The AHL might be regarded as the final hurdle for promising young players trying to make the jump up to the NHL ranks — but that pipeline up to the show isn’t just reserved for the skaters and netminders out on the ice.
It’s also another stop that many of the most promising bench bosses in the game make on the way up to the NHL — with the Bruins standing as a great example of just how fruitful said coaching conduit can be.
Over the last 10 years, the Providence Bruins have had three head coaches — all of whom are now coaching in some capacity up in the NHL.
Bruce Cassidy (P-Bruins coach from 2011-16) has been at the helm of the Bruins since February 2017 — accumulating a 194-82-41 record, a Jack Adams Award, a Stanley Cup Final appearance, a Presidents’ Trophy and a coaching spot on Canada’s 2022 Olympic team since taking over for Claude Julien.
Cassidy’s replacement in Providence in Kevin Dean spent one season leading the Baby B’s before joining Cassidy up in Boston — where he has served as an assistant coach for the past four years.
And after three seasons as head coach with Providence, Jay Leach opted to head west this summer — serving as an assistant coach on Dave Hakstol’s staff in Seattle.
That track record of success that Providence’s head coaches have cultivated is certainly not lost on the franchise’s 13th bench boss in Ryan Mougenel — whose career behind the bench led him to stops in Las Vegas, San Jose, Worcester and more before earning his shot with the B’s top affiliate.
“I think anybody that pays attention, they recognize and they know — not just the progression of players, but obviously coaches,” Mougenel said Monday of the AHL’s development pool for coaches. “I think that's a testament of the quality of people that (Don Sweeney) and (Providence GM John Ferguson) and Cam Neely has done in bringing in high quality people and recognizing that. … For me, what an honor.
“It's obviously the premier job in the American Hockey League. And I am honored, grateful and super humbled to have that ability to have this job.”
For Mougenel, who began coaching in the AHL in 2013 and joined Providence as an assistant coach on Leach’s staff in 2019, the primary focus entering 2021-22 is to continue to sustain the momentum that the Baby B’s have carried over the last few years.
In the last two years, the P-Bruins captured two straight Atlantic Division titles — and were poised to go on a deep Calder Cup run in the spring of 2020 (38-18-3-3 record) before COVID-19 shuttered the season.
A return to normalcy is on the horizon in Providence with the P-Bruins leaving their temporary barn in Marlborough, returning to Dunkin’ Donuts Center and taking part in a 72-game slate once again. Add in what should a host of AHL regulars set to return, and Mougenel should once again field a competitive club this winter.
“The thing is maintaining the standards that (Jay) Leach put in place,” Mougenel said of his upcoming first season as Providence head coach. “That was a big part of me inheriting this job, that I recognize the standards that have to be brought every day.
“For us, it’s the same identity. We’re going to dictate how we play, how we compete and we’re going to have strong teammate values. It’s a great atmosphere, we’ve created an environment where guys want to come here and that’s a testament to the Bruins. You come here, you get the tools and there’s no excuse for you not to grow and develop.”
For the candid and self-described “inquisitive” Mougenel, the hallmarks of his approach as a coach go far beyond the X’s and O’s or other on-ice factors.
The Scarborough, Ontario native — whose family has ties to Hyde Park — prides himself as a coach that can connect with the players and help guide them through the expected ups and downs that come with finding one’s footing in the AHL.
The 45-year-old Mougenel can certainly attest to the long road it takes to get to the pros, spending most of his playing days in the ECHL with the Hampton Roads Admirals, Chesapeake Icebreakers, Jackson Bandits and Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. Before making the jump to the AHL coaching ranks in 2013 (with stops in Hershey, Worcester and San Jose), Mougenel first began guiding players in the ECHL with the Fresno Falcons as an assistant (2005-09) before being hired as head coach of the Las Vegas Wranglers prior to the start of the 2009-10 season.
This latest appointment might be the first head-coaching gig that Mougenel has earned since his days in Vegas, but Mougenel isn't lacking in confidence when it comes to his goal of communicating with and leading the next wave of Bruins talent that have their eyes set on the NHL ranks.
And perhaps down the road, Mougenel will join some of those same players on that TD Garden bench.
"I'm confident in who I am as a coach. I'm a player-first coach, I want to give the player the why, the how. And I think for me, I'm a good teacher at it. I think I speak their language. But there is an adjustment period. I'm a feel coach too. I think that's important for the players, especially in today's game — the commitment to the player and not just on the ice has to be evident. They have to feel it, it has to be genuine.
"And I think if you talk to a lot of players that have played for me, I think they'll say I definitely value that. I value them as people first and care about their development. We put a lot of time into this and sometimes as hockey players we don't talk about that side of it — the trust that you build with players it's really important to me. ... You're going to hear people talk about details and coaches talk about the details.
"It's great, but one of those details that goes into it is getting to know the players and I think (Providence assistant coach Trent Whitfield) and I are two guys that care and it shows in how we play. That's not going to change as a head coach from an assistant coach, I still believe in that. I believe in the quality of language we use with players has an effect on them. A lot of today's game is feel and players having the courage and the confidence to go out and play and part of our jobs that Trent and I have is is enabling them that way and that's something I feel very confident in as a head coach."
———
Other Notes
The P-Bruins should once again roll out a deep and competitive roster in 2021-22 with plenty of the usual suspects returning like Jack Studnicka, Jakub Lauko, Brady Lyle, Zach Senyshyn, Cameron Hughes, Jack Ahcan, Urho Vaakanainen and more — but the name that most B’s fans are keeping an eye on these days has yet to even play an AHL game in 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell.
With his game-breaking speed and standout skills, Lysell could make an impact right away in the AHL ranks — even with the expected developmental bumps in the road that come with being an 18-year-old player adjusting to the North American game.
But even though Lysell signed his entry-level contract a few weeks back and has the tools to potentially impact games at this stage in his career, it’s not a forgone conclusion that the Swedish winger will begin his tenure in Boston’s organization by cutting his teeth in the American League.
Lysell will have to earn a spot during rookie camp — with a potential season spent in the WHL serving as a fallback option if he needs to spend more time rounding out his own game before being asked to battle with AHLers 5+ years older than him.
Still, regardless of where exactly Lysell ends up playing in his first season here in North America, Mougenel echoed the same sentiment that has been shared by pretty much anyone that has the youngster play.
"I was just actually sent a video from his skills coach in Sweden who I've actually befriended,” Mougenel said of Lysell. “I've obviously seen the videos that you've seen. ... I've obviously seen a lot of the highlights. But he's another player, he's going to come to rookie camp, we're excited about him. I think the one big thing for us with the Bruins is that we're just taking it day by day.
“The rookie camp is a great starting point for him. And we're gonna work from there and see where it goes. I think it's pretty evident that he's got some special talents. He's still only 18 years old. So obviously, we're very excited to get him acclimated to the foundations of the Bruins and what we are and what we believe in. … There's no ceiling for him at all.”