Jamie Langenbrunner never had any intention of getting behind the bench once his playing days were done. The two-time Olympian laughed at the idea.
“I always said no way in heck did I ever want to coach,” joked the former winger. “While I was playing, I thought maybe I would be a scout, but never a coach. I saw the grief the parents would give the coaches and I always asked, ‘why the heck would any one want to do that’ and so I always said no to the idea of it.
“But then it had a way of sucking me in.”
Langenbrunner retired from the game in 2014 after 16 NHL seasons. A father of three, he warmed to the idea of coaching when his sons, Landon and Mason, started plying the family trade. To sweeten the deal, following his retirement from the game, the Langenbrunner clan moved back to his hometown of Cloquet, Minnesota.
“I think I’ve been very fortunate to be given the opportunities I have, whether it’s in the National Hockey League or to represent my country at the Olympics and World Juniors,” he said. “But for me, it all started by playing in your hometown rink. You don’t realize how much time and effort people put in to hockey in the community; how much work they do and the sacrifices that are made. For me, when I got back to Cloquet, I knew I wanted to give back to the community that shaped my hockey career. Coaching was that chance.”
“If I can give back, and at the same time, be able to teach kids some stuff that extends outside the rink, too, that’s really special to me.”
Langenbrunner has now held the coach title for three seasons, leading his sons’ teams each year. He loves to see the “smiles and excitement” from each of his players every time they get on the ice.
So has his impression of the coaching gig changed?
“I’ve been pretty fortunate with the parents and players I have – thank goodness – so it’s made the job a bit easier and more fun,” he said. “So yeah, I’m happy I’m here.”
Tag(s): Contact
