersey Devils |
| Stanley Cup | Won in 1994-95 with New Jersey Devils |
| Current Role | Assistant Coach for the Vancouver Canucks |