"Coaching is a sense, not a science," says Hall of Famer. "He had a sense of what it needed as a player."
Article Author:
Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette
Larry Robinson when the Canadians hired Martin Admitting a little surprised St. Louis as the new head coach in February.
"I wasn't shocked, but I'm surprised," said Robinson, who won six Stanley Cups in his Hall of Fame career at the Canadians. I did. "It was the last name that came to my mind when they were looking for a coach, but looking at how he treated the team and the work he did, I thought it was perfect. I remember him as a player. His passion and will to win was unparalleled. He is also a French Canadian and can speak in both languages, which is helpful. "
Robinson decides to learn French while playing for the Canadians.
"You feel that you are in a city where most of the culture is French. If you choose to live somewhere, at least try to learn the language of that culture." Robinson said in a telephone interview last Friday. .. "I lived (in Montreal) all year long, so I decided to go out with a lot of (French) guys, talk to them and ask them to talk to me. This is the only way I was trying to learn. "
Robinson won four more Stanley Cups after his playing career. One is the head coach of New Jersey, two are assistant coaches of Devil's, and the other is a consultant in St. Louis. Blues. Robinson said he was 71 years old and is now too old to return to coaching, but if the Canadiens are interested in his service, he is interested in a consulting position with the Canadiens. Probably.
Robinson had Scotty Bowman as the five coaches of the Stanley Cup with the Canadians.
"Any coach can make drills, etc., but that's the way you control the bench, and he's probably the best I've ever seen." Robinson said. "He was able to tell after a few shifts who went, who didn't, and who would be on the ice in a particular situation."
Robinson Is not worried about the lack of coaching experience in St. Louis.
"What they say about something is,'You are as good as the people around you,'" Robinson said. "If he was inexperienced and had a good assistant around him, he would be fine. Coaching is a sense, not a science. He felt what he needed as a player. All you have to do is translate that feeling into the teacher's words. If he understands his claim, I think he will succeed. "
Against St. Louis When asked what the best advice he would have, Robinson said: Probably the most important thing — and see it in today's game — as long as you want to score goals, the defense still wins the championship.
scowan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/StuCowan1
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