When PWHL Vancouver hired Brian Idalski as their new head coach, there was no head scratching or questioning, just a simple understanding that Vancouver had hired a well connected coach with a wealth of experience.
Those experiences come from being an NCAA D3 head coach for multiple seasons before taking over tenure as North Dakota's long time head coach at the NCAA D1 level until the program ceased operations. After that Idalski gained international experience coaching many of the PWHL's top players in China with KRS Shenzhen and as China's Olympic coach, and finally took over another WCHA program as head coach at St. Cloud State.
Idalski's PWHL Connections Run Deep
In China, Brian Idalski coached two of his current PWHL Vancouver players in Hannah Miller and Michela Cava. It's an invaluable connection for a coach looking to set a team culture and tap leadership. While there he also coached Alex Carpenter, Michelle Karvinen, Susanna Tapaniand others who have declared for this year's PWHL Draft including Rachel Llanes, Kimberly Newell, Anna Segedi, Rui Zhu, and Kasundra Betinol. His list of players coached in China also includes other candidates for a depth role in the PWHL this season including Sam Cogan, Leah Lum, Camryn Wong, and Marlene Boissonnault.
If you look deeper, he coached two of the top prospects for this year's draft in Emma Gentry, Dayle Ross, and Sanni Ahola at St. Cloud State, as well as current PWHLer Klara Hymlarova.
Even before that time Idalski coached a young Kristen Campbell who he recruited to North Dakota.
Looking At Idalski's Style
One thing Idalski has always leaned into is recruiting talent from outside his borders. When he took over North Dakota they were a hapless group with little hope of competing. He turned them into a top contender in the WCHA filled with players from national programs from across the globe. St. Cloud has also been a team reaching overseas, particularly leaning into Finnish players.
Idalski has referred to himself as "competitive" and a person who believes "pressure is a privilege," so it's unlikely he'll flinch at the PWHL experience having coaches a highly professional organization in Shenzhen, and entering with more head coaching experience than the majority of PWHL coaches.
He's a process coach who emphasizes work ethic, which with the roster Cara Gardner Morey has collected at St. Cloud State, should come inherently. Idalski's rosters have rarely centered on a single player as well, particularly in recent seasons where team cohesion and contributions from all areas of the lineup with a focus on team defense were key. He's also known as a coach who works to promote individual development on and off the ice, and who builds confidence.
Idalski's current PWHL Vancouver lineup has a wealth of stars including Sarah Nurse, Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, Emerance Maschmeyer, Hannah Miller, Michela Cava, Jennifer Gardiner, and Tereza Vanisova. And the team also built out their checking lines and physicality with selections and signings like Vanisova, Brooke McQuigge, Abby Boreen and others.