In news today, it was announced that Dan Bylsma has signed a three year extension to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins though 2013-14. In addition to citing Bylsma's fit in the organization from day one, GM Ray Shero referenced that what this team has accomplished thus far this season despite the losses of Crosby, Staal, Malkin and other key contributors for extended periods as being a testament to Dan's coaching system, his adaptability, and his composure under pressure. I could not agree more with the statement or the signing, but can someone help with the power play? 1 for the past 28? All kidding aside, great signing by the Penguins. Who is this guy?
Dan Bylsma was born on 9/19/70 in Grand Haven, Michigan. At Western Michigan Christian High School, Dan excelled in two other sports beside hockey. He won the Class D State Championship in golf as a freshman, and started in left field on the State Championship baseball team. As a senior he was named to the All-State "Dream Team" in baseball. From there Bylsma went on to play four years of hockey at Bowling Green State University from 1988 to 1992. He was drafted in the 6th round (109th overall) by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1989 Entry Draft. During the 1994 season while playing in the minors, Bylsma was given the name Disco Dan due to his penchant for locker room dancing! Despite being drafted by the Jets, Bylsma never played a game for them and signed with the LA Kings in the summer of 1994. He played in the NHL for nine seasons with both the LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks. He played in 429 regular season games, recording 19 goals, and 62 points. Bylsma was a RW, with a left handed shot. Bylsma signed with Anaheim in 2000 as a free agent to add veteran leadership and grit to a rebuilding club. In his second season, Bylsma earned the A as assistant captain, while recording a career high 17 points, and continuing his main role as a tenacious forechecker, who killed penalties with great tenacity. He also played for Anaheim in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003, a series the Ducks ultimately lost to the New Jersey Devils in 7 games. After one more season in Anaheim, Bylsma's NHL career ended, in part due to injuries, and he began his coaching career in 2004 with the Ducks AHL affiliate in Cincinnati. He made his NHL debut as an assistant coach for the New York Islanders in the 2005-06 season. Next Bylsma was the assistant coach for the Penguins AHL affiliate in Wilkes Barre-Scranton between 2006-08, before being named Head Coach of that club to start the 2008-09 season. He went 35-16-2 in WBS before being called up on 2/15/09 to coach the Pittsburgh Penguins. When Coach Disco was called to Pittsburgh on February 15th to replace Michele Therrien, the Penguins were in 10th place, and in real danger of missing the playoffs just one season removed from a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. From the day Bylsma was called up, the Penguins changed from a conservative team, to an aggressive forechecking team who won games with puck possession and a grinding style. The Pens went 18-3-4 in the final 25 regular season games, to go from 10th place to 4th place in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins then defeated arch rivals Philadelphia and Washington, before beating the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Confernce Finals. Then to complete their season of unfinished business, the Penguins defeated the Red Wings in 7 games, despite falling behind in the series 2-0, then getting blown out in the usually pivotal game 5. The Penguins hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup, the third in franchise history on June 12, 2009 completing an improbable dream season for Pittsburgh. The next season Bylsma compiled a 47-28-7 record for 101 points. The Penguins then beat Ottawa in a six game playoff series before being upset by a red hot Montreal team in the second round of the playoffs. Thus far this season Bylsma has the Penguins at 39-21-8, good for 86 points, and third OVERALL in the NHL despite losing 265 man games to injury including 39 from Staal, 27 from Crosby, 25 from Malkin, 15 from Kunitz, 13 from Letestu, and 12 more so far from Brooks Orpik. This does not include long absences from other role players such as Dustin Jeffrey, Arron Asham and others. Despite this adversity, the Penguins are poised for a strong playoff push, and not surprisingly, given Dan's history as a player, they lead the league in the PK, killing penalties at an 86.8% clip. They are also fifth in the NHL in goals against. In a poll this year of NHL players, Bylsma was named the coach that the most players in the NHL would like to play for. Some other notables about Disco Dan include the fact that he now has 104-52-19 overall record as head coach of the Penguins for a .649 winning percentage. That is the highest winning percentage of any coach in franchise history. He is also tied with coaching legend Scotty Bowman for most playoff victories (23) and most playoff series victories (5). His overall playoff record is 23-14. Not at all a bad resume for a 40 year old NHL role player! This team is molded in his image. The players note Bylsma's upbeat positive attitude as a key to his success, and they play just like he would, fast, intelligent, and uptempo. One oddity of the Bylsma era, is that despite the success of the team under his direction, and the blossoming of Sidney Crosby as a top goal scorer, Evgeni Malkin has struggled offensively since Bylsma took over. He was a holy terror, winning the Conn Smythe in the 2009 Stanley Cup Championship run, but in the two seasons post Cup, he has not been nearly the offensive threat he had been in the past. It may be just a coincidence, but it has been the case. Finally, Dan lives in the North Hills with his wife Mary Beth and son Bryan. Congratulations Disco Dan!
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