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Inside the offseason organizational coaching summit designed... (paywall)
BUFFALO, N.Y. – They walked into the room more than a dozen strong, each carrying their own recipe for winning. Ralph Krueger’s goal was to combine the best ingredients – a sprinkle of Rochester’s defense, a dash of Cincinnati’s offense, a spoonful of his own special teams – and cook up one cohesive dish to feed the whole organization.
“We’re building Sabres hockey here,” Krueger said.
The meetings, which took place ahead of the team’s Prospects Challenge in early September, were comprehensive. The entire coaching staffs for Buffalo, Rochester and Cincinnati, including assistants and video personnel, sat down for free-flowing conversations about game plans, practice sessions and player relationships.
Krueger's putting his stamp on the organization. It's obvious Botterill trusts him and has given him a lot of freedom.
During the coaching summit, they established a specific language to use in all three dressing rooms. So when a player goes from Cincinnati to Rochester or the Amerks to the Sabres, he won’t be confused by terminology.
It's unbelievable that they were using different terminology.
I think Krueger is here for the long-term. Being head coach isn't enough for him. Being given a key role in building an organization is what he wanted and he got it. From the article it sounds like Amerks coach Chris Taylor and Cyclone's coach Matt Thomas are thrilled to be included in the process.
“It’s starting to feel like home here, which is what you look for before the season starts. We’ve solidified a way to play that we believe is going to give us a chance to be competitive every night.”
BUFFALO, N.Y. – They walked into the room more than a dozen strong, each carrying their own recipe for winning. Ralph Krueger’s goal was to combine the best ingredients – a sprinkle of Rochester’s defense, a dash of Cincinnati’s offense, a spoonful of his own special teams – and cook up one cohesive dish to feed the whole organization.
“We’re building Sabres hockey here,” Krueger said.
The meetings, which took place ahead of the team’s Prospects Challenge in early September, were comprehensive. The entire coaching staffs for Buffalo, Rochester and Cincinnati, including assistants and video personnel, sat down for free-flowing conversations about game plans, practice sessions and player relationships.
Krueger's putting his stamp on the organization. It's obvious Botterill trusts him and has given him a lot of freedom.
During the coaching summit, they established a specific language to use in all three dressing rooms. So when a player goes from Cincinnati to Rochester or the Amerks to the Sabres, he won’t be confused by terminology.
It's unbelievable that they were using different terminology.
I think Krueger is here for the long-term. Being head coach isn't enough for him. Being given a key role in building an organization is what he wanted and he got it. From the article it sounds like Amerks coach Chris Taylor and Cyclone's coach Matt Thomas are thrilled to be included in the process.
“It’s starting to feel like home here, which is what you look for before the season starts. We’ve solidified a way to play that we believe is going to give us a chance to be competitive every night.”
