Ted on Ted, Islanders and More
April 25th, 2007 by murph
One more interview from NewYorkIslanders.com, this time it’s Coach Ted Nolan discussing his performance this season, the team, and all the UFA’s this off-season. Here’s an excerpt.
On his evaluation of the team:
“We made a lot of strides in bringing the right guys to change the attitude. Attitude is everything. You look at all the guys we mentioned all year. We added some good, strong character guys. It’s not necessarily about the skill. Skill can get you so far. It’s the will, the commitment and the passion for the game that these guys have. They’re on the ice all the time and look like they’re enjoying it.
“They were sad to see the season was over. They enjoyed one another. It’s a good step. And now we have to build on that first impression. We brought guys in who didn’t just come to the rink to put their time in. They came in to make us better, work and compete. That to me is the most important thing – the willingness to compete.”
On the excitement at the end of the season:
“To win you need strong-willed individuals. You put them together to form a championship-caliber team. The way we ended the season was exciting with the Rangers game, the Leafs game and the two playoff games. It gave us a real good taste of what to build upon. It’s not about resting on what we thought we accomplished. Yeah, we made the playoffs, but the playoffs are a given. You want to win a championship.”
On changes for next year:
“One thing with pro sports nowadays is that you’re not going to go with the same team year after year even if you’re a dynasty team. You’re going to lose people. We’ll probably lose some people. That’s the beauty of sports. We’ll bring in some more people to add to what we’ve got, keep the good pieces and put the jigsaw puzzle together. Hopefully, it’s a combination to win a championship.
“We’re looking for the types of players we added: players with the attitude and the desire to compete. You look at the playoffs and that’s what it’s all about. It’s not about the skill level. The next level to get over that edge is the competitive edge. How competitive are they? How do they prepare themselves? How do they treat their teammates and approach the game on and off the ice?
“We’ll address the fact that we could use speed up front, but we can’t just have speedy guys. You need a good character speedy guy. You can’t just get a big, mobile defenseman who moves the puck up well. You have to see what type of guy he is, and what kind of competitive spirit he has. We’re going to be adding more competitive players.”
