Trotz on helping young players succeed
/Excellent Q&A in The Vancouver Province Friday with former Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz.
He touches on everything from getting back into coaching, his respect for John Tortorella, the experience he can bring to an NHL team, teams taking on the personality of their top players and more.
Q. Youth is being served earlier than ever in the NHL. Are kids easier to coach today than 10 years ago?
A. “The game has changed. A lot more kids are ready physically, but maybe not emotionally. That’s where you have to balance things and with the information age and developing coaches, kids are more prepared today. And if you can match up the physical and emotional side of a young player, that’s when he takes off and can be a high producer. Every situation is unique. Look at Nathan MacKinnon. He has been fantastic and I had Seth Jones in Nashville and he’s going to be a top-end player. But there are still bumps in the road and you have to manage that and think about the long term for them. We’re in the McDonald’s age — everybody wants fast food and fast players. You have to make sure you put players in the right spots so they can have terrific careers. When you start sliding as a player, it’s hard to get back up.”
Source: Ben Kuzma, Vancouver Province