"It really opened my eyes up to the business side of hockey," Guerin said. "Being involved in the lockout in 04-05 and really seeing how things were operated really fascinated me. Theres just great opportunity for players after their careers if you want to work at it. It's just something I really found an interest in and decided to pursue it."
Traded to Pittsburgh in 2009, Guerin was a critical late season addition to that Penguins championship team, scoring five goals and 12 points in 17 games down the stretch for the Pens. But he made his presence felt in the playoffs, where he scored seven times and added eight assists.
He would play one more season after that, scoring 21 goals and 45 points in his final season as a 39-year-old before announcing his retirement as a player in 2010.
The following summer, Guerin began his climb up the management ladder, one that began working under Ray Shero and continued under Jason Botterill and, more recently, Jim Rutherford.
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"I was fortunate enough to work under a lot of great people in Pittsburgh that gave me an opportunity," Guerin said. "I enjoyed going through those steps and learning from everybody along the way. It's all experience and you need that experience to prepare you for this job.
"It's something new every day, no matter what role you have in hockey operations, whether it's player development, assistant GM, general manager of an American League team, whatever it is, something new comes up every single day and you have to deal with it and you have to make it right."
Now, Guerin will attempt to make the Wild right after Minnesota missed the postseason for the first time in seven seasons last year. It's a challenge that Guerin said he's ready for.
If history is any indication, plenty of winning playoff experiences -- and hopefully Stanley Cups -- can't be too far behind.
"I think the lineup here is good. I like a lot of the pieces that we have," Guerin said. "I know what a special opportunity this is. I just want to come in here and get better. This team can definitely get better and if we do the right things at the right time, everything is here for us to win.
"It's a great market, a great community, great fans ... everything is here. We just have to put our nose to the grindstone and get to work."
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