Empathy, Leadership Key for New Reign Head Coach John Wroblewski
- Updated: September 21, 2020
(Photo credit: theAHL.com)
In May, the Los Angeles Kings closed a prominent chapter when they had agreed to part ways with Ontario Reign head coach Mike Stothers.
Stothers, who had been with the Kings’ AHL affiliate since 2014 when they were still in Manchester, brought a plethora of success to the organization, including a Calder Cup win in 2015.
Photo credit: USA Hockey
While Stothers’ departure was a sad time for the organization, the Kings’ recent hire of John Wroblewski is crucial for the organization’s current rebuild.
Set to become the fifth head coach in Monarchs/Reign history, Wroblewski arrives in Ontario looking to capitalize on his expertise in youth development, coming off four years as the head coach for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the new Reign coach who shared his feelings on his new role, what he plans to implement as well as what he brings from his aforementioned role.
Here Comes the Reign
“This is a job that covers a lot of bases,” Wroblewski said of his new role. “Number one, as a coach in the American Hockey League, you’re looking at the promise of the future of the organization, somewhere where you come in, work with the player pool that the Kings have collected and hopefully make a difference with the organization’s goals to get back to their prowess. So, this job in Ontario definitely checked that box.”
In addition to the job itself, the Notre Dame alum was very impressed, and appreciative, with how the Kings organization treated him during the process.
“Then, you start to go down the line of [Kings and Reign] management and how professional they were through the process and with the reputation they carry throughout the hockey world. Finally, it’s a nice bonus to live out in southern California.”
Emphasis on Empathy
Being a coach at multiple levels has helped Wroblewski distinguish the similarities and contrasts between players of different ages. Whether they’re teenagers trying to break into the professional ranks or veterans who have been around the pro circuit for a while, Ontario’s new coach is very confident looking forward.
Photo courtesy of Youngstown Phantoms
“Hockey players, for the most part, are pretty much the same from level to level from the different habits to what they expect from coaches,” noted Wroblewski. “But, as you jump from– say it’s the junior ranks to the ECHL to the AHL to the NHL, there are subtle differences between what the players are expecting and I think just that experience in dealing with a little bit older, a little more mature player than what I’d dealt with for the last few years is definitely going to be pivotal.”
The more I spoke with him, the more evident Wroblewski’s commitment is to helping his players both on and off the ice. For the Neenah, WI, native, empathy is key to helping his players be the best they can both professionally and personally.
“You definitely want to be able to help those players out with their personal lives and want to know what the ins and outs are and how it might be affecting their day, and that changes dramatically from a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old to a 25-, 26-year-old,” Wroblewski stressed. “They’re just two different animals and I think the [coaching for USA Hockey] experience really was important but at the end of the day, I think the most important thing is to be an empathetic coach and am empathetic leader and making sure that you’re taking care of these guys by helping them out away from the rink as much as you help them on the rink.”
Domestic Development
With the likes of Blake Lizotte and Mikey Anderson with the Kings and Paul LaDue with the Reign, the organization has placed plenty of emphasis on American talent in recent years, including focus on the USHL, the top junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey.
While with USA Hockey, Wroblewski led the Under-18 team to a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2019. Overall, said experience makes Wroblewski and the Kings an ideal match.
“I think this is where we lined up with the Kings and why I think it was a fit. My mantra for building a team is through developing each individual to their specifications. So, what we do at the [USA Hockey] program is we build up each player as much as we possibly can, to make them the best on and off the ice that they can be, and then, hopefully what that does is that it translates to on the ice. So, we don’t concentrate as much on systematic items during the week — that’s usually done through video — and that is where the fit really lined up [with the Reign], I felt.”
What to Expect Early On
Despite being just 39 years old, Wroblewski has 11 years of coaching experience under his belt, including a few years in the ECHL, being named co-recipient of the ECHL’s Coach of the Year in 2011-12 with the Gwinnett Gladiators. For the former Fresno Falcon, though, his tenure with the Reign will be his second tour of duty in the AHL, having spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rochester Americans between 2013 and 2015. Nevertheless, Wroblewski arrives in Ontario with a clean slate and an open mind.
Photo credit: David Goldman/Associated Press
“Well, nothing’s going to change immediately, Wroblewski admitted. “I don’t even know if some of my philosophies differ that much from what was going on before but our practice orientation, I can tell you that my philosophy will revolve around player speed, their power and creativity. That’s our practice mantra.”
As the organization continues their rebuild, the new Reign coach was excited and determined in sharing his plans in preparation for the new season.
“For me, though, and my personality, first is to come in and observe and to make sure that I take in the proper information,” the former right winger said. “I’ve got a collection of really strong assistants and I’ll be around the L.A. Kings staff for a bit before our camp starts up. Then, once I get grounded there, we might start to see some changes from what was going on last year. As far as that’s concerned, I plan on bringing in the practice style and blending what I did with USA [Hockey] and blending what the Kings want implemented as well. We’ll work as a group whether it’s player development or a suggestion from the top [of the organization]. It’s a team effort. It’s not entirely what I’m going to be changing; I think it’s organizationally what we want to see happen but it’ll be my job to cultivate that on the fly.”
The late movie critic Roger Ebert once said that he believes that empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.
He was not alone in this belief.
While he will be working towards on-ice success with his new club, John Wroblewski has an unwavered dedication to having his players feel the best they can and to be the best they can both as players and as people. This is especially pivotal at a time when the Kings are in the midst of a solid rebuild, one that sees their prospect pool as one of the strongest in the NHL — a place the organization was familiar with nearly a decade ago en route to Stanley Cup success.
For someone whose youth is heavily countered with his experience, John Wroblewski may be just what the Ontario Reign — and the Los Angeles Kings — need right now. With a plethora of promising youngsters, some of whom will be banging on the NHL’s door before long, the Ontario Reign will provide a great deal of excitement for when the new AHL season does start. John Wroblewski is a significant factor in said excitement as the Kings’ AHL affiliate, embarking on a new chapter, are in very good hands.
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