Tambellini’s week ends in Trail with draft praise for Hughes
Smoke Eaters GM, ex-Canuck discusses NHL prospect, his new hockey mission
Jeff Tambellini’s whirlwind week started with completing a sportsmanagement degree at the University of Michigan and then attending graduation.
It finished with being officially named general manager and coach of the BCHL Trail Smoke Eaters on Friday.
That’s quite the story and pretty tough to trump.
However, when the former Vancouver Canucks winger was asked for a scouting report after coaching highly touted NHL draft prospect Quinn Hughes this NCAA season, he swung for the fences.
“I was waiting for that question,” started the 34-year-old Tambellini.
“I think this is one of the most outstanding players in this draft. Our whole team had a slow start and he didn’t really get the push in the early rankings. But if you saw our team in the second half, you would have been so impressed. People always ask me who does he (Hughes) play like? You’re not going to want to hear this — and I’m not saying he is — but he plays like Bobby Orr. I’ve never seen a guy possess the puck and skate his own problems away.
“He’s so deceptive coming up the ice and has such a mind for the game. He baits forecheckers and his details are off the charts.”
The Wolverines’ defenceman is a consensus top-10 pick for the draft that opens June 22 in Dallas. He’s also playing for the United States at the world championship tournament that opens Friday in Denmark.
Hughes was ranked sixth among North American skaters in final Central Scouting rankings and seventh overall by the International Scouting Service. TSN had Hughes ninth overall, one back of QMJHL blue-liner Noah Dobson.
The Canucks select seventh and both Dobson and Hughes should be on their radar.
As for Hughes, the 5-10, 175-pound Orlando, Fla. native had 29 points (5-24) in 37 games in the regular schedule before the Wolverines really found their stride. In the Division 1 tournament to decide Frozen Four entries, Michigan beat Northeastern 3-2 and Boston University 6-3 before falling 3-2 to Notre Dame.
Hughes scored the opening goal against Boston University and more than held his own.
“Hughes is such an exceptional skater and he’s not a transporter,” said an NHL scout. “He can rush the puck and drive the play out of the defensive zone. That’s rare. Most defencemen are not rushers, they ’re puck movers and distributors. It’s like how (Erik) Karlsson moves up ice and changes how a team can attack.”
Meanwhile, as for the trek to Trail, it was Tambellini’s love of the game that was going to keep the Calgary-born, Port Moody-raised native in it.
The 2003 first-round draft pick of Los Angeles logged 242 games at the NHL level with the Kings, Islanders and Canucks and he also played in Switzerland and Sweden.
His father Steve was also a firstround pick (1978, Islanders) and the Trail native played 553 NHL games for the Islanders, Rockies, Devils, Flames and Canucks. He was GM of the Edmonton Oilers and held personnel positions with Canadian world junior, World Cup and Olympic entries.
Steve’s father Addie helped the Smoke Eaters capture the 1961 world championship as the last amateur club to win the title. It’s why Jeff didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
He grew up around sports management, but coaching ? He always had a head for the game and played for Harvey Smyl (Chilliwack), Red Berenson (Michigan), Ted Nolan (Islanders), Alain Vigneault (Canucks) and Bob Hartley and Marc Crawford (Switzerland).
He also played in games 1, 2, 3 and 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final.
“I always had an interest and enjoyed the management side of the business,” said Tambellini. “I’m getting an MBA (master of business administration) at the University of Denver and will be able to do it online. An MBA is really necessary to be a manager.”
Tambellini can lean on his dad for management advice. What about coaching ?
Tambellini was an assistant at Michigan this season, his first stint behind a bench. He credits the environment, staff and players for getting a leg up on wearing two hats in Trail.
“It happened real quick,” recalled Tambellini. “They (Smoke Eaters) were making a change, I got a call and 1½ weeks later it was done. I never knew I wanted to get into coaching.
“But to see the development at Michigan and how much you could affect change with these young players — just watching them translate so fast from practice to games and have success — was enjoying.
“When Trail offered me the GM and coach it was a no-brainer.”
As for being a new head coach, Tambellini only has to jog his memory banks for pointers.
“The one that affected me the most was Harvey Smyl,” recalled Tambellini. “The way he built his teams and he had such a demeanour about him. I was so impressed. Vigneault let the vets run the team, but he still controlled it. He had such an interesting delivery and brought the best out of our group for sure.
“Berenson had so many layers. He was a great player and did his MBA. He was astute in business and a great coach and an amazing leader. “They all had interesting styles. I’m just trying to find my own.”