from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

“I’m not going to hole up in my apartment worried people are going to look at me, saying, ‘There’s the coach of the Wild who got fired,’” Evason said. “I’m not embarrassed. I don’t think we did a crappy job. I want to be out and about. This has been my home for five years. I’ve lived in that same place for five years. I walked to the rink every day. I love it. I love living here. I love the people. I love the team, the organization. Does it get emotional sometimes? Sure. I mean, I get emotional. But I’m more thankful than anything.”

Mid-afternoon Monday — after coaches had met in the morning to put together video clips for players ahead of Tuesday’s Blues game, showing the type of fast hockey that had been missing in the first 19 games — Evason got a call from Guerin asking him to come down to his office at Wild headquarters.

Evason called his wife and told her one of two things was happening: “Either I’m getting fired or he’s going to ask me to fire some of my assistant coaches, and I don’t know what I’m going to do if he asks me to do the latter.”

In other words, Evason was willing to sacrifice his job to save Bob Woods, and it wasn’t the first time. That happened after last season, too, when Guerin was dismayed by the penalty kill.

Evason walked into Guerin’s office, looked at his face as he sat behind his desk and knew right away: “Are you firing me, bud?”

“He said, ‘Yeah,’ and he stood up, came around the desk and we hugged and he just started crying,” Evason said. “And so did I. I said, ‘Billy, I didn’t expect it to happen, but I’m so grateful and so honored to have the opportunity,’ and I thanked him. I’m not bitter. Do I want to still be the coach of the Minnesota Wild? Yeah, of course. But I understand what he’s doing. Do I agree with it? No, of course not, because I lost my job and Bob lost his job. But we had a fantastic conversation.”

more ($)