NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika spoke with new Red Wings assistant coach Dan Bylsma today, and Bylsma told Cotsonika that he’s joining his “childhood team” with tremendous enthusiasm for the tasks at hand (including reviving the Red Wings’ power play):
“As a player, I always thought or hoped at one point I would, whether it was Detroit or Grand Rapids [of the American Hockey League], finish my career playing in the red and white,” he said.
That didn’t happen. But here he is now, and the reason isn’t nostalgia or that he now lives in Ludington, an hour north of Grand Haven. It isn’t restlessness, either. He didn’t have the itch while sitting out in 2017-18 after the Sabres fired him on April 20, 2017, the way he did while sitting out in 2014-15 after the Penguins fired him on June 6, 2014.
He’s here because of the opportunity. Bylsma served as an assistant to Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill for the United States during the IIHF World Championship in Denmark. To that point they had been no more than acquaintances. But they had a lot in common — Blashill grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and played in college at Ferris State — and clicked. At the end of the five weeks, they won a bronze medal together.
“It’s important to me to have good people, the right people, to work with, and Jeff is one of those guys,” Bylsma said. “I know that from being over in the worlds with him, and I think vice versa for him. We’ve talked. We’ve coached against each other. But being in the trenches, being together on a staff, I think he’s confident I can work with him as well.”
Update: WOOD TV’s Larry Figurski spoke with Bylsma as well:
