Mike Yeo doesn’t live in North Bay full time anymore but don’t think for a second that the St. Louis Blues Associate Coach doesn’t have a pulse on his hometown.
In support of the Coach4Food program, the NHL coach gave back in his own way to more than 20 coaches who took part in the unique question and answer forum with Yeo at Canadore College on Wednesday afternoon.
The crowd listened attentively to Yeo’s stories which went from how to set up a forecheck to creating a culture in the dressing room.
For close to 90 minutes Yeo listened and answered all the questions fired his way.
That crowd included Ross Doughty, a coach with the Bantam Powassan Hawks.
Ironically, back in 1988, Doughty was an assistant coach on Yeo’s Midget Basketball team at Widdifield Senior Secondary.
“As a man, a person, the fact he gave up his personal time for us - that’s why I coach in the first place to help develop people, not just athletes,” said Doughty about the session.
“While I don’t think I had much to-do with his success, knowing that no matter where you coach or the level you coach, there will always be former players stories to follow through their lives gives me the ultimate reward.”
Yeo echoed Doughty’s thoughts. He believes minor hockey coaches have a lasting impact on players.
“They probably know that they have some impact on the kids but you probably don’t know the impact that you have,” said Yeo.
“For me personally I can remember things that my coaches told me at 11 and 12 years old perfectly clear and I remember the times when coaches were incredibly inspiring and built my confidence and without fail.”
However, Yeo stressed that negativity can also leave a lasting impression.
“I definitely remember the times when they said things that were hurtful and hurt my feelings or hurt my confidence so be mindful of those things, be careful of those things, because for sure the kids that you are coaching they will take that with them the rest of their lives,” Yeo stated bluntly.
“You have a chance to help these kids not only in that sport but to become leaders in the community, leaders in their business world, and be successful wherever they go.”
Hedican, who asked Yeo if he would do a coaching clinic for the minor hockey coaches and managers who helped support Coach4Food, was very impressed by the friendly and candid responses Yeo made to all the eager coaches in the audience.
“It was unbelievable, I knew it was going to be good but I didn’t know it was going to be at the level, but I should have because he’s one of the top 30 coaches in the world and here he is sitting around with some local coaches and just answering questions in such a positive way,” said Hedican.
“He was excited to do it, it wasn’t a pain to come out here. He’s out at the lake and he’s at his cottage and he was happy to be here and you could tell by his answers, they weren’t standard pat answers. He really tried to convey good information for the coaches that they can use and I think he did that.”
Yeo has had a roller coaster hockey season, as he was fired early in 2016 by the Minnesota Wild, then won a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Championships in late May and then topped it off by netting a new job as associate coach with the Blues shortly before the NHL Draft on June 22nd.
In 2009, as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Yeo won a Stanley Cup and celebrated his Stanley Cup victory at Memorial Gardens with North Bay hockey fans that summer.