Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy played for Hynes his first season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and is glad to have him once again.
"The only thing that surprises me is that it took him this long to reach the NHL," Lovejoy said. "Everything he does is perfectly tailored to the team he has and the style of play that he thinks will make the team successful."
Hynes received advice at every level he's coached and considers Parker the ultimate leader with the way he conducted business at Boston University.
"The way [Parker] instilled hard work in us as players is something I still use to this day," Hynes said.
The sacrifices Hynes needed to make in building his resume were necessary from the moment he graduated from Boston University in 1998.
"I was lucky to have [Parker] but also a group of coaches who came through, like strength and conditioning coach Mike Boyle," Hynes said. "The summer after graduation I was a volunteer assistant. I also worked for Boyle in strength and conditioning and had to substitute teach in order to make some money on the side."
It was during this period Hynes felt a greater urge to coach at a higher level, and the timing was perfect.
"I wanted to become a Division I college coach and that's when [USNTDP coach] Jeff Jackson called," Hynes said. "Boyle was running the strength and conditioning program and recommended me and that's how I ended up going to the national program."
The list of players, in addition to Kane, under Hynes' tutelage at the USNTDP include defensemen Erik Johnson, Justin Faulk and Jon Merrill, and forwards Colin Wilson and Jason Zucker.
"I remember we'd have to weigh in every day, and I'd lie about my weight by four or five pounds because I was 20-to-25 pounds lighter than everyone," Kane said. "It was really good for me to have hard practices, then go in the gym for an hour-and-a-half and really train your body."
Said Hynes, "When you coach a guy of [Kane's] potential, then see that he's maximizing what he was born with, that's special. Patrick loves the game and was motivated by competition. He was undersized, didn't have a lot of strength, but was a dynamic offensive player. So long as he stayed healthy, you knew he was going to be able to be what he's become."
Merrill respects the fact Hynes has remained true to who he is even at the NHL level.
"His commitment to the game, to his team, it hasn't changed," Merrill said. "He cares so much and the time and effort he puts in to prepare is unbelievable. Some of the things he preached to us when I was 16, he still preaches today. He's stayed true to who he is as a hockey mind and that's allowed him to get to where he is."
NHL.com correspondent Brian Hedger contributed to this story