Inspiration from abroad
Boughner uses lessons drawn from legendary All Blacks rugby team
CORAL SPRINGS — Inspirational messages on locker room walls have been a sports staple since the time of Knute Rockne, if not before.
Bob Boughner wanted to make sure his players understood that the words and slogans he had inscribed above their lockers during Florida Panthers’ training camp weren’t idle platitudes.
So, the rookie coach prepared and delivered an elaborate multimedia presentation Monday, amplified by video and slides, to explain how the messages were inspired by one of the world’s most successful teams and define a winning culture to emulate.
“When we were watching the slides, you could look around and see guys really into it,” veteran defenseman Keith Yandle said, adding that the slogans, “They’re up there for a reason. They mean something to us now, and it’s one of those things that we’re going to take pride in.”
The words and phrases came from a book Boughner read this summer called “Legacy,” which explains the guiding principles behind the success of New Zealand’s
national rugby team, known as the All Blacks, who have won more than 75 percent of their international matches over the past 100 years.
In light of the ups and downs of the Panthers franchise, particularly during last year’s fractured season, Boughner said he was searching for a guiding premise to bring the team together for this season and beyond.
“For me, it symbolizes culture, an identity and team vision,” Boughner said. “It’s just about doing the right things on and off the ice.
“It’s not just a book about sports, it’s about the business of life.”
Hence, buzz words including honesty, integrity, authenticity.
But the deeper connection to the culture of the New Zealand team comes through quirky, homespun phrases such as, “Sweep the shed.”
Boughner explained that after each game two senior members of the All Blacks literally take brooms and clean up the locker room.
“It basically symbolizes that they take care of their own business, they take care of all the little things, and they don’t need anybody else to take care of it for them,” Boughner said. “It’s about humility, really, and we talked about it.”
Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie is uncertain if the team would adopt that specific practice, but said the mindset is resonating with the players.
“That will be something we’ll keep between the team for now,” he said. “I think it’s important that we stick together as a family, and whatever it is we decide to do it’s going to be for the best of the team.”
Another homily from the All Blacks, “Leave the jersey in a better place,” is about passing along the guiding culture to players who come along in the future.
Defenseman Michael Matheson said he has been in locker rooms where motivational messages served more as decoration than inspiration.
“They’re almost corny sometimes, but you can tell that there is a reason for every single word that’s up in our locker room,” he said.
“When you think of the All Blacks and the success that they’ve had, you can tell that they’re building an environment where nobody really cares about how many points they get. … What they really care about is how many trophies they’ve won as a team, and that’s what we’re trying to implement here.”
These Panthers have yet to win a game, as they open the regular season Friday at Tampa Bay. But after the way last season unraveled, this was a group eager for a unifying influence.
MacKenzie said that began with owner Vinnie Viola arranging a charter to fly players, family members and pets to safety in Boston when Hurricane Irma was threatening South Florida.
The players quickly bought into the style of play Boughner instilled during training camp. And many of them have begun reading “Legacy,” after each received a copy during Monday’s presentation.
Matheson said what stands out in what he’s read so far is it is about more than maintaining a positive outlook.
“Their outlook is, you don’t always want to be positive,” Matheson said of the All Blacks. “They’re looking for guys when stuff goes wrong, how do they handle it? Do they crumble or stay calm and work through it?”
Clearly, the big winner through training camp has been Boughner getting the team to buy into his methods. But MacKenzie pointed out that thoughtprovoking messages are only a rallying point.
“Now it’s on us to come up with a good start,” he said. “Getting a few wins under our belt early is going to go a long way for this team.”
Glad for Jagr
No. 1 center Aleksander Barkov was elated that former line mate Jaromir Jagr has gotten an opportunity to continue his hall-offame career in the NHL with Calgary, and is looking forward to the Panthers’ two meetings with the Flames this season.
“I’ll be following him a lot,” Barkov said. “He was my favorite player when I was younger, and nothing has changed. I’m very happy for him.”
cldavis@ sun-sentinel.com; Twitter @CraigDavisRuns; here on Facebook