PWHL New York is in the market for a new head coach, and Team USA's bench boss John Wroblewski might be the answer. In GM Pascal Daoust's most recent press conference, his wish list for his next coach sounded an awful lot like Wroblewski.
PWHL New York is in the market for a new head coach, and Team USA's bench boss John Wroblewski might be the answer. In GM Pascal Daoust's most recent press conference, his wish list for his next coach sounded an awful lot like Wroblewski.
Hearing PWHL New York general manager Pascal Daoust discuss where his team sits, where they're going, and what New York needs in a head coach moving forward, it's hard not to see certain names pop to mind.
Daoust was clear he wanted experience, consistency, attention to detail, and a track record of success. The experience he described involved working with the best players on the planet. Looking at the available individuals with head coaching experience and a track record of success, a number of NCAA coaches would fit the bill, although it may be difficult to lure them away from their programs.
U Sports coaches including Vicky Sunohara, Lisa Haley, Julie Chu, Caroline Ouellette, and Margot Page come to mind as candidates. Former Team Canada coach and current NCAA assistant coach Laura Schuler is another who could fit the need and meet the criterion. The market is filled with qualified options, and for New York, it's going to be about finding the personality who can focus in on those details, provide a consistent approach, and hold players accountable.
"I look forward to meet many coaches to see what they can bring. We need a coach with a success track record, of course, but we need someone that is like, understanding where the PWHL is going," said Daoust about the hunt for a new coach.
"We see it, we have the very best in the world competing hard. It's a league where details, consistency have a huge impact because we don't play like, 82 games to have a window to go around with when you have a streak of loss, but we need someone with consistency, details, experience, track record, knowing that we're coaching the best in the world."
Listening to Daoust's comments, it's hard not to hear the resume of another currently available coach reflected in his wish list. That coach, Team USA bench boss John Wroblewski, may be the solution to New York's issues.
Wroblewski is a former ECHL Coach of the Year. He's been a head coach in the ECHL, AHL, and for USA's men's national team development program.
Those are his season long accolades. But as Daoust stated, there is less runway for mistakes or losing streaks in the PWHL, and Wroblewski also has experience coaching short term events like winning gold as head coach of USA's U-18 national men's team, and becoming USA's women's national head coach for the Rivalry Series and three World Championships, where he's guided USA to two silvers and a gold medal.
The double role of national team coach and PWHL head coach worked this season with PWHL Toronto where Troy Ryan led his team to a stellar season. While there are questions about how Toronto's staff has utilized information collected by Hockey Canada, there are undeniable benefits to the additional scouting opportunities and relationships formed through Canada's national team to PWHL Toronto, and it would be the same situation in New York for Wroblewski through USA Hockey.
New York features enigmatic forwards Alex Carpenter and Abby Roque, both of whom Wroblewski has experience working with, and squeezing the best out of. It's a bond New York could certainly benefit from. It would also give New York a leg up in scouting, and the recruitment of free agents who may look to parlay their time in the PWHL to a national team role.
There's no telling if Wroblewski would want the job, or if USA Hockey would even let him take it, but he's certainly a candidate worth exploring. Pascal Daoust won't cut corners on getting this hire right, and that means interviewing several candidates from all realms of the hockey world.
The search is underway for PWHL New York's next head coach. There's no shortage of leading contenders, and USA head coach John Wroblewski is among them.