MacKinnon, 47, enters his sixth season with the New Jersey Devils after spending the previous ten seasons (2006-2016) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, including the last seven as director of player personnel. He served in that role for the 2016 Stanley Cup Championship team. In that position, MacKinnon oversaw all of the Penguins’ professional and amateur scouting operations in North America and Europe. He spent two seasons as director of professional scouting, and joined the organization as a scout in 2006. From 2000-2006, MacKinnon was with the Nashville Predators where he worked with Shero, serving as a professional scout (four years) and scouting coordinator (two years). He has also worked in the league office for the American Hockey League and for the Mississauga Ice Dogs (OHL).

Prior to his professional career, MacKinnon served as an assistant coach for Ohio University’s hockey team, where he worked to receive a master’s degree in Athletic Administration. MacKinnon played three seasons of Canadian College hockey, one with Mount Allison University (AUAA) in 1994-95 and two with the University of Waterloo (OUAA) from 1996-98. He played junior hockey in Pembroke (CJHL, 1991-93) and Kingston (MetJHL, 1993-94).

Dineen, 57, last served as head coach of San Diego (AHL) for the Anaheim Ducks organization during the previous two seasons, posting a 56-36-9=121 points record and a three-game playoff appearance in 2021 (1-2-0).  Prior to San Diego, he was an assistant coach, from 2014-15 to 2018-19, with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning a Stanley Cup in his first year on Joel Quenneville’s staff. 

 

Following his playing career, he spent 2003-04 to 2004-05 as Assistant General Manager with the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Dineen would begin his coaching career spending the next six seasons as Head Coach of the Portland Pirates (2005-06 to 2007-08 as the Anaheim AHL affiliate;  2008-09 to 2010-11 as Buffalo Sabres AHL affiliate).  He took the club to two Eastern Conference Finals (2006 & 2008), winning the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award (AHL Coach of the Year) in his inaugural season.

 

Dineen would make the jump to the NHL at the start of the 2011-12 season serving as the Head Coach of the Florida Panthers for two seasons.  He would go on to post a 56-62-28 record in two full seasons, taking the Panthers to the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in his first season in 2012, falling to eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey. 

 

As an international coach, Dineen helmed Team Canada's women's national ice hockey team, leading the squad to a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  He also coached Canada's men’s team at the 2014 IIHF World Junior U-18 Championships winning a Bronze Medal.

 

Drafted by Hartford in the third round (56^th overall) in the 1982 NHL Draft, the right-shooting, rugged winger played 19 seasons in the NHL, tallying 1,188 contests with four different teams (Carolina/Hartford, Philadelphia, Columbus, and Ottawa).  The veteran totaled 760 points in his career, scoring 355 goals and 405 assists with 2,229 penalty minutes.  He added 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) with 127 penalty minutes in 59 Stanley Cup Playoff games 

 

Born October 28, 1963, in Quebec City, Que., Kevin and his wife, Annie, have four children, two daughters (Hannah and Emma) and two sons (William and Declan).

Parent was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. After playing three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm, Parent joined the Milwaukee Admirals for the 2006 American Hockey League playoffs. Parent also played on both Canada's 2006 and 2007 World Jr. Hockey Championship gold-medal winning teams. During his NHL career, he totaled 106 games played for Philadelphia and Vancouver. Over 10 seasons in the American Hockey League, Parent skated in 251 games for seven clubs. Parent has been the assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils AHL club since the 2018-19 season.

 

Brian Eklund enters his second season with the New Jersey Devils as Assistant Coach, Goaltending.

Eklund, drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning 226^th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, played four seasons at Brown University. After his collegiate career, Eklund signed a two-year deal with the Lightning and starred for their ECHL team, the Pensacola Ice Pilots, before earning a ring with the Lightning as the team’s third goaltender during their run to the 2004 Stanley Cup title. He went on to make his NHL debut with the Lightning during the 2005-06 campaign and played two seasons in the AHL with the Springfield Falcons and Providence Bruins.  

Eklund, who owns Massachusetts Crease, a goalie school designed to develop aspiring goalies, helped Harvard University excel in goal during his time as a coach there, leading to school records in wins, saves and starts. 

 

 

Josh Gagnon joined the Utica Comets coaching staff in the second year of their affiliation with the New Jersey Devils. Previously, Gagnon worked for eight seasons (2013-2021) with the Comets as a member of the Vancouver Canucks organization. 

A graduate of SUNY Oswego, he was a member of the 2008 NECHL championship team. He served as an assistant coach at Mohawk Valley CC before joining the Comets.

He is a native of Clinton, NY and currently resides in New Hartford with his wife Erin and their two children Emma and Trevor.

Damion Parmelee is in his 8^th season with the Utica Comets and is working his 23^rd season in professional hockey.

Prior to joining the Comets, he spent eight seasons (2006-14) with the Phantoms, both in Philadelphia and Adirondack. He spent 2003-2006 with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. In 2006 the Aces won the Kelly Cup Championship. He spent 2000-2003 with the ECHL’s Pee Dee Pride.

He started his professional hockey career in 1999 as an assistant equipment manager for the AHL’s Albany River Rats. Parmelee had the honor of working the 2002 and 2003 ECHL All Star games as well as the 2015, 2016 and 2018 AHL All-Star Games. He celebrated his 1500th game on February 8, 2019. 

He is a native from Binghamton, NY and currently resides in New Hartford, NY with his wife Ashley, sons Wyatt and Truett, and their dog Alyeska.