The Minnesota Wild announced Monday that they have hired former New Jersey Devils assistant GM Dan MacKinnon as assistant director of amateur scouting. The appointment was part of a series of front-office updates that also included the addition of a European amateur scout and an executive assistant, along with an internal promotion on the player development side.
MacKinnon most recently served with the Devils. He joined the organization ahead of the 2016-17 season as director of player personnel. In 2019 he was elevated to assistant general manager and senior vice president of hockey operations, titles he held through the end of the 2025-26 campaign. Beginning in 2021 he also served as general manager of the Utica Comets, the Devils’ American Hockey League affiliate. On May 1, Sunny Mehta and the Devils announced they would not renew his contract.
Before arriving in New Jersey, MacKinnon spent nearly two decades in NHL scouting and management roles. He began with the Nashville Predators in 2000 as director of scouting. In 2007 he moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a similar capacity and remained with that organization through its Stanley Cup championships in 2009 and 2016.
In his new position with Minnesota, MacKinnon will work within the amateur scouting department under director Judd Brackett. The role focuses on the evaluation of draft-eligible players and the identification of prospects for future consideration.
MacKinnon’s career path has taken him through three NHL organizations and multiple levels of player assessment, from amateur ranks to professional development. The Wild’s announcement confirms his next chapter begins in the State of Hockey, where he will contribute to the club’s ongoing amateur scouting efforts.
Earlier this summer, the Devils announced their front office restructure, which included Braden Birch and Leo Luongo, while shaking up Sheldon Keefe‘s supporting cast with Ted Donato, AJ MacLean, and Dan Stewart.
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