Former UND men's hockey head coach Dave Hakstol is the new head coach for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers.
UND hockey reporter Brad Schlossman analyses Hakstol's chances, examines his coaching style and talks about the adjustments he'll have to make in order to succeed in the NHL:
- Maybe Hakstol's departure for the Flyers shouldn't have been that big of a shock.
- Hakstol will no longer be able to choose his own team, as he did at UND.
- Hakstol's UND team plays in a heavy, grinding style that focuses on wearing down opponents. That style may particularly suit the NHL's seven-game series format.
- Hakstol expects star players to work just as hard as fourth-line players, with the same intensity and the same drive to compete. No one will just be going through the motions.
- Philadelphia Flyers fans shouldn't panic if the team is only average in November. Hakstol's teams tend to peak at the end of the season. At UND he was able to keep them fresh through careful scheduling; now he faces an 82-game schedule.
- Hakstol is extremely reserved on the bench, so fans shouldn't expect flailing or screaming. They should, however, expect a very, very intense coach.
