TORONTO — Chris Dennis worked for a decade in the shadows of several Toronto Maple Leafs head coaches who have combined for more than 2,200 NHL wins.
Now a rookie head coach with the York University Lions, Dennis has parlayed the wisdom of Pat Quinn, Paul Maurice, Ron Wilson and Randy Carlyle into a worst-to-first turnaround.
"I learned a lot from all those people and it’s a huge part of what I do here every day," said Dennis, who spent the last two years as a Leafs assistant coach.
York will host the University of Toronto on Wednesday in the opening round of the OUA men’s hockey playoffs. After finishing last in the West Division with only nine wins in 28 games a year ago, the Lions finished first this season at 16-7-5.
Dennis, a York graduate, has brought an NHL mentality and approach to the school. His practices run much like those of Leaf teams — the drills are mostly the same — and he’s brought with him a professional sensibility for structure, not only on the ice but off it.
He saw peeling paint in a shabby dressing room when he first arrived at York and had it refreshed almost immediately with a slick coat of red and white and inspirational slogans. It was an attempt to restore some pride to the program, one little piece among many in a grander scheme.
Starting as a video analyst with the Leafs at age 25, Dennis graduated to more expansive roles, including as an assistant coach to Dallas Eakins on the Toronto Marlies Calder Cup finalist team in 2012, and then later an assistant to Carlyle at the NHL level. He was fired by the organization last spring.
Dennis, 36, not only has the benefit of his Leafs experience to guide him in his new role, but an impressive lineup of coaches to turn to for advice. When he sought penalty-killing drills early in the season he dialed up Eakins, also the former Edmonton Oilers head coach, for help. When he was looking for innovative ideas for a six-on-five faceoff drill, he consulted Scott Gordon, the former Leafs assistant and one-time New York Islanders head coach.
Of his Leafs connections, Dennis remains closest to Eakins and Keith Acton, the long-time Toronto assistant.
"To have access to people like that that obviously I consider friends, it’s a huge help," Dennis said from his cramped office at York.
While taking some credit for York’s resurgence, Dennis applauds his players for wanting to turn the program around, for buying into his message and accepting some of his mistakes as a first-year coach learning on the job.
He is also admittedly fortunate to have an experienced staff, which includes former NHLer Andreas Karlsson.
It’s taken Dennis some time to not only adjust to his expansive role — which sees him acting as coach, GM and even janitor — but the athletes themselves, who have responsibilities beyond hockey, including school and part-time jobs. He’s been impressed by how the group has managed such responsibilities alongside his admittedly demanding requirements.
Weary of his players losing their edge with a month off for Christmas break, Dennis had them skate a couple times a week. It was a remnant of his pro mentality and indicative of the aspirational approach he’s taken.
While his eye is most certainly on growing the program at York and growing himself as a head coach, Dennis concedes that long-term, his dream is to return to the NHL.
"One day would I like to be back there? For sure," he said. "But I think right now the spot I’m in with the team I’ve got, with the school and everybody being so supportive, I feel good about where I’m at right now."