Mougenel Eager to Maintain Strong Standard Set in Providence

PROVIDENCE - After eight consecutive seasons as an assistant coach in the American Hockey League, it's safe to say Ryan Mougenel has earned the long-deserved opportunity to serve as a head coach. On August 13, the Bruins announced a trio of staff updates within the organization with Chris Kelly being named an assistant coach in Boston, Adam McQuaid earning the title of Player Development Coordinator, and Mougenel being named the 13th head coach in Providence Bruins history.

"What an honor," said Mougenel in his introductory press conference last Monday. "It's obviously the premier job in the American Hockey League. I'm honored, grateful, and super humble to have the ability to even have this job. Again, very rewarding to have people speak highly of me and to get to this position."
Mougenel has worked in the Bruins organization for the past three seasons after joining the staff in Providence as an assistant prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. Since Mougenel came on board, the P-Bruins have recorded a record of 91-51-13-8 (W-L-OTL-SOL), captured two consecutive Atlantic Division titles, and set a new regular-season franchise record with 12 consecutive wins to conclude the abbreviated 2019-20 season.
"I'm excited to have a different role," said Mougenel. "I've been at the assistant coaching level for a while. I think that when you're able to sit back and observe a lot of different coaches - I worked for Roy Sommer, Mike Haviland, Jay Leach - you forge things that you want to be and things you don't want to be.
"I've had a lot of opportunity to self-reflect and really build my own identity as a head coach. I'm very confident and sure of who I want to be when it comes to how we play and how my players perceive me."
After spending the entirety of the 2020-21 season playing "home" games at New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Massachusetts, Providence will kick off the 2021-22 campaign at the team's true home, the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Providence's first opportunity to defend the Atlantic Division title will come on October 16 against the Bridgeport Islanders.
P-Bruins fans and players alike are preparing for a special evening at "The Dunk" on the 16th. Players will be able to get dressed in their own locker room and play in front of Bruins fans for the first time since March 8, 2020. However, there's more to that night than the matchup with Bridgeport, as two banners commemorating the P-Bruins' Atlantic Division titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21 will be raised to the rafters prior to puck drop.
"It's an amazing hockey community and obviously an extremely passionate fanbase," said Mougenel. "We've got fans that wait for the coaches at the end of the night by our cars outside in Providence in the freezing cold. My dad was in town once and he couldn't believe that. It's a lot different than any other places that I've ever been.
"For our players, it's a testament that a lot of them end up staying around in the summer. They love the town. They love the community. They've been embraced."

The P-Bruins have enjoyed consistent success over the past decade with two consecutive division titles and seven straight playoff appearances beginning in the 2012-13 season with now-Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy at the helm. A standard has been set in Providence and Mougenel is ready and excited to keep the train rolling.
"I recognize the standard that has to be brought every day," said Mougenel. "We're going to dictate. We're going to compete. We're going to have strong teammate value.
"Whitter [assistant coach] Trent Whitfield] and I have both addressed that we want to keep this thing going. It's a great atmosphere. Leachy and Ferg [Bruins Executive Director of Player Personnel John Ferguson] have done an amazing job of creating an environment where guys want to come to us.
"We're not going to change how we play. Our standard is going to be the same. Me and Whitter are really excited about getting this thing going."
The AHL is the top development league for all 32 NHL teams with nearly 90% of today's NHL players having spent time playing in the league. Maintaining a strong environment for player growth and development is something Mougenel plans to put a lot of energy into from Day 1.
"The faster we can get guys acclimated in their skills to go up and produce for the Boston Bruins, that's the most important thing," said Mougenel. "A lot of these players that are coming from great college programs and great junior programs, they've been well coached. A lot of the language is the same."
While the language may be similar from team to team, there are other important values the Bruins stress that may not be the same across all organizations.
"We talked about this a little bit in Development Camp," said Mougenel. "The Development Camp wasn't about anything system based. It was about skills and values that we think are important - like competing and having courage. These are staples of being a Boston Bruin. Other organizations value different things.
"Courage, commitment, and being a great teammate have been driven by the leadership group and upper management. To give yourself the best chance of playing, it's real important that you embrace that and recognize that this is what we're about. The best part about Providence is that Ferg and Sweens [Bruins general manager Don Sweeney] have done a great job identifying players that have high IQ that can grasp other concepts from where they've been before."
With the first regular season game less than two months away, preparations have already begun for Mougenel and his staff. When the time comes for Mougenel to walk behind the bench and lead the way for the P-Bruins, the Scarborough, Ontario, native is confident he will be ready.
"The one thing that I know is I'm confident in who I am as a coach," said Mougenel. "I'm a player-first coach. I want to give the player the why, the how. I think that's important for the players, especially in today's game.
"The commitment to the player, not just on the ice, has to be evident. They have to feel it and it has to be genuine. I think if you talk to a lot of players that have played for me, I think they'll say that I definitely value that. I value them as people first and care about their development.
"The trust you build with players is really important to me. You're going to hear people talk about details and coaches talk about the details. It's great, but one of those details that goes into it is getting to know the players and making sure they have the courage and confidence to go out and play.
"I think Trent and I are two guys that really care, and it shows in how we play. That's not going to change as a head coach from an assistant coach. I still believe in that."