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The Grand Rapids Griffins have been a source of excitement for many of you who stop by here. While the conversation above will speak for itself, there are a few points that Dan Watson made that I’d just like to highlight. Before anyone goes too deep into why this interview (and later one with Brian Lashoff) was published, it was a desire to tap into what is going right with the organization. We know Detroit has had a rough run, and breaking it down day after day can be frustrating. Some well appreciated time spent talking to Coach Watson gave a glimpse into what Grand Rapids is seeing.
It’s a small world after all - at the opening I joked that around 2010 I was interviewing 3 college coaches for the NCAA playoffs and it turned out that Jeff Blashill (at Western) and Enrico Blasi at Miami of Ohio had both been to and worked with Bob Daniels at Ferris State. All 3 were competing. Some of you remember that Jeff was immediately picked up by the Wings after his quick tenure at Western. His replacement at Ferris? Derek LaLonde. Everyone in hockey knows everyone else at a certain level. Just incredible.
Big time players - after complimenting Grand Rapids record start and recent win streak, we talked about competitors. The Griffins just won a series against the Admirals, the team that had eliminated them last post season. We talked about Cossa and players stepping up in games. I asked if there was a common denominator in those players that, as the stage gets bigger, they get better. There’s a quote in there to the degree of, “they hate losing more than they love winning”. There is a visceral and competitive nature to this year’s Griffins and it’s producing players who fight for every inch.
The goalie dream - of course Trey Augustine was brought up by yours truly and it’s not lost on coach Watson what a tandem of Augustine and Cossa could look like. It looks like an exciting time between the pipes for the organization. We’ll see when Trey turns pro.
Skate them hard - I didn’t mention the scene, but Kurt Russel’s reenactment of Herb Brooks doing “line drills” with the team in the movie “Miracle” came to mind. Coach Watson has come to a place in his philosophy that if the players are always ready to work, no soft skates, that frame of mind can bring success. It’s hard to argue.
Coach Watson has a tremendous sense of humor and a palpable passion for the puck. He loves his job. The irony, of course, is that the success of an AHL coach results in losing your best players. However, he wants those call ups celebrated and recognized as the success they are. This was an interview that brought some fun back into the picture of the rebuild and some candid insight I hope you’ll enjoy.
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