TORCHETTI EXCITED TO GET STARTED
Aug 25, 2015By Tom Witosky
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John Torchetti just smiled as he looked at his office board where the names of the potential members of 2015-16 Iowa Wild team were posted.
“It’s a good mix,” Torchetti said in a recent interview. “The number one thing will be character. That is what wins hockey games.”
As training camp approaches for the Minnesota Wild in the middle of September and its AHL affiliate in Des Moines later in the month, Torchetti’s challenge is to lead the team into improving its record considerably over its past two seasons that each ended out of the playoffs.
Statistics show injuries and difficulty winning close games were major factors last year for the Wild, which begins its third year in Des Moines on Oct. 10. The club’s roster exploded to more than 50 players, mostly the result of injuries and call-ups to the NHL club; the club won only eight of 34 games that were decided by one goal.
As a result, Torchetti, who took the helm of the club last November, will have a new staff of two new assistant coaches. Associate Coach David Cunniff is a veteran AHL assistant coach with 13 years experience in the AHL as an assistant. Assistant Coach Pascal Rheaume enters his first season on an AHL bench after two successful seasons in major junior hockey. He played in over 300 NHL games over his 17-year playing career.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota front office has been busy signing proven veterans, like former Texas Stars defenseman Maxime Fortunus, and Tyson Strachan, who played in 46 games last season for the Buffalo Sabres. Barring NHL training camp, the two would provide great leadership to a lot of talented young players likely to make an impact in Iowa and possibly in Minnesota.
“If you look at the numbers right now, I think it will be very good both for Minnesota and for us,” he said. “There is going to some really good competition in training camp and you never know how the season is going to play out with injuries.”
But Torchetti said that the addition of players like Fortunus, who captained the Stars when the club won the Calder Cup in 2014 and has played in two other Cup finals, will provide something that the team needs to have to be successful – character.
“I define it as high character - low maintenance, meaning it is always about the team,” he said. “Everything that happens during the game is about the team not about individual goals. Team comes first at all costs – end of subject. “
He added that character is most important particularly late in the game with the outcome hanging in the balance. By his count, the club lost too many games in the final five minutes – something that has to change.
“We need guys who instill into everyone the willingness to block a shot to win the game. Is everyone willing to do what they can to keep the score at 1-1 to get a tie and a point and get to overtime instead of trying to beat someone,” Torchetti said. “It shows you how good we became in that we were in most games, but now character is what will put you over the top.”
Of his new coaching staff, Torchetti said that Cunniff brings a lot of experience to coaching the Wild defenseman and a deep understanding of how Torchetti approaches the game.
“David has great experience and developed a number of defensemen who play for San Jose in their system,” Torchetti said. “He does a lot of work on skating and technique that I believe in myself. He knows what my approach to the game is, and he can teach it.”
Rheaume, 42, will bring a substantial amount of energy to the locker room as well as having the kind of experience that young players will respect. He played in 318 games in the NHL during his 17-year playing career.
“He was a self-made player,” Torchetti said. “He is going to be a great addition to locker room with the players because he has been at both levels. He knows the little ins and outs of being a pro and understands the ups and downs of it.”
Another advantage, Torchetti said, is that he will implement the structure for the club for the upcoming season as well as its strategies and tactics. Last season, there was no time to implement a structure properly because the club had already started the season.
“Going into this year I get to lay the foundation from day 1,” he said. “Essentially that means I get to say how we should approach breakouts, neutral zone transitions and offensive schemes.”
One big change is likely to be in the middle of the ice on offense where there will be more size and, hopefully, more scoring, Torchetti said. Among the players getting a hard look at center are Grayson Downing, who scored four points in five games last year for Iowa before getting injured, and newcomer Zac Dalpe, who scored 28 points in 44 games for Rochester before being called-up to Buffalo for 21 games.
“They are going to be what we have been missing,” Torchetti said. “When Downing played we averaged three goals per game when he was in the lineup. We are going to be stronger up the middle.”
Torchetti also praised the offseason work of two players who spent a lot of time in Iowa last year – Tyler Graovac and Kurtis Gabriel as well as one player who missed last season due to injury – defenseman Gustav Olofsson. All three players spent the summer working out in the Twin Cities instead of “chasing the summer,” he said.
“Gabriel has improved his skating a lot and Grao has a great chance. It is all in his hands if he wants a job in the NHL,” Torchetti said.
Olofsson impressed Torchetti a lot during the recent Wild development camp so much that the veteran coach isn’t so sure the Wild’s second draft choice in 2013 won’t be challenging for a job in Minnesota a lot sooner than most people think.
“He looks fantastic,” Torchetti said adding that he could be challenging for a job in Minnesota by Christmas much like defenseman Matt Dumba did after a period in Iowa. “He moved the puck well, had great vision, and skated well. He is a lot like Dumba.”
Overall, Torchetti said, he is looking forward to the next season because of the many changes that have taken place and what he sees as a team capable of scoring and winning the close games.
“There is no free ice here,” he said. “The culture changed. It has to be all about playing for the team.”