Gear: How player development staffs help prospects reach the NHL
Earlier this week, I wrote an article that referenced the low percentage of drafted players that actually go on to have impactful NHL careers. So how can a team improve those odds? A good scouting department that can identify successful attributes in 18-year-old kids can obviously go a long way. Even more important is having a good player development department that can help transform raw 18-year-olds into fully formed 20-somethings who are ready to contribute at the NHL level.
‘Player development’ is a term you often hear, but what does it really mean? It’s a holistic term that encompasses every part of guiding a young drafted player’s maturation process, from the physical aspects of the game to the mental and emotional components, all within the overall context of helping players evolve from kids to young adults.
It might include identifying that a player could benefit from a power skating coach or a new type of off-season training. It could include discussion with the player about lifestyle choices, nutrition, managing personal relationships, how to handle a coach, gel with new teammates or anything else a player may want to bounce off someone who has been through the same experiences. It can also include counselling parents on what to expect as their son goes through the ups and downs of a hockey career.
Building a rapport and connection between the team and player is also critical. How many times have you heard players indicate that they chose to stay with the team that originally drafted them because the team supported and believed in them from Day 1? That is often a direct reflection of the support they receive from player development staff.
Frankly, I think it’s an area of the game where teams should hire more staff and devote more resources, and I see it as an area that will continue to grow and evolve.
There are essentially two categories of prospects within a development cycle: First are players who have been drafted by the club but are competing in the CHL, Europe or NCAA in advance of signing a North American pro contract. Second are players who have been signed by the club and are “in the system” trying to break through to a NHL roster. Each category requires a different level of attention and a different approach.
During my time in Vancouver, I was fortunate to work with some great player development professionals, including Stan Smyl, Ryan Johnson and Chris Higgins, all of whom still have player development involvement with the Canucks. Each one had a lengthy NHL career, lending instant credibility to his role. Each of them also has exceptional communication skills, a keen understanding of the game and an upbeat positivity that is balanced with the ability to dole out realism.
Higgins’ background is the ideal prototype for someone to be successful in player development. He had to work his way into an NHL lineup by playing in the AHL first, then had several years as a top-line player with multiple 20-goal seasons before settling into a top-nine role where he was known for a 200-foot game, reliable wall play and penalty-killing prowess in addition to an ability to score. A player with a career path like that has the personal experience to draw from to find a connection with each prospect, no matter where they are projected to play in a lineup. That path can help outline for players not only what it takes to make it to the league, but also how to evolve to stay there.
I asked ‘Higgy’ for a few thoughts on the difference in approach between a player hoping to be signed and one signed and going through the process in the AHL or another pro league.
“Before a guy is someone the club considers signing, I try to help them understand what kind of player they can be in the NHL,” he said. “I talk about the mindset and perseverance needed to achieve that goal and also highlight details and plays that will be vital to have success in the role they will play at the next level. Most of them will have to evolve and find a niche on an NHL team, so I help them narrow their focus.”
Ensuring players maintain that focus can be a difficult task. Players who are not yet signed are part of junior or college teams that may have very different objectives than the NHL club’s. The NHL club may have drafted a player to be a shutdown, penalty-killing defenseman, but given he is the best player on his junior or college team, he may be playing offensive zone minutes and getting first-unit power play time. That will still develop the player but may lead to bad habits or a focus on elements that won’t be part of the player’s NHL opportunity.
It’s important for player development staff to be respectful and not interfere with the coaching or management of the player’s current team but to still be available to the player to discuss the aspects of the game that will lead to future success, as well as the mindset needed to transition their game to the pro level. Higgins assists players a lot in fostering the latter.
“I help them understand that their runway to play in the NHL isn’t as long as they may think it is,” he said. “If you’re not knocking on the door by the end of your entry-level contract, your odds of playing dramatically decrease as new players with “potential” have entered the pool. Basically the message becomes, ‘Success is measured in sacrifice.’ Are you doing everything you possibly can to make it? The players who wake up every single day with the hunger to refine their strengths and improve their weaknesses are the players who give themselves a chance.”
Can’t argue with that. Getting through to players on this message, and then making sure they follow through on the advice in tangible ways, is what can make all of the difference. Players have so many distractions on the road to achieving their ultimate goal. The good and bad from current coaches, teammates, friends, parents, media and other outside voices can cause a player to lose sight of the things that are essential to their success.
The gap between making it and not making it can be ever so slight. It’s critical to have someone in a player’s corner who has already made the journey, who sees the big picture and who can dish out the tough love that others may be unwilling to deliver. Developing picks into players isn’t easy, but when done right, it’s a huge advantage in team-building.
____
Chris Gear joined Daily Faceoff in January after a 12-year run with the Vancouver Canucks, most recently as the club’s Assistant General Manager and Chief Legal Officer. Before migrating over to the hockey operations department, where his responsibilities included contract negotiations, CBA compliance, assisting with roster and salary cap management and governance for the AHL franchise, Gear was the Canucks’ vice president and general counsel.
Click here to read Gear’s other Daily Faceoff stories.