Coaches Conversation: 1-on-1 With Coachella Valley Head Coach Dan Bylsma

EDITOR'S NOTE: Debuting a new feature at Inside AHL Hockey 'Coaches Conversation' where the aim is to talk coaches around the American Hockey League (AHL) about more than just the x's and o's, post-game comments and prospect evaluation.

Dan Bylsma, head coach of Seattle’s new American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, had a long playing career and has been head and assistant coaches at both the NHL and AHL levels. He took a few minutes to chat with InsideAHLHockey.com's Bakersfield Condors correspondent Mike Griffith before Saturday night’s game between the Condors and Firebirds.

Mike Griffith (MG) You've had a wide-ranging career as both a player and a coach. Having spent 11 years as a head or assistant coach in the NHL, what led you to become an AHL assistant with Charlotte last season and then head coach in Coachella ?

Dan Bylsma (DB) "I think the joy and excitement I find in coaching is getting in with the players, getting a plan for the players and working with them to be at their best. That can happen anywhere, but I was  energized last year in Charlotte by getting in with, I don't want to say younger players - NHL, AHL - they all seem to be young players, but it was energizing to me to coach the guys in Charlotte, get in with them, get them on a plan in their development process. This job at Coachella is the same."

MG You spent eight years as a player in the NHL, but it took three in the minor leagues, starting in the ECHL, to get there. Do you think your playing career helps you relate to the varied AHL players - from the pedigreed top draft choices to lower draft picks or undrafted guys who have worked their way up the ladder?

DB "The only players that I maybe can't relate to are, I guess, pedigree players or the high draft picks who go right to the NHL. Pretty much everybody else I've had the experience, I've done the experience. I've been sent down, I've been told "no" to, I've been called up, I've played in the ECHL, played at the American League level, the IHL level. I've been called up and played in the National Hockey League, I've been sent down from the National Hockey League. I've played there for an extended period of time. I think all those experiences and all those roads that my career took help me relate.  Everyone is on a different development path, everyone is on a different point in their career - but I have been through a lot of them as a player. I can see it happening with each one of our players as well."

MG You recently got to see highly-touted Shane Wright (fourth overall pick in 2022)  in action for five games. What did he show you?

DB "He was highly-touted young player from age 14, exceptional status, age 15, exceptional status, on up to the eyes of the world on him to be the No. 1 pick. Then maybe the disappointment of not being the No. 1 pick. He's really just a young kid on his journey on where he wants to go as an NHL player. That can't be overlooked. He's a young man, he's 18 years old. He's on his NHL journey. Those roads aren't always easy, sometimes they are bumpy. But it was a great opportunity for us to see Shane Wright play. He is extremely talented. He has a ton of abilities. He's fast, he's quick, he's got a great shot. He's going to be a great player. For us, we were lucky to have him for five games on that journey."

MG Is there a different way of coaching between the NHL and AHL?

DB "The difference is there would be more eyes on you as a coach in the NHL than the American League (laughs). I enjoy the coaching part of it. The getting with the players, working with the players in their development process. The NHL just has a few more eyes on you, a few more critics about how you do that and watch you."

MG The Firebirds are a quarter of the way through the season and have the best winning percentage in the Pacific Division. What has been the key to success without playing a home game?

DB "I think it's beneficial to have zero home games. We don't know any difference. We've been on the road since Sept. 15. We've been on the road for training camp and every one of our games. We had a few "home" games up in Seattle with a few jerseys in the stands but all the guys know and all the team knows is road hockey games. If  we were playing four or five home games in Coachella and being on the road this much I think our guys would kind of feel something different and know something different but we don't.  We're the road show and we go to the next town, the next city and we play our next game. Twenty-two is a lot of games away from home to play, but right now our team doesn't know anything different. Our season is all on the road."

MG How nice will it be to finally play in your own arena before a group of new fans on Dec. 18?

DB "It's a beautiful arena. An absolutely gorgeous-looking place in the middle of the desert and the inside is as equally as nice. It's going to be a great place to play. Ten-thousand seat arena with what appears to be a lot of screaming Firebird fans. The guys are looking forward to that. We've gone on a long journey, a couple of extended road trips where we played for eight days and weekend road games where we've left Coachella to play two weekend road games like we are this weekend, then return back home. I'm a little nervous we might take a deep breath and relax on that first home game for our team. Twenty-two games away from home, it will feel really good to get to that first home game."