DENVER — Colorado assistant coach Dave Hakstol is leaving to become Arizona State’s next head coach, multiple outlets reported Monday morning.

Hakstol just began his second year as an assistant on Jared Bednar’s staff. He replaced Ray Bennett, who was fired after a first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars in 2025.

Arizona State coach Greg Powers was placed on leave late last month. A Sun Devils player, 21-year-old Matthew Mayich, collapsed during an offseason workout Aug. 20 and remains on life support at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. A family attorney said Mayich is unlikely to recover.

The Avs practice Monday at Family Sports Center and play Tuesday night at Dallas. Hakstol replaced Bennett as power-play coach last season, and the Avs finished 27th in the league at 17.1%. For the second straight season, the Avs’ power play went cold at a critical postseason juncture.

Hakstol spent 11 seasons as head coach at his alma mater, North Dakota, before moving to the NHL. He took over as the Philadelphia Flyers coach in 2015 and led the team to two playoff berths in three seasons before the team fired him 31 games into the 2018-19 season. He led the Seattle Kraken for three seasons, starting in 2021, leading the team to one playoff appearance.

Hakstol became head coach at North Dakota in 2004 and led the program to seven Frozen Four appearances in 11 seasons, including wining a national title in 2010-11 and an NCAA runner-up finish in his first season.

Hakstol also served as an assistant coach for Canada’s national men’s team in 2017 and 2019.

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