Confirmed with Link: Amerks name Mike Leone Head Coach
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I'm entirely unfamiliar with that name at all, but I had never heard of Seth Appert either before he got the ROC job and that worked out pretty well. Looks like he's been involved with Team USA juniors for a while.
A couple of things, other than having been one of Appert's assistants at the NTDP:
- he played with the "third" Nightingale brother Jared. Adam is the old Sabre video coach now running MSU, Jason was an analyst and assistant amateur scouting director in Buffalo (not sure if he still is, EP has him coaching the Junior Sabres 14U next year).
- he played with Jeff Lerg, one time Sabre UDFA summer camp invitee and cousin of the guy who did the original "Michigan".
- he's coached Nemec's brother, Brian Rafalski's son, Slovak goalie Adam Gajan and soon-to-be 2024 draft pick Artie Levshunov.
- he played with the "third" Nightingale brother Jared. Adam is the old Sabre video coach now running MSU, Jason was an analyst and assistant amateur scouting director in Buffalo (not sure if he still is, EP has him coaching the Junior Sabres 14U next year).
- he played with Jeff Lerg, one time Sabre UDFA summer camp invitee and cousin of the guy who did the original "Michigan".
- he's coached Nemec's brother, Brian Rafalski's son, Slovak goalie Adam Gajan and soon-to-be 2024 draft pick Artie Levshunov.
Played for both John Cooper and Derek Lalonde back in his playing days -
gamblershockey.com
Gamblers name Mike Leone as new head coach/general manager - Green Bay Gamblers Hockey
Green Bay (April 26, 2022) – The Green Bay Gamblers have named Mike Leone as their new head coach and general manager – the eighth in team history. Leone joins the Gamblers from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program where he served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons...
Doug Prishpreed
Registered User
From this article - Here's why Gamblers coach Mike Leone took a risk on changing organization's mindset
I sense a trend. My first thought is "yes please".
I sense a trend. My first thought is "yes please".
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No sir, I don't like it.
Another USNT program coach where their teams are just head and shoulders better than their regular competition, and the entire emphasis within the program has always been play harder, not smarter and just ignore the details because you can win on physical superiority.
Was really hoping for some new blood who prioritized the cerebral aspect of the game over the motivational route.
Maybe Leone is not like the bulk of coaches that come from that program, so I am willing to give the guy a chance, but I am not feeling optimistic.
Another USNT program coach where their teams are just head and shoulders better than their regular competition, and the entire emphasis within the program has always been play harder, not smarter and just ignore the details because you can win on physical superiority.
Was really hoping for some new blood who prioritized the cerebral aspect of the game over the motivational route.
Maybe Leone is not like the bulk of coaches that come from that program, so I am willing to give the guy a chance, but I am not feeling optimistic.
That's dead wrong. The whole reason the NTDP exists is for development.
As someone who has attended dozens and dozens of NTDP games, that's not true at all - especially for the U17 team. They are 16 or 17 years old and they're playing USHL teams where every player is 18 -20 - or they play college teams made up of guys 18 - 23. They get beat on a regular basis. It's good for kids because they usually come to the NTDP where they're used to winning all the time - and when they get to the program they have to learn to play the right way and how to play away from the puck because their raw talent isn't going to do it against players older, bigger, and stronger than them. Many players like Matthews has said going to the NTDP taught them how to handle adversity (that joke writes itself).
The NTDP (they count the U17 & U18 teams as one) came in dead last in their conference last season, and rarely finish above mid-pack.
The stated goal of the NTDP is "to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on the U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice".
Not to mention Leone is replacing Appert who has done a fantastic job of developing guys in Rochester. Drinking from the same well makes a lot of sense.
SundherDome
Y'all have to much power
Was hoping Payne would get a shot, he was in the org and has been successful in the ECHL. Jumping from USHL to AHL is a large jump.
His work with Green Bay was excellent. Looking at the press clippings from there, it seems like the sort of guy that they would be interested in. Knowing Seth is probably what at least got him the interview, but his accomplishments as a head coach in the USHL are pretty good.
Sorry, worded that in a way that I can see why you misunderstood.
While they are younger, I should have said Head and shoulders *more talented* instead of *better*. Any given year there are likely more kids drafted in the first three rounds out of the USNT than there are kids playing on all those other teams that were or will be drafted in the first three rounds combined.
The talent level of the hand picked top players is ridiculous compared to the rest of their typical opponents. I never said that playing on those USNT teams is terrible for the players, because they do learn to compete in a tougher situation than they would have otherwise, but I completely disagree with the model that most of the teams from the program are coached with.
The majority of coaches coming from that program are not detail oriented. Their coaching is compete focused. The kids in the program are developed to be the best individual hockey players they can be, and not the best team hockey players they can be.
As I stated earlier, I am not familiar with him, and his stint with Green Bay was not even listed on his hockeyDB profile yet.
That is a lot more reassuring knowing that his coaching experience is not solely with the USNT program.
This organization seems to repeat the same decisions much too often for my liking. It always feels like path of least resistance more than due diligence. I have an open mind so I am very willing to give Leone a chance, but my initial reaction was more thinking they went path of least resistance once again.
*of course, I don't get the Rochester games out west, so I have to rely on you and a few others and your postings for the daily lowdown, and thank you for all the work in that area and posting those links regularly, btw*
Based on what? Because what you're saying runs counter to the entire purpose of the program. Unless you're suggesting that the program is about individual development and not team development.
If that's what you're saying, that's not true either. Because everyone selected is so talented, kids used to always playing on PP1 and not having to worry about defense find themselves playing lower in the lineup and having to learn to play as a team. They can't just play four scoring lines and three top D pairs.
Which graduates aren't team players? The Tkachuk brothers? The Hughes brothers? Samuelsson? McAvoy? Boldy? Kane? Eichel? Alex Tuch?
Or is this just about Zegras?
He took a threadbare program in Green Bay to the playoffs the season he was hired. They were the third worst team in the USHL the year before. They were better than 500 again this year, and he has worked with some decent talent coming out of that league. His players talk about hard work and that practice is both diligent and vigorous. I’m willing to see what he can do. I’m glad it wasn’t the guy from the Wilkes-Barre Penguins because that seemed like a nepotism move.
I’m gonna dig around a little bit more for some other takes from some of the people who cover that league later when I’m done with work. It could’ve been a lot worse is my thought.
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Ace
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He played for both Cooper and Lalonde, Lalonde has a quote about him being one of the most selfless players he has ever had.
tsujimoto74
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Everything I’ve read about this guy makes him sound like an excellent hire. Hope he does good things in Rochester!
When discussing coaching philosophy, focusing on top ten draft talent may not be the ideal for benchmarks. Some kids just have natural on ice awareness and hockeysense. They can read the ice and see the space in a different way without every being taught what to look for. We are talking philosophy here, and watching the USNTs play, I do not see them working as a team in the majority of their games.
Watch a team like Finland and watch them move as a defensive unit and keep the passing lanes closed. Watch their individual players spinning their heads around constantly and monitoring the ice without the puck. Then watch the US team. Skating hard, massive skill, but chasing the puck and solely playing a disruption game.
When you listened to Granato, did you hear him say, "Work harder". "Compete harder". "Out work your opponent". "Put in the effort"? I did. Everytime I heard him talking to players.
Did you ever hear him say, "Play smarter". Or "Communicate". Or "Watch your discipline, keep the passing lanes closed". Or "Watch the the guy coming off of the cycle floating to the weak side, keep that lane closed". I never did. I'd watch night in and night out and see 18 skaters with their eyes glued on the puck. Trying to skate harder than their opponents can execute.
When the opposition was matching the Sabres with effort, there was no adjustment. No answer in the coaching bag to give the team an advantage. The only thing the coaching staff had was line juggling and pray something worked.
I read the testimonials in these articles from the players playing under Leone and ever single one of them say the exact same message of "... taught us to work harder", or "wants us to be the hardest team in the league to play against".
Now don't get me wrong, many NHLers have made full and long careers based strictly on effort, but I want coaches at all levels coaching discipline, communication, and details along with effort. Effort is great, but it is just one piece of the puzzle of balanced development.
based on Leone’s own comments, the hard work part is only one of his tenants. And not for nothing, the Sabres half assed plenty of games were working a little bit harder to try and win puck battle or get to the net or block a shot would’ve made the difference between no points and points. It’s understandable that the soft touch that was Granato didn’t get Effort much of the time. However, your critiquing his work as an assistant at the program and not his work as a head coach in Green Bay. Maybe we should focus on that a little bit more?
