After a slow start to their DEL season, and immediately following a CHL Group K loss to the Nottingham Panthers, the Hamburg Freezers made a coaching change, promoting assistant Serge Aubin to the head coaching position. After winning three of four DEL games and the re-match with Nottingham, he spoke about what he's trying to do and the team's sudden turn-around.
by Chapin Landvogt
HAMBURG – A former Hamburg Freezers centre, 39-year-old Serge Aubin was named the Freezers’ head coach on 25 September after having spent the past year as previous coach Benoit Laporte’s assistant. The Val d’Or, Quebec native had to end his pro career after a serious wrist injury and is a true newbie in the coaching business. Still, he certainly has no lack of hockey world business, having not only spent parts of six seasons playing in Switzerland for both NLA and NLB clubs, but also being a veteran of 396 NHL games for the Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers, and Columbus Blue Jackets. On the heels of Hamburg’s final CHL contest in the 2014–15 season, we had a chance to talk to Coach Aubin about his thoughts on the Champions Hockey League, getting used to life as a head coach, and the Hamburg Freezers in general.
What’s been your impression of CHL play and what do you think it has meant for this Hamburg club to be part of it?
We’re very much honoured to be part of the Champions hockey league. We obviously didn’t get the start we wanted, but I think finishing this experience off on a good note was important for us and it’s been a great experience. You get to see different styles of hockey, whether it be from Sweden, Finland or, like tonight, England, and I think all of us coaches and players truly love to see and experience different things. Being part of this has been, and hopefully will in the future, beneficial for all of us.
Tonight was your first CHL contest behind the bench as the team’s head coach, but you’ve seen and been part of all six CHL contests as the assistant coach. In DEL league play, the team has won three of four games with you at the helm – that’s four wins in five games as the head coach. How much of a roller-coaster ride have the past few weeks been for you?
Everything has been going so fast. The first weekend obviously just flew by. We didn’t really have any time to work on the new game I’m trying to install, but the week after that, we had full practices where we were really able to talk to the guys and let them know what we’re trying to achieve and why. They’ve since bought in. I’m very pleased and feel fortunate that I know those guys personally, because I played with most of them, and I think that’s a big help for me. I know what makes them tick, and what doesn’t. So I’m pleased with the direction we’re going in right now.
If it weren’t for your wrist injury a few seasons back, when you were pretty much the team’s top player, you’d likely still be on the ice. How much of a change has all this been for you, considering you probably experience times where you’d like to be out there on the ice getting things done yourself?
Up to last year I had that feeling, because I wanted to be on the ice as long as I could and injuries took me out of the game. On the other side, I feel very fortunate and am honoured and clearly lucky to have the opportunity to coach my ex-teammates and be part of the Hamburg Freezers. It’s a classy organization and they’ve always treated me very well. But today I don’t think of my playing days anymore. I feel very comfortable behind the bench. That’s where I belong and it’s now time for these guys to get the job done on the ice.
Speaking of getting the job done, you worked as an assistant coach with Mr. Laporte for a little over a season, now you’ve suddenly got his job and come in knowing something has to change. You’re here to make that happen. How do you go about doing that?
Last season we had a rocky start and then we got going and ended up finishing first in the DEL. We did a lot of good things. This year, for some reason, we couldn’t get the team started. There were many different reasons, despite having most of the same personnel and some top guys coming in. I’ve now got GM Stephane Richer down on the ice and bench helping me out and he’s had a lot of experience. He’s well respected. He’s helping me a ton. We like where we’re going and as mentioned, the guys are buying into it.
Last season goaltender Sebastien Caron was brought in when things were bad and the team experienced a huge upswing. This year you were promoted when things were bad and the team is again experiencing a huge upswing. What is it exactly with hockey players? Is this all primarily a psychological thing?
It sure might be. I think that whenever a coach is fired, it’s the responsibility of me as an assistant coach and of the players to look in the mirror and ask “What could we have done better?” No one likes to see that kind of thing happening. Last season, when Caron came in, our number one goalie was injured and heck, it’s a lot of pressure to be a number one goalie in this league and Sebastien had that experience. He was capable. And suddenly having him coming in created some momentum and we took it to a new level. As far as this season is concerned, I’ve got a pretty good understanding of the guys I have and am working with here, so I felt strongly that my system would work with them. They’ve embraced it and are having fun right now. When you lose, you’re not having fun. We desperately needed to get that feeling of winning again and having fun on the ice. So I’m working very hard. They’re working very hard. I’m asking them to pay attention to every detail. I’m asking them to do the little things necessary to win hockey games and they’re now doing them.
Not much time for new systems, but watching the game tonight, we already could see a different forechecking system. Was this the first change you wanted to implement?
Actually, the first thing that was important to me was our play away from the puck. When we don’t have the puck, I want everyone on the ice to know exactly where he has to be. I’ve honestly told the guys that once you have the puck, support yourselves, get close together and just play hockey. That’s what these guys are paid for. They want to play hockey. But when we don’t have the puck, then we have to take care of business. That’s what I’m teaching them. That’s the approach I have, because when you play good defence, you have the puck more. Then you go back on offence and you can do more. You start to feel good about your game. That’s what I’m trying to teach these guys.
Something else: former Freezer David Wolf has been a huge part of this team and a big fan favourite for as long as you’ve been here. Now he’s headed over to Calgary to test his mettle against AHL and one day hopefully NHL talent. Calgary coach Bob Hartley had been your coach at a number of stations in your career. Any chance you had something to do with Wolf finding his way to the Calgary organization?
I think David did it for himself. The way he plays the game, with his big body and his intensity… well when you see a guy who can skate like that, shoot the puck, make plays, be that physical – and he’s fearless to boot – you’re going attract some attention from NHL teams. I did talk to Calgary last season. I do know Bob Hartley and Dominic Pittis and a few other people there. When they asked about David, I didn’t have to invent anything. He is what he is and they knew exactly what they were going to get. Now I know Bob well and I worked with him for seven years and I truly believe David has what it takes to make it to the NHL. They’ve sent him down now, but it’s all part of the learning process. He’s got to get used to playing on the smaller ice surface and get used to playing that North American style. He’s got to learn Calgary’s system and I’m sure we’re going to be seeing him up in the show before too long.