NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Monday was a difficult day for Freddy Gaudreau. The veteran forward lost a major mentor when Dean Evason was dismissed as the Wild’s head coach and replaced by John Hynes.

After going undrafted out of the QMJHL, Gaudreau started his professional career on a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League and met an instant champion in their coach, Evason.

“It’s been hard, yeah,” Gaudreau said after the Wild’s 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. “I owe him a lot.”

Gaudreau, 30, blossomed under Evason in Milwaukee. In Spring 2017, he was promoted to Nashville and scored three goals, including two game-winners, in the Stanley Cup Finals. The next season, Evason’s last in Milwaukee, Gaudreau had career-highs of 22 goals and 21 assists in 54 games before essentially beginning his NHL career with the Predators in 2018-19.

In 2021, Evason was instrumental in the Wild signing Gaudreau to a free-agent deal, and he’s been in Minnesota ever since, currently playing on a five-year contract extension worth $10.5 million after amassing 82 points, with a plus/minus of 22, in two seasons.

Gaudreau scored his first goal of the season on Tuesday and afterward paid tribute to Evason and assistant coach Bob Woods, also let go on Monday.

“They’re unbelievable people, great coaches. and I feel very grateful for everything, every moment I’ve had with them, so it’s hard to see that,” he said. “It’s hard when you haven’t been playing close to what you can play, it’s hard to see that it’s the coaches that they’re getting out first.

“Unfortunately that’s the business we’re in. But it was hard, I’m not going to lie.”

Gaudreau scored a pretty goal Tuesday when he got a pass from Patrick Maroon in the circle, moved the puck to his forehand and floated the go-ahead goal through traffic with 1:50 left in the first period.

“I haven’t been doing much offensively lately, so my mindset is just trying to bring the puck to the net,” he said. “That one was not a hard shot, but it made its way and that was just kind of my mindset.”

Gaudreau, who missed seven games this season with a rib/core injury, had played nine games without a point before Tuesday.

“I try to play the right way. That’s my only mindset,” he said. “(But) I’m not going to lie: It feels good to put a puck in the net — but mostly in a win situation. To me it’s not really the stats, it’s more playing the right way, and that has to be my mindset. That’s when I play my best.”

Nashville Cat

Hynes won his first game as the Wild’s coach on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he and the team left for the scene of his last coaching gig for a Thursday night game at Bridgestone Arena.

In parts of four seasons with the Predators, Hynes’ teams went 134-96-18 before he was fired after last season.

“Nashville was a special place. I’m thankful for the opportunity to coach there, the organization’s fantastic,” Hynes said Wednesday. “I enjoyed my time there, the players. I really grew there as a coach.”

Hynes said his family will remain in Tennessee so that his oldest kids can finish high school. In the meantime, he’ll be bringing back some of his things on the team charter after Thursday’s game.

“I packed all my stuff to bring here,” he said. “Now, I’ve unpacked them and have all the same suitcases empty to come back again.”

Briefly

Wednesday was Hynes’ first look at TRIA Rink, the Wild’s practice facility atop the only Macy’s building downtown. “Obviously, I think the location from the game rink is fantastic,” he said. “But the building itself, it’s gotta be tops in the NHL.” … Gaudreau wasn’t the only Wild player to end a scoring skid on Tuesday. Jared Spurgeon had an assist on Joel Eriksson Ek’s first-period goal, for his first point of the season. And Matt Boldy scored on a breakaway, his first goal since Oct. 14.