Joel Ward Archives - SinBin.vegas

(Photo Credit: NHL Coaches Association)

The Golden Knights have one of the best coaching staffs in the NHL, headed up by Stanley Cup champion Bruce Cassidy. He’s joined by assistant coach John Stevens, who is a multi-Cup winner with Vegas and Los Angeles. Joel Ward, a former NHLer and one of the most respected players of his era. Goalie coach Sean Burke, who has been on the short-list for GM jobs, and is never left off a list of the best mentors to goaltenders. And skills coach Sean Ferrall, who won a Cup with the St. Louis Blues before joining VGK.

The staff has proven their worth time and time again over their three seasons in charge in Vegas, but there’s no better indicator than the Golden Knights’ starts to seasons. In the first 10 games of each of the last three seasons, Vegas has posted an insane 24-5-1 record, racing out to a division lead and coasting to a playoff berth each season.

Of course, due to the competitiveness and secrecy of professional sports, we’ll never truly understand the ins and outs of what makes these guys so successful. However, every once in a while, they let loose and share some secrets that not only may help other coaches in hockey and other sports, but also could be useful to everyday schmucks like us to be more productive and efficient at our own jobs.

Cassidy, Stevens, and Ward sat down for an extended conversation to help up-and-coming coaches. It was produced and published by the NHL Coaching Association, an organization designed to provide resources to hockey coaches at all levels.

The trio spoke about building a coaching staff, delegating and accepting work as assistants, designing practices, and much more, but a specific tidbit stuck out to me as something that could be helpful across all lines of employment.

If you look behind the Golden Knights bench at any time during a game there are a few things you’ll always see.

Of course, head coach Bruce Cassidy will be there calling out lines, chatting with players, and cursing out referees. Equipment managers Scott Boggs and J.W. Aiken are handing out sticks, fixing skates, and swapping gloves. Trainer Mike Miur is waiting to check in on anyone feeling pain, and assistant coaches John Stevens and Dominique Ducharme are sharing their knowledge with the players and Cassidy.

Photo Credit: Las Vegas Black Image

There is one person you may or may not see depending on when you look. That’s assistant coach Joel Ward. The 11-year NHL veteran retired from playing in 2018 before joining the coaching staff of the Henderson Silver Knights in 2020. Before last season, Ward was promoted to the big club to join the staff with Cassidy, Stevens, and Ducharme.

However, he only spends a portion of each game standing behind the bench with the rest of the coaching staff. That’s because he takes a different position in the 1st period, sitting high above the rink in the press box.

He’ll get a look at forecheck situations, some O-zone stuff, what faceoff plays may be available coming out of our end and through the neutral zone. -Bruce Cassidy

Cassidy has been doing this with his coaching staff since his time in Boston. For the 1st period, one assistant coach sits in the press box with a radio in contact with the other assistants. Then, he joins the group in the locker room to share what he’s learned before taking his spot back behind the bench for the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Former assistant Misha Donskov did it the year the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup, and Jay Pandolfo did it with the Bruins.

The 1st period may be different than your pre-scout. Teams will sometimes change how they forecheck if they are sending two hard or one hard. And any general information he may have he’ll pass on to the assistants unless there’s something that I’ll ask or demand, but typically it’s ‘ok guys, here’s what we see’ and they’ll huddle up and get it to the players and hopefully have some meaningful impact later on. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t because the same situation may not present itself but usually it will. -Cassidy

Cassidy believes that allowing one coach to have a bird’s-eye view of the rink helps them make adjustments quicker than if all three assistants were on the bench from puck drop.

So, next time you look down on the bench and wonder, “Where’s Joel,” you’ll know.

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Tag: Joel Ward

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