Global crossover scouts at the NHL level have a unique job. We travel the hockey world searching for players that will contribute to the growth of an organization and, in some cases, immediately make the jump to big-league rosters.
In-season, a full-time crossover will view prospects in a variety of leagues. The calibre of each league ranges wildly. One week a scout might find themselves in a high school rink in Minnesota, and then they could be viewing a major junior game or college contest the following week. The month might end with a journey overseas to track players at the pro and junior levels in Europe.
Every stop along the way tells a different story and requires an open mind when projecting player development. However, something that rarely gets the attention it deserves is the quality of coaching around the world.
At the various levels, coaches and managers set realistic goals in relation to their own career path. Some do a fantastic job at the major junior and college level and are happy to remain there. Others are motivated to advance their careers to the highest level possible.
NHL teams recognize the organizations that are most proficient at developing prospects. They know what to expect from certain coaches and are comfortable with their model.
In my time traveling to Europe to scout prospects, I have witnessed the growth of some programs as a result of quality coaching and structure. For that reason, I believe we are going to start seeing more opportunities opening at the NHL level for coaches from Europe.
Here’s some insight into a couple of coaching candidates outside of North America that could get the attention of organizations on this side of the globe.
Olli Jokinen
Head Coach — Jukurit / Liiga (Finland)
Jokinen is a familiar name in North America, having played 1,231 games in the NHL.
Originally selected third overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1997 NHL Draft, Jokinen spent the bulk of his career with the Florida Panthers. He ranks seventh in games played (567), third in goals (188), fourth in assists (231) and third all time in total points (419) in Panthers’ franchise history. He also saw stops in New York (both franchises), Phoenix, Calgary, Winnipeg, Nashville, Toronto and St. Louis. His mantel at home is also decorated with several accomplishments with his native Finland: a World Junior gold medal, three World Championship silver and bronze medals, one Olympic silver and two bronze.
Jokinen observed many different organizational structures over the course of his career. Towards the end of his playing days, he began preparing himself for his post-playing career journey and turned his mindset to player development and becoming a head coach himself.
“(I), along with former teammates Radek Dvorak and Tomas Vokoun and Petr Sykora, created the South Florida Hockey Academy in 2017,” Jokinen said. “The goal was to run an academy and develop players in the same kind of structure I would expect as an NHL player. I wanted to give back and assist with growing the game in South Florida, but I also wanted to experience building an organization and coaching players at a high level. It was development for me as well as the players.
“Our teams travelled to big events and played against some of the top prep schools (in Massachusetts, for example). The same league that Marty St. Louis was coaching," Jokinen added.
During the pandemic, Jokinen interviewed for opportunities in different leagues from both North America and Europe. Eventually, the perfect “fit” became available. He was hired as head coach of Jukurit in Finland’s top pro league.
Jukurit is considered one of the low-budget teams in Liiga. They aren’t a club that can afford to get into bidding wars for players. When Jokinen arrived, the team had not made the Liiga playoffs for six seasons.
“When I took the job, the group was in need of a culture change,” Jokinen added. “We had gone through several years of struggles and not made the playoffs since 2016. We had the second-lowest budget in Liiga and had to create a new environment for both the young and veteran players with what we had to work with.”
Personally, I really enjoy scouting games in Liiga. The Finnish fans are always supportive of their clubs and the arena experience resembles a soccer match with the beating of drums and chanting. Games are never dull in Liiga.
Over the years, I found that teams in Liiga generally play a “safe” style of hockey. They clog the neutral zone, looking to create turnovers and counterattack rather than play an aggressive forechecking game. Jokinen wanted to change that with his club.
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“One of the things I wanted to implement for our team was a much more aggressive style than what they had played in the past. I want to play an NHL style over here. Attack more. Pressure the play up ice. Play more on straight lines using our speed and skill. I don’t want to sit back and have the game come to us. I want us to go get the game,” Jokinen said.
“Players have more fun when we play this way. They are more engaged in the game. Of course, we need to be responsible and take care of our zone. But I want us to have the puck more than our opponents. I don’t want to play on our heals.”
The results speak for themselves. Jokinen was named Coach of the Year at the conclusion of last season after leading Jukurit to an incredible 39-17-2-2 record.
Small-budget teams usually struggle to keep star players when they have the success the way Jukurit did last season. Jokinen takes a great deal of pride in the fact that he had a hand in landing players like Petrus Palmu — his leading scorer last season — a new deal with Orebro (SHL / Sweden). Aatu Raty, who graduated to AHL’s Bridgeport (New York Islanders affiliate), was Jukurit’s second leading scorer last season. Overall, the team lost its top five point producers to other teams.
The challenge, of course, becomes trying to remain competitive and continue building his program. So far this season, his young team is holding steady with 10 wins and 11 losses through its first 21 league games.
Jokinen’s goal is to become a head coach in the NHL one day. He also understands that journey will likely include being an NHL assistant, or possibly associate head coach, before taking over a team on his own.
He’s a great example of a former NHL player who has taken what he learned over the course of his long career and used that to implement a creative approach while coaching at a high level in Europe.
Jokinen has also found inspiration in other former players coaching in the NHL.
“Seeing someone have the impact that Marty (St. Louis) is having in Montreal is definitely motivating. Someday, it is my hope to have the same impact (with an NHL team),” Jokinen concluded.
Jokinen is putting in the work to get there. I have no doubt he will be behind an NHL bench, in some capacity, in the near future.
Cam Abbott
Head Coach — Rogle / SHL (Sweden)
Twin brothers Cam and Chris Abbott are doing a fantastic job leading Rogle in Sweden’s top pro league, the SHL.
Cam serves as the head coach while Chris is the team’s general manager. Both were hired midway through the 2017-2018 season to rebuild the program at Rogle.
In the early 2000s, the Abbotts terrorized the GOJHL while playing in Sarnia (I had a front row seat many nights when I was coaching the St. Mary’s Lincolns in the same league!). They were fast, skilled and competitive. They were flat-out hard to play against. From there, the twins went to Cornell University (NCAA) for four seasons before embarking on a pro career that landed them in Sweden.
Cam played for both Rogle and Lulea in the SHL before beginning his coaching career with the Vaxjo Lakers U20 program in 2016. He’s coming up on five years as the head coach at Rogle now and he has made a difference for not only the club itself but also players that have been developing under his watch. Some of those names include: Moritz Seider (Detroit), Nils Hoglander (Vancouver), William Wallinder (Detroit’s second-round pick in 2020) and Marco Kasper (Detroit’s first-round pick in 2022).
When I mention witnessing the growth of their program at Rogle first-hand and respecting the model they have in place, Abbot said: “We have a mix of very young players here to go along with a few veteran leaders. We all hold ourselves accountable. If we have a player in practice that is cutting a skating drill short by 30cm, we recognize the effect that can have on our group in a game. We can’t afford to ever cut corners.
“For me, building a culture is key to success as a group,” Abbott continued. “Embracing hard work and accepting the sacrifice that goes along with reaching team goals is very important. I like to connect with our group. I want to know what’s going on with them and better understand how to get the most from them.”
When asked what style of play he prefers his team to employ, Abbott was coy about giving away trade secrets.
“I don’t want to expose any of my strategies! What I will say is it’s important to recognize when my initial thought is to play a certain way, and we don’t get the result we were looking for or I can see the players are not responding to that kind of strategy, I’m always open to making adjustments. I have to be willing to identify when things aren’t working and make the necessary changes for the good of the team. It’s part of me evolving as a coach.”
From what I’ve seen of Rogle, they are a team that is coached to play a puck control game and build from their goal line out off the rush. I don’t see them as a team that is ever comfortable sitting back and having their opponent dictate play. They wouldn’t be developing the kind of talent they have been in recent years, if they didn’t preach a skilled possession style of play.
Since taking over at Rogle, Cam and Chris Abbott have a record of 127-80-19. Their worst full season finish, to date, is third in league standings (out of 14 teams).
“Ultimately I would say the goal is to take my coaching as high as I can go,” Abbott said. “I do have to say that I’m not comfortable, and I know Chris is the same, self promoting. I really enjoy coaching here. Our community is a fantastic place to raise a young family. My wife is from Sweden. I haven’t entertained any offers from North America. I’m fully engaged in what we are trying to accomplish here. I’m not someone who looks too far into the future regarding my coaching career. I just want to continue to evolve and do a good job here.”
With those types of results, it’s just a matter of time before NHL organizations also take notice.
