Forsythe has served as an assistant coach under Tourigny for the last three seasons and has made an impact over that time. Whether it’s running Utah’s power play, or being a resource for all players, Forsythe’s extension keeps another key part of the coaching staff with the Mammoth.
“Pretty excited about also having Blaine back,” Armstrong shared. “He’s done a great job for the three years he’s been here and what he’s done with the power play. It's been impressive and I think our group has a lot of faith in our coaching staff and that’s part of it. It’s part of having a great culture, a great environment, that our players trust the coaches and they excel.”
Forsythe has had a strong body of work throughout his career running the power play. Utah’s power play finished tenth in the NHL during their inaugural season and routinely finished in the top-10 during his 14-year tenure with the Washington Capitals.
“It’s huge,” Tourigny said of Forsythe remaining with the Mammoth. “We had a tough go last year to start the season with our power play. But from February 1st to the end of the season, we were second in the league. I think I was really impressed the way (Forsythe) was capable of swinging the momentum and getting our power play back on track from Feb. 1 to the end of the season … (Forsythe) has a lot of creativity, has a lot of ideas, has the respect of the players, the players really love him. He is a really smart and (a) cerebral guy on the offensive side. He has great instinct. That’s A. And B, he has a good feel for the room. There’s a lot of discussion where (Forsythe) has a really good feel of what is going on in the head of the players and the feelings of the players and so he brings something really special.”
Foote was added to Tourigny’s staff to help strengthen the coaching room and he brings plenty of experience as a player and coach. As a player, Foote won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, an Olympic Gold Medal with Canada during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and the World Cup of Hockey. He played 1154 NHL games over 19 seasons, and wore a letter in each of his final 15 seasons. Following his playing career, Foote has coached at various levels and worked as a player development consultant in the NHL. His extensive experience and knowledge will be a huge asset for the Mammoth’s defensive core.
“I think his background of not only being an elite player, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, someone that studied and perfected the position, getting into the development role that he was in, then coaching junior hockey and then getting into the NHL, I think he has a great wealth of knowledge,” Armstrong explained. “I think he’s one of those coaches that he has a good presence about him, with a ton of experience, and I think he’s going to have a huge impact on our group, from (Mikhail) Sergachev, to (Sean) Durzi, to (John) Marino, and in the young (Dmitri) Simashev. So, he’s going to have a huge impact back there. But I think just what he’s learned in his wealth of knowledge and not only that, controlling matchups back there. He’s going to be a difference maker for us back there.”
“I had the opportunity to work with (Foote) when I was with the Avalanche for two years,” Tourigny recounted. “He’s a really, really smart positional (coach) for the defensemen. He has obviously tremendous experience: Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold medal, World Cup, all those kinds of things. He brings a lot to the table. He’s been a head coach, he’s been in the trenches, he’s been an assistant coach. (He’s) been an assistant coach on two staffs who won the Coach of the Year … I think that (has) shown how great he is and (I’ve) always had a good relationship with him since 2013. So, I’m really happy to work with him again.”
Although the Mammoth achieved their goal of reaching the postseason for the first time as a franchise last year, Utah is focused on returning to the playoffs and putting together some series wins. In order to do this, the Mammoth will rely on their coaching staff to raise the bar and support the team through this process. That all starts with the drive and passion of Utah’s coaches, and Tourigny leading the way.
“Inside the coaches room, the standards are high,” Armstrong shared. “(Tourigny) really drives that, (and is) the boss on keeping those standards high and pushing that group … he’s kept a foot on the gas and behind the scenes, he’s pushing. His standards for what we’re supposed to accomplish are way higher than what people think.”
