Dan Bylsma is a former professional ice hockey player and coach. He began his career in the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1995 with the Los Angeles Kings, where he played for two seasons before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Bylsma played for the Ducks for one season before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, where he played for two seasons. He then played for the New York Islanders for one season before retiring from professional hockey in 2004.
After retiring from playing, Bylsma began his coaching career. He started as an assistant coach for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. He then became the head coach of the Wheeling Nailers, the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bylsma was then promoted to head coach of the Penguins' AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
In 2009, Bylsma was named the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, replacing Michel Therrien. In his first season as head coach, Bylsma led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship, becoming the second-youngest coach in NHL history to win the Cup. Bylsma also won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year that season.
Bylsma coached the Penguins for five more seasons, leading them to the playoffs each year and winning the Metropolitan Division three times. However, the Penguins were unable to win another Stanley Cup under Bylsma's leadership, and he was fired after the 2013-14 season.
After leaving the Penguins, Bylsma was hired as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. He coached the Sabres for two seasons, but was unable to lead them to the playoffs. Bylsma was fired by the Sabres after the 2016-17 season.
Throughout his career, Bylsma was known for his innovative coaching style and his ability to get the most out of his players. He was also known for his use of advanced statistics and analytics to inform his coaching decisions. Bylsma's success as a coach earned him a reputation as one of the top coaches in the NHL, and he is widely regarded as one of the most successful American-born coaches in NHL history.
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