NHL’s fitness freak coach

Hurricanes’ Brind’Amour remains high on fitness

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, known as a players’ coach, would never demean his players, though he embarrasses them sometimes without trying.

“When he comes into the dressing room to use the shower, we tell him to keep his shirt on because he makes us all look bad,” center Jordan Staal told USA TODAY, laughing. “He’s pretty much in better shape than anyone on the team.”

Center Sebastian Aho said Brind’Amour, 48, can probably “outlift everyone in the whole league.”

When Brind’Amour played in the NHL from 1988 to 2010, nobody would have ever called him a typical player. And today, nobody calls him a typical coach. His connection to players just seems different.

“His drive to succeed is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell, who has been involved in pro hockey since 1980.

Brind’Amour has found a way to get through to his players all season, and that has never been more important than Tuesday night with his team trailing 2-0 to the Bruins heading into Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference final.

He was a popular and respected athlete — he was captain of the Hurricanes’ 2006 Stanley Cup championship team — and yet he’s also one of the humbler people in the organization.

“He’s always been well respected in the community, but he’s been in the background because he was an assistant coach,” Waddell said. “But when you become the coach, you become the face of the team. He would like to stay behind the spotlight. He’d prefer to give the spotlight to his players. He’s probably not as comfortable in the spotlight. He just wants to worry about coaching this team.”

Brind’Amour said moving from assistant to head coach has forced him to look at the game differently. He seems to lean on his assistant coaches frequently and likes their input.

“You definitely change,” he said. “As an assistant, you are seen and not heard. Now it’s the exact opposite . ... Now I have to face the music.”

Players like his straight-talk approach.

“Roddy gets the message across,” Carolina defenseman Calvin de Haan said. “He’s deliberate, and pretty frank.”

He makes sure players don’t wonder where they stand with them.

“He is a natural leader, and his work effort is unreal,” Aho said. “He’s always the last guy off the ice.”

Brind’Amour’s work ethic has been talked about since he was a teenager. Today, every NHL player seems to have an over-the-top fitness discipline. But Brind’Amour was ahead of his time. In the 1990s, Brind’Amour was more invested in the weight room than the vast majority of NHLERS.

“Back then, if you asked everyone in the NHL, who is the one player in the league who cares the most about fitness and his health, I think 90% of them would have said Brind’Amour,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet, who was Brind’Amour’s captain when they played on the Flyers.

Staal said he likes how much Brind’Amour cares: “He wants to help you play better. When he screws up, he takes ownership of it. And when you screw up, he won’t be shy about telling you.”

With regard to his fitness, Brind’Amour might work out as hard today as he did when he played. Waddell, 60, works out early in the morning, at the same time Brind’Amour does.

When you ask Carolina players if Brind’Amour could still play in the NHL, they say, ‘Yes.” He says, “No.”

“I would,” he said. “But I couldn’t. I can’t move anymore.”

In addition to everything else, Brind’Amour is also known for his honesty.