I’ll be back on here later on this afternoon or early evening to discuss more in depth the Richards news conference, the nitty-gritty details of what was discussed in the post-press conference scrums (that’s where the most interesting news items or details always come from because that’s when we ask actual specifics) and a number of other items surrounding the Wild.

But I wanted to throw up the presser, as transcribed by Brian Stensaas (many thanks), and San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan, who did a conference call with myself and two other local writers. Remember, not only was McLellan Richard’s boss in San Jose, but he coached for a long time in the Wild organization in Houston. So he knows Koivu, Burns, Veilleux (likely gone), Boogaard, Bouchard, Harding from the Aeros and others like Schultz from training camp.

I also just got off the horn with Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who was nice enough to call me back between Cup celebrations. I’ll throw that up later.

Here is Todd McLellan:

On Richards: “I think he’s going to be very successful simply because he’s very passionate about the game, he’s very well-prepared and he’s ready. He’s got a brilliant mind. I think he’s going to be a very aggressive coach. He believes in the offensive part of the game, the attack part of the game. He’s going to a real good situation and has every opportunity to be successful.”

Endorsed Wild players you know well: “There’s a lot of players there that I’ve had some contact with, some I’ve been lucky enough to coach for a year or two. Mikko Koivu’s obviously the kingpin. I really believe that Mikko’s personality is going to mix very well with Todd’s. I think Todd’s idea of a leader and of a high-end player suits Mikko very well. I think the relationship’s going to be excellent. He’s going to very much like Mikko as a player. I know I did. There’s going to be a nice marriage there. Todd is very much about development and making players better. You look at a Derek Boogaard, who’s come so far in his career. He’s got an opportunity to get better under a Todd Richards. And then there’s the Nick Schultz’s. I think he’ll probably be more active in the rush than he has in the past because that’s something Todd firmly believes in.”

His role on your staff: “We have a very strong technical program here in San Jose and he also came with his own skills from the past. I don’t think the video part or the technology part is going to be any issue to Todd Richards. As far as his responsibilities here in San Jose, we split responsibilities of specialty teams among the assistant coaches, so Trent Yawney took care of the penalty kill, Todd Richards the power play (third in the NHL). At the end of the day, we attacked it as a group, but Todd had the lead in it. Todd was responsible for it. He had to do all the homework and work with individual players on it, and we had tremendous success there. That’s a true reflection on him. He had the ability to work on the bench as far as line matches go, tweaking systems, faceoff plays – just being an overall eye on the bench, to work with individuals to adjust their game because the game is going so fast, so it’s hard for one guy to do that.”

On Richards: “He’s got a very good eye. He’s meticulous on the bench – he makes notes to himself so he can refer back to them and see if there’s patterns. I don’t think there’s a lot of detail that sneaks by him during the game, so whether it’s a match – a line match, an individual match, a system thing – Todd has a very good eye. He recognized it and exposed us as coaches to it. He quickly alerted us and thought we should make a change here or there and more often than not, he was right.”

Did you feel this coming: “I felt last year when we hired Todd, I didn’t think he would be with our organization very long. He was a young coach that certainly made his mark in the American League. I thought highly of him, and I didn’t even know him personally, but I thought enough of him because of his track record that he was somebody we needed to be interested in. After hiring him and seeing him work and the way he carried himself, I had a pretty good idea that his past successes and his experiences with us, that he wasn’t going to be a Shark for very long. Credit to him that it only took one year. We’re real excited for him. … It won’t be an easy task [replacing him].”

Here is the press conference
Fletcher
Todd has had a terrific career in hockey both as a player and as a coach. He starred at the University of Minnesota for our seasons before embarking on a 13 year career in professional hockey. Along the way, Todd won two WCHA titles, a Calder Cup, A Turner Cup championship and a Swiss League championship. While serving as a coach, his teams have compiled a winning percentage of .644. The last six teams he’s been a part of have reached the postseason. To me, Todd’s record as a player and coach speaks for itself. He is a proven winner and an ideal fit for this franchise. Todd possesses all the characteristics when looking for a head coach. He is demanding but fair. He is a strong communicator. He owns a high level of technical expertise and he’s a proven winner. Most importantly, he is a passionate coach who will preach an up-tempo, aggressive style of play. During my two years working with Todd in the Wilkes-Berre and Penguins organization he impressed me with his attention to detail, with the pace of his practices, with his game preparation and with how well he communicated with his players. In short, he’s earned my trust. I am confident he’s the right person to coach this team at this time. We will work together to build a consistently winning and entertaining hockey team that will strive to bring a Stanley Cup championship to the State of Hockey.
 
Richards
I am truly, truly excited and honored – and very humbled. There’s only 30 of these positions in the world and to be selected, to be chosen to come in and be the second coach in Wild history I am very humbled by that because I know there are lots of other candidates that are qualified out there as well. It’s great to be back in the state of hockey for a couple reasons. I get to spend more time with friends and family. As you know I grew up here. This is a chance to be closer to them. And second, it’s great to be part of a great tradition. A great hockey organization in the Minnesota Wild and to work with character, quality, passionate people. I know what hockey means to the people here in Minnesota. The fans, I know coming in as an opponent, the opposition, I know what kind of atmosphere was in the rink and  know what it was like growing up. I know how important hockey was in my life and how it impacted me. For me, it’s a chance to carry on that tradition. I thought back many times, growing up I spent a lot of time playing street hockey – I spent a lot of times on the ponds, on the rinks. I think as a child growing up, as a young player you always dream of playing in the NHL. And it’s pretty funny now that my road to the NHL was as a coach. I never once dreamed as a kid going out on the snow bank standing there thinking about coaching my brothers and my friends in a game of street hockey. It’s a tremendous honor and I look forward to the challenges.
(How has this last couple of weeks been and have you assessed the roster?) There wasn’t any anxiety over the past few weeks. It was a process and I knew I was part of the process. It was just extra conversations with Chuck. But as far as assessing the roster, you’re able to look at the names on the sheet and you reflect back to when we played. But there’s going to be other assessments. It’s going to be Chuck and I sitting down and conversing with the staff that’s here that’s a little more familiar with the players. It’s talking to the previous coaches and hopefully getting more information of the players.
(I don’t think people thought you’d be a coach) No. When I was at the University of Minnesota I didn’t think I’d be a coach either. As a child growing up and at high school at Armstrong at the University of Minnesota, you always imagine yourself or picture yourself as a star in the NHL.  I wasn’t able to do that, but other avenues have opened up for me and this has been a great opportunity.
(Did other coaches influence you and your style?) Absolutely. In think as a player, you look back at your career and I was able to take some good things from coaches I played for. But you also take some bad things. And I think you store it away and if you want to be a coach someday you’d like to treat players this way and not so much that way. But as far as once I got into coaching, one player has impacted me more than any other and that is Claude Noel who is now with Columbus. I spent three years with him in Milwaukee and he was a great mentor.
(In your discussions with Chuck, how much did playing entertaining hockey come up? And what happened against Harvard in 89?) It was on this site. I wasn’t out on the ice for that goal, so I can’t comment on that. But the type of hockey we want to play is up-tempo, fast. You can watch the teams that were in the Finals this year and they both play a certain style. You have to have the personnel to play that type of game and looking at our roster and thinking back to the Minnesota Wild and how they played last year, we believe we have that foundation here. Defense has to be involved. They have to be a part of the rush. They have to be able to get up the ice and get out of their own zone. They need to be a part of the fore check; fore check as a group of five. I think if you do all these things you’re an aggressive team and you want to dictate the pace, dictate the tempo of the game. It becomes an entertaining game to watch.
(How much of a transition?) I think there will be a transition period, but I think it’s a lot easier to go from a defensive style to an offensive style. I think if you ask every player in the league, that is the type of game they want to play. You have to give Jacques Lemaire and his staff a lot of credit. As a coach, it’s tough to implement a defensive style. I shouldn’t say it’s tough, but it’s tedious. You watch the way the Minnesota Wild play, the players have a great foundation to play defensive hockey. And that’s something that you can’t lose. There always has to be that responsibility. They do have roles, specific roles while they’re out on the ice. Have three in the offensive zone, tracking back. But to open the game up and top play a bit of a more offensive style on tour toes, aggressive physical hockey – I know the fans here will appreciate that and I think the players will have a fun time playing it as well.
 
(How do you address a first-time coach taking over for a hall of famer?) FLETCHER: First of all, he’s (Richards) coached for seven years. He’s certainly paid his dues. He spend six years in the American Hockey League – four years as an assistant, two years as a head coach – now he’s earned a year of experience in the NHL. I’ve been thinking of that because I knew the question would come up and thinking back over a lot of great coaches who have coached this game. I started going back to Al Arbour who went from being a captain of a team to the head coach. Pat Quinn coached one year as an assistant coach – 50 games in the American Hockey League in Maine before he took over the Flyers. Brian Murray had about 60 games in Hershey before he took over the Washington Capitals in 1981, I believe. Go to this year with Dan Bylsma. Go to Mike Babcock in Anaheim having never stepped foot on an NHL bench. I truly believe talent is the most important thing. Experience is an element. But how you deal with people, how you communicate, how you get the players to buy in and execute. Your understanding of the game, your integrity. I think your skill set and your overall talent takes precedence over experience. I think everybody here will have to earn the trust and respect of the players and the players will have to earn our trust and respect and that’s the way good teams operate. RICHARDS: I don’t have a lot to add to that. It’s going to be each and every day for myself. I will have to go out and earn the players’ trust and respect and that’s going to be through work ethic and my preparation. In this business as a coach, I’m trying to sell the players something, and they have to buy it and I think they will buy it. Because it’s a fun way to play hockey. You watch the San Joses and the Detroits and the Pittsburghs. It’s not much different than that. But for me it’s going to be my approach every day. Showing the players that I’m prepared and the work ethic is there.
(When did you know you wanted to be a coach) It was after my first year as coaching. It was kind of a firm conversation I had with Claude Noel. He sent me down there and it’s really what I needed as a player, it’s something I’ve taken and something I’ve applied as a coach. It’s being honest and up front. Asking players what they want. He got me to realize that I needed to do. If this is a career path that I wanted to go down, I have to invest myself more. That was probably the real critical point in my career.
(You’re a MN guy who played for the Gophers on an all-Minnesota roster. The Wild has been the opposite. What are your feelings on needing MN guys?) I think Minnesota is rich in hockey players. Playing at the University of Minnesota, there was great pride in it being all Minnesota players. This is probably something Chuck can answer as well, but for us as an organization, it’s about getting the best players out there. The right fit. It doesn’t always have to be the best player but it has to be the best fit for the organization. And if that happens to be a Minnesota player, that’s great.
(Doug Woog?) Obviously Doug Woog had a big influence on my life. At that age in life, a lot of things influence you. He was obviously a great coach, somebody I looked up to and respect.
(Recruited by Brad Buetow?) Yes. First there was a visit on campus with his assistant coach. I remember sitting at our dining room table back home in Crystal. He looked across the table and offered me a scholarship and I think he expected me to say ‘yes’ right away. But there was a long pause. I had made a previous commitment to another team to go on a visit and I told him I wanted to wait until I had gone up and seen that campus. And I think that shocked him a little bit. I slept on it that night and woke up the next morning and made a call … and said I wanted to be a Gopher.
(Sons play hockey?) They both play hockey, they’re 13 and 11 so it’s a great age. They’re a lot of fun to watch. And they are both excited. They’re both a little nervous, but both very excited.
(What did you take from your year in San Jose?) It was a tremendous experience. First was watching the coaches and I learned a lot from Todd McClellan and the other coach who was there who has a lot of coaching experience is Trent Yawney and I learned a lot from both of them. How they talk to players, how they ran practices, ran drills. Jay Woodcroft, who was with Detroit, was also a great source of information. Todd’s teachings and how he was able to simplify, really break down certain things so he could show the players exactly what he wanted. Getting into the season it was a tremendous year. I will always look back and be very proud of our year even though it had a disappointing finish. But a lot of times in life you can learn a lot more from your failures than your successes. And despite how disappointing it was, I learned a lot from our finish.
(Reaching out to Marian Gaborik?) FLETCHER: I think we will, certainly now that Todd has been hired, it’s probably a critical piece of information for Marian and for Ron Salcer to consider. We now have a coaching face to present to them. Certainly we will reach out again to Marian and Ron and we’re just a couple weeks removed from free agency so I think everything will take shape here pretty quickly or won’t take shape pretty quickly. We’re at the point where it will be nice to have a coach to present as a part of our package.
(Was Richards the guy from the beginning?) FLETCHER: I don’t think it was a slam-dunk right from the beginning. Certainly Todd had earned my trust. We had worked together before and a lot of things  I was looking for I knew he possessed. I thought he would be a good fit for this franchise at this time. Certainly I spoke with several excellent candidates and there was some tough decisions this weekend when I was going through the final deliberations. I don’t think you could say that at all. I knew he’d be a strong candidate. But again, there’s a lot of quality hockey coaches out there. A lot of people I wanted to consider and a lot of questions I wanted to ask.
(Have you thought about assistants?) I haven’t gotten to that point yet. There’s people here I want to talk to. There’s other very qualified coaches out there that I’d like to talk to as well. That will be a process.
(Room for a tough guy element?) One of the things that’s very intriguing about this team is that element. I think Minnesota possesses that in a couple of the players they have. You can look at certain teams around the league – I know Detroit doesn’t necessarily have that. But I think it is a good element to have. They can play. It requires that they have to skate, and they have to get up and down the ice. It’s a great tactic to be a physical and aggressive team. And the way we want to fore check is we want to go in hard. Finish our checks. We want to create turnovers and having that toughness around you gives other players a little more freedom on the ice.
(A timeline for you to get to the NHL) No I didn’t. I didn’t have a specific route planned out or a specific timeline – I needed to be ‘here’ at this point in my career. I was committed to the organization I was with. I was committed to the team I was coaching and committed to the people I worked with. I think if you do those things, and you’re passionate and have good character, other avenues will open up.
(When did you get the final call for this job?) We finalized everything on Monday. There wasn’t a lot of decisions. It wasn’t like I hung up the phone and said, ‘I have to think about this for a half-hour.’ I’m very humbled by being here today. As Chuck said, he had some tough decisions to make. There’s some quality people out there, some really good coaches. It is an honor to be in this position right now.
(Feel good about your chances after first interview?) Chuck and I have a past, so it was an interview but it didn’t feel like an interview. It felt like we were sitting down and talking again like we did for two years in Wilkes-Berre. To be quite honest with you, when I left I had my fingers crossed. But I was unsure of what direction Chuck was going to go.
(How many interviews, Chuck?) I started making phone calls literally the afternoon of my press conference. And it took until yesterday to finalize everything. With Todd I had several conversations. Several conversations would be the best way to put it.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Brent Burns, Chuck Fletcher, Derek Boogaard, Jacques Lemaire, Josh Harding, Main, Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu, Nick Schultz, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Stephane Veilleux, Todd Richards. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.