Hynes to face Devils with Predators for first time since firing

WASHINGTON -- When John Hynes returns to Prudential Center as coach of the Nashville Predators on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET: NBCSN, TVAS, NHL.TV), it will be more than his first time facing the New Jersey Devils since they fired him Dec. 3.

It will also be his first time coaching against Alain Nasreddine, his former longtime assistant and good friend who replaced him.
"That will be weird," Nasreddine said. "But you know he's going to have his team ready, and we'll have our team ready."
Hynes, who was hired to replace Peter Laviolette as Predators coach Jan. 7, and Nasreddine talked about their approaching game against each other when they had lunch last week. Hynes was back in New Jersey to spend time with his wife, Sarah, and their three daughters during the Predators' League-mandated five-day break prior to the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend on Friday and Saturday.
"We both said, 'I want you to do really well except that day,'" Hynes said.
Though Nasreddine had aspirations to be an NHL coach, he never envisioned it happening at his friend's expense. The 44-year-old thought he was going to be out of a job too when then-Devils general manager Ray Shero (who was subsequently fired Jan. 12) asked to meet with him Dec. 3.
When Nasreddine heard Hynes was meeting with Shero before him, he expected the worst with the Devils 9-13-4 and coming off a 7-1 loss at the Buffalo Sabres the previous night. Hynes phoned Nasreddine after his meeting with Shero to tell him he was only half right.
"John was actually the one that broke the news to me," Nasreddine said. "As soon as he was done with his meeting, we got in touch and that's how I found out they were letting him go, and they were going to name me [coach]."
Whatever mixed emotions Nasreddine was feeling, Hynes made it clear what he should do, telling him, "You have to take it."
Nasreddine had only been an assistant. Following a pro career as a defenseman that included 74 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, he took his first coaching job as Hynes' assistant with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in 2010 and had been his right-hand man since then, following him to New Jersey shortly after Shero hired Hynes in 2015.
Nasreddine's first game as Devils coach, a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights hours after he got the job, was his first game behind the bench without Hynes beside him. After going 0-4-1 in their first five games under Nasreddine, the Devils have shown progress in going 9-7-2 since then. New Jersey (18-24-7) is 18 points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

"He's done a really good job," Hynes said. "He was prepared for it. We've been together for 10 years, and he played a big role. He ran a lot of meetings, he ran the penalty kill, a lot of defensive aspects of the game, communicates well, had the respect of the players. So it's not surprising."
The other twist for Hynes and Nasredinne came when Shero was fired and replaced by assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald. Shero had hired them both twice, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and New Jersey.
Though Shero fired him, Hynes said there were never any bad feelings between them.
"Ownership, GMs, coaches have to make decisions, but he handled it with class, and it is what it is," Hynes said. "But our relationship is strong."
Nasreddine experienced similar emotions to the day Hynes was fired.
"I lost my mentor (Hynes) and I lost the guy that gave me my first chance (Shero)," he said.

Still, Nasreddine understands the opportunity he has with the Devils and is determined to make the most of it.
"I started 10 years ago with the ultimate goal of one day becoming a head coach and here I am," he said. "There's only 31 of these jobs, and I'm happy that I have one and that [Hynes] has one."
Nasreddine was one of the first people Hynes called after he accepted the job with the Predators. Hynes was looking forward to coaching the United States in the 2020 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland in May when Nashville GM David Poile called.
The Predators are 4-4-0 since then with Hynes, including a 5-4 win at the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Hynes remains optimistic the Predators (23-19-7) can climb higher in the Stanley Cup Playoff race. They are four points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card from the Western Conference with three fewer games played, and Hynes said he believes they are improving.
The Predators have been adjusting to Hynes, but it's also been adjustment for him. His first game with the Predators, a 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins hours after he was introduced, was his first as a coach without Nasreddine assisting him.
"It's definitely weird, even coming in in a situation like this where it's a whole new staff, whole new players," Hynes said. "Usually when you get a job, you bring someone you know or you interview a bunch of guys before you do it. Here, you kind of just jump in and you just start working together right away. It's been fantastic."

Hynes isn't sure what he'll feel walking into Prudential Center on Thursday. He mentioned the 2017-18 season, when the Devils qualified for the playoffs and forward Taylor Hall won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, as the highlight of his time in New Jersey.
A lot has changed since then. Hynes and Shero were fired, and Hall was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 16.
The Predators need the points, so that will be Hynes' focus, but there will be some feelings for him to sort through.
"I've never experienced that," Hynes said. "I haven't been back there either since everything went down. Yeah, I think it will be a little different. I'm not sure what to expect."