How Michael Jordan helped tell John Hynes' daughters their father was new coach of Wild

Michael Jordan helped break the news to Sophia and Julia Hynes that their father had a new job.

At least his shoe brand did.

The two oldest of John and Sarah Hynes' three daughters learned via text messages Monday that the former Nashville Predators coach had been hired for the same role with the Minnesota Wild.

The sisters had just walked in the door of the family's Brentwood home from Ravenwood High School, where Sophia is a senior and Julia is a junior.

"I sent them a couple of Nike Air Jordan shoes with white and green on them," Sarah said. " 'So, what do you guys think of these? Any thoughts for Christmas?'

"They said, 'Oh, yeah, that's cute.' "

Sarah hinted some more. She asked the girls if they liked the colors, which are the Wild's team colors.

"Sophia says, 'Yeah, why?' " Sarah continued. "I said, 'Oh, I think it's our new family colors.' "

The girls figured out from there that their dad, who had been fired as Predators coach in late May, was moving from Nashville to Minnesota to take over for Dean Evason.

That night.

The Hynes' youngest daughter, Anna, a seventh grader, found out when she returned home from basketball practice at about 4:45 p.m.

Then it was time to drop off John Hynes at Nashville International Airport. He was bound for his new home, the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, a 45-minute drive from where Sarah grew up in western Wisconsin.

"It's interesting how it all falls," she said. "That's where all my family is. It's just kind of odd that it's all coming back around."

John Hynes returns to Nashville to face Predators

Hynes wasn't gone long.

Two days later he found himself on a flight to Nashville International Airport.

He returned with his new team Wednesday, a day before the Wild were to face the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Two days after those text messages were sent. One day after he earned his first win with the Wild, ending their losing streak at seven games.

One day shy of six months since his time with the Predators ended after 3½ seasons.

Hynes interviewed for one other job, with the New York Rangers, after the Predators let him go with a year remaining on his contract. That job went to Peter Laviolette, the man Hynes was hired to replace in Nashville in January 2020.

Hynes went 134-95-18 with the Predators, who made the postseason during his first three seasons but failed to make it last season, ending the franchise's streak at eight years.

"Nashville is a special place," Hynes told reporters in Minnesota on Wednesday after the Wild practiced. "I really grew there as a coach.

"It's a little weird going back there to coach this quick, but certainly looking forward to it."

The schedule is one of the first things John and Sarah looked at upon his hiring.

"It will be a little strange," Sarah said. "But we'll be there for sure."

Wearing Wild white and green, all of them — Sarah, Sophia, Julia and Anna.

John Hynes' hiring by Wild: 'Happened in a matter of hours'

Sarah Hynes returned to the family's Brentwood home from the YMCA at about midmorning Monday.

Her husband had his phone glued to his ear and his mind glued to Minnesota.

"People don't believe how fast it goes," Sarah said. "It literally happened in a matter of a few hours.

"You don't have time to think. As soon as it was done we packed him up and took him to the airport."

It wasn't the first time this had happened.

A similar scene unfolded when Hynes was hired by the Predators during the season. He moved into a hotel then. He'll move into a hotel now.

His departure from the Predators, who hired Andrew Brunette to replace him, is officially behind him.

His days of watching Sophia and Julia and Anna play sports have been put on hold.

His plans for a family vacation at Christmas are gone.

"I have to cancel him out of that because plans have changed," Sarah said. "You can't plan anything too far in advance."

She chuckled, then paused.

"The girls and I are still going, though."

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How former Nashville Predators coach John Hynes ended up with the Wild