| | From high school to the pros.
Usually that jump is set aside for a handful of NBA stars and NHL phenoms. But a hockey coach?
Obviously, Los Angeles Kings first-year coach Andy Murray has a lot of experience beyond high school, yet that's exactly where he was last year, manning the bench for Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota, where he went 70-9-2 and won a Midget Triple-A national championship.
"When I got here everybody was saying, 'But he's just a high school coach,"' Murray said. "Now that we've gotten off to a good start, people are maybe
believing I can coach a little bit."
|  | | New coach Andy Murray, making the jump from high school coach to NHL head coach, has made an immediate impact in L.A. |
Good start indeed.
The Kings, who were a dismal 32-45-5 last season and missed the playoffs, are 3-1-1 thus far and have generated a lot of positive karma at a critical time because the team will soon move into a new arena.
The explanantion for such a quick turnaround?
A rejuvenated Luc Robitaille (7-3-10), along with linemates Zigmund Palffy and Jozef Stumpel, has been a major force on the ice. That line has combined for 13 of the team's 14 goals. A healthy Rob Blake doesn't hurt either.
But clearly, Murray's no-nonsense, hard-working approach has made a difference.
"Every day, we work so hard," Robitaille said. "The practices are tough, really intense. But he's really communicating with the veterans."
When the dust settled from last season and it became clear that former coach Larry Robinson wouldn't be returning, the team's management met with some veterans and inquired about what kind of coach was needed to right the ship.
Two words Robitaille uses to describe the feedback he gave GM Dave Taylor were "discipline" and "communication." Murray has delivered on both counts.
"That's why we are where we are," Robitaille said.
His style begs the question whether he initiated such strong disciplinary tactics to self-consciously offset his transition from high school to the NHL.
Not so, however. First of all, Murray, 48, has been an NHL assistant for three teams (Philadelphia, Minnesota and Winnipeg) and also served as the head coach of the Canadian National Team from 1996-98.
Murray's been honing his coaching philosophy for years.
"They knew the way I was when they hired me," he said. "It's not as if I consciously said
'This is the way I need to coach the L.A. Kings.' It's the only way I know
how to coach.
"I felt more comfortable with this situation because I already knew a lot of
the players here. Rob Blake and I have been together at a lot of World
Championships and the World Cup. I know I still have to win the respect and
trust of the players. Every day, as a matter of fact. But that's fine. I just
didn't want to come in here cold and have all the players asking 'Who's he?'"
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL editor for ESPN.com | |
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