WEBVTT

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Hello -hello! It's Hakan The Beach and Daria

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Mironova. The EHL has a new champion – Lokomotiv

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Yaroslavl. The first in its history title means

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so much to the city that lost its hockey team

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in a plane crash back in September 2011. Congrats

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to the coaching staff, players, families, Lokomotiv

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organization and of course all the fans. We have

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a special guest today. He has experience coaching

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in the NHL for the New York Rangers, Florida

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Panthers, in the KHL, Avangard, Akbar's Lokomotiv,

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winning two Gagarin Cups with Metalurk. That's

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not it. Men's and women's team Canada, team Italy,

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and other major organizations. His hockey baggage

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is heavy and extensive. Meet Michael Pelino,

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who knows how to coach champions on different

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levels. So, Mike, how have you been? How is your

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hockey life? Well, my hockey life is a little

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bit empty now. It was good. It was busy for a

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lot of years. And then the most recent happening

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for me was when I got to go to St. Petersburg

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for the Channel One Cup in December of last year.

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How did it happen? What was your first reaction

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when you knew that you're going to go? I was

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really excited. I got the call from the KHL office.

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Andrej Ticheski called and asked if Mike Keenan

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and I would like to come and participate in the

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Channel One Cup. And we would be coaching the

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KHL team of imports. And then the other teams

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were going to be Team Russia, Team Belarus and

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Team Kazakhstan. And it would be a four -team

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tournament. brand new arena at st petersburg

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so there was uh there was a lot to get excited

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about and i was looking really forward to it

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and it was it was outstanding well i know that

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you are loved in the khl by fans and players

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so like did you meet anyone you already know

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Yes, yes. I had some fans from Magnitogorsk.

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When I was there, they flew in to see me and

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to watch the games. And then some of the other

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people from around the league were there. I know,

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like you say, some of the KHL administration

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and then even some of the other coaches. Dmitry

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Kvartalinov was there with Belarus and I've coached

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with him before. and his assistant gorbanko and

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then even on our team we had michael kravitz

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and Leonid Kambyevs, and I'd cross paths with

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them. And I got to talk to a lot of people that,

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I talked to them from here in North America too,

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but it seems a little closer when you talk to

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them in the same country. What language did you

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use? Mostly, mostly English. Their English is

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much better than my Russian. And I can speak

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a little bit, but it's tough for me to converse.

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But I do know words. I wish I was more fluent,

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but both those guys speaking. English pretty

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well and most of the other people I speak with

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although a couple of the fans that came from

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Magnitogorsk they are strictly Russian speaking

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so we had to speak in Russian mostly that way

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and that was fun too I love the language I think

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you're just being very modest because I know

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you're Russian I understand you don't practice

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as much right now but your Russian was really

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good thank you Daria did you get to eat some

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of your favorite Russian food Yes, yes, we did.

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I had some pulmini. I had some borscht. I had

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some salienka soup. I had shishlik. I like all

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the Russian foods. I had a little bit of pavlova

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and medevik. It was nice because we don't get

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that too often here. You just had it all. That's

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what I hear. So I got to see a little bit of

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sightseeing and we had some nice dinners out.

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and then the hockey was very good too yeah let's

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talk about hockey i'm sure you had a lot of new

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guys on your team right because um i knew i knew

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a few players from the russian team that i'd

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coached before but on our team with the imports

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none of them were really part of my team when

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i coached but i do remember them from the league

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and ryan spooner i had coached here in canada

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when he was in junior. But it was a good group.

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We had a talented team. Unfortunately, we didn't

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have all the best imports. That was because I

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think it was such a late notice of putting the

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team together and many of the players already

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had previous commitments. But the group we had,

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they were very good. They were passionate. I

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think they really enjoyed the experience. And,

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you know, gave everything they could. And that's

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just the way it works sometimes. Wow. Did you

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talk to Spooner about your junior years? Yes.

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Yes, I coached him in, I think it was 2009 or

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2010. And he would have only been 18 at the time.

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And now he's developed into a, you know, mature

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adult man. And so it was nice to reconnect with

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him. Even players like Viktor Kozlov is a good

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friend of mine who coaches in UFA. And we had

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Nathan Todd and Malevsky from his team. So it

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was a common bond to be able to talk to them

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about Viktor and about their team. And so it's

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nice when you have a chance to... to develop

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a relationship with some new people. And how

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was it to work with Mike Keenan again? Great,

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great. Mike, as you probably know, had a health

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issue about a year ago. And he and I were coaching

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together with the Italian national team. And

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then Mike had to step down from that because

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of having to go in for some heart surgery. So

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I took over as the head coach. And then this

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past year, Mike and I were reunited again with

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this Channel One Cup. we are very close friends

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and uh and it was nice to to be in russia again

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with him and a lot of nice memories reflecting

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upon our early years in magnetogorsk and then

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just hockey in general how about the tournament

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because you know it's like a festival right was

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the result of the tournament something important

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to you uh that's a good question daria anytime

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you coach your play i really believe you you

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want to win and uh So we went into the tournament

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with the idea that, yes, we want to win the championship.

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We want to win all of our games. But at the same

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time, we understand that we want to make it an

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experience to remember. And of the four teams,

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there are only ones going to come out on top.

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I think it achieved everything. It was a good

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festival. It was a good demonstration of hockey.

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I really do think Russia had the best team, as

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it turned out. I think we were a little bit handcuffed

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because we only got together for one practice

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the day before the tournament started. And even

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that practice, we had seven players missing because

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they were still traveling in. And we had to play

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Russia on the first game. And that made it even

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that much more challenging for us. It would have

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been nice to get to play Russia on the last day

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of the tournament, especially with the mindset

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that... I believe the North American players

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have for sure, and maybe even the Europeans,

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that the bigger the game, the better you play.

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So I think that had we had a chance to play Russia

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in the last game with maybe the championship

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on the line, it could have been a different story.

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But it was a great event. The arena is incredible.

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22 ,000 fans at our first game. Gregory Lipp

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sang the national anthem, and I love him as a

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musician. And I really enjoyed listening to him

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sing. And then even the little three -on -three

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tournament they had on the Friday of the event,

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that was exciting. And it was just nice to see

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so much energy in the building and enthusiasm

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and passion for hockey by the players and the

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fans. Yeah, it's like an all -star game. That's

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what it was, the whole event. Yeah, I remember

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when you coached in the All -Star Games. So you

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know what it's like. I know what it's like. And

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it was really hard because no one would really

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explain to you what they expect from you. So

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I knew I kind of had to coach. At the same time,

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I had to be a TV person. So players still, they

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want to have fun. And I understand that. Yeah,

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you're right. You're right. It's like nothing

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you can do as a coach. You understand. If players

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want to have fun, I mean, that's the time to

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have fun. Yes, yes. You try to get them on your

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way of thinking, but you also understand you

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have to fall into line with how the event is

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going and what the real significance of it is.

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So this one was a good one. This one was, I think,

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great for the fans. I think the hockey was well

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played, and there were a lot of good players

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there, which the fans got to see. Do you follow

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the NHL right now? The NHL? Yes, I do. I actually

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have to admit I follow the KHL closer. I have

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a much stronger tie inside me with the KHL, so

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I follow the scores every day and the standings,

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and I look at the highlights. And the NHL, you

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know, I'll watch games on TV in the evenings,

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but just more as a fan. You know, I followed

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a little bit, mainly guys that I might know in

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the league or teams that I've been involved with.

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Like I like to watch Florida a little bit. I

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like to watch the New York Rangers. Those are

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the two teams I coached with in the NHL. And

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then some of my friends, Brendan Shanahan. I

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like to follow the Toronto Maple Leafs because

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of him and having coached him with the Rangers

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and Barry Trotz in Nashville. So I follow the

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NHL a little bit, but not as closely as the KHL.

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There's some good players that I saw in Russia

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and even that I see on the highlights, like the

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young player from Lokomotiv, who was Nashville's

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first pick. I think he's going to be a good player.

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I still think Safonov in Akbars has the potential

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to become an NHL player. I think there's a nice

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tie in between what the KHL is developing and

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if the players do have the desire to move on

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to the NHL. You know, you brought some good points.

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Do you remember Dmitry Voronkov? Oh, yes. I coached

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him in Akbar's. Of course you did. Yeah. Yeah,

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I like him and he's having a lot of success in

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Columbus and same with Ilya Mikheyev. I think

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Ilya Mikheyev had a bit of a slow start this

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year. in chicago but i think he's coming around

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now and i i enjoy coaching him in uh in avant

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-garde they are very different players and i

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knew that voronkov would be maybe good in the

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third line but we can see that he has a lot of

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success in columbus and he's not just the checker

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now he actually wars he just scores yeah he's

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doing a real nice job on the power play as a

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net front presence and uh he's He's got some

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subtle skills. Even you could see them in Akbar's

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when just his stick skills and his ability to

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make plays, especially when you classify him

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more as a tall, lanky. defensive, maybe a bit

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of a power forward, but he's got a nice skill

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set too. Yes, and it's very interesting to see

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that he's doing so well, but at the same time

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it's, you know, it's a Columbus, because if we

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transfer him, let's say, to the Rangers, it might

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be a very different story. You never know, you

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know, you put him with someone like the Rangers

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and Panarin, and all of a sudden, maybe he even

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elevates his game that much more, but... I think

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he'll continue to do well with Columbus. I'm

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very interested to know what do you think about

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media attention to the younger players? How did

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you usually interact with that? Like, did you

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like it? I know you're a very open -minded person.

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You're very different than some of the really

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old school coaches. But still, it's very interesting

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for someone who is experienced as you are. How

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do you treat media and players? players' acceptance

00:12:42.649 --> 00:12:45.870
of that. That's another great point in question,

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Daria. I think that the players in general are

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so scrutinized these days, and especially the

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young ones coming up, and every little thing

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they do gets picked apart, whether it's a good

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thing or a bad thing. I think a perfect example

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was the pressure that the media put on the Canadian

00:13:05.090 --> 00:13:07.929
under -20 team at the recent World Championships.

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And I think it happens at the NHL level too.

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I like the idea that the players have an opportunity

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to speak to the media. I think that the media

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sometimes takes advantage of their experience

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and the player's inexperience to put him in a

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tough spot and ask him difficult questions. I

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think as far as the social media aspect of it

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goes, we're all interested. We all like to read

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about ourselves or see what people are saying.

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But I think the less time a player can spend

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on social media following his own progress, the

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better off he is going to be. But in saying that,

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the media has to do a job and that's part of

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life right now where social media is huge and

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the players just maybe have to be educated and

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have a little more guidance as to how to handle

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themselves, what they can say, how they can say

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it. And I know some teams, are definitely doing

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a lot more media training with their players.

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Well, actually, you know, a few things happen

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in the KHL and NHL. I think it's a little more

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manageable in the KHL. NHL is harder when, let's

00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:23.440
say, a player is not happy about something. And

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instead of trying to figure it out between a

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coach and a player, he just goes to the media

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and he provides some sort of information that

00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:36.370
works against the team. and a coach. Yes, you're

00:14:36.370 --> 00:14:38.649
right on. And that's, I think, what I meant when

00:14:38.649 --> 00:14:41.549
I said the media takes advantage a little bit

00:14:41.549 --> 00:14:45.090
of the inexperience of the player and puts them

00:14:45.090 --> 00:14:49.950
in a tough spot. But I guess the players will

00:14:49.950 --> 00:14:52.830
either learn or make mistakes and learn from

00:14:52.830 --> 00:14:55.929
them. And hopefully no one gets hurt from it.

00:14:56.269 --> 00:14:58.570
nowadays because of the social media because

00:14:58.570 --> 00:15:01.830
all the clubs are so active i would say you see

00:15:01.830 --> 00:15:05.649
and you know too much so basically even the journalist

00:15:05.649 --> 00:15:08.289
doing their job it's like well people already

00:15:08.289 --> 00:15:10.490
know everything it's like we're all repeating

00:15:10.490 --> 00:15:14.750
ourselves now so maybe there should be less less

00:15:14.750 --> 00:15:18.870
is more i think that would be better but i don't

00:15:18.870 --> 00:15:20.789
know if that's ever going to happen it's just

00:15:20.789 --> 00:15:23.429
like they keep looking for stories and looking

00:15:23.429 --> 00:15:26.519
for things to to spin in a different way even

00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:29.360
though it's the same story another question just

00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:32.320
as well so when you let's say you join the team

00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:35.779
in the middle of the season what do you do what

00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:38.740
what is the first thing that you say when you

00:15:38.740 --> 00:15:40.919
walk into the locker room i mean the team is

00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:43.879
already there they already had their moments

00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:47.639
and all of a sudden a new coach walks in what

00:15:47.639 --> 00:15:50.299
do you tell those guys because you probably need

00:15:50.299 --> 00:15:53.059
to get their attention and respect immediately

00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:56.620
i think you have to read any group separately

00:15:56.620 --> 00:15:59.419
but in a general sense i think what you have

00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:02.720
to come in as a coach is you have to show confidence

00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.700
in them and confidence that you are going to

00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:10.659
be better right from the start uh i think that

00:16:10.659 --> 00:16:14.179
uh you show them that you you believe in them

00:16:14.179 --> 00:16:17.539
that uh that we're going to work through this

00:16:17.539 --> 00:16:22.879
together and it's a brand new start and we all

00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.519
want to make the best of it. So let's pull together,

00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:30.820
let's work together, let's help each other out

00:16:30.820 --> 00:16:33.720
and make sure that we get this ship going in

00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.419
the right direction. I guess just supporting

00:16:36.419 --> 00:16:38.980
the same topic, you've been working with many

00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:42.039
different cultures. How do you do that? I mean,

00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:44.620
how do you manage it all? You do. You have to

00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:47.399
understand who you're dealing with. One thing

00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.519
that Mike Keenan and I spoke of many times when

00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:53.980
we first started in Russia is it was more important

00:16:53.980 --> 00:16:57.899
for us to understand what the players were thinking

00:16:57.899 --> 00:17:01.840
than for them to understand what we wanted. And

00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.640
once we could figure out what they're thinking,

00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:09.799
then we could try to generate that into a...

00:17:11.170 --> 00:17:16.890
successful environment. We didn't have to sit

00:17:16.890 --> 00:17:18.549
there and make sure that we were understood.

00:17:18.970 --> 00:17:22.410
We had to see where they were coming from. I

00:17:22.410 --> 00:17:27.069
think that is with any culture. You look at the

00:17:27.069 --> 00:17:31.230
NHL, you have to understand that the players,

00:17:31.349 --> 00:17:34.509
as much as they want to win as a team, they're

00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:37.250
also looking after their own self -interest as

00:17:37.250 --> 00:17:43.549
well. Somehow you have to generate the possibility

00:17:43.549 --> 00:17:46.890
of getting the best out of them to make the best

00:17:46.890 --> 00:17:52.910
for the team. And each guy is a separate situation

00:17:52.910 --> 00:17:55.250
that you might have to deal with a little differently.

00:17:55.470 --> 00:17:58.569
So the more you know about them, the more you

00:17:58.569 --> 00:18:02.549
know about how they got to where they are, what

00:18:02.549 --> 00:18:06.349
their strengths and beliefs are. then you can

00:18:06.349 --> 00:18:08.250
help pull that out of them and get the best out

00:18:08.250 --> 00:18:10.349
of them as a hockey player yeah but where do

00:18:10.349 --> 00:18:13.490
you have time because you actually have to coach

00:18:13.490 --> 00:18:16.609
well that that's where you have to prioritize

00:18:16.609 --> 00:18:19.069
you're right and you have to make sure you find

00:18:19.069 --> 00:18:22.849
that time because to me that is more important

00:18:22.849 --> 00:18:26.509
than teaching them a four checking system or

00:18:26.509 --> 00:18:30.269
face off responsibilities or power play you still

00:18:30.269 --> 00:18:32.690
have to do that you still have to cover that

00:18:32.690 --> 00:18:36.869
but you have to First, in my opinion, understand

00:18:36.869 --> 00:18:39.549
what makes them tick and what's going to make

00:18:39.549 --> 00:18:42.329
them give the best they can of themselves. They're

00:18:42.329 --> 00:18:46.630
all skilled players. They're all capable. Whether

00:18:46.630 --> 00:18:49.089
you have this power play system or that power

00:18:49.089 --> 00:18:52.369
play system isn't as important as having the

00:18:52.369 --> 00:18:55.490
player doing the right thing as an individual.

00:18:55.849 --> 00:18:59.849
And, you know, you have to be able to, like,

00:18:59.869 --> 00:19:03.079
let's say right now. We went in, you and I went

00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:05.000
in, and we took over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:09.299
Yeah, let's do that. Yeah, that'd be good. But

00:19:09.299 --> 00:19:11.359
we have to figure out how are we going to get

00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.859
Malkin to play better? How are we going to get

00:19:13.859 --> 00:19:17.460
Sidney Crosby to play better? They know how to

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:20.160
play. Sidney Crosby, they're both superstars.

00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:23.259
but it would be our job and so it doesn't come

00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:26.920
down to we show malcolm how to make a fancy little

00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:30.440
move we talk to him about how critical he is

00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:34.019
for the uh success of the team how we need him

00:19:34.019 --> 00:19:38.039
working hard every single shift how he has to

00:19:38.039 --> 00:19:42.079
be a leader in practice and then how all of that

00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:45.869
feeds off of each other and to me that's where

00:19:45.869 --> 00:19:49.430
you have to spend the time. And it's difficult.

00:19:49.650 --> 00:19:51.609
You're right. It's difficult when you come into

00:19:51.609 --> 00:19:53.910
the middle of the season, but you have to try

00:19:53.910 --> 00:19:56.470
to get right to the bottom of it because obviously

00:19:56.470 --> 00:19:58.529
the reason why they're bringing you and I in

00:19:58.529 --> 00:20:00.730
is because they're not pleased with where the

00:20:00.730 --> 00:20:03.049
team is going right now. So you have to do something

00:20:03.049 --> 00:20:05.490
to get them better. I'm listening to you. It

00:20:05.490 --> 00:20:07.930
sounds so good and so sweet. Let's do it. I'm

00:20:07.930 --> 00:20:09.930
not sure if I want to live in Pittsburgh, but

00:20:09.930 --> 00:20:12.250
it's really cold in Florida right now. So I'm

00:20:12.250 --> 00:20:15.190
ready to take that chance, weather chance. well

00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:17.710
new york's nice too and and there's their team

00:20:17.710 --> 00:20:20.410
struggling there and uh but you know we have

00:20:20.410 --> 00:20:23.210
to we'd have to get panarin and shisterkin and

00:20:23.210 --> 00:20:26.430
those guys back to to playing the way they can

00:20:26.430 --> 00:20:30.130
play well i know both of them probably just turkey

00:20:30.130 --> 00:20:32.990
a little longer and more so i think i could find

00:20:32.990 --> 00:20:35.789
the ways like powerful speeches how to do that

00:20:35.789 --> 00:20:39.269
okay good not powerful speeches because russian

00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:42.250
guys need a little different speech and i can

00:20:42.250 --> 00:20:48.430
talk like that No, other than if you do find

00:20:48.430 --> 00:20:51.029
a way to have success, there's nothing better.

00:20:51.250 --> 00:20:54.730
And I know Mike Keenan has said that from when

00:20:54.730 --> 00:20:56.809
he coached them. He was only there for one year,

00:20:56.829 --> 00:20:59.670
but that one year they won the championship,

00:20:59.890 --> 00:21:02.769
they won the Stanley Cup, and there's nothing

00:21:02.769 --> 00:21:04.849
like being a winner in New York. And the same

00:21:04.849 --> 00:21:07.710
thing in Canada here with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

00:21:07.710 --> 00:21:10.289
The Toronto Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley

00:21:10.289 --> 00:21:17.180
Cup since 1967. So that's what, 50, 60 -something

00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:22.039
years, I think. No, 50 -something. I'm not very

00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:25.740
good at math today. Me too, because I'm like,

00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:29.519
what? That's a long time ago. It sure is. And

00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.559
the pressure on them from the media here is really

00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:37.740
extreme. Everything they do, they get questioned.

00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.089
It's like being in a... it's like being in new

00:21:41.089 --> 00:21:44.710
york but only in canada so uh so you're right

00:21:44.710 --> 00:21:46.470
yeah you have to come up with the answers if

00:21:46.470 --> 00:21:49.150
you want to take that uh take that responsibility

00:21:49.150 --> 00:21:51.890
you know there was a little survey a while ago

00:21:51.890 --> 00:21:54.930
blair's actually shared that most of them they're

00:21:54.930 --> 00:21:58.730
not even like that open -minded playing in canada

00:21:58.730 --> 00:22:01.410
because of the pressure well that that's true

00:22:01.410 --> 00:22:04.369
and that in toronto it's hockey hockey hockey

00:22:04.369 --> 00:22:08.349
you go down to uh somewhere in the united states

00:22:08.349 --> 00:22:10.650
where they're playing and You know, they're talking

00:22:10.650 --> 00:22:13.269
about the NCAA football. They're talking about

00:22:13.269 --> 00:22:16.930
the NFL. It's a little bit different. So there's

00:22:16.930 --> 00:22:18.910
a little less pressure on the hockey part of

00:22:18.910 --> 00:22:22.390
it, unless you're in one of those, you know,

00:22:22.390 --> 00:22:26.670
NHL cities that's really thumbs on. But there's

00:22:26.670 --> 00:22:28.710
just as much talk about the New York Jets and

00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:32.069
the New York Giants and the New York Knicks as

00:22:32.069 --> 00:22:34.130
there is about the New York Rangers. So you can

00:22:34.130 --> 00:22:37.839
sometimes hide a little bit better. What is the

00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:41.740
best advice you can give to a younger coach who

00:22:41.740 --> 00:22:45.420
wants to build his career in hockey and maybe

00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:48.299
eventually get to the NHL? I don't even know

00:22:48.299 --> 00:22:51.680
how is that possible nowadays. Yeah, it's a tough

00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:55.160
road, but I think what a young coach has to do

00:22:55.160 --> 00:23:01.019
is really become a student of the game and watch

00:23:01.019 --> 00:23:04.200
hockey and learn from it, pick up different things.

00:23:04.970 --> 00:23:07.650
That might help him technically and tactically,

00:23:07.750 --> 00:23:12.269
like a face -off play, what someone does on the

00:23:12.269 --> 00:23:14.569
power play, how he can incorporate that into

00:23:14.569 --> 00:23:18.869
his team. But the other thing is really, really

00:23:18.869 --> 00:23:22.990
work on developing relationships with your players

00:23:22.990 --> 00:23:27.430
so that you can deal with them one -on -one,

00:23:27.490 --> 00:23:30.849
you can deal with them in small groups, and then

00:23:30.849 --> 00:23:34.400
even in front of the whole team. you have a presence

00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:39.279
and that they believe in you. For a young coach

00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:43.140
to continue to get promoted or to move up the

00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:46.619
ladder, I think he needs to put himself out there

00:23:46.619 --> 00:23:49.619
or she needs to put herself out there and talk

00:23:49.619 --> 00:23:53.660
to different coaches who are higher up than them,

00:23:53.799 --> 00:23:59.140
find out how they can maybe contribute. For example,

00:23:59.140 --> 00:24:03.839
if I was a young and upcoming coach now, I would

00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:07.519
phone the Toronto Maple Leafs and ask them if

00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:10.420
I can come and watch their practices. I would

00:24:10.420 --> 00:24:15.380
ask the Toronto Maple Leafs if I could, you know,

00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:16.980
if there's anything I can do to help them with

00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:19.200
their American League team or with any of their

00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:24.180
prospects. And you just have to talk to different

00:24:24.180 --> 00:24:26.240
people like that. I would phone other people

00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:31.420
I know in the league, like I'll say a Barry Trotz.

00:24:32.589 --> 00:24:35.950
and say, Barry, is there anything I can do to

00:24:35.950 --> 00:24:38.589
help you? Do you want me to go and watch this

00:24:38.589 --> 00:24:42.130
player that you drafted and give you a bit of

00:24:42.130 --> 00:24:45.069
report on him? Because then you start to develop

00:24:45.069 --> 00:24:47.589
relationships with people who may give you an

00:24:47.589 --> 00:24:50.369
opportunity down the road. And when that opportunity

00:24:50.369 --> 00:24:54.150
comes, you have to be ready. But it's not enough

00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:57.329
just to think that all you have to do is be successful

00:24:57.329 --> 00:25:01.430
and win. and play your five best players all

00:25:01.430 --> 00:25:04.009
the time. You have to prove that you're a good

00:25:04.009 --> 00:25:08.750
coach. I attended a virtual lecture by Todd McLellan.

00:25:08.829 --> 00:25:12.990
One of the things that teams ask nowadays, how

00:25:12.990 --> 00:25:16.329
a coach interacts with media. So it's like, we

00:25:16.329 --> 00:25:18.950
have to go back to that one again, because teams

00:25:18.950 --> 00:25:23.069
want to know. that a coach is able to talk to

00:25:23.069 --> 00:25:26.029
the media and how he will be able to stand the

00:25:26.029 --> 00:25:29.630
pressure. That's so huge, Daria. And I think

00:25:29.630 --> 00:25:32.450
when you reflect and if you have a chance to

00:25:32.450 --> 00:25:36.109
look back on the way the, like the under 20 championships

00:25:36.109 --> 00:25:39.789
in Canada are huge. Canada had a very disappointing

00:25:39.789 --> 00:25:42.750
result for the second year in a row. And I think

00:25:42.750 --> 00:25:46.269
there was a lot said about the... The way the

00:25:46.269 --> 00:25:48.809
coaching staff or the management staff dealt

00:25:48.809 --> 00:25:51.890
with the media, the way they said things, what

00:25:51.890 --> 00:25:55.690
they said, it wasn't very effective. And in fact,

00:25:55.710 --> 00:26:01.049
it didn't exude any kind of confidence, self

00:26:01.049 --> 00:26:05.549
-assuredness. You know, it was probably a deterrent

00:26:05.549 --> 00:26:08.329
to Canada not doing very well. And that's not

00:26:08.329 --> 00:26:11.730
to take anything away from the other teams. They

00:26:11.730 --> 00:26:15.569
were good, but Canada... Canada had a disappointing

00:26:15.569 --> 00:26:19.410
tournament and their media involvement or their

00:26:19.410 --> 00:26:22.509
coaches with the social media and the public

00:26:22.509 --> 00:26:25.509
media, it wasn't very effective. Well, Mike,

00:26:25.569 --> 00:26:28.289
it's been amazing to talk to you for sure. And

00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:31.049
like I said, I really would like to keep it going

00:26:31.049 --> 00:26:33.690
and just focus on different chapters of your

00:26:33.690 --> 00:26:36.569
coaching career. How did you even start? Sure.

00:26:36.630 --> 00:26:40.980
I enjoy this, Daria. We can set it up again whenever

00:26:40.980 --> 00:26:44.140
you'd like. And in a nutshell, the way I started

00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:47.339
was I was playing hockey at the University of

00:26:47.339 --> 00:26:51.720
Toronto. And I had some very good coaches there.

00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:55.579
I had Tom Watt and Gord Davies. And then Mike

00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:58.640
Keenan was my coach in my last year. And we won

00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:02.779
the Canadian Championship. And Mike Keenan was

00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:07.640
also a school teacher, as was Tom Watt. And same

00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:10.539
with another coach I had. So I decided I wanted

00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:13.640
to become a school teacher and also start learning

00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:16.700
a little bit more about coaching. So I graduated

00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:20.819
from university as a teacher. And right away,

00:27:20.900 --> 00:27:24.200
I started coaching different teams at my school.

00:27:24.420 --> 00:27:27.119
I coached the football team. I coached the golf

00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:30.920
team. I coached the hockey team. And coaching's

00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:34.660
coaching. So I got to experience that. And then

00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:37.680
I got a good break where I became an assistant

00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:41.859
coach with the Toronto Junior A Marlies. And

00:27:41.859 --> 00:27:45.039
then I coached another year with the University

00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:48.940
of Toronto team as an assistant coach. And then

00:27:48.940 --> 00:27:52.819
I was offered the head coaching job at Brock

00:27:52.819 --> 00:27:55.279
University, which is another, these are like

00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:59.640
NCAA schools, but in Canada. And while I was

00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:02.160
at Brock, I got very involved with the Hockey

00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:05.720
Canada program. with the under -16 program, under

00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:11.460
-17, under -18, under -20. And I was at the World

00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:14.660
Junior Championships in 97 with Mike Babcock.

00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:20.039
And we won the World Championships there. I was

00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:22.839
the head coach with the under -18 team. And one

00:28:22.839 --> 00:28:25.759
of my assistant coaches was Pete DeBoer, who's

00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:31.440
now with Dallas. And we won the World Championships

00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:34.880
at the under -18 level. We had Joe Thornton on

00:28:34.880 --> 00:28:40.759
our team. We had Patrick Marlowe. We had a pretty

00:28:40.759 --> 00:28:45.859
good team. And then I was with the senior Canadian

00:28:45.859 --> 00:28:48.640
team. We won the World Championships in 2003

00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:52.839
and in 2004. And then I was with the Olympic

00:28:52.839 --> 00:28:56.380
team in 2002. So all these little things happened

00:28:56.380 --> 00:28:59.720
because of, I think, my start as a school teacher

00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:01.619
and as a coach and then just getting different

00:29:01.619 --> 00:29:04.900
opportunities. amazing you need to write a book

00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:08.619
maybe one day you could be the co -author you

00:29:08.619 --> 00:29:11.000
could be the person who writes it and just put

00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:13.680
my name on it i will do that i need to learn

00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:17.559
how to write a book now you seem to learn how

00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:20.240
to do things better and more than anyone i know

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:22.579
so i'm sure that won't be a problem thank you

00:29:22.579 --> 00:29:25.980
you're welcome yeah let's talk soon okay daria

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:26.779
thank you very much