Season 4 Episode 27 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podcast from Tech Hockey Guide; All Night Long. This week Tim Braun, Dustin Lindstrom, Rob Gilreath and Matt Cavender were joined by Michigan Tech Hockey Assistant Coach Tyler Shelast. In this episode they discussed Tyler’s transition from Tech’s Strength and Condition coach to full Assistant Coach, the success of Michigan Tech’s penalty kill, the gaps that Michigan Tech will have to fill next season and who will be returning, the European infiltration into NCAA hockey, the impact of Mitch’s Mistfits on potential recruits, the Joe Shawhan Hour and Wisconsin hiring former Minnesota State Head Coach Mike Hastings.
Making the transition
Tim started the conversation off by asking Tyler about transitioning from his old position as Michigan Tech’s Strength and Conditioning Coach to full blown Assistant Coach for the Huskies. Tyler talked about the transition going well, even if it wasn’t exactly how he envisioned it would go. Tyler also talked about always learning from Joe and how much he loves recruiting and building relationships with the recruits. The guys discussed Jake Crespi learning to play defense this season and Tyler’s role in that process.
The better of the two special teams
Rob asked Tyler about Michigan Tech’s penalty kill and what drove its success this past season. Tyler talked about head coach Joe Shawhan’s understanding of the game and how much that helps players, though he did add that the players still have to execute on the ice. The guys discussed how the penalty kill and power play can relate to each other.
Big shoes to fill
The guys spent some time discussing some of the players leaving Michigan Tech this offseason and the gaps that will need to be filled. Tyler talked about Brett Thorne, Chris Lipe, Jake Crespi and Ryan O’Connell being big holes to fill. Tyler discussed filling some of those roles via the transfer portal, but also the need to have current roster players step up and improve this upcoming season. The guys discussed some of the freshman and sophomores on the team who may be ready to play this upcoming season. There was a discussion on a couple of player commitments that Michigan Tech has from other leagues in North America.
The guys also talked about some the European connections that Michigan Tech has been making the last couple of seasons. Tyler discussed some of the reasons that young players in Europe might want to come and play in the US. Matt asked Tyler to speculate on how much the European players will infiltrate NCAA hockey. Tyler didn’t think it would get too crazy but thought that there will be some European players that will succeed at the D1 level.
Under the influence
Continuing the recruiting conversation, Tim asked Tyler how much Mitch’s Misfits impact recruits when they come to visit Michigan Tech. Tyler thought they were a huge influence and talked about how much players like to play in front of crowds. Tim talked about the Misfits going to the Allentown regional and how they outcheered the Penn State fans despite the game results. Tim also talked about being proud of what the Misfits have become.
The Joe Show
After Tyler left there was a very brief discussion on the most recent Joe Shawhan Hour. Most of the conversation revolved around Joe discussing Nick Nardella’s background and family history.
The Brinks truck in Mankato
To end the show, the guys discussed Wisconsin hockey recently hiring former Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings. The guys discussed their thoughts on whether Hasting’s assistants would change schools and follow him. There was a discussion on what the hiring means for the CCHA and how bad the league may look. Dustin thought that it was not a good look for the CCHA to have the best team’s coach leave. Tim thought the bigger issue was long term and teams not having to put in as much effort to catch Minnesota State. Matt thought Minnesota State would come out just fine. The guys discussed possible coaches who might fill the Minnesota State coaching vacancy.
Dustin reads a review
To end the show, Dustin read the most recent review that was left for the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Cut content
This week’s cut time for Patrons is approximately 35 minutes long. Matt asked Tyler about the difficulties of transitioning from playing forward to defense on the ice. There was a discussion on how much of an impact Brad Patterson and Pat Mickish had on Tyler as a coach. Some of the Patron Discord questions were answered. Tim talked about the first Misfits flag that was ever flown and the guys talked about the different flags that are needed. Tim told a story about the time he took his shirt off a the Kohl Center. The guys discussed some of the food they ate while attending the Allentown regional. Dustin did a deep dive into three possible defensemen that Tech might be eyeing up in the transfer portal.
Learn More
For additional information and more episode liner notes, check out our episode overview on Tech Hockey Guide. To make sure we can afford all our fancy equipment we purchased for the podcast and the THG website in general, please check out our Patreon page and consider joining. Patrons at our Black Level or above receive an authentic MTU jersey patch and access to extra podcast content including extended versions of our other episodes. This week’s extended version is about 114 minutes.
Mitch’s Misfits Amazon wishlist is still having items added as we figure it out, but you can take a look by clicking here and a reminder, if you rate the Podcast 5-stars, we’ll read your review on the podcast. Thanks again to our sponsors, Fiebke Dental in downtown Rhinelander and Livonia Technical Services.
Follow us on twitter at ChasingMacPod. Join our Discord server for discussions covering Michigan Tech hockey and more. You can submit questions through our email address, ChasingMac@techhockeyguide.com. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate and review to help us reach more people, and tell your friends. Please check out Jonathan Zamaites’ series previews every Friday, Mike Anleitner’s Old Dog in Texas column every Wednesday, Zach Aufdemberge’s Analytics With Augie and Nathaniel Brose’s nationwide hockey columns. Also, keep an eye out for new recruiting articles that Tim Braun writes occasionally. As always, special thanks to our patron saint Doc McResin for his generous donation to get this thing running, we hope you enjoy. Also, thanks to The Thank You Notes for all the bumpers in today’s episode. If you like what you hear, check them out at thethankyounotes.bandcamp.com.
