He has coached on several levels, in many leagues, and in other countries, but Mark French is certain his 2020-21 season in Wheeling will prove more peculiar than any he’s experienced.
The 49-year-old French became the 19th head coach in Nailers’ history when the eldest franchise in the ECHL signed him in June, and Derek Army, a former forward for Wheeling during several seasons in the past eight years, will serve as his assistant.
The two coaches, though, are facing a schedule that includes far more than the game of hockey.
“I am sure there are going to be some unique challenges for sure, but I would much rather go through those challenges instead of not playing at all,” French said. “You just have to accept that it’s going to be different, and hopefully we will rise above and meet all of those challenges.
“I believe the more information that we can give to our players will allow them to understand this situation more,” he said. “I do feel that our players know how much of a privilege this is because they are getting the opportunity to play. Just last week about 150 of their peers in the league’s Northern Division lost their jobs because those folks opted out of the season, so I know our guys certainly appreciate that they are getting to play.”
One Loaded League
Wheeling’s new head coach is no stranger to the role, having guided teams in Calgary (WHL), Wichita (CHL), Medvesak (KHL), and in Hershey (AHL), where he won two Calder Cup championships as an assistant (2008-09) and as the head coach the next season.
The Nailers, however, have not qualified for the playoffs since losing in the Kelly Cup Finals in 2016, and French feels the ECHL will be more competitive than usual when the season opens on Dec. 12 against the Indy Fuel.
“First and foremost, I think there’s going to be some outstanding hockey played because of the uncertainty and the reduction of teams that we have seen so far,” French said. “Once we announced that we would be playing, we became a very popular call for agents and players because of the lack of spots across the ECHL right now.
“That’s one of the reasons why we are pretty happy with where our roster is right now, but we’re also mindful that there’s going to be a lot of competition among the 12 teams that will be playing this season. The quality of our opponents is going to be at a really high level.”
Fans in the Stands?
The fate of the 2020-21 was in question until the first 10 games of Wheeling’s season were announced in mid-October, and the Nailers are scheduled to play against the Fuel five times in the first seven games. The team will “bubble” inside the Boury Lofts when the players are in town, and personnel will be limited on road trips.
No decision on fan attendance has been released by ECHL officials or by Wheeling ownership for the Dec. 12 season-opener at Wesbanco Arena. The Nailers averaged close to 2,200 fans per game before the season was halted in March after the rampant spread COVID-19 throughout the country.
“While I was watching the NHL playoffs, as good as some of those games were there was still an eeriness to them because of the lack of the fans in the seats,” French said. “I can only imagine how strange it was for the coaches and the players because the fans are such a big part of the game of hockey. As a former player and now a coach, I know how much we feed off that energy.
“There’s nothing better than when you are coming off the bench for your next shift, and you feel that energy,” he explained. “Unfortunately, there may be no fans or less fans than usual. That’s the reality of it, so we’ll work even harder to get them motivated to play their best. It’s something we’re working on every day.”
That Wheeling Feeling
Since the Wheeling Thunderbirds landed in downtown Wheeling in 1992, the players’ interaction with the surrounding community has been an important and popular component. The franchise, in fact, hosts two free morning games for school students from the Upper Ohio Valley each season, but those games will not happen unless the children are in schools, and fans are permitted in the arena.
It’s all the uncertainty, too, that has limited French’s interaction with folks in the Wheeling area.
“To be honest, I have not yet spent a lot of time in town other than going to the rink and then traveling back home to the Canonsburg area,” the head coach said. “I think that’s how things are nowadays, and that’s OK because, hopefully, there will be plenty of time to get to the know the city of Wheeling and our fans.
“About two or three weeks ago, the reality of what we are undertaking set in, and everyone realizes the seriousness of what we are doing. We know it’s a privilege, too,” French added. “That’s why we have started to think about the bubbling procedures and how everyone can remain as safe as possible.”
