AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > July > 13
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Believe In Blueland Not Just Words To Anderson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I would like to start off by thanking Ben Wright over at the Blueland Blog, Rob Koch and the Thrashers organ-I-zation for setting up the meeting and Q&A session with coach John Anderson Saturday afternoon. The invitation was most gracious and I appreciated it very much, indeed. It was also very nice to meet some of the other hosts of blog sites that I, and many of you, frequent… Falconer…the fine people at The Thrasher 411… Big Shooter and Mortimer Peacock of The Blueland Chronicle…Sean Grace over at Blueland Roar as well as his wife Stacy… and the host of ThrashPractice. I’ll be very interested in reading their thoughts on what coach Anderson had to say as well.
Here is a small sampling of how the discussion went…
In regards to some of the tactics in playing style, Anderson indicated that the defenders would become more involved with the attack. More importantly, at least to me, is that the whole practice of allowing opposing attackers a lot of space entering the our zone would be replaced with a system in which our blueliners would be more aggressive…harassing the forwards with their sticks… “mongoosing” them, as he put it. I think it’s also safe to assume that an Anderson O-fensive corps will be expected to back-check more efficiently as well.
My first question to him was just how involved he’s been in the discussion of UFAs as well as possible player trades. He said that Don “asks for his opinion” but really this makes up about 5-7% of the processes. He added, “I don’t want to cause any problems due to my inexperience”….a reference, IMHO, more to the fact that he’s really only been on the job a few weeks, not that he doesn’t have a keen eye to such evaluations. Then he planted his tongue firmly in his cheek and quipped, “I don’t want to screw the team up”.
Obviously, Anderson is very comfortable in focusing his attention on coaching the guys the organ-I-zation provides him.
He also indicated that he and the team are very committed to supporting the youth hockey programs in the area, pointing out that these young payers are “our future season ticket holders”. There was also a sense given that player involvement, schedule permitting, has been discussed as well as the continuing efforts of certain personalities such as Darren Eliot in this area.
Of course, being on the job here for such a short time hasn’t allowed for detailed plans. However, I did get the feeling he truly appreciates the importance of supporting the youth leagues.
Then I enquired as to what he thought was the #1 challenge that this team faced in order to improve from last year’s finish to becoming a contending team. He emphatically replied, “I know exactly what it is. It’s getting them to believe in themselves again”. He continued on with that thought by remembering back toward the end of last season that it was clear certain players lost a great deal of confidence in themselves and in the team. He pointed out how the Thrashers had been atop the division as late as February of last season before entering that terrible slide. “So, if we can be that close in February…I believe that there’s really still something here”.
When discussing the transition from Chicago where so many championships were won and now taking on the role of an “underdog” here in Atlanta…Anderson was quick to respond, “Bad teams do not win championships”…adding, “they might be underdogs, but underneath they are a real good hockey team”. He discussed the situation with the Wolves where players were provided with everything needed to win. From the training facility he described as “insane” complete with an underwater treadmill…players came into that organ-I-zation and then would say, “I don’t want to play anywhere else”. It is that type of mentality that he wants these same players…and any others who may come our way…to take on. He talked about these things as well as treating the players with respect and doing things with one another and also creating a family type atmosphere with the team…that person in the locker next to you is someone you’re ready to go to war with. “And this is why they, (Chicago Wolves), are successful year in and year out”.
It’s the concept of wanting to have players on the team who want to be on the team…and the team’s responsibility to give those players the reason to feel that way.
Along the line of discussion, Anderson chatted about certain coaching jobs, (assistant positions, I believe), that he was considered for but didn’t get over the years…Anaheim, Toronto and in Boston. Those didn’t pan out but this opportunity did. “Well listen, here it is”, the coach went on, “And sometimes things happen for a reason”.
I couldn’t agree more.
Mainly because it seems as though the organ-I-zation is moving in a direction in which it is going to rely more and more on the young players that are coming up through Chicago. He specifically pointed to Colin Stuart, Bryan Little and Brett Sterling as players that will be looked upon as contributing factors in the makeup of the team.
Given what the roster looks like today…unless there is some sort of trade in the next few weeks… half the team that suits up could be made up of players that worked their way to Blueland through the Anderson-led Chicago Wolves. So, who better to get from them everything that they have to offer than the guy who already believes so much in them?
Anyway, if first impressions count for anything I came away from the sit-down chat confident that Don Waddell’s decision to bring in John Anderson was the correct one. He’s the right man for the job here.
I believed that before…I believe it even more now.
Services »
