Development, not winning, is top priority

By Chuck Grillo

 

At any level, be it mites or the NHL, there is no fine line when is comes to sacrificing development in an effort to win.

 

It takes a special breed of coach to place his players' careers ahead of his own at any level, but that’s the responsibility we accept when we decide to work in the profession.

 

Take Michel Therrien, for example. Formerly the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, he’s willing to go down and work with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospects as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa., and enjoys doing so.  In due time, he will undoubtedly be rewarded for his efforts.

 

John Marks is another one.  He’s one of the winningest coaches in the country and has spent a good portion of his adult life working with young prospects in the ECHL.

 

There have been situations where coaches have placed winning ahead of development, but I consider that ignorance and selfishness, not a fine line.

 

A true mentor readily combines development with winning.  Highly-conditioned athletes and winning go hand-in-hand; one doesn't work without the other.  It does take a special coach to place a priority on training over winning, however.  Once an athlete is in great shape, training is a given, and the team wins.

 

“Our responsibility to the players is greater than their responsibility to us,” I remember my son Dino saying when he took the head coaching job with the USHL’s Indiana Ice.  “My No. 1 priority is to get these players scholarships; this is what this league is all about.  Getting bigger, quicker, stronger and faster is a priority to enhance performance."

 

Team chemistry is mentioned frequently when talking about winning and losing, and the organization's chemistry is even more important.

 

When I worked for the San Jose Sharks, we charted the minutes played by our minor league prospects (then the Kentucky Thoroughblades) to insure they were getting ample ice time.  We felt we had to do this in case there was too much of a priority placed on winning with old players who had no chance of playing in the NHL.  Our AHL team had a good blend of youth and experience and we even won a championship.

 

We have always felt that development at any level, including the NHL, takes priority over winning; however, winning comes from training and preparation, so there should be no conflict between training and winning.

 

The argument is veterans over prospects.  Leadership comes from the top on down.  When you lose an organization's chemistry, you lose.  You need a good blend, but you have to have the type of veterans who are willing to “show the way” and are interested in helping young athletes become what they can be.

 

An amateur scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chuck Grillo also owns and operates the highly-regarded Minnesota Hockey Camps with his wife, Clairene, and  sons, Dino (Indiana Ice) and Roby (San Jose Sharks).  For more information on the camps, visit www.mnhockeycamps.com or e-mail chuck@mnhockeycamps.com