TD: I like to have fun and to me, the college experience should be a fun one. It’s the best time of your life. I want these guys to enjoy themselves and remember their time at Harvard and with the Harvard hockey program. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot of work to be done and there isn’t competitive fire that burns. But at the end of the day it is about the journey and it should be a fun journey for these guys.
THC: What did your former coach Bill Cleary tell you when you took this job and what do you try to take away from him?
TD: I talked to him continue to talk to him, and try guide the ship the way it should be guided at Harvard. You accomplish what all college coaches try to accomplish, and he did it the right way. That’s what’s most important about what he represents, the ability to athletically go after it without giving up anything from an academic standpoint.
THC: What’s the most important thing you take away from him and have tried to make your own?
TD: Well I think that his greatest asset as a coach was his ability to deal with people. His people skills, his communication skills. He brought an enthusiasm that was contagious. An excitement that was contagious. An attitude that I think filtered out throughout the program. I think that’s my goal. That’s my goal, to create an atmosphere that I enjoyed when I was here. To be in good standing within the university and within the hockey community.
THC: Was it hard to walk away from professional hockey, or was this just something you were ready for?
TD: I think both. I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t have the itch, the excitement of the game. You just can’t get a bottle and put it on the shelf. I’m excited about this season, about working with what I found to be great kids. I think in life you move on to different challenges, this is a huge challenge and I’m excited about it.
THC: Was playing for the Boston Bruins a dream come true?
TD: Yeah, it was. I think I’m unique in the fact that I always dreamed for playing for the Bruins, more than I wanted to play in the NHL, and I was lucky enough to be drafted by Boston. It was definitely a dream-come-true scenario.
THC: How active do you expect to be when you coach? Are you going to be the sort that slaps on your skates and mixes it up, or will you be more removed?
TD: I want to make sure these guys feel like they’re developing, feel like they’re improving on a day-to-day basis. How active I get in showing that remains to be seen but I think I know my place and these guys have obviously accomplished a great deal to get to this point and I want them to feel like they can compete at a high level while improving and developing as hockey players and people.
THC: You come into a situation with two or three very solid goalies. Dov has taken the Crimson to three straight NCAA tournaments, but does he come in as the favorite, or is the job up in the air?
TD: I think competition is always good. As a coach I want to base all my decisions on what’s purely good for the team, not what has gone on in the past, what’s going to go on in the future as far as projecting that. Realistically, I think Dov has won two ECAC championships, led the team to the NCAA tournament three times in a row. I’d be blind to say that he wasn’t the guy with the most experience and the lead for that position. I think he’s earned that.
THC: Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of “static” in Bright Hockey Center, from alums, family, fans. Do you think that you went to Harvard and played with many of those same alums will help you out?
TD: Yeah, I think that comes back to what kind of atmosphere I create around the program and within the program. I think having gone to school here and kind of sitting up in the seats being an alumni, I understand the concerns of both parents and the alumni.
THC: Harvard hasn’t won a Beanpot in some time. What would it mean to win such an important tournament this year?
TD: I’m so excited about the opportunity to be a part of the tea party here. I want my enthusiasm and excitement to compete against the other Boston schools to filter into the rest of our team, to get excited about it. Hopefully the results will follow from the preparation and dedication throughout our hockey team.