Upstream With Walleye Head Coach Nick Vitucci #1
If you'd like to submit a question for Coach Vitucci please fill out our form. Check back to www.toledowalleye.com often to see if Nick answers your question!
Nick, you've been named as head coach of the Toledo Walleye when they begin play in the fall of 2009. That's a long time from now. What are you doing right now to prepare for hockey's return to Toledo?
Let me start by saying that it really isn't all that long a time from now - it's only a year and a half away! This past hockey season may have been a slow one for Toledo hockey fans but it has flown by for me. One thing I've picked up on from working so closely with the Toledo Mud Hens staff is that you have to be as prepared as you can be for anything, because time will sneak up on you in a hurry. I've taken that advice and have focused it on my recruiting efforts.
This past season was an educational one for me. Being able to watch and evaluate talent without being emotionally attached was a nice change for me. It has allowed me to focus on the talent of future Walleye players. It has also allowed me to watch and learn what different coaches do within their team systems. I have always tried to take something away from every team that I've coached against and this year has been an extension of that. I've spent most of this past winter watching hockey - over 100 hockey games at all levels - and creating a database of players that I would like to recruit next summer.
Who would you like to see win the Stanley Cup this year?
That's a loaded question! Obviously the Red Wings would be my first choice - due to our past relationship with them. I've gotten to know Ken Holland, Jim Nill, Jim Bedard and the rest of their staff over the years and I would love to see them win it again. My son, Keegan, is a big Pittsburgh Penguins fan and my sons Mite team and I had the opportunity to meet Sidney Crosby, Mark Andre Fleury and the rest of the Penguins last year - so I'd like to see them do well. The excitement that Ovechkin causes every time he is on the ice has me pulling for the Capitals to go deep.
I'm a die-hard Maple Leaf, through and through. Unfortunately, I won't have to worry about rooting for them this spring.
As a player, who was your favorite team to play against in the ECHL?
I would have to say the Hampton Roads Admirals. At the time "the Scope" was one of the nicest rinks to play in and they had a fantastic fan base. They were always a top tier team ? and they were always in great condition. We knew that we were in for a sixty minute battle every time we faced them. Their coach, John Brophy, was an old school guy who demanded 110% from everyone at all times. The trait that I remember most about those teams was their shift after a goal was scored. When they scored they were like sharks at feeding time, wanting to score again quickly. If you scored on them they were out to punish you the next shift.
What kind of team should Toledo hockey fans expect to see you leading on the ice in 2009?
While watching up above this past season, the one thing that I've learned is that all players can skate and shoot. The ones that really stand out are the persistent, tenacious, hard-working grinders that you see every shift in the NHL playoffs. These are the types of players that I want to surround myself with.
Ask The Coach
If you'd like to submit a question for Coach Vitucci please fill out our form. Check back to www.toledowalleye.com often to see if Nick answers your question!
