Ben Simon enters his first season as the Griffins’ head coach with the challenge to continue the organization’s winning tradition.

Story by Mark Newman / Photo by Sam Iannamico

At the press conference where he introduced Ben Simon as the new head coach of the Griffins, Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin spoke about how the Shaker Heights, Ohio, native first came to his attention. At the time, Martin was an agent and Simon was playing hockey at the University of Notre Dame.

Martin said he came away impressed by the man who was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, citing qualities as “extremely hardworking,” “competitive” and “great detail to the game” as traits that he thought were notable.

“Those qualities were very evident every time that Ben played,” Martin said. “It is clear that not a lot has changed since then. Ben has continued to make his mark and enjoy success as a coach, utilizing many of the same attributes that served him well as a player.”

Martin mused that Simon had been part of “one of the longest interviews in AHL head coach history – three years.”

“Since the day that Ben was hired as an assistant coach (in 2015), he’s proven to be an invaluable member of the coaching staff,” Martin said. “I believe he is one of the best young coaches in professional hockey. As he transitions from assistant to head coach, I’m sure that success will follow Ben.”

Simon steps into a role that could impact the future of the Red Wings franchise, especially given that the team is undergoing a transformation after 25 consecutive years of playoff appearances ended in 2017.

“The AHL head coach is one of the most important people in an NHL organization,” Martin said. “As the Red Wings continue to rebuild, developing players for the NHL is going to be paramount to that rebuild, and the AHL coach is going to be fundamental to that process.”

The new coach is ready for the challenge.

“I’m excited to put my stamp on the organization here,” Simon said. “There are high expectations, but the challenge of maintaining the winning culture that’s been here so long is one that I will embrace.”

Simon is thankful that Todd Nelson gave him the chance to become an assistant coach three years ago, when a changing of the guard in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization put his future there in doubt.

“Nellie took a gamble and gave me the opportunity, and I can’t thank him enough for the responsibilities that he gave me,” Simon said. “I can say that I’ve worked with the best in this league. He’s a fantastic coach and I’ve learned a ton from him.

“He was very beneficial for my personal growth as a coach because he did a great job of delegating and trusting me to handle a lot of the responsibilities, whether it was menial tasks relating to travel, pre-scouting our opponents, or breaking down our game plan.”

Just as players often take something from every coach for whom they play, so do coaches learn from their counterparts. Simon said that what most impressed him about Nelson was the way that the Griffins’ former head coach approached the job.

“The biggest thing I took from Nellie is that it’s not always about the Xs and Os,” Simon said. “His biggest strength is just that he’s a genuine person. You could walk into his office and whether we won or lost, whether it was a good game or bad game, he was so even-keeled. He didn’t let little things bother him. I think it speaks to his character and his patience, which of course is huge in a developmental league like the AHL.”

Simon also came to appreciate Nelson’s willingness to experiment – one example being the use of five forwards on the power play. “Nellie wasn’t afraid to try new things, whether it was a drill in practice or a tweak to a system,” he said. “He wasn’t afraid to try something and fail. If you fail, it’s no big deal because you can learn from it. If it works, you look like a genius. And if things weren’t working, he wasn’t afraid to change things up.”

In his new role, Simon doesn’t expect a drastic overhaul of what is being taught on the ice.

“The core philosophy is staying the same. The Red Wings want to win. They believe that players will develop better habits in a winning environment,” he said. “Grand Rapids has historically done a good job of balancing development and winning.”

Even so, the organization’s desire to rebuild the team with young talent is likely to have an impact.

“With today’s salary cap, it’s tough to build a team from free agent signings, so you have to develop your talent from within the organization,” Simon said. “That being said, the development process might be expedited a bit. There’s a huge onus on us to develop some of these younger guys a little quicker than in the past.

“I think the organization still has the resolve that they’re not going to sacrifice development for the sake of time. They’re not going to rush a kid to Detroit at the expense of his long-term development. Players still have to earn their call-up, but it’s possible that the opportunity may come a little quicker now. But I don’t think the underlying philosophy has changed.”

In his first stint as a head coach in North America, Simon helmed the Cincinnati Cyclones during the 2013-14 season. He guided the team to a 41-23-4-4 record, then became the second head coach in ECHL history to reach the Kelly Cup Finals in his first year.

This, though, is the first time that he has transitioned from an assistant’s position to the bench boss within the same organization.

“When I accepted the offer, I talked to a few people who had been in that position and discussed what problems they faced,” he said. “I know there’s going to be an adjustment period. I think the core group of guys we have returning already understand who I am, and I would hope there’s a level of mutual respect that will lessen the adjustment period.

“I’m not going to change who I am. In the same breath, I’m wearing a different hat now. I still want to be approachable. I still will care about them, both as hockey players and as people, but I know it’s going to be a little different. It’s tough to explain.”

How Simon approaches the job will reflect a lot upon his past.

“All of your experience – as a player, as a coach, as a person – is something you draw on,” Simon said. “You absolutely draw for better or worse from everything you’ve done in your life. I’ve been blessed to play with and work with a lot of good coaches.”

One of the most influential coaches in Simon’s career was Dave Poulin, a 13-year NHL veteran who was the head coach at Notre Dame back when Simon served as a captain at the school. “He was a fantastic resource for me and a great teacher about the game,” he said. “I learned a lot of good habits from him that I’ve been able to translate into my program.”

Now with several years of his own coaching experience, Simon has found his own satisfaction in the teaching aspect of the job.

“The coolest thing for coaches in our position is to be able to tell a kid for the first time that he’s going to the NHL,” he said. “To see the look on their face, whether it’s for one game or for the next 10 years of their life, and to watch them on TV, you’d like to think that you might have helped them in some way. That’s the most rewarding part for us.

“At the same time, even if they don’t make it to the NHL, you hope they take something away from you as a person. Whether it’s a 19-year-old rookie or a 32-year-old veteran, you hope to have a positive influence on them further on down the road.”

It’s that ability to mold players, to help them reach their full potential as they come together as a unit, that drives the detail-oriented Simon.

“For me, it’s about the journey with these guys and going through the whole process of development,” he said. “I played for coaches who treated guys the exact same way and held them to the same accountability, but I don’t think that works. Yes, you have to hold guys accountable, but different players come with different expectations.

“Each player has to play up to the expectation within the role that he’s assigned. Some young guys are going to make more mistakes than others. Some old guys make mistakes, too, but it’s a fine line between making mistakes and being afraid to fail. If you make a mistake and you learn from it and move forward, you’re better for it.”

Psychology is a significant part of coaching, according to Simon.

“Some players don’t react as well to being yelled at. Some players need to be shown video. Others will watch video and don’t get it. There are different ways to achieve the same goal. As a coaching staff, we have to get to know the players and their little idiosyncrasies and what makes them tick. The quicker we can learn those things, the quicker we can help them develop.”

Simon believes it’s important to develop a trust with the players. “You not only want to put them in a position to succeed but, as the season progresses, give them more opportunity in different situations to help them expand their role. If they become more versatile, they become even more useful as a player.”

Winning the Calder Cup in 2017 was the first championship for Simon in the coaching ranks after winning a Turner Cup (Orlando Solar Bears) in 2001 and a Calder Cup (Chicago Wolves) in 2002 as a player.

“It was a lot different on the coaching side,” he said. “As a player, you’re celebrating with your buddies. You’re going through walls, you’re sweating, you’re bleeding with your teammates. You respect every one of them.”

“As a coach, seeing behind the scenes, you’re staying up until 4 in the morning. You’re watching lots of video, and in the end all those long hours are well worth it. Winning the Cup puts everything in perspective. Watching the players celebrate, you like to think that you had something to do with it.

“All the time, effort and work – whether it’s as a coach, a player, a GM or a staff member in the ticket office – everyone is working long hours, and those are the sacrifices you and your family make. It’s a grind, but when you enjoy those moments of celebration, you kind of forget about all that because it makes all the work worth it. Of course, it’s your job, but it’s nice when it all comes together in the form of a championship.”

Simon is looking forward to drawing on the advice of his two assistant coaches: Matt Macdonald, who was head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones, and Brad Tapper, who was head coach of the Adirondack Thunder. Simon had worked with Macdonald previously in Cincinnati while Tapper was a teammate in Orlando, Chicago and Germany.

“As a rookie AHL head coach, I wanted to make sure I hired assistants who had some head coaching experience,” he said. “I wanted them to get the job on their own accord, but the fact that I know them is a bonus. I know that when push comes to shove, they’ll be in the trenches alongside me and we’ll be a solid team.”

Simon knows his players will be a mix of prospects and veterans. He is confident that there will be a good combination of talent and skills.

“The roster is the everyday challenge of the American Hockey League,” he said. “Your roster can change with one phone call. It can change with guys earning the right to be called up or with someone being sent down. It could change with a couple of injuries in Detroit. It’s a revolving door and it keeps players and coaches on their toes.”

Getting everyone on the same page will be a challenge. Simon said that “attitude” and “effort” will be key values within his locker room.

“The makeup of your team will help build the identity, but it’s the work ethic and the resolve of the organization that will help define it,” he said. “I would like to think that our teams will be very well prepared and ready to go. I think our work ethic will speak for itself.”

No matter how the roster shakes out, Simon is ready for his first season as the Griffins’ head coach.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “I don’t take the opportunity lightly to work for an organization like Detroit that has had so much success. It’s a challenge I want to embrace. Over the years, a lot of talent has come through Grand Rapids. We want to maintain a winning environment while developing these players as quickly as we can.”