Laxdal's key to success with Stars? 'Never quit learning'

CEDAR PARK, Texas --Scott White doesn't like the term "old school."
When asked if Texas Stars coach Derek Laxdal was old school, White paused.
"I don't like calling someone 'old school,' there's a negative connotation with that," White said. "That, to me, makes you sound like your inflexible and set in your ways."

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And if there is a secret to Laxdal's success, it's that he's been open to changes. The 52-year-old bench boss has found ways to win in the ECHL and CHL, and now is showing what he can do in his fourth year in the AHL. Laxdal has taken a bunch that finished fifth in the Western Conference during the regular season and driven them to the Calder Cup Finals.
Texas is down 2-1 to Toronto in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 tonight at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park.
While Laxdal's teams have a habit of playing their best hockey at the end of the season, he gave credit to his players for this run.
"Every coach wants his team to peak to be ready for the playoffs," Laxdal said. "This year, our team was battle-tested, they had to fight to get in the playoffs. We didn't just say, 'Hey guys, this is going to be tough,' it was tough for us with guys being called up and injuries. I give our guys a lot of credit, because they dug in and found a way."
The Dallas Stars grabbed several key players from their AHL affiliate for a late-season push, including goalie Mike McKenna and captain Curtis McKenzie. That made the challenge even harder for the Texas Stars, but Laxdal and his group found a way to get the job done.
"He's very good at making adjustments. I commend him on that. He is very calm in the game and he reads the game well," White said of a playoff run that has taken Texas through Ontario, Tucson and Rockford. "What I like about Derek is he's grown. Every year. He won the championship in the ECHL and then he won the Memorial Cup, and then he came up here, and I've seen him make changes every year. He's always trying to get better, always trying to learn."

Veteran forward Justin Dowling said he has seen the growth from his coach.
"He's just like any player in the minors, he's learning as he goes," Dowling said. "There's been a big difference from his first year to where he is now, and I think he's been great this whole playoff run. The way he does video and prepares a game plan for us, we feel like we're always prepared. He does a great job managing the bench and managing lines, letting us play freely but under his structure and under his game plan.
"Where we are now, a lot of it is because of him."
And making the moves isn't always easy. Laxdal has had to make tough decisions like relying on 35-year-old McKenna over 22-year-old Landon Bow in goal and also benching 20-year-old first-round draft pick Denis Gurianov for the past four games.
"He gets the development side of it, and that's great for us," White said. "It's tough to be an AHL coach, because you're trying to win and you're trying to develop all at the same time. His patience has grown, probably better than my patience with some of these guys, and I think that's a real credit to him."
Laxdal has taken the Gurianov situation and turned it into a learning environment. The young forward continues to work as a healthy scratch and is trying to learn from watching games.
"Denis is very coachable. It's just a matter of the information sinking in and sticking," Laxdal said. "The information has been given to him, but when you continue to make the same mistake over with the same information then it's on the player. He's being held accountable right now and this is an important time of the year, it's a tough learning process."
But, as Laxdal has found out through the years, winning is never easy. That said, when you get good support and you stick to a game plan, it can be easier.
"I give a lot of kudos to our staff. (Assistant coach) Karl Taylor does a great job with our (defense) and with balancing me out, and (goalie coach) Jimmy Bedard has been a huge addition in keeping things loose in the coaching room," Laxdal said.
"For me, you never quit learning. Your players change, so you have to change how you coach them. Every player is different, so you have to find ways to motivate those players. You have to pick the right moment when you have to teach, you have to catch them when they're ready to learn."
Because a ton of experience can actually make you pretty "new school" if you use it right.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
Read more: Derek Laxdal, Texas Stars, Dallas Stars