The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe spoke with new Toledo Walleye coach Pat Mikesch after his introductory press conference this morning, and Monroe reports that the Walleye’s new bench boss is emphasizing player development as he prepares to step behind the ECHL bench…
“I’m coming to a place where they want to have big-time hockey,” said Mikesch, who spent a total of 11 seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. “They want to have a show. It’s a great opportunity for me because good players want to play here. Those are the guys I need to work with because it’s all about development for me. The question is how do we mix that individual development with team development? How do we get this group to be the best group at the end of the year?”
The Walleye have made the playoffs in seven straight seasons and have made two appearances in the Kelly Cup Finals since 2019. But the franchise, which was founded in 2009, has not yet won an ECHL title.
“The expectations are there with a fan base like we have in Toledo here,” Mikesch said. “Every team that’s right on that pinnacle, there’s always that expectation. But the fans want to see players in front of them that really care about the organization. It’s great to be part of this great organization, the sports community, and I just can’t wait to move forward.”
Joe Napoli, the team’s president and CEO, said Walleye officials conducted an extensive six-week search and interview process that included some 25 candidates before selecting Mikesch.
“His preparation was off the charts,” Napoli said. “He worked extremely hard to be well-prepared. The first interview was a video interview. He nailed it. And then in person, he was outstanding. We covered everything from culture, coaching, teaching, managerial style, and then interacting [with Grand Rapids and Detroit]. I would describe him as cocky, confident, totally engaging.”
Monroe continues, and the Toledo Blade’s David Briggs asked a simple question: Who is this guy, anyway?
The 50-year-old Michigan native hit all the right notes Friday during and after his introductory news conference, embracing the roaring reputation of Toledo hockey fans (“It’s Hockeytown of Ohio,” he said) and their expectation that — at least at the Huntington Center — the Walleye run extends into June.
Are there concerns? Of course. In Green Bay, he didn’t enjoy half the success of [Derek] Lalonde, who, in three seasons with the Gamblers, went 114-56-8-6 and won a USHL title before landing the Walleye job in 2014.
Mikesch — an assistant on those Lalonde teams — went 214-200-48 and was let go in 2022. He spent last season as assistant director of major gifts at Michigan Tech, where he played collegiately and later spent seven years as an assistant. That’s not going to inspire a rush on the box office.
But a little context is helpful. In some ways, the USHL and ECHL is an apples-to-pumpkins comparison. The USHL is an amateur league for players ages 16 to 21, where teams are built almost exclusively through an annual draft of 15-year-old prospects.
Mikesch proved he could develop talent — upwards of 30 of his players got drafted by NHL teams — but his ability as a recruiter was mitigated. In Toledo, where he can offer top free agents the chance to play before nightly sellouts in a sparkling arena, the guess here is he’ll be a better salesman than the ShamWow guy.
It’s not hard to see why his former players and Lalonde swear by him. Mikesch came off as sharp, funny, and energetic, not to mention accountable. Paradox or not, Walleye and Wings officials were impressed by how Mikesch responded to a variation of the same question I asked him: Why didn’t you win more in Green Bay?
“He owned it,” Napoli said. “That was the key.”
