The Iowa Wild wrapped up its first month of the season. Led by first-year Head Coach Brett McLean, along with Assistant Coaches Ben Simon and Pat Dwyer. Each coach seamlessly acclimating to their new roles with Minnesota’s AHL affiliate in Des Moines. Each one of them hand selected for the pivotal role of developing Minnesota Wild prospects for the big club.
Down on the Farm: Iowa Coaches Create Melting Pot of Experience
New coaching staff acclimating to new roles in Iowa
McLean was a known name in Saint Paul, serving as an assistant to Minnesota’s Dean Evason over the previous three years. Dwyer spent the bulk of his playing, and his entire coaching career, within the Carolina Hurricanes organization. Simon was the head coach of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins over the last five years.
The 45-year-old McLean said the transition for the bench coaches to mesh was important to start. The trio bonded like super glue at their first Wild development camp in July.
“Our staff has been right on from day one of us getting together at development camp”, said McLean. “It was clear that we all enjoyed working together and being around each other. That certainly trickles into the professional part of things when you're on the bench.”
“You need to have a relationship away from the rink and that just bleeds into your relationship at the rink”, added Iowa Wild Assistant Coach Pat Dwyer. “It's very important and there's a reason why coaches that coach together become really good friends. Because you see each other at your most vulnerable moments.
“You're vulnerable and you share that. There are no secrets in that room and that builds special bonds that leads to the bench, knowing what each other is thinking. You kind of know what the next move is without even having to communicate anything.”
“We're all in this together making the same sacrifices”, added Iowa Wild Assistant Coach Ben Simon. “We're all in different parts of our career, but we all have a vested interest in this collectively as a group, but also as individuals.”
How They Entered the Equation
While McLean was already within Minnesota’s organization, different circumstances led to the availability of Dwyer and Simon.
Dwyer had been with Carolina as a player for nine seasons and another four as an assistant coach. The past three seasons, Carolina was affiliated with Iowa’s division rival Chicago. Dwyer helped the Wolves capture the Calder Cup in 2022. After the 2022-23 season ended, so did the affiliation between the Wolves and Hurricanes. Both are operating without an affiliate this season, leaving Dwyer available. His name was passed along to McLean and the two connected in June over the phone.
“I talked to him for the first time, for about an hour,” recalled Dwyer. “We were just trying to get to know each other and see, before we get into the process of it, whether I was someone that was compatible with him as a human before diving into work. Everything went well.”
Simon is the former head coach of another Iowa AHL rival. He spent eight years (five as head coach) in Grand Rapids, before Detroit decided to make a change, creating his availability. He has 11 years on an AHL bench, including six as an assistant. His head coaching experience is a major plus.
The Iowa coaches work collectively and learn from each other. The same way they absorbed information from coaches throughout their playing/coaching careers. This gives each coach their own uniqueness and ability. It’s like a melting pot of hockey knowledge.
How They Entered the Equation
While McLean was already within Minnesota’s organization, different circumstances led to the availability of Dwyer and Simon.
Dwyer had been with Carolina as a player for nine seasons and another four as an assistant coach. The past three seasons, Carolina was affiliated with Iowa’s division rival Chicago. Dwyer helped the Wolves capture the Calder Cup in 2022. After the 2022-23 season ended, so did the affiliation between the Wolves and Hurricanes. Both are operating without an affiliate this season, leaving Dwyer available. His name was passed along to McLean and the two connected in June over the phone.
“I talked to him for the first time, for about an hour,” recalled Dwyer. “We were just trying to get to know each other and see, before we get into the process of it, whether I was someone that was compatible with him as a human before diving into work. Everything went well.”
Simon is the former head coach of another Iowa AHL rival. He spent eight years (five as head coach) in Grand Rapids, before Detroit decided to make a change, creating his availability. He has 11 years on an AHL bench, including six as an assistant. His head coaching experience is a major plus.
The Iowa coaches work collectively and learn from each other. The same way they absorbed information from coaches throughout their playing/coaching careers. This gives each coach their own uniqueness and ability. It’s like a melting pot of hockey knowledge.
