By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
To Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert, the key to building a successful coaching staff extends far beyond X’s and O’s, beyond the ability to break down video and devise high-energy practice drills that simulate game action.
First and foremost, coaches must be high-character individuals. Then there also must be a cohesiveness within the coaching staff, one that is organic and genuine.
As such, those qualities were the top priorities – not a resume filled with NHL accomplishments – when Appert went about hiring former Amerks defenseman Nathan Paetsch and former longtime NHL forward Vinny Prospal as replacements for departed assistant coaches Michael Peca and Mike Weber.
“I did enjoy the situation we had,” Appert said, “where Webby and Pecs had a tremendous amount of playing experience. I don’t; I have a lot of coaching experience. But that wasn’t going to be the reason I would hire somebody.
“To me, you hire people based on who they are first as human beings, the kind of character they have, the kind of family men they are, and then the ability as a staff to have a really strong relationship.”
That liked-minded, like-to-be-around-each-other vibe from the coaching staff is critical in the player development process, Appert said.
“The stronger our relationship is, the players see that every day, and it helps strengthen the bond of the players when they see that the staff’s in it together,” he said.
That Prospal played 1,108 regular-season games in the NHL with seven teams (255 goals, 510 assists, 765 points) was a very nice bonus.
“I didn’t think we’d even be able to have a candidate with Pecs’ playing qualifications,” Appert said on Monday during a Zoom call to introduce his new staff members.
Paestch was an obvious choice to fill Weber’s role as the coach overseeing the defense. He played over 900 pro games as a defenseman and has spent the past two seasons as a development coach for the parent Buffalo Sabres, traveling to watch and provide guidance to prospects playing in college and juniors while also joining the Amerks often for practice.
While he loses some flexibility in his daily schedule, moving behind the bench has been his goal.
“This opportunity is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Paetsch, who has called the Rochester area home for 20 years. “I’ve been with this organization for a long time, on and off the ice, we’re going on 14 years, and I think you all know the passion I have for the organization and the Rochester Americans.”
Paetsch, 40, said he’s grateful “to have the opportunity to wake up every morning and learn more from Apps and Vinny and get better as a coach and hopefully help these young players realize their dream, whether that’s Rochester Americans Calder Cup champion or Buffalo Sabres and Stanley Cup champion.”
Unlike Paetsch, Prospal has no direct ties to the Sabres organization. Until the interview process began last month, the 48-year-old native of Czechia had spoken to Appert just once before. That was when Prospal was in Tampa coaching his son’s youth hockey team.
“Vinny and I had a phone call probably six years ago when I was with the U.S. National program,” Appert said. “We were connected by a mutual friend just to talk hockey. He was coaching hockey in the Tampa Scorpions (youth) program at the time. I was really impressed that a player with 1,100 NHL games didn’t feel as though he had all the answers when it came to coaching. That struck me.
“And all I remember about that conversation is how easy the conversation was for two guys that had never met each other.”
Fast-forward to June and Appert was speaking with Bob Daniels, the coach he played college hockey for at Ferris State University in the mid-1990s.
“He was just calling to catch up after our playoff run,” Appert said. The conversation turned to the open assistant jobs and Daniels asked, “Do you have an open mind?” and then recommended Prospal.
My answer was, “How the heck do you know Vinny Prospal?” Appert said.
It turns out Prospal spent a week in Big Rapids, Mich., on the Ferris State campus this past season just to gain insight into someone else’s coaching methods.
“Vinny this past year went around to guys he had played for Mike Sullivan (the Pittsburgh Penguins coach), Jim Montgomery (the Boston Bruins coach) he played with, (Philadelphia Flyers coach John) Tortorella to just learn coaching and to soak it up.”
“Ferris State is not a glamorous place to go visit in the middle of the winter and he went up there for a week, behind the scenes, fully immersed himself. Again, I thought that said a lot about how seriously he takes the profession.”
Prospal impressed Appert and the organization during interviews and is now an Amerks assistant. He has been a head coach in Czech league but now will work to develop the stable of young forward prospects in Rochester.
“When I talked with Seth, with Jason (Karmanos, the Amerks general manager), with Kevyn (Adams, the Sabres GM), it was almost like we were already working together,” Prospal said. “It was like we could go on and on about the way the hockey should be played, the way practice should be run.”
Appert needed to fill openings after the St. Louis Blues hired Weber and the New York Rangers hired Peca. That other organizations are poaching coaches from the Amerks/Sabres may very well be validation of the processes put in place by Adams.
“They gave all of themselves to the Americans, to the players, and that’s a dream for them to get back to the National Hockey League,” Appert said. “I do think it’s a great sign that we’re doing the right things and other people are acknowledging that, but that’s certainly not something I’m all that worried about, I’m just happy for those two.”
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