My Coach is (Officially) Better Then Your Coach
Coach of the Year
The NHL had their annual awards in wholesome Las Vegas two weeks ago. And while no Penguin players were actually nominated, one very important part of the organization was not only nominated, but won.
Head Coach Dan Bylsma won the Jack Adams Coach of the Year award, over nominees Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators and Alain Vigneault of the Vancouver Canucks. While they were all worthy nominees, the trophy really did go to the most deserving coach. I might be biased but I have opinions and facts to back it up.
1. He kept going in the face of adversities
The Penguins had to deal with Jordan Staal being out in the beginning of October. Just as he was meant to come back, he broke his hand and didn’t come back until January. While the loss of one player isn’t that big a deal, it is when he is your go to player to kill penalties. Once Staal came back it was Crosby suffering two hits to the head forcing him out with a concussion. Less than a month later, Evgeni Malkin tore his ACL and was forced out for 6 months. In between those injuries, there were broken fingers, minor concussions, and ankle injuries to various players. Just hearing about these injures, almost one every game, drove fans mad. It’s hard to imagine how a coach would feel. But even if he was frustrated, Bylsma never let it showed. He kept going and did what he could, like rearranging the lineups, to keep the Penguins a winning team. And who could forget that mess of a game against the New York Islanders, where more than half the team was thrown out? Instead of trash talking the opposing team, Bylsma simply dusted it off and kept on marching ahead. While the Predators and the Canucks also had to deal with injuries, it was nothing compared to that of the Penguins.
2. His classiness was broadcast to the world
With a second appearance in the Winter Classic, the Penguins were also filmed by HBO. Nothing was spared and both teams, the Penguins and the Washington Capitals, were shown in all their glory. One thing that definitely stood out (besides Ovechkin’s tramp stamps) were the vast differences in coaching between Bylsma and Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau. In the memorable opening scene, Bylsma is seen in the locker room going over strategies with the team and going through a ritual while announcing the starting lineup to the team. Professional, cool, calm and collected, Bylsma never once lost his temper with the team, even when the lost. His attitude after losing the Big Game, the Winter Classic, was that of “Oh well, onto the next one. Compare that to Boudreau. When the Caps were down in a game, Boudreau’s pep talk consisted of multiple f-bombs that did nothing to boost the morale of his team.
Now I know that neither Vigneault nor Trotz were filmed for months on end, but the fact that Bylsma was definitely helped him.
3. He just deserved it, OK?
When Dan Bylsma was brought in by the Penguins to coach them in 2009, the team was number 10 in the standing and out of the running for a playoff spot. Four months later, the team became Stanley Cup champions. Everyone knew that Bylsma had a lot to do with this turn around. Since Bylsma, the Pens have been playing some of their best hockey and it’s no coincidence that it happened with Bylsma. He’s managed to bring back fun to practices without forgetting the important thing: to keep winning.
The award was a long time coming and it’s about time that everyone, not just Penguins fans, realized how great a coach Dan Bylsma really is. Congratulations, Classy Dan. You truly deserve the award.
Black Tie Required 