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He Will Try To Rekindle Lightning's Fire

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

Excerpts from Barry Melrose's news conference and his interviews with members of the Tampa Bay media:

What were your impressions of the Lightning last season?

What I want to change is, I want to become better defensively. Obviously, the goaltender is the key. I loved Mike Smith when I watched him last season. He's a new-age goaltender who handles the puck very well. That's an important part of the game. I think what happened is the group lost their passion in the second part of the season and lost their fire in the second part of the season. When you lose that fire, lose that passion, it's very hard to compete in the NHL.

Why leave a plush job as a TV analyst?

I love to coach. Love the dressing room. Love the competition. And I'm one of the most competitive people in the world. This is what I was born to do. I've missed it greatly and I wish the season would start tomorrow.

Some fans seem to remember your derogatory comments about Tampa Bay when it won the Stanley Cup in 2004. What would you say to them now?

I think I picked Tampa Bay to win. I don't know why they would be mad at me. What I said doesn't matter. Your actions are what matter. I think the fans should come with an open mind and see us play.

Was having Vinny Lecavalier a major reason you came back to coach?

For a period this season, Vinny was the best player in the world - the way he was playing at the start of the season, the way he was scoring. He's won a Stanley Cup, so he's been a winner. He's huge. How do you play against him? He can handle big defensemen, he can handle fast defensemen. In today's NHL, with hooking and holding gone, he's virtually unstoppable. And he competes. That is a great starting point for any organization. And Marty St. Louis is right there, too. He is the embodiment of overcoming obstacles, a guy that nothing has come easy to. And now he's one of the best players in the world. Those two guys are great building blocks for Tampa Bay.

Who will have a say in which players are brought in - you or owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie?

Oren and Lenny have been great in asking for my opinion. It doesn't make much sense bringing in players I don't like. They want to bring in players that feed my style, feed my system.

Do you come in with a three-year plan? A five-year plan?

I come in with a three-month plan. We've got to win. We have to come in here and change the culture of the dressing room, the team, the way it plays. I don't have five years. I have to win quick. But I love that. If I can't get this team turned around quickly, I'm not a very good coach as far as I'm concerned.

Have players changed since you last coached in the NHL in 1995? How close are you with today's players?

Character guys are character guys. If you're a good guy in the '50s, you'd be a good guy today. If you're a jerk in the '50s, you're a jerk today. That hasn't changed and it never will change.

Are you a players' coach?

I think if you talk to the guys that played for me, guys enjoy playing for me. I'm demanding; they know exactly what I expect out of them. If I don't get it, I'm not happy. But I also treat my players with respect. I'll never embarrass a player of mine. I don't think you have to be a bad guy to be a good coach.

You said coaching means so much, so why did it take so long to get back behind the bench?

A couple of things didn't happen when I first left the game. I had two or three chances to come back and they didn't quite work out. It takes a certain type owner to hire a guy like me. I think Oren and Lenny and the ownership group think outside the box, people that don't always go the safe route. It took a group like Oren and Lenny to do that.

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