News

Bryan Murray, NHL Head Coach

October 14th, 2007

Monthly column for www.rasaspa.com written by Anne Marie Cummings.

National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators General Manager - Bryan Murray

Bryan Murray has been Head Coach of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears, and the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats. As General Manager, he served the Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks and currently, the Ottawa Senators, for whom he was previously Head Coach. Confirming his industrious reputation, he won the Jack Adams Award in 1984, and became the fifth NHL Coach to achieve 600 victories.

Bryan and I met indirectly. His back yard in Florida happens to be adjacent to the back yard of the house I grew up in. The first time I heard his commanding, yet gentle, voice, was years ago, while taking a nap on a hammock under South Florida’s blinding sun. Through the dense evergreen hedges separating our homes, I heard snippets of his phone conversation. He listened with a fierce intensity that woke me out of my hazy dream state. That’s when I understood the saying, “When silence speaks louder than words.” Once his conversation finished, he plunged his energetic self into his pool. Perhaps to decompress, or perhaps as a way to assimilate his responsibilities. My guess, after getting a sample of his fixed sharpness during our interview, was that he did both.

Did you originally want to coach? Or, were you more drawn to playing ice hockey?

When I was nine or ten is when I played lots of pond hockey. That’s what we called it back then. I came from a small town and a large family. I grew up in Canada, and being in a winter environment, all the guys liked to play ice hockey. It’s what they still do. Me and all the neighborhood kids played outdoors a lot. Hockey’s a passion in Canada. This year when we were in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the city of Ottawa was really involved; both young and old.

How did you make the transition into coaching? What, or who, was it that made you say, “I can do this. I will be good at it.”

I was always a real competitive individual when I was younger. I played and coached a variety of sports. When I was offered the position of Assistant Athletic Director at MacDonald College of McGill University, I jumped on it. It was another step for me; something for me to try, and I had great success. I felt I was really good. We all take certain steps further down the road. I coached at MacDonald and realized after four years that I was looking for more; that I could go even further.

What is it about you that makes you such a good Coach?

I think I communicate with the players fairly well. I understand their needs and desires. I’m firm and stern, but I’m also open minded in listening to them. It’s a teaching role really. I’ve had responsible players by treating them the way they want to be treated; as people that want discipline and structure in their lives, and in the game.

The most difficult part about coaching at first was?

At first it was keeping my job. At the pro level, it was about maintaining a high level of success. Every day you have to be prepared to work. The Coach is the leader, and if he’s not ready and prepared the team won’t do as well. Ultimately, the Coach is responsible for the success and failure of the team.

The top three qualities a good ice hockey Coach, in your opinion, should have are?

This applies to any Coach: you have to be trusted, be a good communicator, and be fair and understanding. If you’re those things – the other parts, like the technical knowledge of the game, will all fall into place.

Explain how you transitioned from sporting goods store owner to part time Coach?

When I graduated from University, I went back to my home town and taught high school for five years. Then I got the opportunity to coach an ice hockey team at the University level, McGill University. During that time my brother and I invested in a sporting goods store. I left McGill after four years, and went back to my home town to teach high school for three years. While living back in my home town, I was still working at the sporting goods store, but I also started coaching junior ice hockey in the evenings. I drove a hundred miles or so every night to coach. In the beginning it was about making another salary, and at the same time, without knowing it, I was advancing as a Coach in ice hockey. That job led me to something better later on.

Do you think you could coach another sport, say basketball, by using the ice hockey coaching skills?

In high school I actually coached basketball and track & field. But it’s really the same. One coach is another coach. There’s a little technical difference, but it’s all about how you treat people and what you expect of your athletes. This is how I get players to play well. They know they can trust me.

And how do you get a player to trust you?

You give them an opportunity to use their skills. You’re honest and upfront. I make a real point of talking to them regularly. Everyone has problems and I help them overcome them. My team’s very open with me, as I am with them. You don’t get trust because you say you want it. You have to earn the right to be trusted.

You were the General Manager for the Detroit Red Wings - how did you build that team up when they were essentially falling apart?

They were an old team. Not only did I need to have people that would work with me, I had to be able to evaluate hockey players, go scouting, go to junior and high school games, and select players. This was all key. When it came time to draft or trade, I knew I was bringing in the right players to help the team. I traveled to Russia, Sweden, Finland, most of the Czech Republic. I had to go where there were good players. The General Manager is usually the final guy that makes the call on players, and that’s what I had to do - find the right players.

The difference between a General Manager and a Coach is?

The Coach gives the instructions. He tries to win every single game every night. The General Manager hires the Coaches and the staff. He’s in charge of the organization. He’s also got the bigger picture in mind; drafting players, handling the contracts, spending the money, and doing the things that have a much bigger scope.

Where’s the money coming from?

We draw 25,000 people per game. We also have corporate sponsors, concessions, and building revenue, which is used for operations. And of course, the owner has to have the finances to back things up when needed.

Tell me about the role of the owner.

The owner has to have the funds to take care of things. Our payroll is 50 million dollars for players. We have a staff of about 40 or 50 people on the hockey side and there are about 70 to 75 people minimum on the business side.

If you have favorite players, who are they, and why?

Well, I’ve had favorite players over the years. It’s hard not to. You don’t mean to be that way, but the reason you end up having favorites is because they do something extra special for your team. They’re examples. They support you. They help the team win. It’s a natural thing to build a relationship with them. When I coached in Washington, I coached someone from the age of 18 until he was 26, Scott Stevens. Great player. Also, Daniel Alfredsson, captain of the Ottawa Senators. I talk to him daily about the players and what’s going on. Through that daily contact, I get to know him better.

When you’re coaching, how many months out of the year are you working, say, non-stop?

In coaching it’s eight months, September 1st to June 10th, with Christmas day off. Most of the time you work. As a Coach you’re doing preparation for the next day’s practice. As a General Manager you don’t have the high intensity all the time, but the job is year round. The General Manager focuses on the draft, and negotiating to improve the hockey team.

During the season, how is your day typically scheduled?

On a practice day I would be in the office at 8a.m. At 9:15a.m. we would have video time with some or all of our players. Practice would begin at around 10:30am, and usually last an hour and a half. Then I would meet with the media for 15 minutes, meet with my staff, and plan for the next day of practice. If it was a game day, at 10:30am we’d have about half an hour of practice, meet with the media, and then come back three hours before game time. During those three hours, the coaches get together for 15 minutes, and then an hour and a half before game time, we have a team meeting that normally lasts 15 to 20 minutes to go over the game plan and some video of the opposition. Right before the game, the coaches drink coffee and talk.

Explain the video that you show your players.

We tape every game that is played by the upcoming opponent. When we watch their games, we pick out their tendencies, how they try to score goals, how particular individuals play. We watch their weaknesses.

 

Do you let yourself get close to your team members as a Coach? How personal does it get?

I don’t go out to dinner with them. Sometimes we have team dinners, but I don’t hang out with them. I bring them into my office and talk if we need to talk. If we’re at a hotel, maybe I’ll have a coffee with them individually if they need to talk to me. But it’s not a buddy-buddy system. Sometimes they want to talk about their wives, their sick kid at home, taking time off, their agents, how they got blamed for doing something in a bar the night before, things like that. There’s a whole bunch of problems.

Did you ever make a decision as a Coach that you regret?

Oh, I’m sure, many of them. As a Coach it’s trial and error. I had that time when I was coaching earlier on in my career. I might regret things like letting a player go, and then wondering if I should have done that. It’s a game. You try things. Sometimes it works out and other times it doesn’t.

If there’s anything you’ve learned about the physical body of an ice hockey player, what would that be?

Hockey is a very physical, demanding, speed sport. The players do an awful lot of conditioning. They have to be strong, flexible, wiry, fast, and powerful. Some of them are well-built hunks of guys, and others are wiry, strong, and fast. There’s really no type of body that’s more successful than another though.

After a game, how do your players recover? What do they do?

When the game ends, everyone rides a bike for 15 to 20 minutes to get rid of the lactic acid in their muscles. During play-off, we provide a meal 30 to 45 minutes after each game. We give them lots of water during and after the game, and the morning following a game, we have a light practice to keep them active.

Do you recommend a specific diet for your players?

Mainly pastas, lots of carbohydrates, and some protein. They’ll usually eat a meal six to seven hours before a game, a light snack in the afternoon and then after the game, we push the protein on them.

How do you maintain your energy through all this?

I look out for myself pretty well. I guess it’s a habit. I skate every day with the players.

You go on the ice?

Well, yeah. As the ice hockey Coach you have to be able to get on the ice and work with your team.

What do you do when your team loses a game? What kind of conversation follows, for example?

I never meet with the team after we lose. I always wait till the next morning to review what happened during the game. It’s better to wait until the next day to have a discussion, when emotions aren’t as high. Occasionally, when we win a game, I’ll congratulate them right after, but for the most part I leave it to the next day.

In the film, Jerry McGuire, the relationship between a football agent and his one client was depicted during a very strenuous time for the sports agent who was hanging by a very thin thread. Did you ever experience a time when you felt you were hanging by a thin thread?

Sure. Coaches get fired. I was in Washington, and had been there for eight years. I signed a one-year contract, and at the end of that year, I got fired. In Detroit I was General Manager and Coach. I knew there was an undercurrent, and I knew I was on a string. Players have the same thing; they’re always fighting for a contract.

Is age really an important factor in ice hockey players? If so, why?

We draft at 18 years of age, but now we have several players who are as old as 41 and 42. It’s not as big a deal as we first thought it was. But there is no question that prime athletes are around the age of 27.

Who’s the oldest person you’ve coached? What was that like?

Chris Cellios. Forty-one years old. He plays with the Detroit Red wings. One thing I found, when they get older they recognize what it takes to be successful. They’re actually more of a help, not a hindrance; they understand what it takes to play the game.

How does your mind work during a game?

I have a plan. My players are tied together, and I know what I want them to do. I’m constantly changing things around to discourage the other team from trying to beat us. My mind is very active, and I keep my players alert, emotional, and highly motivated for the whole game.

How many times have you come close to winning the Stanley Cup?

Three times in the finals.

You’ve had over 600 victories, but haven’t won the Stanley Cup yet, do you know why? Do you think it has anything to do with something you may or may not be doing? Or is it just the way the dice roll when the competition is this steep?

It’s a hard road. You have to be very fortunate. You have to have a great goaltender. Next season I think we have a good chance for that. But I do think habits are everything. As a Coach I’ve worked with my team so they know how to handle their old habits under stress. Some of our better players didn’t play nearly as well at the Stanley Cup level. Stress and experience become major factors.

How do you switch gears to spend quality time with your family?

I don’t have a lot of time to do that, so when I go home at night, I put it aside. You have to. I guess I’m lucky that the game is not always on my mind every minute of the day.

Your fondest memory in the NHL as a Coach?

I’ve had so many, but I think the run this year, the playoffs, certainly were some of my fondest memories. We had exceptional plays and I’m sure I’ll carry that for a while. I’ve also watched individual players really improved because of me and my coaching, and that’s always a great thing to see happen.

Do you see yourself coaching again?

No, I think now that they’ve given me this job as General Manager, I’ll stick with this. I think I’ve had my time coaching.

 

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