Congratulations to Timmins own Steve Sullivan on his appointment to assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies.
He follows in the footsteps of two excellent coaches — his dad Kenn and brother Gary. It's in the genes.
I always thought coaching was a true calling for Steve after his playing days were over.
Look, you don't go on to be a very good NHL player when you're a guy Sully's size unless you have underlying qualities other than tremendous skills.
Steve had to use his elite-level thinking skills (as well as his speed and supreme physical skills) to succeed in a big man’s game.
Related: Timmins' Steve Sullivan gets new job behind Toronto Marlies bench
Coaches talk about read and react skills all the time. And Steve had those skills from a very young age. The puck always seemed to find him because he was always one step ahead of everybody in anticipating where it would be. That same ability allowed to steal a lot of pucks defensively, transitioning quickly to offence.
He was always "on" and in the game. He never took his eyes off the game when he was on the bench between shifts. He was always absorbing and observing. It was always a true 60-minute game for him. Most players are not "on" between shifts. They think they are only in the game when they are on the ice.
Steve knew better.
At all levels he was receptive to coaching and guys like that usually end up being good coaches. They understand you are learning at every level and adding to your game.
And he was a junkie for watching video of his play and dissecting it. Again the learning cycle.
He had a tireless work ethic and an overwhelming desire to succeed both individually and team-wise.
He was lucky to be able to play for one of the best coaches around while in the Soo playing Major Junior. That man is Ted Nolan. You can't play for a coach like Ted Nolan and not carry the vast knowledge he imparted on you as a player with you forever. Guys that play for good coaches and pay attention and eat it up, usually turn into good coaches. Sully had some excellent coaches at the pro level as well.
I used to laugh at scouts who would tell me, “Ya' he's good but just wait until he gets hit.”
I laughed because he just did not get hit. Again because he was aware of what was going on around him he never really got rocked. Once again smarts!
And he played fearless. When he did get hit it didn't slow him down or deter him. He certainly was not afraid to play the man either and used his body positioning to do so.
So what I'm trying to say is that Steve is going to make a very good coach. Not because he was extremely skilled, but because he is a student of the game and can impart that into making his players and team better. Even when he played for us with the Timmins Majors Steve was an excellent communicator. Add that communication element with his sound understanding and knowledge and you have the recipe for a good coach.
I listed a bunch of examples above of the intangibles that made Steve such a good player
when paired with his physical tools. I know those traits will make him a good coach. And I had the luxury of seeing that from Midget, to Jr. A with the Timmins Golden Bears and then a bunch of times in the Soo.
Two other factors I feel will make Steve a top notch coach:
- He absolutely does not understand the term ‘can’t’. I'd love to be a fly on the wall if and when a player responds with an I can't. You are saying it to the wrong guy pal.
- He was brought up in a coaching environment. (Kenn and Gary). When you are exposed to that environment you already are ahead of the game. You also have two solid hockey minds to bounce ideas or concepts off of.
The Marlies have themselves a solid assistant coach to round out what is sure to be an awesome coaching staff.
You know, hockey is littered with guys that were very good hockey players but turned out to be less than very good coaches. That's because a lot of them were successful as players because they were naturally skilled. The game came easy to them .
Guys that know it takes more than just a gift of skill to make the show tend to succeed as coaches. They know what it takes and the extras you have to have not just to succeed but to stay productive. Steve is one of those guys.
So a new chapter begins for Steve. And just like his pro debut it's in the AHL. After much success in the "A" Steve parlayed that into a stellar NHL career as a star player.
A similar path in coaching just might be in the future.
Way to go Steve. You've made Timmins proud once again.
I don't know about you but I enjoyed the Paris Paralympics probably more than I did the Paris Olympics. One reason is the hundreds of back stories that make the event even that much more compelling. And I just find the spirit so much more invigorating than the Olympics. I'm sad to see the Paralympics come to an end because it was just so much fun to watch.
Over the weekend I received an email from Ronnie Shuker. Ronnie is the guy who was up here two years ago to interview Kevin Vincent, Wayne Bozzer and myself for a story he wrote in the Hockey News about our quest to recover the Hudson/Barilko wreckage and offer his take on the whole Barilko saga.
Ronnie made the trip to the crash site with Chad Calaiezzi from Expedition Helicopters as part of a vast cross-country trek researching a book he was in the process of writing.
The book is called The Country and the Game and is available on Amazon. You can pre -order it and it will be delivered to you when it is in stock in October. It is already listed on the site with a brief description. I'll definitely be ordering for me and some family.
If you know anything about Ronnie's work you will know that this is definitely a must-read for any hockey fan.
Later Skater
Have a tip or comment for Mully? Send us an email.
