'As a coach or a leader, guys are going to feed off of your energy. If you’re flustered, then the players will play flustered.' Head coach Nick Luukko is charting a steady course for the JaxIcemen entering Wednesday's Game 3.
The good news is Luukko’s lifelong experience in hockey helps him as a coach to navigate through tough situations. He spent his childhood and adolescence hanging out in the Philadelphia Flyers’ locker room because Luukko’s father, Peter, was the team president .
“Looking back, it was wild. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a game like that before,” Luukko said. “Probably the last four minutes [of regulation] felt like a year long. There was like a whistle every 10 seconds. It felt like an eternity, like an NBA game. With the Icemen having the unusual benefit of Games 3 and 4 against Atlanta being at home Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, they hope the momentum from surviving a wild Game 2 will carry them to their first playoff series victory.
“Once I talked to him, he just knew the game and had a maturity about him beyond his years. The age thing never came into it. Our players are all in their 20s, so he’s able to relate to them because he was a player just a few years ago.” “Obviously, he’s a young coach in his first year, but he came in right away and gained the respect of the players,” said Martin. “He’s very easygoing with us and it’s kind of nice with a young team. You’re bound to make mistakes being so young and he’s kind of given us more leeway. That allows us to have more confidence.”
“MacDonald pretty much told me he’d sign me if I want to play, but said, ‘If not, you can be my assistant coach.’ At that age, to get an opportunity like that, I got to take advantage of it. My thought process was if I get hired at 27, I can start to work my way up.” Many wouldn’t be surprised to see Luukko follow a similar path, but he’s having too much fun with the Icemen to think about anything else other than the next practice or game.
Star players John LeClair and Eric Lindros would let him tape their hockey sticks, and sometimes shoot paint balls at the Luukko brothers. “Having the amenities and the living situation we have helps a ton,” said Lynch. “Jacksonville is a huge home-ice advantage with our crowds and rowdy fans. The fans deserve a great product on the ice.”
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