Mm

... you go back to those years early on, um, it, you know, most teams in terms of their end zone structure, there's a lot of that, that push down look.

And so, uh, forward rotation, you know, the forward applying pressure down, pushing down, D staying closer to the net, and now you're seeing across the league, I mean, it's a lot more of a, a straight line approach.

Um, you know, whether you call it a diamond or just straight lines, but it's more direct.

Um, so it's not much pushing.

There's not much angling, which is interesting.

It's just, it's different.

So I'm kind of curious how you sort of view your role as a, a bit of a conduit, I guess, between the front office off the ice and then the players on the ice.

Oh, yes

... including, you know, one of the, the greatest that's ever played our game, uh, played this game, uh, ever.

Um, you know, in Sidney Crosby, and then also, you know, even just going off of this past year, being able to, to work together with Sidney Crosby a- and Malkin and Letang and Karlsson.

I mean, these are, you got, you know, multiple future Hall of Famers right there.

And then, um, some other, you know, just great, great veteran players.

And then the experience that I had working with, um, you know, some great players and teammates in the, the New York Rangers organization, uh, when I was there as an assistant coach and with the Nashville Predators, and then also, you know, at the, the junior level at the Chicago Steel where I was working, uh, with and, I mean, for Larry Robinson.

[laughs] And then, uh, um, and, uh, the USA Hockey NTDP.

So, so a- a- as a coach, and, and we've got coaches that, that listen to the pod, and like, your journey, you know, from the different ranks, is there any advice that you'd give to either coaches that are in the thick of it right now or aspiring coaches? Anything that, you know, any words of wisdom that you might pass down to, to up-and-coming coaches?

It is.

Um, and, and outside of Boston, uh, just in general, but that town in particular that we moved to, um, some really good players and I was, I was way behind.

And so, um, you know, I had to work for everything just to, just to play Division III college.

I- that was, that was a struggle.

That was a lot of work.

But I also think that that kinda, you know, I, I kept with it.

I was passionate about it and, um, you know, I think that I wouldn't change anything.

St. Lawrence, so I knew Billy really well.

Mm-hmm

... who had worked in the NHL as an assistant coach with Washington and St. Louis.

Um, couple of those years got to work with, uh, the late Reg Gendron, who was assistant coach, um, in New Jersey and, uh, part of a couple of their Cups and, um, just got to learn from those guys and, uh, a- a- and have a great experience there.

And that led me to, to go onto Chicago Steel in the USHL, first head coaching, uh, opportunity that I had.

And, um, uh, you know, that was a g- great two years there, great experience, um, which ended up leading to, um, going with Peter Laviolette, being, uh, offered a position as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators under Peter Laviolette, um, which was, you know, obviously something that I feel, uh, to this day extremely fortunate that, um, that that presented itself and, um, got an opportunity to be an assistant coach in the N- in the NHL.

Uh, had three seasons there and then I went to, um, from there was the head coach for the USA Hockey NTDP program for three seasons.

Um, another incredible experience, just, uh, yeah, it's a very unique place.

Um, w- where, where and why has American hockey grown as successfully as it has?

But what was, what did you learn about Sidney Crosby that maybe surprised you when you started to get to know him a little bit more?

I mean, I think, [sighs] I don't know if it's surprise.

I, I think there's a, because you hear from other people, you know, um, around the league, you know, just the way that they talk about him and that day-to-day, and I mean, like, you know, y- like his, his reputation, you know, across the hockey world is, you know, it, it's, you know, it just, it's amazing.

Um, and so y- you kinda, you hear about it, you see it, you, you hear it from other people.

Like just in the past, even going back years, uh, like my time in Nashville, guys that had played with him talking about, um, the presence that he has, the day-to-day, uh, work ethic that he has, the drive, the passion, and that, you know, they're just not at, you know, the, they're, they're special, special levels that are uncommon.

And so you come in and then you see it firsthand.

I mean, it's one thing to hear about it, but to see it on an everyday basis, just that drive that he has and his passion for the game, um, his passion for the city, for this organization, um, yeah, it, it's, I mean, it, it's a, it's incredible.

Did you think they were a contending team right out of the gate, or you thought there were gonna be some tough times before you got to the level that you guys were pretty consistently at all year?

[laughs]

And so I, I saw, like, a great example from him.

Um, and I don't think I necessarily applied all those things when I became a head coach.

Like, I, I probably, you know, I probably did try to do maybe a little bit too much on my own.

Um, definitely my first year, second year I thought I'd get better at it.

But then, you know, I went, you know, to be an assistant coach for, for Lavvy, and, like, you know, I, I just, I think I, I, I remember there was so many things in that first year I was like, "Yeah, I wouldn't have done it this way, but this is definitely the right way of doing it." You know? Like, even, I mean, he's just an incredible, incredible coach, and like, yeah, I'm sure he'll be back in this league here soon, as he should be.

Um, but he, I remember, like, it was my first, it was our first, uh, I guess training camp.

That was-- That could've been a really bad turning point for your team, and you guys were able to find ways to win games and get points before he got back, and obviously helped you guys make the playoffs.