Pat O’Leary is a bona fide winner. After an illustrious high school career at Armstrong where he was a Mr. Hockey finalist, his hockey abilities took him to the University of Minnesota where, as a senior, he helped the team to a national championship in 2002. A third-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes, he toiled in minor hockey for three years before returning to his roots and getting into coaching. He started as a coach for the Armstrong Bantam A team before moving on to coach Orono’s High School squad. He the served as an assistant in Wayzata before taking over in 2011-12 season. In his second season he led the Trojans to the state tournament. He is now entering his sixth season as head coach. Let’s Play Hockey caught up with the 2016 Class AA Coach of the Year and asked him about Minnesota high school hockey and what it takes to be a champion.

LPH: Why is Minnesota high school hockey so special to you? 

Pat O’Leary: My dream growing up was to play for my high school. High school hockey in Minnesota is still the greatest amateur sports program in the nation in my opinion.

LPH:Community-based hockey is such a unique concept in the hockey world. Do you think Minnesota’s model needs to change to be like the rest of the country, or should it stick with community-based hockey?

PO: Community-based, no question. Right now we are in a tough cycle of a trickle-down effect at each level where kids and parents are. Kids are being told they are so good and that they need to keep moving up early so they can get challenged. The problem is most of them are being pushed into role players instead of being everyday players that are either dominating or at least contributing 

At some point those kids are finding out that it is a business at way too young of an age, instead of playing with their buddies and having fun while continuing to improve 

LPH: What would you change about high school hockey? More games? Longer season? 20-minute periods?

PO: Longer season, for sure. We need to give our high school coaches a chance to practice more with the kids. It would be nice to go to a Friday/Saturday night game schedule like it is in college so we can have 3-4 practices each week 

LPH: What traits do you look for in a high school player?

PO: Skating, hockey sense, attitude and effort.

LPH: What do you think are the key assets a championship team MUST have?

PO: Leadership, depth, commitment to each other.

LPH: You have won a state title as a coach. What continues to motivate you on a day-to- day basis at the rink?

PO: The day-to-day interaction with these young men is what makes me do what I do. They are so in need of good influences and mentorship at this age as well. I also work hard for these kids everyday because I want them all to be able to feel what our guys did last year.  

LPH: What is one piece of advice you received from a former coach that has affected your own coaching philosophy?

PO: I have learned two big things over the years 

One, If you don’t have the third and fourth th line as well as your fifth and sixth D pulling the same rope as your top guys, you will have instant animosity in the locker room. Bob Motzko taught me that at the U. That is the one story I always remember. It must have been the end of our first or second week of practice before we played a game. Five of our defensemen played in the NHL. And our forwards were unbelievable as well. He pulled me and Erik Wendell aside. He told us we were a super talented team, but if we are going to be successful he wanted us to be sure that in the locker room everyone was pulling the same rope. It’s one of those things where he did his homework. He knew if he had all us six seniors pulling in the same direction in the locker room, it would work out and now I try to do that with our guys.

Second, coaches win practices, but players have to win the games. That’s why hockey is the best sport in the world. Then kids have to perform and that really makes them grow up and improve fast. 

LPH: What’s it going to take for the Trojans to repeat as state champs this season?

PO: Man. Great question. Right now I am just trying to put the pieces together to win some games in the Lake Conference.