Dineen Unphased by Unique Coaching Position | FEATURE

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Kevin Dineen, Utica Comets | Speak of the Devils
Kevin Dineen
knows there will be hiccups along the way.
The newly hired head coach of the
Utica Comets
is all too aware that it's par for the course at the American League level. And he's OK with that.
"I've said this before," Dineen shared through his insight of years coaching in the league, "the American League level, it doesn't matter if you're an equipment manager, if you're a referee, if you're a coach, obviously players, the American League is where you get your hiccups and burbs and toots out of the way you know, you do what needs to be done and you go out there, it's a game of mistakes."
His biggest challenge as an American Hockey League coach looking to graduate his players to the National Hockey League is to create an atmosphere where the mistakes can be learning experiences, that the necessary intensity is there and embracing both the highs and lows appropriately. It's a part of the job Dineen looks forward to.

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"I really enjoy that part of the job as far as getting on the ice," Dineen shared on the most recent episode of Speak of the Devils podcast. "I am certainly a guy that I think, like all of us, coaches a little bit how you played. And I think there has to be a level of intensity and work ethic that makes the statement, and I think you want your whole team to not only buy-in that, but embrace it. That's a huge difference between getting there and not."
The
Devils system
is finally filled with burgeoning talent. Not all will make that immediate jump out of training camp into the big leagues. Instead, their talents will marinate under Dineen in Utica. With just a few weeks remaining in the offseason, the 57-year-old will have to begin the process of familiarizing himself with his new roster. Having spent the last three seasons in the American Hockey League, but out in the West leading the San Diego Gulls (Anaheim), Dineen is starting from scratch but will have the most important resources on hand immediately because of the unique position he accepted.
"(We were) just looking for someone with the kind of dynamic qualities that (former head coach) Mark (Dennehy) has," Utica general manager and Devils assistant GM Dan MacKinnon said of Dennehy, who was promoted to chief scout of the amateur scouting department. "This was really kind of a unique career move for Mark. It was a little bit unusual because the vacancy in Utica wasn't created because Mark moved on to other coaching opportunities or we weren't unhappy with what was going on there.
"So, it started there, and then the discussion was like, what's the criteria you're looking for? We're happy with all the other coaches. So, this individual is going to come in and inherit a group that's already there, knows the system they're playing that mimics Lindy (Ruff)'s and the NHL coaches' system up top."
Most new coaches, when hired for a position, bring in their "own guys," build their own staff and maybe bring in a new guy or two. But that wasn't going to be the case this time around, with
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald
and MacKinnon wanting to keep the other coaches in place.
In conversations with Dineen, Fitzgerald and MacKinnon realized something.
"Kevin wasn't fazed by any of that," MacKinnon shared of the interview process. "He's just so experienced, both as a player and as a coach. He's been around forever, seen a lot of different things … there was just a lot of synergy that I went back to 'Fitzy' and said, 'I just think this is the best guy to lead this group of young players.'"
The feeling was mutual with Dineen looking forward to leaning on the other coaches already in place. It's a way for him to maximize the talent in the organization, and he acknowledged how Fitzgerald and MacKinnon emphasized the want for homegrown players who ultimately make the jump to the NHL. Dineen sees it as a personal asset to have assistants who are familiar already with much of the team.
"(That's) one of the advantages they have is Sergei Brylin and Ryan Parent will be there," Dineen said. "And I will rely heavily, heavily on those two, as well as our video coach Adam (Purner), our goalie coaches and you name it, to make sure that we're speaking the same language, is the way I like to put it."
The eye test is also important as Dineen gets to know his players, and the instincts he has from all his years around the game.
"We'll get on the ice, we'll spend time with guys, I'll do my research before," he said. "And I've watched, Binghamton games I've seen some of the young prospects that are still in that very youthful stage that are finding their way into the pro game. And I, like I mentioned earlier, I think that's a real appealing part of the job and say, you're going to be able to work with this high-end incredible talent that are going to be future Devils.
"So yeah, it's a good time."