Connect with us

College Sports

Who Is New Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Dan Muse? His Path Tells A Story

The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled a bit of a surprise Wednesday when they announced that Dan Muse will be the team’s new head coach. Muse was with the New York Rangers for the previous two seasons as an assistant coach, but has been a head coach before at the USHL level, notably with the Chicago Steel […]

Published

on


The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled a bit of a surprise Wednesday when they announced that Dan Muse will be the team’s new head coach. Muse was with the New York Rangers for the previous two seasons as an assistant coach, but has been a head coach before at the USHL level, notably with the Chicago Steel and U.S. National Team Development Program.

Muse has a track record of helping players develop, but also with winning. He helped lead the Steel to its first ever Clark Cup in 2017. He also helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship with a roster led by future high draft picks Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault and Will Smith.

At just 42 years old, Muse will be among the youngest head coaches in the NHL and has followed a unique path from prep school assistant all the way to the NHL on his coaching journey, which is fascinating.

The Penguins are in a bit of a precarious spot. They have aging veteran superstars who still want to win, but there’s also the need to rebuild and start planning for the long term. 

Pittsburgh’s prospect system is starting to improve, but it still has a long way to go in order to remake the future of the team. Being able to mix development with winning is a very difficult needle to thread, but it helps to bring in someone that has done that in previous stops.

Dan Muse’s Path From Prep School To The Pittsburgh Penguins

Despite being just 42, Muse has been a coach at some level for 20 years already. The Canton, Mass., native graduated from Stonehill College where he played at the NCAA Division III level.

He went straight into coaching, first with Milton Academy prep school. After two years there, he made the jump to college, as an assistant at Division III Williams College. After just one year there, he went to Division I Sacred Heart University where Muse spent one more year before getting a really big break – being named an assistant coach at Yale University under Keith Allain.

The Bulldogs won their first ever NCAA championship in 2013 with Muse’s fingerprints all over it. It was his fourth year at the school and Muse had quickly gained a reputation as a hard worker who was relentless in trying to make himself, his program and his players better.

When a program wins a championship, especially one like Yale which had an illustrious history with so few trophies to show for it, people notice.

That same year, Muse was named video coach for Team USA at the World Junior Championship. With a team led by Johnny Gaudreau, John Gibson and Seth Jones, Team USA won its first gold since 2010.

In 2015, Muse got his first head coaching job. The Chicago Steel brought him in and success soon followed. Muse was there for two seasons, winning the Clark Cup in 2017 – the first championship in the team’s 17-year history in the USHL. It was an especially dramatic turnaround for the team after missing the playoffs altogether in his first year.

The Clark Cup has been a rite of passage of several NHL head coaches. Among current head coaches, Jon Cooper, Jeff Blashill and Jim Montgomery have all won Clark Cups on their way to the NHL. Former Detroit Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde also won one.

Of those coaches, only Blashill also spent time as an NHL assistant coach prior to running an NHL bench. Muse will have that same experience.

Muse’s rapid ascent in the coaching world continued as he was hired by the Nashville Predators to be an assistant coach with Peter Laviolette, who himself came up as a player in the Division III NCAA ranks.

After three seasons in the NHL, USA Hockey came calling for Muse again. He was brought in to lead the U.S. National Under-18 Team at the National Team Development Program which featured future NHL star Luke Hughes, among others.

That first year was difficult, not just because of COVID-19 hampering the season, but injuries derailed the team. On home ice at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, with six additions from the U17 Team just for injury replacements including Hughes, USA failed to medal for the first time at the tournament in 17 years. A young Rutger McGroarty, now one of the key prospects in Pittsburgh’s system, was one of those U17 players called up.

It was a bitterly disappointing moment, even if there were some clear disadvantages USA had to deal with at that tournament.

Two years later, however, Muse and Team USA got redemption as a team led by Leonard, Smith, Perreault, Trey Augustine, beat Sweden in overtime for the gold medal giving Muse his second overall championship in just five years as a head coach.

The following season, Laviolette called Muse to join him with the Rangers, where he was for the last two years. 

Will It Work?

There are very few coaches anywhere in the world that have had a coaching path quite like the one Muse has been on. But when you win enough, the opportunities come faster and more frequently. 

That said, Muse’s head coaching experience has been limited to the junior level. Having the NHL assistant coaching experience is a huge plus, but now Muse faces one of the biggest coaching challenges in the NHL.

Sidney Crosby has said he wants to remain with the Penguins, which is great news for any coach. The hard part is trying to push the franchise in a more positive direction where there is bound to be frustration if the wins don’t come quickly. That’s going to require giving more responsibility to younger players, even though they might not be the best options in the lineup relative to the veterans they have.

Kyle Dubas has been aggressive in his maneuvering as Penguins general manager. Not every move has been popular, but that’s kind of the way things are going to go there for a bit. Building a championship team again is going to take time.

Hiring Muse, who has a track record of helping players get better while not sacrificing winning, is a good idea to try. When you look at the path he has taken, there is no doubt work ethic is a big part of what got the Massachusetts native to this point.

Whether it works or not remains to be seen, but it is definitely an outside-the-box shot worth taking. 

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don’t miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch the AHL, ECHL, USHL, And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social





Link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

College Sports

Dev Camp Notebook: BriseBois speaks, Czata takes ice and Connor is back

Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois spoke on Wednesday during the second on-ice day of 2025 development camp, addressing the team’s early approach to this offseason. BriseBois spoke on a number of topics, including a pair of free agency signings from Tuesday and offseason plans. We also caught up with one of the newest […]

Published

on


Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois spoke on Wednesday during the second on-ice day of 2025 development camp, addressing the team’s early approach to this offseason.

BriseBois spoke on a number of topics, including a pair of free agency signings from Tuesday and offseason plans.

We also caught up with one of the newest draftees in 2025 second-round pick Ethan Czata as well as 2024 draft pick Joe Connor, a forward who just finished his freshman season of college hockey.

BriseBois: Untapped potential in free agents, Finley could earn NHL chance this season

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed one external player to a one-way NHL contract after NHL free agency officially opened on Tuesday, adding 26-year-old forward Pontus Holmberg to the organization. The team then signed 24-year-old forward Jakob Pelletier early Wednesday morning, inking a three-year contract that begins as a two-way deal before converting to a one-way deal in seasons two and three.

Both players entered the offseason as restricted free agents with their respective teams but went unqualified due to holding arbitration rights. BriseBois and the Lightning believe both carry untapped potential.

Holmberg, who scored seven goals and 19 points in 68 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, can slot in at center or on the wing. The Swedish forward is most known for defensive acumen and speed, and the Lightning targeted Holmberg when they learned he was headed to unrestricted free agency.

Holmberg played with Lightning captain Victor Hedman at the World Championship, and the team heard positive reviews in their scouting process.

“Right now I like the makeup of our team…This was a really good team,” BriseBois said, “and I think Holmberg makes us an even better defensive team on what was already a really strong defensive team.”

Holmberg will likely spend time at center and on the wing throughout the year.

Tampa Bay signed Pelletier to a three-year contract in the early hours of Wednesday. The former first-round pick by the Calgary Flames in 2019 scored seven goals and 19 points in 49 NHL games between Calgary and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pelletier’s contract is a two-way deal in 2024-25 and then pivots to a one-way contract for the final two seasons. Pelletier has scored 130 career points in 139 career games in the American Hockey League.

BriseBois said injuries hampered some of Pelletier’s development at a young age, but the Lightning see potential in him. Syracuse Crunch head coach Joel Bouchard knows Pelletier from time with Hockey Canada.

“Everyone that we talked to over the years (said) he’s high, high character, really competitive, really driven. So we think the person’s worth investing in because he’s going to do everything on his end to get us a return on that investment. And the skillset is there because he’s skilled, he’s competitive, he can make plays…keep working with him, try to get him to be a better version of what he is today. And if we do that, we’re going to end up getting a really good, young NHL player at a really good contract.”

Tampa Bay didn’t expect Holmberg to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so they jumped to sign him when he became available. Other than that, Tampa Bay has been leading up to a quiet offseason for months.

The Lightning made their 2025 trade deadline acquisition of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde from Seattle—and then re-signed Gourde—partly because they anticipated this summer’s free agent market being a lighter group and both players can fit up and down the Tampa Bay lineup.

BriseBois said the team will keep looking for ways to get better, adding their projected $1.95 million in cap space is a benefit. BriseBois did maintain that it will likely be a quieter offseason compared to the previous 12 months.

“We will remain on the lookout between now and the start of the season, between now and the trade deadline. It’s (cap space) a luxury we haven’t had in the past. It might also mean we can carry more players and there’s more internal competition for ice time, which is also healthy, but I don’t expect us to be very active.”

Some of that internal competition could be in the bottom six and include Jack Finley.

The organization believes in the 22-year-old forward, who played his first career NHL game last season. The right-handed center could push for an NHL roster spot in 2024-25 after scoring 14 goals and 28 points in 40 AHL games in Syracuse last season.

“Jack Finley’s in the mix now,” BriseBois said…”I am fairly confident he’d already be in the NHL if it weren’t for the injuries he suffered over the years, and now he’s at a point where he’s going to be given that opportunity. He’s done it really well at the AHL level. He’s been that penalty kill, right-shot face-off guy who excels in the dot, and we’re going to give him the opportunity to grow into that role at the NHL level.”

Czata takes to Lightning ice for first time

Four days after being selected by Tampa Bay with the 56th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft, forward Ethan Czata took the ice in a Lightning jersey for the first time on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old spoke prior to his on-ice session, saying he is happy to be with the Lightning this week after scoring 21 goals and 55 points with the Niagara IceDogs in the OHL last season.

“In my time being alive they’ve won a couple cups, so I think it’s a winning organization,” Czata said. “Everyone here wants to win, and I think that’s something I want to do, too, is win a Stanley Cup eventually in my life. So this is the place I want to be.”

He said touring AMALIE Arena on Tuesday was exciting, adding he hopes to play in front of the fans in Tampa in the future.

The first few days of camp have been about meeting his fellow Lightning prospects and learning along the way. His big takeaway so far has been drilling down on the process.

That began through video work with Lightning skating coach consultant Barb Underhill.

“They’re really big on details here. I think that every little detail helps you become a better hockey player. We’re about to go on for skating, and I was with (skating coach Barb Underhill) looking at my skating stride the other day, and I kind of realized that ‘m always able to get better. I can grow way more. It’s awesome kind of just having those resources and the people that want to help you.”

After getting drafted in Los Angeles last Saturday, the Brompton, Ontario product is happy to be one step closer to reaching the NHL.

“It’s kind of surreal still. It’s kind of crazy I’m in the Tampa Bay lighting practice facility, putting on Tampa gear and going on the ice with a bunch of Tampa staff,” Czata said. “So it’s pretty awesome. Obviously this is something that I’ve dreamed of, and to finally be able to get closer and closer to my dream is awesome.”

Connor reflects on freshman season

After being selected in the seventh-round by Tampa Bay in the 2024 NHL Draft, forward Joe Connor ended his first season of NCAA hockey with a big team honor at Northeastern University.

Connor’s teammates and coaches chose him to receive the Rookie of the Year Award after he scored seven goals and 17 points in 37 games during his first season of college hockey.

The New Hampshire native’s seven goals were fourth-most on the team. He led the roster with 47 penalty minutes.

“Not the end we were looking for, but I think I improved tremendously on my skating and defensive zone play,” he said at development camp Wednesday. “Just playing in the system and learning the system just helped progressively so much throughout the season.”

This is Connor’s second development camp with the Lightning, and he feels more prepared this time around.

“Everything’s going great,” he said. “Getting on the ice for the first time today felt good. I’m way more comfortable than last year, and getting to know the younger guys is cool.”

The 20-year-old forward described himself as a “hard-nosed forward that likes to get gritty in the corners” but can also make plays with the puck.

He hopes to build on that this week at development camp as well as in his second year at Northeastern. The Howlin Huskies will look to improve on their 14-20-3 record last season.

“Honestly I think it just starts with getting to know the new guys. We’re going to have a lot of new guys coming in and just want to hit the ground running and being motivated from what happened last season.”



Link

Continue Reading

College Sports

Five Women’s Hockey Players Named All-American Scholars By AHCA

GLOUCESTER, Mass.—The American Hockey Coaches Association (ACHA) announced its Krampade All-American Scholars on Monday afternoon. Five Dartmouth women’s hockey student-athletes earned the prestigious honor. To be eligible student-athletes must have obtained a 3.75 GPA or better in each semester of the 2024-25 season and must have played in at least 40% of games. Cally Dixon, […]

Published

on


GLOUCESTER, Mass.—The American Hockey Coaches Association (ACHA) announced its Krampade All-American Scholars on Monday afternoon. Five Dartmouth women’s hockey student-athletes earned the prestigious honor.

To be eligible student-athletes must have obtained a 3.75 GPA or better in each semester of the 2024-25 season and must have played in at least 40% of games.

Cally Dixon, Hamilton Doster, Maura Fiorenza, Laura Fuoco, and Lauren Messier each earned the honor.

Dixon skated in 29 games for the Big Green while scoring seven goals and adding four assists in her junior season.

Doster scored twice while adding three assists in her sophomore season. She has skated in 52 career games and has tallied seven goals and four assists.

Fiorenza skated in 28 of 29 games for the Big Green and served as a key member of the Dartmouth defense core as she blocked 31 shots.

Fuoco was a second on the Big Green in scoring as she had 16 points on eight goals and eight assists in 29 games. She closes her Dartmouth career with 116 career games, 28 goals, and 35 assists.

Messier served as captain as she played in all 29 games for the Big Green as a senior. She led the team in scoring with eight goals and nine assists. In 117 career games she scored 23 goals and notched 25 assists.

The ECAC recently announced the conference schedule for the 2025-26 season and Dartmouth season ticket deposits are now available by clicking here. The full Dartmouth schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

 



Link

Continue Reading

College Sports

Hodges, Mansfield, Cameron and Bakkevig Named AHCA All-American Scholars

Story Links WALTHAM, Mass. – Four players from the 2024-25 Bentley hockey team were named All-American Scholars by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) on Wednesday. The quartet is A.J. Hodges, Ryan Mansfield, Colton Cameron and Oskar Bakkevig. The criteria for being named an All-American Scholar is a student-athlete must have […]

Published

on


WALTHAM, Mass. – Four players from the 2024-25 Bentley hockey team were named All-American Scholars by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) on Wednesday. The quartet is A.J. Hodges, Ryan Mansfield, Colton Cameron and Oskar Bakkevig.

The criteria for being named an All-American Scholar is a student-athlete must have attained a 3.75 GPA in each semester and have appeared in 40 percent of his team’s games.

Hodges, Mansfield and Cameron are all repeat selections from 2023-24.

Hodges, who graduated in May with a degree in finance, had nine goals and nine assists last season and was named to the Atlantic Hockey All-Tournament team.

Mansfield will be a junior next season and scored eight goals to go along with 10 assists. He is majoring in corporate finance and accounting.

Cameron is a defenseman who played in 38 of Bentley’s 40 games last season. He is majoring in finance and is entering his junior season.

Bakkevig completed his freshman year and notched 10 goals and six assists. He was voted the team’s Rookie of the Year.

Hodges and Bakkevig previously received the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award from Atlantic Hockey for having a 4.0 GPA in both the fall and spring semesters.

 



Link

Continue Reading

College Sports

Boston Jr. Rangers’ Dempsey Commits To Colorado College • USPHL

By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com Boston Jr. Rangers goaltender Beckham Dempsey is truly excited to be able to show the different ways he can help the NCAA Division I Colorado College team. The Tigers see in Dempsey a never-give-up attitude that they hope will be infectious around the locker room. “I began talking with Colorado […]

Published

on


By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com

Boston Jr. Rangers goaltender Beckham Dempsey is truly excited to be able to show the different ways he can help the NCAA Division I Colorado College team. The Tigers see in Dempsey a never-give-up attitude that they hope will be infectious around the locker room.

“I began talking with Colorado College after I was admitted as a student. They reached out, we set up a visit, and the rest was history. What they liked most about my game wasn’t my speed, my tracking, or even my win/loss record. They didn’t care how many games I started or who I played for. They cared that I kept playing after continuous setbacks. They cared that on every play, I did what I could to make a save and give my team a chance to win,” said Dempsey, a 2004-born native of Wayne, Ill. “They realized that my tenacious personality contributed to my game, which is what they know I can bring to their team.”

He is looking forward to being part of a strong Tigers program in one of the toughest conferences, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

“The innovation and purpose are what I like most about Colorado College, both on the ice and in the classroom,” said Dempsey. “Ed Robson Area, home of the Tigers, boasts everything a student-athlete could dream of. A 3,000-plus capacity, state-of-the-art training and recovery facilities, and even an academic lounge. Not to mention, CC’s block plan, where students take one class at a time, gives me the confidence to fully indulge myself in my studies.”

Dempsey comes out of his single season with the Jr. Rangers after previously playing in the NCDC with the Pueblo Bulls and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. He finished his career with a .904 save percentage over 23 games in two seasons.

“Playing for the Boston Jr. Rangers this past season was an honor. Head Coach Richard DeCaprio genuinely believed in me as an athlete, which helped boost my confidence in net,” added Dempsey. “Having access to the gym and extra ice throughout the year helped develop my game the most. Whenever I felt I needed to work on something, the opportunity was there.”

The Jr. Rangers were a first-year team in the NCDC, joining from their former league which was at a lower tier of play, but they performed well and enjoyed seeing 18 players advance to NCAA hockey in their first season in the league.

“The NCDC was a fun and challenging experience for me during the two seasons I played juniors. Having played in both the East and the West, as well as in every division and against almost every team, I got a taste of it all,” he said. “The games were a highlight of my time in the league, in addition to the fan experience in the West. I met some of my best friends during juniors, and can confidently say I am more prepared for college and the real world after playing in the NCDC.”

It is a big jump from every level of junior hockey to the NCAA game, and Dempsey is laser-focused this summer on getting to exactly where the program wants him when the team workouts begin.

“In order to succeed at Colorado College, I have been working on being more explosive in movements. I am already doing CC workouts provided by the strength department to be successful upon my arrival,” he added. “This is a program where being average just isn’t enough. Head Coach Kris Mayotte knows what this program means to the College and Colorado Springs. He has done an excellent job building this program, and I can’t wait to join him alongside my other Tiger teammates this fall!”

The NCDC congratulates Beckham Dempsey, his family, the Boston Jr. Rangers and Colorado College for his commitment.



Link

Continue Reading

College Sports

NCAA’s House settlement era begins, shaking up college athletics as some schools opt out

NCAA’s House settlement era begins, shaking up college athletics as some schools opt out | DRGNews google-site-verification: google9919194f75dd62c5.html Link 0

Published

on







NCAA’s House settlement era begins, shaking up college athletics as some schools opt out | DRGNews























google-site-verification: google9919194f75dd62c5.html



Link

Continue Reading

College Sports

Canes Sign Tyson Jost To One-Year Contract

RALEIGH, N.C. – Eric Tulsky, General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Tyson Jost to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Jost $775,000 on the NHL level or $300,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL), with a guarantee of at least $600,000. “Tyson […]

Published

on


RALEIGH, N.C. – Eric Tulsky, General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Tyson Jost to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Jost $775,000 on the NHL level or $300,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL), with a guarantee of at least $600,000.

“Tyson was able to contribute to our organization in a number of different ways last year, and we’re happy to keep him here,” said Tulsky. “He’s extremely well-liked and hard-working and capable of playing a number of different roles in the lineup.”

Jost, 27, appeared in 39 regular-season games for the Hurricanes in 2024-25, totaling nine points (4g, 5a). He also played 14 games in the AHL with Chicago, scoring four goals and adding five assists (9 points). Selected by the Avalanche in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2016 NHL Draft, Jost has registered 149 points (61g, 88a) in 495 career NHL games with Colorado, Minnesota, Buffalo and Carolina. The 5’11”, 187-pound forward has also tallied 30 points (13g, 17a) in 52 career AHL games with San Antonio, Colorado, Rochester and Chicago.

Prior to turning professional, Jost posted 35 points (16g, 19a) in 33 NCAA games with North Dakota during his lone season of college hockey in 2016-17. The St. Albert, Alta., native has represented Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, and two IIHF World Championships (2018-19), winning silver in 2017 and 2019.



Link

Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending