When Sergei Gonchar's professional tryout contract with the Penguins didn't work out back in 2015, he decided to retire following a stellar 20-year career and join Pittsbugh's coaching staff in a part-time capacity.
He served as defenseman development coach his first season and defensemen coach his second, helping the team win the Stanley Cup both years. Heading into his third, Gonchar has been named an assistant coach and will transition into a full-time role - which he couldn't have done without the blessing of his wife, Ksenia.
Gonchar enjoying rewarding experience of coaching
That's because general manager Jim Rutherford had offered Gonchar the job after his first year, but he declined so that he could be at home in Dallas with his family as much as possible. But after his second year, she told him that he needed to go to Pittsburgh full-time and she would be able to handle their two kids by herself. Gonchar gives both her and the organization so much credit helping him get to this point.
"I had been playing all my life and when I started working as a coach I didn't know what to expect or how it was going to be," he said. "But the organization, including the players, made it easier for me."
As defensemen coach, Gonchar worked closely with Pittsburgh's blue line, utilizing extensive use of video to coach and teach the players. When he attended games, he would watch from the media level with former goaltending coach Mike Bales and go to the locker room during intermissions.
Head coach Mike Sullivan called Gonchar "invaluable" during this most recent postseason, especially in working with the team's young defensemen. He played an important role in helping them get through an influx of injuries late in the season and throughout the playoffs. It's been an enjoyable experience for Gonchar watching both the individuals and the team have such success.
"You see how the young players respond and develop, and it's made the job rewarding to see how guys become better, how they're more comfortable on the ice, how they're doing things and becoming better players," he said. "I think it's what makes me feel great every morning and it's rewarding for me."
That's particularly true when it comes to Justin Schultz, someone Gonchar worked with closely to develop his defensive skills to get on the same level as his offensive skills. As a result, Schultz has emerged into one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, finishing the regular season ranked among the NHL's top-10 defensemen in assists (39), points (51) and plus-minus (+27).
"The biggest thing is he was willing to put in the work, especially at the beginning when he got here," Gonchar said. "He sacrificed his offense a little bit to focus on defense and it wasn't happening overnight, so it took him some time to develop that part of the game, but when he developed that part of the game, he was a guy who felt comfortable on both ends of the ice.
"Obviously offensively it's not a problem for him. He's got all the talent in the world. So what I should point out is the defensive part he worked on and how he was patient. Sometimes maybe in the beginning he was not getting as many points, but he was still patient and then he put 1 plus 1 together with his defensive game and his offensive game. He became a great player who has played well for us."
As assistant coach, Gonchar will continue to be an eye in the sky during games. He will work closely with head coach Mike Sullivan and new assistant coach Mark Recchi on the power play, and Gonchar will assist Jacques Martin with the defensemen. Like Recchi, Gonchar expects to make a seamless transition into his new role.
"I just expect it's going to be the same thing, just a little bit more time," Gonchar said. "Obviously spend more time together. I'm going to be there every day. But otherwise it will be the same."
Gonchar was known for being a power-play specialist during his playing days, and had already been helping out in that area the last two seasons. He's excited about contributing more input this year.
"I played with some of those guys, I know their tendencies and know what they like," he said. "I try to give them my input and my feelings and I'm going to do it again and again. Mark obviously being on board, he's going to have his opinion and his experience playing that role for many years. I'm actually looking forward to the power play. I think it's going to be something we can improve more next year."
Both Recchi and Gonchar have the unique perspective of having skated alongside a few of the current Penguins like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, which will be particularly helpful when it comes to the power play.
"You know what the tendencies are, what the guy likes to do on the ice, what he's feeling comfortable with position-wise," Gonchar explained. "Playing with a guy, you have a feeling, what he wants, what he's comfortable with. It helps when you're thinking about the power play and trying to do something with the unit and when you're putting a breakout together or setting up plays."
Gonchar is looking forward to being around a lot more, and excited to keep instilling his philosophy of working with individuals 1-on-1 to help the team.
"Some of the guys you spend a little bit more time with, and some of the guys less time," Gonchar said. "Some of the guys like to have video, some of them don't. It's finding an individual approach for everyone. I think everyone is different, everybody has their tendencies, everybody has their opinions about the game, so that's why I try to build a relationship with every one of them and it's not necessarily the same with every one of them. That's the way I look at it. That's the way I try to work."
