Dan Muse engaged the media in his first official press conference on Wednesday, imparting information on himself and what he plans to do as the next head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Right away when you hear him speak, you can sense a genuine nature to his words. He means everything he says, and yet, he's not going to be soft. You can be thankful for an opportunity while also taking it by the horns. Muse was both.
Muse understands the gravity of being at the helm of the Penguins franchise. It's a storied franchise whose story is still in process.
Developmentally, Muse looks to be a great fit for Rutger McGroarty and company as they continue to mature into mainstay NHL players. Developing the youth of Pittsburgh is perhaps the most crucial aspect of Muse's job in the coming years.
""My job coming in here is going to be to help maximize each person and help each person work toward what their highest level can be right now.”"Dan Muse
The Penguins dichotomy of elders and babies is a unique spot in the NHL. Muse is not denying the needs of the veterans, in fact, he's embracing their needs, meeting them where they are to make the most of what they can be.
Often it seemed like Mike Sullivan would tender towards the veterans without batting an eye to the youngsters. Now, Muse has the challenge of doing both. The Penguins of 2023 and 2024 were awful when it came to giving old bums more minutes than needed.
Intangibles, or Perhaps Very Tangible?
The last thing I personally liked about Muse is his voice. Weird, yes, but it's a very important aspect of a leader. Without a heavy, authoritative voice, leadership often falls short. It's basic psychology. People follow people who sound like leaders.
Muse's deep, Bostonian voice just exudes hockey. Sully had a great coach voice, and Muse is following suit.
Muse has plenty of work to do, but starting with a good opening press conference is a good sign for Penguins fans. You can check out the full press conference HERE.