Berehowsky found fun, challenge
BRAMPTON, Ont. – Drake Berehowsky thinks his return to the Ontario Hockey League was a successful one.
Berehowsky, who joined the Brampton Battalion as an assistant coach Jan. 4, played four seasons as a defenceman in the OHL with the Kingston Raiders and Frontenacs and the North Bay Centennials.
“It was exciting,” Berehowsky said Monday. “I learned a lot this year. The players treated me with a lot of respect, and hopefully I was able to teach them something.”
The OHL’s most outstanding defenceman with North Bay in 1991-92, Berehowsky went on to play 549 National Hockey League games over 13 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks and Phoenix Coyotes.
The 35-year-old from Toronto said he worked hard on learning to communicate with a new generation of players.
“These days kids are different from what they were when I was growing up. I had to learn how to talk to them, and I hope I was able to get through to them. I’ve had a lot of coaches and been treated differently by all of them. I think I’ll have my own style so I’ll try to come across the way I wanted to be treated.
“The guy wanted to learn and improve. I saw that they tried to do what I was instructing them to. It was fun, and at times it was a challenge for me to get my point across and I had to find different ways to do that.”
Berehowsky said he was impressed with the Troops’ effort over the second half of the season and in the playoffs, where they lost in four games to the Barrie Colts in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
“We weren’t supposed to be in it, and to battle the way we did makes me really proud of these guys. They played the kind of game we wanted, and it’s too bad we didn’t get some more bounces against Barrie, or things could have been a little different.”
Berehowsky said he leaned heavily on head coach Stan Butler and fellow assistant Kelly Harper.
“They were great to me. I came to them with a lot of situations where I didn’t know what to do and they helped me. I look at things differently as a player, and as a coach you have to have a different view. These three months were a great learning experience. I really appreciate getting this chance.”
Berehowsky is one of many former NHL players who have returned to the OHL as coaches in recent years.
“I love the game and I’m passionate about it and I wanted to give something back to this league. It’s not so much about making money. It’s about sharing experiences and helping make some player’s future a lot better.”
Berehowsky, who still has to meet with Butler about his future with the team, hopes to return.
“I loved coaching here. When you get guys to play above the level people expect them to, it feels pretty good.
“It’s going to be great here next season. Everyone should improve and, if you look at a guy like Cody Hodgson, he wants to be a player. Everything he does is about being a hockey player, and when you find those players it’s fun to work with them. I think there are a lot of players like him here and this organization has a bright future.”
