New Avalanche coach Jared Bednar never played in the NHL.
The 6-foot-3 defenseman enjoyed a nine-year professional career, but mostly traveled on buses. He even had a six-game stint with Roller Hockey International in 1995.
Upon his retirement he immediately moved into coaching and has a reputation as a player’s coach.
“We’ve had a fairly close relationship, a relationship that has developed, and I think the Avalanche not only hired a very good person but a very good coach,” Cleveland Monsters captain Ryan Craig said of Bednar, who replaced Patrick Roy on Thursday. “And I think he’s ready for that next step after leading our team to a Calder Cup.”
Bednar and Craig led the Monsters — the American Hockey League affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets — to the league title last spring. Bednar, 44, has no NHL coaching experience.
“He’s coached plenty of NHL players. And he has great contacts and a real understanding of what the league is about,” Craig said. “He has that commanding presence that you want your head coach to have. He’s still demanding, still hard, but he’s fair and honest in how he gets his message across to the leadership core.”
Several other former Bednar players heralded the move by Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic.
“That’s a good hiring,” said Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Cody Goloubef, who played for Bednar in the AHL. “He’s a really smart X’s and O’s guy, and he knows how to make each and every guy tick. He’s serious when he needs to be, but he’s a player’s coach. Guys love playing for him. He gets it. In speaking to the guys who played for him last year in Lake Erie (Cleveland), they really had a good time playing for him. He’s a good man and a good coach. Everybody likes playing for him. He’s going to be a good fit there.”
Goloubef also played for Nolan Pratt, a former Avalanche defenseman who was hired by Colorado on July 15 to serve as Roy’s third assistant. Bednar and Pratt were a great coaching combination in the AHL, Goloubef said.
“Those two are really good together. That’s a good tandem they hired there,” he said.
Forward Trent Vogelhuber played for Bednar last season before signing a two-way, free-agent contract with the Avs last month.
“I’d definitely describe him as a player’s coach,” Vogelhuber said of Bednar. “He’s a great balance of somebody you can talk to and talk to comfortably, not just as your coach but as a peer. But he can definitely be stern and disciplined. And he’s a smart situational coach. I don’t know any player who played for him the last couple years that would say anything bad about him.”
