Predators bring back Mitch Korn to serve as director of goaltending.
Nashville, Tennessee. Mitch Korn, the Nashville Predators’ longtime goalie coach, has returned to handle the team’s operations at the most crucial position in hockey.
On Wednesday, the organization named Korn director of goaltending, reuniting him with now-general manager Barry Trotz, for whom he previously served at multiple NHL coaching stops, including 15 seasons with the Predators from 1998 to 2014.
“I’ve known and worked with Mitch for a long time, and we’re excited to welcome back one of the great goaltending minds in hockey,” Trotz said in a statement announcing the employment. “Mitch’s résumé speaks for itself.” He has an extraordinary ability to teach the language of goaltending to his players in a way that allows them to quickly comprehend how he is attempting to improve them.”
Korn, 66, won the Stanley Cup alongside Trotz and the Washington Capitals in 2018. He rose to prominence in the sport during his first employment with the Buffalo Sabres in the 1990s, where he helped Dominik Hasek develop into a two-time league MVP, six-time Vezina Trophy winner as the greatest goaltender, and Hall of Famer.
Korn most recently served as the New York Islanders’ director of goaltending, succeeding Trotz from Washington and remaining there even after longtime assistant Lane Lambert took over as coach.
Korn will return to Nashville to lead a group that currently includes goalie coach Ben Vanderklok, goaltender development coach Jason Barron, and European development coach and scout Pekka Rinne, a longstanding franchise figure who thrived under his guidance.
“With Mitch at the helm of an already impressive goaltending department that includes Ben, Jason and Pekka, I’m confident that our franchise’s longtime success at the position will continue to grow,” Trotz stated.
Korn’s most important duty may be to develop top prospect Yaroslav Askarov into the premier goalie the organization thinks he will become. Juuse Saros, who placed in the top ten in Vezina voting for the fourth straight season, has one year remaining on his contract.
Korn expressed his excitement to reunite with remaining members of the company, adding that he is especially looking forward to working with Vanderklok, whom he appointed as his assistant in 2009.
“He has done an amazing job during his time with the Predators, and we’ve maintained a strong friendship and working relationship in this industry,” Korn stated. “Along with Barry, Ben was instrumental in having me return to the place where my family and I made so many memories.”
Korn has helped develop several current NHL goaltenders, including Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer, San Jose’s Vitek Vanecek, Toronto’s Ilya Samsonov, and the Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin. Askarov, the 11th pick in the 2020 draft who will turn 22 before the season begins, has the opportunity to be his next cherished pupil.