Brookbank Joins AHL Penguins Coaching Staff

"He texts me Dennis Bonvie's number and said, 'Bonvie is the mayor if you need anything call Dennis Bonvie', [so] I got a phone-a-friend." - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins newly hired assistant coach Sheldon Brookbank.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced on Monday that Sheldon Brookbank has been hired to be an assistant coach alongside returning assistant coach Kevin Porter and head coach J.D. Forrest.

The 41-year-old continues his coaching career with the Pens organization following his start in the pro coaching world with the Chicago Blackhawks organization, first as an assistant coach at AHL level in the 2017-18 season with the Rockford IceHogs before later transitioning to an NHL assistant coaching role with the Blackhawks the previous four seasons.

Brookbank transitioned into coaching after a 15th pro season began and ended on a PTO with the Cleveland Monsters in the beginning of the 2016-17 season . In all, the right-handed shooting defenseman appeared in 853 career pro games - including 351 NHL appearances and a Stanley Cup championship with the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks. Brookbank also won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's top defenseman in 2006-07.

On Tuesday, he met virtually with Inside AHL Hockey and local Wilkes-Barre media in his introductory media availability.

Brookbank explained that he talked to J.D. Forrest early in the summer as he was starting the process of finding his next job, following the Blackhawks relieving their entire coaching staff mid-season last year. The two also met at the NHL Draft last month in Montreal and continued to talk throughout the summer.

"Just had some good conversations with them," Brookbank said of his interactions with Forrest over the summer. "And we kind of kept it there and kept it on the backburner. And then it just started to seem more and more likely, and then eventually it just came to the point where it was kind of like, let's do this thing, and let's get it going already."

When asked about the state of the Penguins prospect system overall, Brookbank didn't proceed to give the standard quips about strong players with good hockey IQ, etc. and instead provided an honest first assessment.

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm not super familiar with all of the players on the team. I have been out of the AHL for a few years now,"  Brookbank said, explaining that even as an AHL assistant in Rockford that being in the Western Conference didn't provide much exposure to the teams they didn't play - like the Penguins - in the Eastern Conference. "So that's going to take some time for me to get to know the personnel," he added.

While he admitted he wasn't overly familiar with the players at present date, he does know one likely soon-to-be returning Penguins forward in Alex Nylander. Brookbank, in his NHL time with Chicago, was part of the coaching staff that saw Nylander play 65 games in the NHL and tally career-high 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 2019-20.

"That's the thing with Alex was, we were always trying to stay on him to, you know, move, skate, work hard," Brookbank said in the beginning of his assessment Nylander's time in the Blackhawks organization and his NHL time. "Obviously, you guys have seen him, he's got the shot. He's got the hands. He's got the size. So he just has to push himself out there and there's a lot of upside, because when you have that much talent, I think if you can just push yourself and squeeze every bit out of yourself, I think then you'll have a chance. I think he's a very talented guy and I'd be happy to work with him and try and get him to where he needs to go and push him as far as we can."

For Brookbank, importance is placed on building relationships within the room - regardless of what position the guy plays - because that will go a long way in producing a more conducive environment to helping everyone on the team improve as well as be more acceptable to constructive criticism.

"I think you can always take the negative feedback a little better if you know the person that's giving it to you. I think that's important," Brookbank said, adding, "It's not like the old days where it was kind of the coach was your enemy. And, you know, you're like, trying to prove him wrong and everything like that. I feel like nowadays, coaching is a little more, you're working together as a unit. And so that's just something I really try to do when I'm in the in the coach's room."

Sheldon's brother, Wade, might be familiar to Penguins fans as the physical forward had two different stints with the Penguins in 2006-07 and 2009-10. When asked if his brother gave him any insights on the town or organization, Sheldon said he was given a point in the right direction.

"[Wade] texts me Dennis Bonvie's number and said, 'Bonvie is the mayor if you need anything call Dennis Bonvie', [so] I got a phone-a-friend," Brookbank explained.

Now having had general discussions throughout the summer with Forrest, Brookbank is ready to join the Penguins' coaching staff this upcoming season where the expectation is that he will be working with the defensemen and primarily focus with the defensemen and team defense in general to start.

"This one was always pretty high on my list, to be honest. You're always swinging for the NHL - that's just the reality. "But as far as the American [Hockey] League went, Wilkes Barre was definitely very high on my list. So I'm definitely happy to come down there to Wilkes Barre."

Full media availability posted below!