Penguins goaltending development coach Andy Chiodo joined TSN Toronto 1050 radio this week to discuss his role with the Penguins and more.
Chiodo is back in his family's home in Toronto. He has a son who has dealt with serious health issues over the last few months, and since Chiodo has travelled recently, he's been living in his basement away from the rest of his family in self-quarantine. He has a stationary bike to stay in shape, and his wife puts food at the top of the stairs for him a few times a day.
Chiodo, who is in his second season with the Penguins, spoke highly of the organization in his appearance on the show.
"There's the things that I really value, communication, there's a clear philosophy and direction within the organization," he said. "Each team is valued. The NHL team, the American League team, the East Coast League team. There's a lot of value placed on development and each team serving the big club. The experience has been great working with the organization and the people within it. There's ton of experience, too. There's so many individuals in the organization who have won Stanley Cups, multiple Stanley Cups. With that comes a mindset that is really enjoyable to be around."
While Chiodo's title is "development coach," his job entails much more than just working with the Penguins' goaltending prospects. He also serves as a scout, and extensively scouted Emil Larmi in Finland last season before the Penguins signed Larmi to an entry-level contract.
"From my perspective, the work is multi-faceted," he said. "There's a coaching aspect, there's a scouting aspect, some management as well. You think about acquiring potential free-agent goaltenders, filling roster spots for development camps, and things of that nature. It's kind of multi-faceted. It really touches on different things that I enjoy doing, like the coaching, the scouting, connecting with people. The experience has been great."
Chiodo was asked what his experiences have been like with Sidney Crosby in the times he's been around him in training camps.
"He's always thinking of others," Chiodo said. "He has the ultimate team mentality. He's always thinking about all the different angles on the team, and with life as well. Different people. He has an ability to connect and an ability to show interest in you in ways that you didn't even know he would be aware of.
"For example, I worked with a goaltender in his family in the summertime, so we reconnected in Toronto. So then we reconnect in training camp, and he had all kinds of questions, and he was completely aware of everything we had done in the summer. It could be a meeting or something a few years back, and somehow he remembers. He makes everyone around him and everyone in that room feel valued."
Chiodo was then asked about Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, with whom he worked before Binnington's rise in St. Louis. Chiodo started working with Binnington a few years ago, when Binnington was struggling in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves.
"It was a special journey that we were able go on together the last few years," Chiodo said. "Watching him win the Stanley Cup was incredible. An important thing people should know about him is just how good of a human being he is, and how much he pushed himself as an individual, which showed up on the ice."
Chiodo attended Binnington's Stanley Cup party last summer, something Binnington had been thinking about for quite some time.
"It was great," Chiodo laughed. "He took a lot of pride in that Stanley Cup party, it was actually something that pushed him. He was like, 'I'm going to drop 50,000 on this thing.' He didn't mess around. It was something that in his mind you visualize, wanting to throw this party."
Chiodo told a story from three years ago, when he and conditioning coach Matt Nichol began working with Binnington over the summer. Binnington was working on changing his off-ice habits and learning how to become a professional, but threw a big party over the summer that impacted his ability to train at a high level that week. Chiodo said that Nichol brought out a whiteboard and drew out a big Stanley Cup party, and said that Binnington needed to work on trading the smaller parties like the one he just had for a big eventual Stanley Cup party.
"When Binner and his team won the Cup last year, he was like, 'I'm throwing the party I've wanted to throw.'"
