The Athletic’s Scott Burnside penned an article discussing what coaches do during the NHL off-season, and Burnside notes that Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill has kept himself busy every spring that the Wings have missed the playoffs:
Blashill is coming off a third straight gig as head coach of Team USA at the [World Championship], and he has used that experience to try and add to his own bank of knowledge about how different coaches coach and players play. He’s also never been afraid to look outside his own comfort zone to talk to people who might help him in that pursuit.
“I also think it’s a discovery process in you can do some research projects on other teams. Teams that play similar to you. What do they do a little different? Where maybe we can steal some ideas,” Blashill said. “The other thing that I try to spend those months doing is talking to other coaches. Other coaches in the NHL, other coaches in different levels. I’ve done a thing with a small coaching development group where we have a good sharing of ideas. I’ve brought coaches into Detroit and had one- or two-day sessions with them, what they’re good at. If I see something in college, maybe someone’s got a great power play, I want to bring them in and learn from them. I try to go and spend time with professional coaches in other sports when I can, specifically I’ve done that a little bit with the Lions. And it’s that discovery process.”
Continued (paywall)
