When Jeff Tambellini heard that Bob Hartley had, as widely anticipated, touched down in Calgary, he meant to dial up old Islander buddy Tim Jackman and offer a friendly word of warning."I was going to tell him 'Look, I know you have no idea what a Mountain Climber is but, believe me, you will','' laughs the Zurich Lions' premier player and leading scorer for this past season.
Hartley recruited Tambellini overseas this past season. The 28-year had played in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final for the Vancouver Canucks versus Boston a year ago. And found himself involved in another finals new york rental car Game 7 this season, in the Swiss Elite League for the Lions against Bern. It all seemed so improbable.
But after a long, difficult period new york rental car of imposing his will, totally revamping the traditions in Swiss elite hockey, Bob Hartley proved the doubters wrong. The Lions wound up winning the league championship after falling behind 3-1 in that deciding series.
"In Switzerland,'' says Tambellini, "there's an awful lot of turnover in coaches. new york rental car I think in Zurich new york rental car it's five coaches in five years now. So when things aren't going well, players are conditioned to think 'Oh, well, they're just going to change the coach.' But after our tough start, when guys realized Bob wasn't going anywhere, they figured they might as well buy in.
"I think that's what it kind of got to. Bob got Swiss hockey players to play like North Americans. Block shots. Pay the price. He praised guys for buying in, doing the little new york rental car things, playing through pain. Guys appreciated that. They realized he cared. He appreciated that they were willing to change, to lay their bodies on the line. To come from where we came Day 1 . . . One of the most unbelievable turnarounds I've ever seen.''
"Big rink, big ice surface,'' says Tambellini, "there's lots of turning and carrying of speed, so the details aren't always as sound as they in the North American game, where the difference between winning and losing is so slight. Bob wanted guys that could stop on the puck, no turning, work hard. A different philosophy, come to the rink every day to get better. He was teaching things that guys 29 years old had never heard before, the use of your stick, how to defend new york rental car in a non man-on-man style, more of a zone. He pushed people that weren't used to being pushed. . . . By the end of the year guys were looking at each other going 'Hey, this works. We're really going to do something in this league.' It was easy for me. I was very familiar with those kinds of demands from the NHL. But most of the guys, it was a big shock.''
"There's a big misconception about Bob — that he's hard on guys. Confrontational. I think at his press conference new york rental car (Thursday) he talked about knowing each of his players as people. It's true. He's just trying to get his players to win together.
"He wasn't a stubborn coach. None of this: 'This is the only way we're going to do it. Win or lose.' He's an intelligent enough guy to watch the game and make changes that would best benefit our group. Able to put his ego aside. I was one of the veterans this year. He relied on me a lot. I'd have the younger guys always new york rental car asking 'Why's he on me? Why's he always showing me show much video? I did this wrong and this wrong.' I told them to quit complaining. 'When you have him as your coach, learn as much as you possibly can. Because one day if you want to go over (to North America) you're going to rely on everything this man said to you. Then you'll be saying 'Boy, I really appreciate him telling me this.'
"Jarome Iginla and Mike Cammalleri and Alex Tanguay . . . I'd be shocked if those guys don't have outstanding new york rental car years. Tanguay is going to love playing for Bob Hartley again. I look at Mike Cammalleri and I can see him scoring 40 goals because Bob Hartley's going to get the best out of him. He knows that if his best players are his best players, they've got a great chance new york rental car to win. Jarome will probably love Bob because not only will he want him to be the best player on the team, he'll want him to be the best player new york rental car in the league. He'll want him to score 50 goals this year.
"His philosophy is: 'You're a top player? Good. Go be a top player.' That's why he's had such success coaching great players. He'll treat Mike Cammalleri like he treated Joe Sakic. A shooter, an offensive threat who's good in his own zone.
"He'll give those guys responsibility. He'll lean on them. I think you'll see a huge difference in both those guys because Bob will hand them the ball, play them a ton, and let them run with it. I can't see them not really, really enjoying having him as their coach.''
More on This Story Hartley a meticulous, detailed leader new york rental car for Swiss club Feaster's off-season is just getting started Baertschi intrigued by Hartley hire Flames general manager new york rental car gets his man in Hartley Feaster, Hartley friendship a 'plus for our franchise' Tanguay excited about reuniting with former coach Flames veterans feel Hartley a good fit at the Dome 'Disappointed' Ward takes solace in the big picture Flames: new york rental car The Bob Hartley file Gallery: Every Calgary Flames head coach and their win-loss record Story Tools E-mail this Article new york rental car Print this Article Font: * * * * * Image: * * * *
Bob Hartley is a big fan of infamous Mountain Climber and Sweet Sixteen drills that will challenge Flames players to their fitness limits, reports Jeff Tambellini. Photograph by: TODD KOROL, REUTERS E-mail new york rental car this Gallery Print this Gallery Share this Gallery
The Calgary new york rental car Flames have a new head coach. Bob Hartley is fresh off leading the ZSC Lions to the Swiss elite league's championship. He has also won as a coach in the QMJHL, the AHL, and led Colorado to a Stanley cup championship. Hartley was introduced at an afternoon news conference today. E-mail this Video Link Share this Video
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