With the news that the AHL has cancelled the 2019-20 season Moose head coach Pascal Vincent held a video chat. The Manitoba bench boss doesn’t have quite the globe collection that Jets coach Paul Maurice had during his video chat. And he may or may not be a PF Changs horse over his right shoulder.
Moose bench boss Pascal Vincent talking about the impact this pandemic is having: “At the end of the day hockey is second. My thoughts go to all the people in the front lines and the patients who are going through a difficult time.”
Said a positive in this pandemic in that it has given him an opportunity to spend more time with his daughter and make memories with her during this time he is at home.
Says most players will be on the same foot due to this pandemic. Says it will be interesting to see who was able to handle this situation when they are able to evaluate players again. “Who was working at their craft and who didn’t take advantage.”
No surprise but Coach Vincent references Jansen Harkins as the best story of the Manitoba Moose season. “You need to be overready when you get the call. He was overready.”
Coach Vincent on CJ Suess (Jets 2014 5th rounder): “For him to come back and be at the same level when he got injured…he had to spend a lot of time in the gym and be quite serious about his training…” He referenced Bryan Little when discussing the MN product.
Coach Vincent on David Gustafsson (Jets 2018 2nd rounder): “Very smart. Very smart……..You have the confidence to put them in the game when it is on the line…..at the end of the day its his mindset. He is a very mature person….”
In his fourth season as bench boss for the Jets AHL affiliate. Where has he seen the most personal growth? Says finding ways to simplify the ways you teach. “We need to be really creative in how we teach the game.” Adds that the AHL is the toughest league to coach in due to the high amount of player turnover.
