CRANBERRY, Pa. — Of all the moves the Penguins have made this offseason, the hiring of Tom Kostopoulos as player development coach weeks after he retired from professional hockey was the biggest no-brainer.
It's a role he's had for years, though the official title is new.
Kostopoulos' first work as a coach came this week at player development camp, working with the organization's prospects — some of whom weren't even born yet when he began his professional career in 1999.
"It's really exciting," he said of his early experiences at camp. "It's amazing to be out there with these young kids flying around, they're so fast and skilled. It's fun for me, too. I'm learning at the same time. I think I have a different perspective, just coming out of the game, so fresh. It's a lot of fun for me."
Kostopoulos wasn't on the ice for Day 1 of camp, but he joined the campers for the skills practices on Day 2. He ran drills with the other coaches, and because he's so "fresh", filled in on some of the plays:
For Clark Donatelli, he's not quite used to seeing his former captain in this role. But Donatelli believes he's well-qualified for the job.
"It's kind of funny to see him," Donatelli laughed. "But he's still got a lot of knowledge, he's very knowledgeable. And he's a great guy to talk to, because he's played so much hockey ... His consistency, his routine, how he prepares on and off the ice is exceptional. Having him in the room for our young guys, it's great for them."
Kostopoulos spoke about how one of the main differences in his new role is his approach. As a player, he was able to set an example for the younger players with his own work ethic, something former teammates and coaches of his will attest to.
As a coach, he needs to observe more and help them in other ways.
Throughout his 19-year career, Kostopoulos has been in all kinds of situations, and he's played with many players who have moved up the ranks to the NHL. He looks for similarities in the prospects' experiences with either his own or those of former teammates, and he's able to relate and use those experiences as examples.
One of the players whom Kostopoulos worked alongside and helped become a pro is former linemate Jake Guentzel. He had high praise for Guentzel, and joked that Guentzel extended his career:
The newer prospects have already taken a liking to Kostopoulos. Defenseman Niclas Almari was telling me how much he feels he was able to learn by being around Kostopoulos, and goaltender Alex D'Orio raved about him as well.
Kostopoulos will continue to help move Pittsburgh's young players through the ranks — now from behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's bench instead of on it — and he'll continue to take pride in seeing the younger players succeed.
"When you have a good young player that listens and willing to do what it takes to get to the next level, it's a pretty amazing feeling when you can follow their story along and watch them win two Stanley Cups. It's pretty awesome."
MORE FROM DAY 2
• There wasn't a ton of activity on the ice, with today being a skills day.
• The more I watch Jon Lizotte of St. Cloud State, the more I believe that he is the invitee on defense that Jim Rutherford hinted could earn a contract out of this camp. The 23-year-old just wrapped up his junior season, setting new career highs with five goals and 12 assists in 40 games played.
• The Finland-Sweden rivalry lives on at camp. Kasper Bjorkqvist joked on Day 1 that he could not "officially admit" being friends with any Swedes. Almari, with his dry sense of humor, deadpanned that his three-game stint in Wilkes-Barre last season wasn't nice because he was "alone with the Swedes." Antti Palojarvi told me he gets along with the Swedes "sometimes, but not all of the time."
• Andy Chiodo spoke about Marc-Andre Fleury during his availability today. Chiodo spoke at length about following Fleury's career all these years, and feeling proud of his former teammate for going on to win three Stanley Cups, and going for a fourth with Vegas.
• Chris Bradford and I will have stories coming this week on Tobias Lindberg, Jan Drozg, and Palojarvi, among others.
• Camp wraps up tomorrow with a four-team 3-on-3 tournament at the Lemieux Complex at 7 p.m.. Bradford, Sunday and I will be there from the morning skates to the presentation of the Michel Briere Cup.
• In case you missed it, take a look at our coverage from Day 1:
- 2018 draft picks – Chris Bradford
- Niclas Almari – Taylor Haase
- Pictures – Matt Sunday
