Devils Insider Summer Series - Episode 6 - Chat with Boss (Part 1)

On this episode of Devils Insider Summer Series, we catch up with Devils head coach Paul Thompson about the off-season so far 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Today's podcast is brought to you by Minerva Hearing. Hear the cheers, protect your ears. Shimani Pamobana Kroisal, hello everybody, and welcome to Devil's Insider for the first part of a very special two-parter episode where we sit down for a midsummer catcher with Commodore for Devils head coach Paul Thompson in joy. Ladies and gents, welcome to a very special episode of Devil's Insumider. Dan Ruther, alongside Command of Devils head coach Paul Thompson. Tomo, thank you so much for chatting to me. How is your summer going?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

It's going okay, Dan. Yeah. It's uh it's busy, but it's uh yeah, it's going fine.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

I mean, there's a hell of a lot we need to get to today. Um, and and then we're gonna chat all things devils over the summer, but we'll we're gonna start just but I'm gonna ask you, we're a couple of months now removed from the playoff final awards night, that crazy end to the season. And and have you had a second just to maybe decompress a step away and and then to relax a little bit after all of that?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Yeah, in all honesty, I have. It's uh I was watching some of the you know, some of the clips that were put together about 10 days ago, 12 days ago. And uh, you know, of the playoff and the build-up around the playoff and you know, and everything around that. And it's yeah, I had a nice cold beer while I was watching it, and uh it was uh it was nice to reminisce and enjoy it once again when you're kind of out of the moment, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Do you do you learn things that you maybe you you didn't in at the time when you do that, when when you were able to kind of look at it from a different perspective?

SPEAKER_01 1:30

No, I think you know what, I tried to take myself out of it and just enjoy it, you know, rather than be the coach at that at that point, which I still am when you've just won it and everything's going through your head still, you know, and it it was kind of nice then a couple of months down the road just to sit back and and look at the faces of the, you know, and the smiles on the boys and all the staff and and obviously and all the fans and all of us come together, and it was a it was a great night, and uh and the awards night was uh was a classic, wasn't it? It was uh an enjoyable time and and you know, the boys celebrating the way they did for the amount of time that they did, and uh good for them.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Oh, yeah, very much. I mean, we we we can revel all day long about about the end of last season, I'm sure it's it's those moments that we really do enjoy as as as fans. But um, you know, because then we're halfway through the offseason now, let's chat about the season coming and let's chat a little bit about what's to come in in the devil's future. And um, you know, as we prepare for August, we we we know the preseason schedule and we know that Odents are going to be coming to Cardiff. And are you excited to see your old gang back here?

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Yeah, it'll be fun because I mean there's still quite a lot, especially all the Danish players. Uh, a lot of them are still playing for the team. And then and you know, after the after we won the playoffs there and and it was kind of the end of April, you know, I had to head home and my father wasn't too well. So I headed home pretty early. So I didn't really get to to see them after, you know. So it'll be nice to bump into them again, even though I'm on the other bench this time, and uh, but great memories, great people. And uh I'm very happy that they're coming over and we'll have two good competitive games.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Yeah, I mean, there's there's never really a friendly in hockey. So uh what are you expecting from from O'Denson and then also from preseason generally? What are you kind of hoping to get out of it?

SPEAKER_01 3:16

The same as last year. I mean, obviously we we it's gonna be a little bit different this time round that we're retaining so many players, you know, and there's probably only gonna be four or five, you know, maybe four or five new guys. So uh the nucleus of the team will kind of have a little bit more of an idea. And we we well, obviously, we're always tinker with things. We're we're trying to bring players in that we think can fill specific roles that maybe we can improve on, you know, from last year and stuff like that. And you can do that when you have that that that core coming back. So uh, but training camp is is is over four weeks. We have seven games in that time, you know. We have five home games in that time, and we want to obviously bring the new guys in, get them to understand Cardiff, the club, and uh the culture here, and get get them uh, you know, with the system and and then fitness and timing and everything else and power. And you know, it's gonna be a another tough four weeks for the guys. But uh, you know, I think a lot of what we did last summer, you know, heading into the season paid off at the end of the season when I think we were the team that had a lot of power down that stretch, you know. So uh so you know it's it's important to get a good preseason, a good physical preseason, as well as a tactical one behind you.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

And that continuity is important, isn't it? Because, like you say, you guys will come in and adapt to a new system. And and so the more guys you can retain who are aware of how you play, it makes it easier then, especially for the new guys coming in to kind of grow into that with those roles.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Well, I think we were what 11, 12 guys last year that were new, and obviously it was pretty much every single player to me, and it you know, obviously with a new system and new coaches and everything else. So, but you know, they go away for the summer and you've got to regroup because the beauty of this job is if if everybody remembered what you said, they'd employ me for August, and then uh they'd let me go in September and the team would carry on. So, but it doesn't happen that way. So there'll be some stuff that we've got to recover. There's some stuff that we'll reintroduce, there's some new stuff that we want to introduce. We've had a coach's summit here uh a couple of weeks back where we, you know, the the three of us, and and obviously we brought Ewan in as well, and we had a debrief, and then we looked forward to the planning side of things going forward on what we wanted and how we wanted to do things, what worked well. So I think as coaches, we're gonna be again pretty prepared for when the lads get in.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

I'm glad you brought up coaching because it kind of brings me on to my to my next topic of questioning. And first of all, the devils lose Ewan King over the offseason. And uh, I've spoken to to Ben Bounce and to Christian Stover uh about the the loss of Ewan King in terms of him leaving the organization. And and just speak to me a little bit about the impact that he had last season working with him and and the excitement in him and getting that new role as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

Yeah, I mean we we were, you know, when when Ewan gave us the news, you know, we were we were happy for him, but we were we were pretty gutted for for the club and the organization because he was uh he was a key figure in in what we do here. He's a talented young lad and uh he's got a great work ethic, he's got a great demeanor about him, and uh he did an excellent job. He got on board very quickly with how I wanted things doing because he's intelligent, you know, and he's switched on. And uh so we will miss him. There's no doubt about that. We will miss him, but you know, people make decisions in their life to, you know, to to further their careers in in different areas. We wish him all the best, but he'll always be welcome here with open arms because he's he's a great guy and a great influence on what's happened here, especially in my time.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Absolutely. Yeah, and and and Jeff Batter has come in as his replacement. And tell me a little bit about the process of hiring him, why you wanted Jeff to come in and and what he's gonna bring now to the devil's organization.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Well, I'm gonna put all this on Ewan now because when Ewan told me, I was shocked is the wrong word. I was, you know, disappointed we were losing someone with with that talent level. So I rang him back about an hour later after I digested it. I said, Oi, you're not getting away with this. I said, You can find me your replacement. You know, that's a specialized area. And, you know, he goes on all these seminars all over the world and stuff, and he knows a lot of goalie coaches all around Europe and North America. And I said, I want some names off you. And and Jeff was one of them, and uh he rates him very, very highly. I got to meet Jeff a little bit uh previous to the the little coaches summit we had. Uh last year, he he was the goalie coach in in Gap, you know. So you and you know, we met briefly at that point, and I liked him and when he came in, and uh and then we met for three days here, and uh Ewan basically, you know, had a handover period with him, and then we we talked about what we want from him, you know, in depth. Obviously, we interviewed him prior, me and Todd, prior to coming over. So we feel we have a guy that's uh you know can fulfill the role Ewan did. He's an experienced guy, and he's he's he's he's excited to be on a team that he feels he has a chance to win every night with. So uh we're looking forward to working together again.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Let's talk about other additions to the Devils over the offseason. The the one that kind of took everyone's attention very early in the offseason was was the addition of Nick Welsh. And and and I'm very intrigued to know your your kind of thoughts on bringing him in. You know, the Devils, the D unit was really good last year, and and so so to bring in a guy who was, you know, an all-star in the elite league, put up as many points as he did, power play specialist, it's it's an embarrassment of riches almost in terms of bringing another guy in like that who's as good as he is. But but talk to me a bit about Nick Welsh.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

No, I don't think Finn is speaking to me yet. So uh no, not joking apart. No, we we did talk about him. Yeah, I I just thought he was a he was a standout player for the storm last year, and uh I loved his puck movement. I I I I feel he fits into my style as a defenseman, the way I want our D to support and and exit us and help our transition. And again, on the blue line, I think he's really strong. Uh defensively, he he's feisty, you know, he's he's just not a one-way guy. I know it, you know, he scored 12 goals in the league last year. I felt the power play is an area that we needed to address. Uh, there were certain areas where I think we need to improve on positionally wise, and I think he'll give us that. But I think you know, we we had uh our decor last year, our seven decor last year were outstanding for us. And uh, you know, we'll move him into that group of seven right now, and and I'm sure he's going to improve us in that area. That's the reason we brought him in. I'm not, you know, I'm not sure he will improve us in that area.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Franny, when we spoke to him about the the the addition of Nick Welsh, talked about you know, his skating is a really big asset. And and your systems and the devil systems, obviously, you there's a there's a push for good speed in transition. And so that was probably uh another element, am I right, in saying in bringing him in was that having a defenseman who can skate just like Evan Mosey, and Gleason Fournine, all those guys.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Yeah, I mean, you know, you know, my method isn't always about the skating. It it it's that first pass and then supporting that first pass. But if you do get the puck, you know, through the neutral zone, that you have speed and you can make plays with it, you know, and you're comfortable on the puck. But and uh, you know, I see him having all that, and and and you know, I I I thought our decor was the best in the league last year, and uh, I think in all areas it kind of had that balance, and that's credit to the seven guys, you know, that uh and mainly the six, you know, Mac, big Mac, you know, he had to be really patient, and he was he was a model pro, honest to God, a model pro that guy all year. But I um I really enjoyed, you know, seeing our D Corps produce what it did and and and big reason for our goals against with our net minders, I'm including our netminders with that as well. I mean, it's a it's a team game, don't get me wrong. But I think you know, adding Welshy gives us another element and another high, high-end, high-quality defenseman to our group.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Let's talk the next edition now, and then it it's it's an old name for Devils fans, but a new player in in Jake Sacrettini. And uh, I think there was a bit of a bit of shock maybe amongst Devils fans when it when it was announced. And uh, yeah, it this is this is one that I mean you you you coached in the league when his dad was here, so that must be a funny feeling as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

Well, you know, I've spoken a few times to his dad uh you know, prior to to us signing Jake, and I just said it would be nice to have a Sacratini that isn't screaming at me this time, you know, because his dad was an ultra competitor and a great, great player. Great player for this club, no doubt about that. So, and it tells your dad how long I've been doing it, doesn't it, when I'm coaching their sons and stuff like that. So I know we're looking forward. I mean, he he had a he had a really good college career offensively. He led his team, I think, the last couple of years. It's uh it's a step, you know. The level here is higher than where he's coming from, but we feel that uh he is someone that we can develop. And uh he's good on the puck, he sees plays, he's smart. You know, we're we're excited to get him down, and we're excited to have competition again. You know, we we have like a uh we will have like a British competition for places, and we will have an import competition for places, the way we're we're we're looking to put our roster together. I thought last year we had too many players, and then that became a problem, you know, and that became a problem at times. I don't want that, but I want obviously enough depth and competition that you keep everybody on their toes. And obviously, Jake's first year pro, he's gonna come over and he's gonna look to to claim whatever spot his ability gets him to.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

What kind of game does he bring? Tell us a little bit about what he's like on the ice.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Well, he's he's a skilled guy. I mean, offensively. I I can, you know, we watched I watched a ton of him, and uh he makes plays, he's not a big guy, but he he's smart with his decision making, you know, he reads the play really well, score goals. And uh, you know, I I just feel that uh from an offensive point of view, maybe a little like Bailey, that they have a little more offensive upside, you know. So we might get a you know, our fourth line might have a little more of a different dynamic to what it's had. Where you know, you look at Dougie and you look at Ben, you know, they're probably stronger without the puck. And I think these two are probably a little more skilled with the puck. And that that's not a that's not a knock, but it's a nice combination to have. And uh, so there, you know, them guys are gonna be battling it out for positions, but that's that's sport, and that's that's what top-level sport is, and we'll see where that goes.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

We we will indeed. And and the other guy I want to ask you about uh at the time recording, the the the kind of newest new player that we've announced here in Cardiff is Tom Caron. And and this is a guy speaking to Neil Francis, he's very excited to see Thomas on the ice and and and a guy who's who's played in some top leagues around the world as well.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Yeah, we we we feel with Tom that uh I mean, you know, he's played his last two parts of the last two years in in Finland in the Liga. And uh we had a stint in the East Coast League where he was just under a point a game and and and then had a had a different role in the American League. He was kind of that, you know, is he a top six guy? Is he a bottom six guy? You know, but I I I honestly think that you know, coming here, we can he will have the attributes and has the ability to be an offensive player for us. But then he's he's six foot three, he skates like the wind, he's got a great skating style. You know, I mean, three years in the American League. He lived with Jimmy actually for a while. That was that was quite funny when he was injured. They were both injured at the time, and I think they used to call Jimmy his surrogate father and stuff like that. So it's good for him coming in that he knows Jimmy, you know, and uh and Jimmy was a big part once once he was talking to him about what Cardiff was about and stuff like that. But you know, I I I like I like his size, I like his speed, I like his two-way game. And I like I said, I think there's you know, when you look at overall at the levels he's at, maybe he doesn't have the stats because of the level he was at, you know. But when he dropped down to the coast, he then was more of a a point getter guy. So I I I feel that he will he will bring us the whole package, and that's what he's been brought in for.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

One other guy I want to ask about, and it it's it's not technically a new player in in the sense that of the traditional sense, but Bailey Hayward obviously Britt comes on in his first full-time contract for the Devils. You've spoken a number of times over the last year or so about how this is always was always your plan for him. And and and when I chatted with him, he talked about your relationship and said that you were very honest with him and that you kind of were coaching him through into this kind of step up into being a full-time pro. And so, so what when you look at him, what do you imagine his role to be this year and and and how happy are you so far with the steps he's made?

SPEAKER_01 16:20

Yeah, Bailey will play this year. There's no doubt about that. I mean, I I felt last year, you know, there was a situation where we with the amount of players that we had and the experience we had, we kind of left him in Bristol. And I left him in Bristol for too long, and that's on me. I left him out there for four or five months because we we just didn't have injuries at that point, you know. And I I wanted him to still get the minutes and still play, but he was pretty much from August onwards, I could see his talent level, and uh he's just gotta learn the game to play at this level. And and you know what I mean. And if you're coming in as a fourth, third line guy, you've got to you've got to play a little bit different and understand that role. But I saw it in practice, he was with us every day. It wasn't like the old days where it was just Bailey Harewood or bring him in if we need a guy, you know, he was with us. The only thing he didn't do, pretty much, was play for us on the weekend. So I brought him back in at the end and I had a look at him, and I realized then that I'd it that that was on me. You know, he he wasn't up to speed a little defensively. And we, you know, we played uh we played Sheffield, which is a tough ask, you know, they're a great team. And that wasn't because of him, that's just because he'd been out of that environment for a while. And now he's never gonna go out of that environment. And then, you know, he's had a good tournament with Great Britain. I see his potential, I see it on the ice every day. Now it's up to him.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

Huge thank you for listening to our first part of our two part catch up with Cardiff Devil's head coach Paul Thompson. We'll be back with part two very, very soon. Goodbye. Thank you very much once again to our sponsor, Minerva Hearing, for today's podcast. And remember, Minerva Hearing, hear the cheers, protect your ears.