Penguins/NHL
Penguins head coach Dan Muse is just days into being named the 23rd head coach in Penguins history. It’s going to be the honeymoon process for a while now but one thing becoming clear is outside questions of what type of impression Muse is going to make with the Penguins room is quickly being brushed aside.
Winning an initial press conference means nothing long-term. Still, it was an important step for Muse this past Wednesday. More important right now is the praise coming out of the organization from former players and scouts who after just a couple minutes of speaking with Muse, see the leadership ability and command he has. It was all on display Wednesday where Muse quickly came off as a ‘leader’ CEO type which is a must and GM Kyle Dubas didn’t mince words, Muse really won him over in the interview process. Dubas is notorious for being drawn to people who can think one-two-three steps ahead and Muse was all that in the interview process.
“There wasn’t just one way he wants to play,” Dubas said of what seperated Muse from others. “He was very easily able to communicate the way he would teach very different systems, which gave great comfort not only to me but to our staff, that we weren’t going to be bound by having to do one specific thing,” Dubas said. “Some of the coaches in the (interviewing) process had one way they wanted to play, and that’s fine. That goes with all sports. But Dan’s adaptability and the proof of concept with his past teams was very important to us. “Talking to players, people and staff members that Dan has worked with, just the way that he conducts himself, his work ethic, his intelligence…..everything about him……it became clear that he was going to be a great fit,” Dubas said. “To partner with us and help lead us through this transition, and then back into contention with the Pittsburgh Penguins.”
That might be the most intriguing thing about Muse and the Penguins going this newbie unknown route. We will obviously see if that holds true, nonetheless there has to be a nuance to no longer being locked into one way.
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Coaching Young and Legendary Players
“You have legendary players of our game here in Pittsburgh, future Hall of Famers; you have these exciting young players that are coming up (That’s up for debate) and then you have a little bit of everything in between,” Muse said. “To have an opportunity to work together with everybody here to make sure that these players are continuing to grow, wherever they are in their careers, I just can’t tell you how exciting an opportunity that is.”
Regarded as a 12-14 hour a day rat who won’t let anyone outwork him, Muse has had what’s been described
“It’s going to be about coming in, putting in the work, having a plan for each individual, having a plan for the collective group, attacking it starting Day 1 of training camp, then building it,” Muse said. “That’s all you can do right now. That’s what I believe in. It’s going to be working together as a staff to make sure that’s happening. That’s the job.”
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