What's clear from talking to those who know him and who are coached by him is that even 30 years on and three Stanley Cups later, his passion for the New Jersey Devils and it's success has never dwindled. From being a player, to an American Hockey League coach with the Devils affiliates, to now coaching the NHL club, Bylin has without a doubt left an indelible mark on the franchise.
And he's nowhere to being done just yet.
He's often the first one on the ice in the morning, last one off, working with every player, touching on every aspect of the game, now impacting the franchise in a different way than he did as a player.
"He’s passionate, he wants to get better, he wants to teach," Bratt said. "He’s a guy you listen to. He’s been through a lot with this organization through the years, just a great guy to be around.”
"I mean, there's a respect factor," Keefe said of watching how his players connect with Brylin. "I think that's there, any player that's played the game at a high level, there's a natural respect that's there. But I think this organization specifically a guy who has been here as long as he has, and they see his picture and name on the wall and all these sorts of things, that certainly helps with that respect and that connection. And then, as I said, he knows what he's talking about, so players are engaged."
He's been an invaluable resource for Keefe, too. When Keefe arrived in New Jersey, he had zero ties to the organization, he hadn't even met general manager Tom Fitzgerald before they first connected about the job. So, who better to have alongside him coaching that the man who has given 30 years, and counting, to the franchise.
"I think he just he sees, he recognizes values, strengths and weaknesses and areas of improvement very quickly in players. That's really what stands out, just his perspective in seeing a guy, there might be a player who you know has got some tremendous skill set, but has a lot of other areas of his game to work on. He's not blinded by the skill sets, he sees a lot of these other things. underneath, And, whether that's our own players, or a lot of his work is spent on preparing us for the opposition. His perspective there, the that things that he like recognizes and picks up on quickly, I think he has a real knack for."
"Those are the kind of guys that you want to work with, that you want to have in the room,” Bratt said. “We’re all here as players, wanting to get better every single day and we expect the coaches to see the same way to to help this group and help this team grow and get better and that’s why we like to have him around.”
Sarge is, and always will be, about the team. The New Jersey Devils. So as he spoke in the locker room after being presented with his jersey and acknowledged for his years of service, Brylin had only one thing on his mind. And it wasn't about him.
"Let's have a great game tonight," he told his locker room. "Let's have a big win. Let's go."
