It is important to win games at the AHL level, but it also is crucial to develop young players so they can make an impact in the NHL.
With many players on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster growing older and nearing retirement, the impetus is on Kirk MacDonald to shepherd the organization’s future talent toward the NHL.
After becoming the coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in June, MacDonald emphasized his enthusiasm about receiving the opportunity to lead the Penguins in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
“It’s a day-to-day process,” he said Monday at the team’s development camp at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. “There’s the individual skill development, team skill development, incorporating that into your practices, video, all these things. I think it’s exciting, the opportunity here, needing to develop players to play here in Pittsburgh, and I’m looking forward to it.”
While his excitement for the job is a positive, MacDonald will be judged by how effective he can be in the team’s growth. His accomplishments and ability to lead were factors in Penguins management’s decision to offer him the job.
“Talked to a lot of coaches over the last month, and Kirk’s a guy that just really stood out in terms of his knowledge and enthusiasm,” Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza said. “He’s served his time. He’s been in the (ECHL) for a while, went back to the USHL and has a very diverse background. To me, that was really appealing. Just a guy that’s coached junior kids as well as pros. Also, I just thought we saw the game philosophically the same way. I could tell he was hungry for the job, too, which I think the players feel the enthusiasm.”
Although MacDonald will be a fresh face in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he will enter the Penguins organization with inside knowledge of one of the team’s draft picks.
Defenseman Joona Vaisanen was the team’s sixth-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 175 overall). He played for MacDonald in Dubuque this past season and has great respect for him.
“Unbelievable person and coach. Just a team guy,” Vaisanen said. “Really good for the players and knows how to win some games. … Really good at developing players and communicating with players. Just a good coach overall.”
During the Penguins’ prospect development camp Monday, MacDonald liked what he saw from the players. In the practices this week, he has felt that, no matter where individual players end up this fall, the group has the skills required to improve going forward.
“Not really to single (out) anybody, but I thought that the effort level here has been great. … We’re trying to give them the tools to do that over this week and allow them to give themselves the best opportunity,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald circled back to the day-to-day aspect of being a professional hockey player as another crucial skill, in addition to overall ability, that he wanted to get across to players. The purpose players embody at the development camp is important to him.
“Attention to detail, work ethic, being relentless,” MacDonald said. “You can talk a lot about (systems), but to me the systems don’t matter. … I think relentless is a mentality that you can have in every facet of the game.”
