The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Fritsche has Kenston on roll in debut
Coaching doesn’t appeal to everyone — or fit everyone, for that matter — once their playing days are over.
For those who have graced advanced stages of their sport, and want to give back in that way, there’s a generation ready and eager to be sponges.
Tom Fritsche is in his first year behind the bench at Kenston — and both sides are soaking in the experience nicely. The Bombers were 13-2 after a 6-1 victory Dec. 22 over Amherst Steele in nonleague play, their ninth win in a row.
As a player, Fritsche is about as close to Greater Cleveland hockey royalty as it gets. The 31-year-old Parma native was a second-round pick of the Avalanche in the 2005 NHL draft, played four years at Ohio State and three seasons at home in the AHL with the Monsters. He logged 107 points in 137 games for the Buckeyes and appeared in 110 games over three winters with the Monsters.
In 2007 for OSU, he was the CCHA’s Terry Flanagan Memorial Award winner for the league’s comeback player of the year.
Fritsche was also on the 2006 U.S. World Juniors team with such familiar NHL names as Phil Kessel, T.J. Oshie and Bobby Ryan.
“To be honest, if it was up to me, I’d still be playing,” Fritsche said. “I had too many concussions. But I always like the kind of coaches that let you talk to them about your point of view.
“So I always liked the aspect of coaching. As a player, I always tried to be like, ‘Well, what about this?’ Most of the time, they’d be like, ‘Shut up and sit down,’ but sometimes they would listen.”
It’s fair to say Fritsche has no trouble getting his own players to listen to him now.
After that aforementioned ninth straight victory, Kenston has already won as many games it did last winter when it went 13-15-2. The Bombers had a 12-game winning streak midway through the 20132014 campaign and started 23-0 in 2009-2010.
“He is a really cool guy,” Kenston senior forward John Barto said of Fritsche. “He’s given me a lot of advice. Every time I come back to the bench, he’ll tweak things that I’m doing out there. They’re helping me become a better player, and it’s been my best year so far because of it.
“He’s really taught me how to become a better scorer and just helped my team win games.”
All those hours Fritsche spent refining his craft in the United States National Team Development Program, at Ohio State and in the AHL can benefit others now as he gives back.
“He’s one of the most knowledgeable guys I know about hockey,” Bombers senior forward Nick Kendra said. “I’m thrilled to have him as our coach. But he’s incredible, and the things he realizes on the ice and translates to practice and to the team, it’s really helped me improve my game since my freshman year in 2014. So kudos to him.”
That’s exactly the kind of resonating value Fritsche enjoys having, as both sides are relishing how successful their association has been so far.
“They actually listen pretty well for a group of high school-age kids,” Fritsche said. “So they listen well, and we have good leadership. But yeah, there’s a few things I really try to drive home. They picked on to the discipline and that kind of stuff.
“I think playing simple hockey is my thing. We’re really fast, so if you play simple, you can use your speed. Our captains do a good job of keeping the team in line. I try not to overcoach. I just try to keep it simple and let them play.”