Shyiak embarks on new adventure

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This article was published 29/08/2020 (2106 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

From peewee to professional, there are thousands upon thousands of coaches in the world.

Some are hardcore, some are soft and some are just looking for that all-important win.

Men’s hockey coach Dave Shyiak is no stranger to winning seasons, but he’s come to realize over his 30 years as a coach that some things are even more important.

“As you get older and you get married and have kids, I think the teaching aspect is the rewarding aspect. You feel rewarded when, these kids on your team, you see their growth and development not only as players, but also as people off the ice,” Shyiak said.

“You’re teaching young men and growing them into good people so they turn out to be great husbands, fathers, while also developing as good hockey players. If you can do that through a winning culture and they enjoy their experience, I think that’s that most rewarding thing you can do as a coach.”

The Brandon-born Shyiak hasn’t lived in Westman since he was a teen, residing in the United States pretty much full-time since he was 20. But, with three decades of NCAA coaching experience under his belt, the places he’s lived and coached — Northern Michigan, Western Michigan, Alaska and now Minnesota — have always reminded him of back home.

“Northern Michigan is way out there, kind of in a secluded area, but has real friendly people, real caring, real genuine. Alaska and the Western part of Michigan are very similar, also like that,” he said.

In May, Shyiak was announced as new associate head coach at St. Cloud State University. Only five hours from the U.S.-Canada border, St. Cloud is the closest he’s lived to his hometown in a long time.

Shyiak was previously in a cozy spot as associate head coach at Western Michigan University, in a position he held for the past six years. So, the 53-year-old wasn’t expecting when a rival coach came knocking, offering him the job at St. Cloud.

That coach was Brett Larson —11th round pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990 NHL draft — who’s been coaching St. Cloud’s men’s hockey program for the past two years.

“I was in a great spot in Western Michigan with another Manitoba coach, Andy Murray, and certainly loved my time at Western Michigan. I appreciated everything they did for me and my family, so when Brett called I was a little surprised because I was happy in my current situation,” Shyiak said.

“But the more I researched it, well obviously it’s a great hockey market, great hockey facilities, a winning program and it’s closer to home, so maybe I’ll be able to get home more than once a year.”

The prospect of more family time is something near and dear to Shyiak’s heart. He was last in Brandon a year ago, for both a high school and a Shyiak family reunion.

He, his wife Lucia and children Kristian, Sheldon and Isabela also visited Clear Lake and other parts of Manitoba special to him during his childhood.

While all of Shyiak’s children were born in the States, he and Lucia have made a point to introduce both his Canadian and Lucia’s Brazilian culture to their children whenever possible.

The duo met in the 1990s at Western Michigan, where Shyiak played hockey and began his coaching career, while Lucia played for the university’s volleyball team. For the past 20 years they’ve made a point of travelling to Brazil — every even year— for a two-week family holiday, catching up with family and friends. While this year’s trip was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shyiak said they’re looking forward to planning something soon.

But, COVID-19 hasn’t just put a snag in the Shyiak family holiday. The coach is still unsure of when St. Cloud’s hockey season will start. Right now, Plan A is November, but the more likely Plan B is a Jan. 1 start, like many other leagues are doing.

“Right now I think the most important thing is keeping our kids safe and healthy and putting them into a good environment, keeping them busy. If permitted, which it is right now, we’ll have a development plan for them in place on and off the ice,” he said.

Regardless of the start date, Shyiak knows he’s ready to fill the associate head coach role at St. Cloud.

“Basically an associate head coach is one who’s been around for awhile, that’s the best way to put it,” Shiyak said, speaking about the difference between head coach, associate head coach and assistant coach.

“We’re all coaches, regardless of title, working towards the same thing.”

Shyiak is entering St. Cloud with years of experience, including coaching alongside fellow Manitoban — and former NHL bench boss — Andy Murray for the past six years.

Murray spent most of the 1990s as an assistant coach in the NHL, moving on to split 10 years between the L.A. Kings and St. Louis Blues as head coach.

“I think his coaching is predicated on his passion for the game, he’s a great teacher of the game,” said Shyiak of Murray.

“He’s a preparation guy. He’s very, very prepared. He makes sure he’s prepared and his team’s prepared, to give them the best chance to succeed. I think he does an excellent job of that.”

But, Murray wasn’t the only person on Western Michigan’s bench with NHL experience. Shyiak also spent a year with the NHL, working as a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2013-14 season.

For Shyiak, it helped him build the network of people he now knows in the highest level of hockey. It also gave him a better eye in terms of evaluating and recruiting players in their respective programs.

“So much goes in (as a NHL scout), when you’re drafting players there’s only seven rounds. You’re watching a lot of hockey teams, you’re assessing, you’re evaluating, using different platforms to look at kids. It was just a great experience for me and I think it made me a better coach and a better recruiter.”

Shyiak noted a lot has changed in the game since he first began coaching.

Kids today are seemingly stronger, faster and better than ever, but the most notable change for the seasoned coach has been recruiting.

When he first started coaching in the NCAA, the recruiting period didn’t last nearly as long as to does now. Coaches were once able to have a few months of rest, but modern-day recruiting has turned into an all-year task.

“A lot of these U.S. junior leagues have their camps in the summertime. That books up most of June, then you’re attending the NHL Draft, a lot of your players get drafted, then USA Hockey selection camps, which are in Buffalo every year, which is a showcase for the most talented kids in the U.S.,” explained Shyiak.

“It goes on for three weeks, so you get three weeks of that, you get some hockey schools you’re doing at your own institution, so you might have, if you’re lucky, five weekends in the summer with your family.”

While working as a coach for a top-tiered hockey school in the U.S. is no easy task, Shyiak wouldn’t have it any other way. The coach is excited about the season ahead and is looking forward to what’s to come.

“This ticked a lot of boxes for me,” Shyiak said. “It just seemed like the right fit at the right time.”

»dshewchuk@brandonsun.com

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