From the Front Office: Dave Lowry 

To be able to be part of forming this franchise, and the identity of this team almost right from the start, how exciting was that for you? And what opportunity does that present as a coach?

Well, I think being in from the near ground floor is extremely exciting. To be able to do it as a coach, I was fortunate. I got to be able to do it as a player (with the Florida Panthers in 1993), right? But there's a lot of new. There's a lot of things when you've gone through it (that) you can offer in terms of just helping people find their way. You're new to a new city, and it's always nice to be able to see a franchise grow.

How did your experience going through that as a player help inform the way that you approach some of those relationships with the guys here?

Well, I think the big thing is you really find out how much you need and rely on each other. (When) I went through it as a player, and your families need each other. You're bringing in people that are new to the community, its survival mode, right? You forget about a lot of the little details. For us as players, it's easy. You have your network, and everything's already established, but for your families, now…you have to (find) schools. You have to find doctors…all these little things that you need in everyday life, (even just your way around town)…finding the good restaurants.

What is your approach in trying to form connections with the players, especially with guys of all ages and from all around the world?

Just be yourself. The biggest thing with players today is they want transparency. They want honesty. And, you know, I'm extremely fortunate that I've lived it. I've watched our kids who have played and play professionally in this game. So, you're fortunate that you have already that established connection and players understand.

What can you share with us about the process of getting to know new coaches as well, even if you are a little bit familiar with them from your travels?

Yeah, it's really interesting. When I first came here, I had never crossed paths with the guys that I work with. It (started with) a cold call..just out of the blue. And, It was late in terms of what we what we go through (timing wise). It was in August, and I was coming off an experience (in Winnipeg) where I was probably going to- and I was looking forward to! - taking a year off just to recharge and reset. And then I made a phone call, and this is why we're here today.

It was a call that Dave Hakstol was really quick to get back (to me). He was excited about the opportunity. I think I caught him off guard that I would actually be interested in coming into the role and the capacity that he needed. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity.

Obviously, things don't go always according to script, and there are changes. And we're fortunate to be part of the group here today.

How about that (coaching) group today? You are one of the holdovers from this coaching staff. What about all of the institutional knowledge that you were able to hold and bring to the others?

I think that number one, you get a fresh set of eyes coming in. I have experience with the players, and I have an understanding. But the one thing is, I always want coaches to be able to form their own opinions of players. We're not always going to agree on the player. We're not always going to have the same likes or dislikes with a player. But the biggest thing is I was there to provide some information. I really wanted Dan and Bob and Jess to have to make their own decisions and their own opinions on certain individuals.

And you guys share responsibilities across the coaching staff. What is the process of deciding who manages what?

Well, that's that all starts with the head coach. We had meetings prior to the season starting, and our responsibilities are laid out, and it's pretty clear what you do. But the one thing is, is you don't just get stuck doing what you're asked to do. You're there to pick up and help any way that you can.

You and Jess both work with forwards. What are those conversations like to make sure you both are giving the players a cohesive message and that you are all on the same page so there's no doubt about the message that you are delivering?

it's consistent just in conversation and the communication that we have within our office. We try and control how many voices they're hearing. And I think for players, it's extremely positive that, as coaches, we all have something to offer. But if we can simplify the message and the person giving the message that usually where the value is.

What can you share with us about your philosophy in terms of deploying the 12 forwards?

We're all of the mindset that to win in this league, you need depth. And being that we're a relatively new franchise, you need your young guys to play, but you have to put them in situations and positions to be successful. And sometimes there's going to be ups and downs with the young guys. But not only the young guys, right? There are going to be some growing pains with some of the veteran players as well, and it's all about patience and it's all about communication. And, as a staff, Dan is extremely inclusive.

You have introduced some new looks – more of a diamond look - on the penalty kill, which has long been a strength of this team. What inspired you to incorporate that?

I think you look at the game, you look at what's working, how the power plays are transitioning, and you have to be able to adapt.

When I was working in LA, we had an extremely good penalty kill. One year, we were at the top of the league, and it was totally different (systems-wise). It was a push down, and it was pressure, but we had the personnel to do it. It’s something that we had worked at, and we were fortunate.

The next year we weren't quite as successful. So, you look at the trends we like. And what we did is we changed it. And it was January. I came in right after Christmas. We changed going from a push down into more of a diamond look. And it became number one.

So, you really have to reevaluate what you're doing. (In LA), we came in and we looked at a couple other kills that were successful, and we had to find something that was going to work for our group. And the big thing that we talked about was we needed to simplify it. We need to simplify reads so what we did is we built quadrants on the ice, and each player was responsible for certain quadrants.

But if you look at the way power plays are going today, a lot of power plays are starting in a 1-3-1 formation. They're going into a spread look. So, you have to be able to adapt. You have to be able now to roll from a diamond into a box, and you have to make sure that your reads are right. It's a work in progress, but it's something that we take an enormous amount of pride in.

When you do find yourself in that situation where you're looking to re-evaluate, what resources are you using to consistently improve and innovate a little bit? Are there certain sites or mentors or, conferences or other coaches you look to?

Well, number one is we spend a lot of time watching what works. Just go back into last year's playoffs, where the Edmonton Oilers, prior to a coaching change, were dead last in their PK, and they transitioned into the top third in the playoffs, they’re running over 90-percent. So you look at what they're doing. You look at their personnel, and, you know, it was something that worked for them, but not necessarily it was going to work for us.

So, we try and take a couple of situations, or a couple of reads that they have, and we try and find how we can implement it into ours. (We) spend a lot of time on Sportlogiq, researching what goals happened and how goals are being scored - where the trends are, and how can you defend those trends? And our video guys too, Tim (Ohashi) and Brady (Morgan) do an amazing job of giving us the information. We have to go through it, but it's a collaborative effort.

And how are you feeling about the progress of the team right now, given some of the off-season changes and the changes behind the bench?

I think the big thing is we're just coming off this home stand where (in the past) we haven't been a team that has had a great home record. To win five or six now to (before we) go out on the road, that is something that we're extremely excited about.

And just how this group is coming together…the new guys, how they're fitting in, the leadership that they've provided. Just the excitement and different voices coming in is has been really good.

Talking a little bit more about you specifically, what motivated you to want to become a coach. What skills did you leverage to make that happen, or maybe even have to develop on your journey?

The biggest thing is, I had two (career choices once I stopped playing). I really liked - and I really thought long and hard - about going into the broadcasting and doing color and being part of that. But the biggest thing with that was that I was going to miss being in the fight every day, right in the battle of trying to prepare to win and just being close to the ice. And I was, you say, fortunate or unfortunate, my first year of coaching, coaching a pee-wee team in a lockout year. It was my last year of (playing) hockey, and I was in a position where I knew there was going to be an opportunity the following year. But it really gave me the passion - just watching kids develop and just watching them have some success from the start of the year to the end of the year. That was something that I really wanted to do. And I was fortunate that a good friend of mine, Kelly Kisio, hired me in Calgary with the Hitmen (WHL), and I was able to spend a few years in Calgary (with the Flames) and didn't have to move my family for a while.

Is there a certain aspect of coaching that maybe you found yourself to really enjoy more than you thought you would?

When I was coaching and working at the junior level, it was watching the players when they came in, as, a lot of them came in as 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, and how they left. What you wanted to do is you really want to have a positive impact, not only, not only on the ice. You wanted to see them develop as a player. You want to see them have success on the ice, but you wanted them to leave knowing that they have very good values, very good standards. And the biggest thing is, I wanted them to leave with the respect, not only for the game, but for the people that are involved in the game. And we were able to accomplish that.

What's your favorite memory as a coach?

Oh, probably one of the most exciting things was to be a part of coaching in Winnipeg, being able to work with my son (Adam, captain of the Jets). That had some pros early on, it was great. Obviously, the situation changed, and the role changed (when I moved from assistant to head coach). But being able to work with him at a professional level was a lot of fun.

What about a favorite memory as a player?

First, going twice to the Stanley Cup Final, as a player, although it didn't come out on the right end.

I've got a couple of other big highlights: probably playing 1,000 games and having Garth Brooks wear my jersey one night.

Oh, that's awesome. When was that?

That was in 1996 in Florida. (I was) a role guy (on the team), and there are all these stars on the roster. But I was fortunate that I was a big country fan. Back then, there weren't a lot of country fans in the mid-90s, so I got an opportunity to meet Garth, present him with a Jersey, and was fortunate enough to watch him wear it.

Did you see the show? Hopefully? It's not like you just found out later.

I sure did. It was awesome. I went with my wife, Elaine, and my daughter, Sharon, and another buddy and his wife and it was awesome.

Do you have any pictures of that?

I sure do.

So they say that you can tell which players could make a good coach one day. Are there any players in this locker room that you that you think might have the stuff?

I think we have a lot of guys right now that think they're coaching (laughs). And that's the passion that comes into it. But you see guys that have detail, and it's ‘whether or not they want to be a coach,’ right?

But the biggest thing that these guys don't understand is the time, right? I have people bang on my door, and, when I was coaching in junior, I'd have guys banging on my door saying, ‘I can coach. I can be a coach, and I'm going to come, and I'm going to coach.’ I said, ‘I don't think you can be a coach.’ They’d always say ‘what do you mean? I can coach. It's easy, putting guys out there.’ I said, ‘Yeah, that's the easy part. The hard part is the preparation and the hours and the days that go into preparing for a game. And I don't think you have the ability to do that. I don't think you have the attention span to be able to do it.’

They soon figure out. And it's a choice and it's a huge time commitment. And when you have young families, as a lot of these guys do, sometimes it's not the right career path for them, but you know, for myself, it was exactly what we wanted to do.

What have you learned about yourself since moving into coaching,

Number one for me is, be who you are. Be real. And the biggest thing is, you know, people are watching, and just make sure you leave a positive impression.

You said the prep time is a grind. Out of curiosity, when there is a spare moment, what do you like to do if you have the downtime or team day off?

The biggest, the biggest thing for me on a day off is that my wife likes to hike. She usually puts me in a headlock and drags me to the mountains (laughs). But, you know, I'm okay on a lot of days, just hanging out at home, trying to get a little workout in and maybe going for a nice dinner.

This conversation was lightly edited for brevity and clarity.