PALM DESERT, CA – Coachella Valley assistant coach Stu Bickel suited up in player gear for practice Wednesday in case an injured player couldn’t go through the whole session. It’s another part of the job for Bickel, who oversees defensemen for the American Hockey League affiliate Firebirds.
Bickel joined the franchise for the inaugural season in 2022-23 on then-coach Dan Bylsma’s staff. He was retained by new head coach Derek Laxdal for myriad good reasons, including the all-important role of developing young defensemen in the Kraken prospect pool. Exhibit A is Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans, who credits Bickel with helping him reach the dream of becoming an NHL regular.
“Stu was great at showing me video and breaking down our system of play,” said Evans, talking from New York, where the Kraken face the Islanders Thursday. “That allowed me to play with confidence and never have to overthink anything out on the ice. He is really good at finding the positives in your game and making sure you bring those out each and every game.”
This season, Bickel continues his work with second-year AHL defenseman Ville Ottavainen, who impressed in training camp with his defensive play and offensive upside with an overall mission to use his 6-5, 210-pound frame in shutdown fashion. His other young D-man assignment this hockey year is rookie Ty Nelson, a 2022 third-rounder and a star in juniors with Ontario Hockey League North Bay.
“It’s a balance between winning games and developing the younger players,” said Bickel, who played 76 NHL games for the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild over a decade-long pro career that included seven stops in the AHL (nine if you count playing for Hartford and Iowa two different seasons each). “With Ryker, he was at his best [and best for the Firebirds] when he uses his skating effectively.”
When Evans veered from that approach during a game, Bickel helped clarify the message in a next-day video session: “Seeing himself doing it in a previous game where he was a more of an impactful player, it always helped to kind of reset him to a point where he could get back to that. Once he started moving his feet again, he's playing good hockey again. It's probably going to continue to be a reminder for him – you have this unbelievable ability with your skating; let's make sure we're using it.”
Bickel 'Energetic, Fun-Loving Guy'
Bickel emphasized while Evans’ skating game is a high point, the 6-foot, 195-pound defenseman is “stronger than you might think” and can move opponents off the puck. Plus, “he’s not afraid of confrontation." All qualities CVF head coach Derek Laxdal likes in his defensemen, including both Evans and Ottavainen. Ditto for Dan Bylsma with the NHL club.
“‘Bicks’ has been great,” said Laxdal in his office this week. “Coming into this situation, working under a new coach and another new assistant in Brennan Sonne, he’s fit right in. He's done a great job with the D, the young guys and the veterans. He’s an energetic, fun-loving guy. You watch him with his video sessions and watch him with his teaching moments on the ice; those kids are in a good spot. Ty Nelson hasn't missed a game yet, and his game keeps growing.”
Laxdal built on Bickel’s perspective about balancing wins and player development. It expands to providing a competitive edge to NHL-tested defensemen such as Cale Fleury and Gustav Olafsson, who are both just one injury or illness away from being called up to the Kraken.
“With the veteran guys like ‘Fleurs’ and ‘Goose' and Max Lajoie,” said Laxdal, “he pays as much attention to them. They’re all getting good messages.”
Laxdal has been a head coach across several leagues for 20 years and worked for the Dallas Stars as an assistant coach during a span that included the 2020 Stanley Cup Final. He said Bickel brings “a really good base” of the physical and mental aspects of helping the CVF defensive corps improve individually and as a group that aligns with the forwards and goalies as they traverse the ice and AHL schedule.
“He's done a good job building relationships with his D,” said Laxdal. “If you look at some of his video presentations, you can tell he's done it before because he's very clean and his message is precise. The organization is very lucky to have him. I know our D; they’re all very happy to work with him.”
Video Session in Progress
After Wednesday's practice, Bickel and Nelson were sitting side by side in the assistant coaches’ office at the Firebirds iceplex, talking about the young D-man’s play from Tuesday night’s game, which included Nelson’s sixth assist on the season. Bickel had prepared a set of video clips from the game intended to improve Nelson’s part in successful breakouts from the Firebirds zone, being more aggressive with his stick when defending 2-on-1 rushes and a brief discussion about timely line changes to avoid having tired defenders on the ice. It included how Nelson and his current partner, veteran AHL defenseman Ryan Jones, can work better together.
In another clip, Nelson faked a shot and passed. Bickel pointed out that, with Nelson’s hard shot, the best option might be to “shoot right away,” getting the puck to the net for a possible score and/or rebound. There was give-and-take over the five minutes, blending Laxdal’s kudos for Bickel's “very precise” messaging and leaving room in the conversation for Nelson to add a comment or ask a question.
When asked about working with Bickel, Nelson was effusive: “I’m learning tons of new things. I feel like Stu is helping my game in so many ways, just being able to work on every aspect from the D-zone to O-zone. He’s helping me to become a better player on a daily basis.”
