Hurricanes assistant coach Dean Chynoweth departs for Maple Leafs

For the second time in four seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes are looking for a new defensive assistant after Dean Chynoweth left for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

Chynoweth, who orchestrated the NHL’s third-best penalty-killing unit on Rod Brind’Amour’s bench, replaces new Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol with the Leafs.

Negotiations over new contracts for Brind’Amour’s staff, including Chynoweth, delayed the head coach’s own three-year extension until June this spring: “It’s important to have the right people around me,” Brind’Amour said at the time. Chynoweth was given permission to entertain other offers and will become one of the NHL’s highest-paid assistant coaches with the cash-happy Leafs.

“Everybody’s happy about it. I’m happy for him,” Brind’Amour said Monday in an interview. “I hate to lose him but everyone’s situation is different. It’s just the way it goes.”

Chynoweth, 52, joined the Hurricanes in the summer of 2018 to replace Steve Smith, who Brind’Amour had hoped to retain from Bill Peters’ previous staff when Brind’Amour was promoted to take over. Smith left to join the Buffalo Sabres. Jeff Daniels continues to serve as the other assistant coach.

During Chynoweth’s tenure, the Hurricanes were one of the best regular-season teams short-handed but struggled in that department in the playoffs, while the team’s talented blue line continued to excel. Last season, Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce all received Norris Trophy votes. Hamilton finished fourth in the voting and was named to the NHL’s second all-star team, while Slavin became the fourth defenseman in NHL history to win the Lady Byng Trophy honoring gentlemanly play.

“As someone who grew up in western Canada and watched the Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada every weekend, I’m thrilled to join the team’s coaching staff,” Chynoweth said in a statement. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to work alongside (head coach) Sheldon (Keefe), the rest of the staff and the talented group of players in Toronto.”

One potential replacement: Former Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason is the team’s roving director of defensemen development, but Brind’Amour said there’s no shortage of coaches interested in supervising a blue line that includes Slavin, Pesce and Brady Skjei. Hamilton is an unrestricted free agent who could still re-sign with the Hurricanes, but has been given permission to talk to other teams ahead of the July 28 opening of free agency.

“Everybody wants this job,” Brind’Amour said. “I’ve got lots of people calling me. Obviously we have a good group to work with.”