Dan Hinote is back with a new role in the Avalanche organization

Colorado Avalanche fan favorite Dan Hinote is back with the organization, the team announced on Wednesday.

Hinote has been named the associate head coach of the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate. He joins a staff that is led by Aaron Schneekloth, who is the team’s head coach.

Hinote played the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Avalanche and won a Stanley Cup with the franchise in 2001.

Stanley Cup Champion Dan Hinote has been named associate head coach of the Colorado Eagles.

Happy to have you back in the organization, Dan!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/b3DXpGwc9Z

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 17, 2024

“Dan has a diverse background in professional hockey, including a decade as a player in the NHL and nearly a decade as a coach in the NHL,” Avalanche assistant GM Kevin McDonald said in a press release. “He is a strong teacher of the game and relates well to younger players with his experience playing in college hockey, at the major junior level as well as his time as a coach with Team USA’s Under 17 and 18 teams. We are excited to have Dan back with the Avalanche organization and look forward to having him behind the Eagles bench this season.”

In his six seasons in Colorado, Hinote was a gritty depth player who fans seemed to embrace from the jump. He played in 353 regular season games for the Avs, scoring 27 goals and adding 38 assists, good for 65 points.

Hinote played in all 23 playoff games during the spring and summer of 2001, when Colorado went on to win its second Stanley Cup.

McDonald outlined Hinote’s experience, which included the last four seasons as an assistant with the Nashville Predators. They made the NHL playoffs in three of those four seasons.

It’s cool to see Dan Hinote back with the Avalanche, as he’s the second former player to return this offseason. Former goaltender Pavel Francouz recently did the same earlier this month.