New Coach, New Foundation

Before players took the ice for training camp on Thursday, Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas stood in the media room at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex and outlined his expectations.

Regarding the roster, Dubas began by talking about younger guys who have gotten opportunities and chances, and how much they can push over the coming weeks.

If they can assert themselves in practices in addition to the exhibition games they earn, especially as the competition gets better, “and it's very clear that they should be on the team, then they'll make the team,” Dubas said. “We'll deal with whatever the ripple effects of those are on some of the more veteran guys.”

Dubas said the message to the veteran players has been clear.

“With where we're at, the young guys are coming, they're going to get opportunity, so they're going to have to earn everything... it's up to them to hold on to their jobs and hold on to their spots and their places with the Penguins and in the NHL,” Dubas said.

Regarding the season, Dubas said he wants to look back in a few months to a year and see that the foundation Penguins head coach Dan Muse and his staff started establishing today has taken hold.

“Our push is to get back (to contention) as soon as we possibly can, and today is our first day towards moving towards that, with Dan and his staff taking control,” Dubas said.

Something that stood out to the players – and everybody in attendance, really – was the energy from Muse, a first-time NHL head coach that Dubas felt was “extraordinarily well-suited” to the role.

“It was through the roof,” Kris Letang said.

“It was pretty loud out there,” agreed Sidney Crosby. “There a lot of stick banging, that sort of thing. I don't think that was just Dan. That was, I think, the group bringing a lot of energy and that sort of thing. So, that's what you want. You want that enthusiasm, passion.”

By the time it was Muse’s turn to do media, he had actually lost his voice for the most part. That’s how engaged he was during all three of the 90-minute on-ice sessions, involved in every drill and having conversations with players.

“There's been a lot of preparation to get ready, not just for today, but for the season. And so, I think for everybody on the coaching staff, it's just an excitement that we're getting going,” Muse said. “I thought the players felt the same way, too.

“Skating around with guys that have been in this league for 20-plus years and talking a little bit, especially with (Evgeni) Malkin, Letang – this is their 20^th training camp. Like, how cool is that?” said Muse, who had been coaching for 20-plus years before stepping into this role.

“And then the next shift, you grab one of the guys that’s coming into their first training camp ever, and it's like, ‘it’s your first training camp. How cool is this? How lucky are we?’”

Letang mentioned that last night, he stopped by the rink to grab dinner from the team chefs. When he left the building around 8 PM, Muse was still in his office. His hours have become somewhat legendary, with those who know him best saying no one works harder than Muse, something everyone around the Penguins facilities is learning quickly.

Muse and his staff have spent a considerable amount of time focusing on every last detail, with the goal of having a plan for the collective group and each individual, and implementing it starting today. There’s a lot more to do, as they want to keep building from here.

That being said, “it ends up being a lot, for sure, but doesn’t really feel like work. I think we got a group with our coaching staff that loves the game, they love teaching the game, love being a part of this, and obviously are very excited to be here to start to build out that foundation for what we're looking to build.”

In addition to bringing that passion, competitiveness is a big focus for Muse.

“You saw there were quite a few battle drills out there,” Bryan Rust said. “Keeping score in pretty much every drill, just kind of trying to get that mindset that we're going to compete every day.”

Guys were bent over at the waist a lot, and breathing heavy when they came off the ice. Erik Karlsson, who is entering his 17th season in the league, said it was probably one of the harder first training camp skates he has done in a long time.

“Yeah, it was pretty intense out there,” Letang said with a laugh. “It was pretty hard.”

Muse is speaking this group’s language in that regard, especially with No. 87.

“I love competition. I think everybody loves competition. It just drives things,” Muse said with a grin. “I've always found it just to be awesome seeing it at this level. It doesn't matter what's on the line. If something's there, like one push-up, they would be all in to not have to do that one push-up. This group here, I think if I put a cold cheeseburger for the winner, they would be all in to get that cold cheeseburger, they'd be all in. That's in their nature. They did a good job with it today.”

There wasn’t anything systematic or strategic implemented today, just the habits that the coaches feel are important as a starting point.

“Then as we go over these next couple of days now, we're going to be building in a little bit more in terms of how we want to play, how we want to pressure the puck, and how we want to attack,” Muse said. “We'll keep building in as we go. But I think throughout that, we want to see guys. We want to see who's going to make themselves noticed, and give them that opportunity. And so while I do think it's going to look a little bit different for everybody, I do think that that's going to be there for them.”

Which makes for plenty of motivation in that locker room.

“Obviously, there's new faces everywhere from almost the entire coaching staff to support staff to players,” Rust said. “And when you see all those new faces, that kind of brings that a little bit of those anxious nerves, and you're excited for camp again, you don't really know what to expect. I think guys who have been here for a long time, that kind of brings out the best in us.”