With training camps now around the corner, NHL Wraparound starts September with the first of several coaches on the show.
All 32 men have a unique story in terms of their journey that landed them behind an NHL bench. For Victoria, BC-born Spencer Carbery, it began as a player before working his way through the ECHL and AHL before being named Washington Capitals head coach in 2023.
Carbery shares his story with Neil and Vic, his experience working with Alex Ovechkin and looks ahead to guiding the Caps back to the playoffs with some punch and leadership added to the lineup.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[03:06] - Growing up in British Columbia, Carbery shares his early days as a player and how his journey took him to South Carolina where current Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar convinced to keep playing. One of his teammates with the Stingrays: Caps 2018 Stanley Cup winning-goalie Braden Holtby.
[08:34] - As eventual head coach of the Stingrays, one of his assistants: current San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky.
[10:50] - Neil and Spencer share some memories of Hershey, where Carbery coached from 2018-2021.
[13:32] - The move to the NHL as an assistant with the Maple Leafs where Carbery had full exposure to life in a huge media market and working with true stars for the first time.
[16:45] - Hired by the Capitals in May 2023, Carbery takes over as a rookie NHL head coach and begins with a team with star power and experience comparable to that in Toronto. He credits the Caps big names for making the adaptation a comfortable one.
[19:22] - Though having heard, seen and experienced the greatness of Alex Ovechkin as an outsider, the things that impressed Carbery most about OV upon becoming his coach.
[22:11] - "The Chase" for the all-time goal scoring record. Had OV not broken his leg and missed 16 games and had the record been achieved sooner, might the end result of the 2024-25 season been different for the Caps?
[29:58] - With the expectations different in each of his four training camps, does the core message to the team differ or stay the same?
[33:51] - The one thing that excites Carbery the most heading into the 2026-27 season.
[35:28] - The challenge of being a head coach in an era where the player turnover is far more prevalent than in decades past.
[39:32] - Wrapping up the discussion with Spencer Carbery and looking ahead to other coaches joining the show in September.
X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound
Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil
Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/
NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/
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