NHL Next Coach Fired Odds: Who Will Be Next?
Promo Code: BOOKIESBG150
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.
We’re a bit more than halfway into the 2025-26 season for NHL betting and the first head coach firing of the campaign took place on Monday.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, who entered Tuesday last in the Eastern Conference with 45 points, gave Dean Evason his walking papers after a 19-19-7 start.
preprod.bookies.com has assembled this list of candidates to be the next coach fired:
NHL Next Coach Fired Odds
| Coach, Team | Odds | Pct. Chance |
| Ryan Huska, Calgary Flames | +130 | 43.5% |
| Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets | +175 | 36.4% |
| Andrew Brunette, Nashville Predators | +300 | 25.0% |
| Travis Green, Ottawa Senators | +900 | 10.0% |
| Adam Foote, Vancouver Canucks | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Jim Montgomery, St. Louis Blues | +1800 | 5.3% |
| The Field (any others) | +1000 | 9.1% |
These odds are exclusive to preprod.bookies.com and are not available at legal, regulated sports betting apps.
What Happened in Columbus?
Evason was a bit more than halfway through his second season in charge of the Blue Jackets. The former Minnesota Wild head coach was 59-52-16 in Columbus.
Last season, Columbus had 89 points, two short of the playoff cutoff line. The Jackets finished fourth in the Metropolitan Division, equaling their result in the 2019-20 season, which was the most recent time they made the playoffs.
This season, the team has 45 points, just seven points out of a wild-card spot, after 45 games. But there are few indicators that Columbus, a +650 longshot to make the playoffs at bet365 Sportsbook, is a serious candidate to pay off that wager. The Jackets are allowing 3.38 goals per game, fifth worst in the league, and the special teams are nothing special, with the power play ranking 20th (18.8%) and the penalty kill at No. 29 (76.4%) in the 32-team league. According to NHL Edge stats, the Blue Jackets are 29th in shooting percentage at 9.6% as well.
General manager Don Waddelll replaced Evason with veteran coach Rick Bowness. Steve McCarthy also was fired as assistant coach.
We might see a flurry of similar activity around the league in the next few weeks. The Olympic break – a stoppage of about three weeks while many of the best NHL stars play at the Winter Games in Italy – might be a time when teams reassess where they stand and whether they should move on from their current coaches. In the NFL, bye weeks are infamous for being a dangerous time for coaches leading struggling teams, so something similar could be at play in the NHL.
NHL Next Coach Fired Top Candidates
Calgary’s Ryan Huska remains our favorite to be the next NHL coach fired, with a 43.5% chance. That would translate to +130 odds at sportsbook sites.
The Flames are six points out of a playoff spot in the West and are tied for the fifth-worst goal differential at minus-19.
A new entry on our list is Scott Arniel of the Jets, who is second at +175 odds (a 36.4% implied probability).
This is a perfect example of how quickly things can change because Winnipeg won the President’s Trophy last season as the team with the best regular-season record. The Jets lost to the Dallas Stars 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs, but the future looked bright. Connor Hellebuyck not only won his third Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender, he also was named Most Valuable Player, the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy in 10 years.
This season, Hellebuyck missed four weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery and the Jets went 3-8-1 without him. But even when healthy, the 32-year-old goalie has not been at his best; Hellebuyck’s current .901 save percentage is on pace to be the worst of his 11-year career. Even with him, Winnipeg lost 11 in a row from Dec. 15 to Jan. 8 (three in overtime) to fall near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Customers using the DraftKings Sportsbook promo code can get +500 odds on the Jets to make the playoffs, or -750 odds that Winnipeg misses out.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit http://gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org (CT), or visit http://www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $300 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Bet must settle by and Token expires 2/22/26. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: http://sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 2/15/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.
Historic Trends For NHL Coaching Changes
It’s unusual for the first coaching change to happen this deep into a season.
In 2024-25, the Boston Bruins fired Jim Montgomery on Nov. 19, just 20 games into the season. But he waited just five days for his next assignment because the St. Louis Blues jettisoned Drew Bannister on Nov. 24 and hired Montgomery. In the 2018-19 season, four coaches were fired in November. In 2015-16, the Blue Jackets dismissed Todd Richards after an 0-7 start.
There was one outlier. In 2017-18, no coaches were fired during the season. That was the first firing-free full season in the NHL since 1966-67.
We won’t see a repeat of that in 2025-26 after Columbus made its move. In any case, stick with preprod.bookies.com for the best sports betting promos around.
theScore Bet Promo Code BOOKIES: Unlocks $100 in Bonuses for Super Bowl, UFC (Jan. 31) 
Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code BOOKIES250BM: Get $250 Bet Match for the Mavericks vs. Rockets 
bet365 Bonus Code BOOKIES Scores $200 in Bonuses for Spurs-Hornets, Any NBA Game Today (Jan. 31) 
BetMGM Bonus Code BOOKIESBG150 Unlocks $150 Betting Bonus for Spurs-Hornets, NCAAB (Jan. 31) 
FanDuel Promo Code: Unveil $200 in Bonuses for for The Big Game (Jan. 31) 
DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code: Claim $300 in Bonuses for The Big Game (Jan. 31)
Comments