Joe Sakic, Jared Bednar Conference Call Transcript

Brendan McNicholas: Thank you very much and good afternoon everyone. On the line with us today is Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Joe Sakic, as well as the new Head Coach for the Colorado Avalanche, Jared Bednar…

(Steve Whyno): Hey Joe, this is Steve Whyno from the AP. Just curious — what among all the candidates you interviewed this week made Jared stick out? And you mentioned he’s an up-and-coming coach, but what was it in the interview process that made him stick out for you as the top candidate?

Joe Sakic: Well, first, before I answer that question I just want to say thank you to Jarmo Kekäläinen, John Davison, and the Columbus organization for – I know it’s a time-sensitive matter and I know what they’re going through now looking for an American league head coach. So I just want to, like I said, say thank you to them for their patience and their understanding through this process.

With the interview process – and we interviewed a lot of candidates, different candidates. We interviewed some from the American Hockey League, some current NHL assisting coaches, some with head coach experience. And we wanted to do a different flavor. But just to see for the right fit for our organization.

And I just liked the way, obviously, Jared’s track record – won an East Coast Championship. He just won the Calder Cup. I know from talking to a lot of different people that he’s a very demanding coach but fair to the players. And the players respect that. They play for him. And just the way he plays, he likes his teams to play the game, I think it’s just going to be a real good fit for our group.

(Terry Frei): Jared, in all your years in the ECHL, AHL, did you think this day – this is Terry Frei of The Denver Post, by the way — would ever come? Were you always looking at trying to become an NHL coach?

Jared Bednar: Thanks Terry. Yes, I think first before I answer that as well I’d really like to take a second and thank Joe Sakic and the Kroenke family for their trust and for the opportunity. I’m really looking forward to working with the team here in Denver.

Back to your question, I think having played a number of years in the minors – and I started coaching and my ultimate goal was obviously to get to the NHL and coach at the highest level, and then earn an opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup. I think that was my goal going into it and I’ve worked real hard to try and achieve those goals. And this is another step in that direction. It’s something that I take a lot of pride in and something I’ve worked really hard for. And it hasn’t’ been an overnight thing, but it’s taken some time. And I think that all my stops along the way have helped prepare me for this.

(Terry Frei): Follow-up if I could: this team won a Stanley Cup with a coach who had not played or coached in the National Hockey League. But is that something you’ll need to overcome? Or is it something you can use?

Jared Bednar: I don’t think it’s something that you need to overcome. I think the work that you put into the job is – helps you to get to where you’re going and where you’d like to get to as a professional. I think that goes for any line of work.

So like I said, I take this very seriously. I’ve been preparing for this my whole career and I’m a competitor. And that’s what I put into it on a daily basis, and I work extremely hard for it. So I know that our team will do the same thing.

It’s one of those things where I think your preparation and the work you put into it comes back to you.

(Terry Frei): Last one. Are you going to keep Dave Farrish and Tim Army?

Jared Bednar: You know what? I just got hired today, so for me I’m looking forward to getting into Denver next week and sitting down with all the other coaches and talking through some things, and going from there. But as of right now, I haven’t even had a chance to speak with anyone, so I would like to talk with all those guys and just see how it all plays out.

(Mike Chambers): Yes, Jared. Just about your style of play. Obviously, you’ve got a preference in how you want to play the game, but yet will that be determined how you coach the Avalanche through training camp next month?

Jared Bednar: Yes. I have a style of play that I think works in today’s game. I think you have to be an aggressive team. I think you have to – the games are getting faster every day and I think you have to put out an up-tempo style. You have to attack and that’s just not offensively but defensively as well.

I think that that, for us, should be set from day one in training camp, the tempo and the pace that we play with and the aggressive style that I would like to play. I think that’s something that you start day one in training camp and you keep trying to improve and keep trying to get better in those areas every day throughout the course of the season so your team gets better and faster as the year goes on.

(Mike Chambers): I have a follow-up for Joe, if that’s okay.

Joe Sakic: Yes.

(Mike Chambers): Yes, Joe. Could you just talk about the field of candidates? It seemed like you guys had a bunch of people very qualified and it just seemed like it was a good group of candidates.

Joe Sakic: Yes, we did that when we went over the process. We didn’t’ want to just limit ourselves with one certain style of coach. I wanted to see what’s out there. So we did our homework. And like I said, I wanted to interview some up-and-coming American Hockey League guys like Jared Bednar.

And I wanted to hire some current – or interview some current assistant coaches and some with more experience, some with less. But a different variety just so we could have a good group of candidates with different paths, different visions. And again, I thought it was a great process. I learned a lot going through it. It was a busy time, obviously, with the timing of it all.

We had to make a decision …

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