Former LA Kings Prospect Colten Teubert Excited to Begin Coaching Career
- Updated: July 31, 2019
He was drafted at a crucial juncture in the organization’s history as the Los Angeles Kings were in the midst of transitioning themselves into championship contenders. Despite not having played for the big club, though, Colten Teubert nonetheless learned how to be a leader while with the Kings organization and now, as he begins his coaching career with the Bellingham Blazers of the Western States Hockey League, the former Kings prospect is set to take full advantage of his leadership skills.
Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Recently, I had a chance to speak with the new coach, discussing who influenced his transition into coaching and what initially piqued his interest to be a bench boss.
“As far as what I’ve learned from what I do and don’t like from coaches, I’ve experienced things while [with the Kings organization] that I want to do to my players as well as learning from a lot of good veteran players on how to handle situations like that,” Teubert said. “A couple of guys that helped me out along the way from [the Kings] organization specifically were other players on my teams. I found some freedom with my teammates such as Bud Holloway, Justin Azevedo, and Andrew Campbell — guys who were in leadership positions when I was there. I really latched onto those guys.”
While he hadn’t played for the Kings, Teubert did spend time in the ECHL and AHL in Ontario and Manchester, respectively. To be specific, it was the former where Teubert learned the most while with the Kings organization.
Karl Taylor, Ontario Reign; Photo credit: The Press-Enterprise, Milka Soko
“I wasn’t there long enough with the Kings to get to know any of the coaches. I was mostly just a minor-league guy,” admitted Teubert. “At that same time, [head coach] Karl Taylor, when I was with the [ECHL’s] Ontario Reign, really helped me as well as guys on that team like Chad Starling and other veteran players like Tim Kraus, who were just good guys, good leaders and hockey people who loved the game and wanted to help me as a young athlete. So, Karl Taylor was amazing to work with and I still frequently try to see where he’s at and where he’s coaching.”
It was around this time that Teubert, now 29, really started to think about the coaching ranks once his playing career was in the books. But, what was it about coaching that intrigued the former blueliner?
“For me, with the new-age player, it’s customizing how you coach [your players],” Teubert began. “Everybody’s different and unique and when I was in [the NHL], it was old-school. Social media had just started to come out and the way coaches reacted to it back then is definitely not how they react to it now because being a professional athlete, you should be able to have your own personality, your own look, your own style, and what I want to do is help promote these young athletes that I have [in Bellingham] and help them better their lives on and off the ice.”
Photo credit: Bridget Samuels
In early 2011, the Kings had traded Teubert to the Edmonton Oilers for Dustin Penner. While Penner’s contributions helped the Kings win their first Stanley Cup in 2012, though, Teubert continued to prepare for his next career. After three years with the Oilers organization, Teubert took his game to Germany, with stops in Iserlohn and Nuremberg, before retiring.
A native of White Rock, B.C., less than 30 miles from Bellingham, WA, Colten Teubert can confidently look back on his career and think about the coaches he had and how much he learned from them.
Two former Kings coaches, in fact, led Teubert and Team Canada to gold and silver medals at the 2009 and 2010 World Juniors, respectively. The late Hall-of-Famer Pat Quinn and Willie Desjardins each not only provided the Regina Pats alum with resonating leadership qualities but allowed him to use his towering 6-foot-4 frame to his advantage in helping his country achieve such success.
“My experiences in how I want to coach really just stems from gaining knowledge throughout my pro career,” Teubert stressed. “From coaches like Pat Quinn, Willie Desjardins, Guy Boucher, Karl Taylor, Rob Wilson out of Nuremberg as well as Jamie Bartlett and Jari Pasanen out of Iserlohn, these coaches were just so amazing and great to me and understood me, and I think that’s the biggest thing I want to implement: understanding my players individually and try to help them.
“You’ve got to build that trusting relationship and you’ve got to be their voice and to be their leader to come up when they’re feeling down, to keep them level-headed and even-keeled.”
Whether it’s 13th overall like Teubert or in the 9th round like [Hall-of-Famer and Kings president] Luc Robitaille, professional playing careers are not mapped out by where and when one is drafted. Yet, while his playing career may not have lasted as he had hoped, don’t expect Colten Teubert to feel disappointed. In fact, the 29-year-old’s excitement for coaching is palpable as he prepares for his maiden season with his new team.
“I’m super excited to be here with the Bellingham Blazers and in this community and help grow the game of hockey,” Teubert concluded.
It’s of the belief that cliches are cliches because they’re accurate. With that being said, the adage, “Once a King, always a King,” can — and does, frankly — apply to Colten Teubert as we wish the new coach the very best in Bellingham and beyond.
Photo credit: www.wshl.org
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About Ryan Cowley
Ryan Cowley
August 2, 2019 at 9:00 am
Disclaimer: “Davey Bartlett” should have been “Jamie Bartley” and “Jari Pasanen”.
My sincerest apologies to Mr. Bartley and Mr. Pasanen.
There was a miscommunication on my part.