Welcome back to the revamped Biscuits and Breezers! To start off the new publication of the blog I
decided since it is the off season that I would talk about something different than player spotlights or
trade updates, in a piece I would like to call Herb Brooks’ Ideal Team.
In the Movie Miracle, we are taken on a journey of, well, the impossible miracles that can happen in
sports, specifically hockey. Pretty much every hockey fan has seen the movie and if you haven’t, I
highly suggest it. But what I am constantly thinking of throughout the film are the words he says in
the very beginning of the movie. In a conference meeting, he mentions a progressive movement
towards a team of chemistry rather than talent. While this was in the late 70’s, it was a relatively new
idea that has now been incorporated into our modern game.
Brooks understood that the teams that win are ones that have players connected, not talented. With
a team of talent, you see a certain level of selfishness, becoming One Man Shows. Compliance is
pumped into the team like oxygen. You see clear lanes for defensemen/new forwards and then it’s
passed because that is what they are taught, to give it to the star players. I’ve seen this in several
junior teams. The wingers on a line with a star centerman always pass, even when they clearly have
a lane. There’s also jealousy sitting at the core of a franchise, bad blood if you will. It’s more about
one-upping the other than trying to be better than their previous self. Talented teams may score but
they don’t win.
Chemistry, arguably, is the most important aspect of a team and their success. For one, your team
will always be able to talk on the ice. When your lines are talking, you know passes and breakout
plays are possible. And even if they aren’t happening, the players have the ability to work through it.
Scrappy teams (teams that come back from deficits quickly or with very little time) tend to have that
chemistry and chatter. That chatter can create peer motivation or validation which is what keeps
players happy and in the game. We see this when a goalie gets scored on and their team goes over
and pats his helmet. In every relationship there is also a power structure, this includes teams.
Natural leaders will rise to the occasion, and their teammates will listen to them because that leader
was chosen by the group subconsciously rather than someone pointing at them and giving them the
privilege. Your team will also play as a whole, not as segments of a team. They will share the puck,
this is seen without watching the game. Score sheets with several names listed for goals and assists
have that “share the puck” mentality; they’re opportunistic, not basing their plays off of who’s more
likely to score but more off of who has the ability at that moment to score. Most of all, during losses
or a losing streak this team can regroup and get back at it.
I really notice team chemistry when I’m watching, whether that’s in the rink or in my living room. It is
a living, breathing part of a team nowadays and teams that lack it sit at the bottom of the standings.
For the 2017-18 season, I would say that Vegas is a modern example of Herb Brooks Ideal Team. I
give props to George McPhee because he really knows how to build a team with chemistry. Sure, as
an expansion team, all the players have the same thing in common, they’re new to the city and
franchise. But when you take a close look at their lines, it’s not about putting talent on every line,
while these guys are truly talented, what made them one of the best expansion team in NHL history
was the chemistry between them. If you’ve watched Miracle you definitely remember the conehead
line. Brooks didn’t just throw these guys on a line and hope it worked out. These guys found a
rhythm of their own and their coach saw that, keeping them together. I think this is a really important
part of coaching. Letting your team, every year, choose the flow of the game, whether that be the
lines or the defensive tactics. A team works better if the game they play is a discussion rather than a
manual of how to play and who to play it with.
That’s all I have for this post, come back next time when I discuss the busy general managers
around the NHL! Also, in the same post, I’ll mention the leagues I will be keeping my eye on for the
season so you know who I will be writing about and spotlighting!
And to read more about Herb Brooks I encourage you to read this post
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