Baumgartner still holds dear time spent with Moose

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This article was published 12/10/2017 (2894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — Nolan Baumgartner was a leader when he played in Winnipeg and now he’s a leader behind the Vancouver Canucks bench.

The relatively new Canucks assistant coach is having the time of his life working alongside bench bossman Travis Green, and he credits those years he spent manning the Manitoba Moose blue line with instilling in him much of what he has to offer at the big-league level.

“I was around so many great players, great hockey people — just terrific people, in general — back in the Moose days,” Baumgartner said Wednesday, following Vancouver’s practice at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre on the University of British Columbia campus.

The Jets (1-2-0) and Canucks (1-0-1) practised back-to-back on neighbouring rinks, preparing for tonight’s NHL battle at Rogers Arena. Game time is 9 p.m CT.

“We had some great guys back then. Jimmy Roy was a big part of our team and is still a huge part of that organization. What can you say about Mike Keane… wins three Stanley Cups and then comes there and is a mentor to just about everyone,” Baumgartner said. “The memories are great. A lot of guys went on to have great NHL careers.”

A first-round pick (10th overall) by the Washington Capitals, Baumgartner carved out a long, productive pro career — but only a small fraction was spent in the NHL. He made his league debut late in the 1995-96 campaign playing one game for the Capitals, but played in just 18 more games with the club over a four-year stretch.

The bulk of his time was spent with the Caps’ American Hockey League affiliate in Portland and that would be a harbinger of things to come for the Calgary product. Baumgartner played 143 NHL contests over 16 years in Washington, three different stints in Vancouver and shorts stops in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas.

The rest of the time, he toiled in the AHL.

Each time he rejoined the Canucks organization, he was more Moose than anything else. He was their workhorse rear-guard for many seasons (2003-05, 2007-11) and wore the ‘C’ for a big chunk of that time.

“My wife (Elizabeth) and I still call ourselves Winnipeggers,” he said. The couple lived in the Manitoba capital for nearly a decade and their seven-year-old son, Jake, was born there. “Those were some of the best years of my career.”

Baumgartner was a huge part of the Moose defence, finishing with 41 goals and 185 points in 385 AHL games with the team. When the Jets arrived in 2011, the Moose players who belonged to the Canucks organization moved to Chicago.

Baumgartner’s pro swan song was the 2011-12 AHL season, playing 60 games for the Chicago Wolves.

The next winter, he transitioned from veteran player to full-time assistant coach.

“Those final years of my career I was basically playing a leadership role, almost in a coaching way. It was a natural progression and it was exciting,” he said. “But it was hard the other way, too, where you still wanted to play the game. It’s always hard hanging the skates up when you want to be out there.”

Baumgartner, 41, remained with the Wolves coaching staff for one year and then hooked up with the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets — coached by Green, who played 970 NHL games, including some tremendous years with the New York Islanders in the mid-90s.

Vancouver promoted Green in late April and Baumgartner was offered an assistant job with the Pacific Division squad six weeks later.

After a few months of preparation and a long training camp — including some pre-season games with the L.A. Kings in China (the Great Wall was “mind-blowing,” Baumgartner noted) — they carved out a special ‘welcome to the NHL’ memory together last Saturday, guiding the Canucks to a 3-2 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers.

“No nerves here that night… just excitement. As a coach you strive to be at the highest level, so it’s good,” he said. “Travis has been really good to work with. He’s got a smart hockey mind and I’ve learned a ton just being with him the last four years.”

Vancouver also has veteran coach and former NHL ironman Doug Jarvis, ex-NHLers Manny Malholtra and Dan Cloutier along with Newell Brown on its staff.

Baumgartner, who works primarily with the defence and penalty-killing unit, was actually a teammate of Canucks blue-liners Chris Tanev and Alex Edler. He’s been able to bond with Canucks coaches, veterans and younger players because there’s really nothing in the game he hasn’t live through himself.

“I was a high draft pick, I didn’t play all that much in the NHL, mostly in the minor, I’ve cleared waivers and I’ve been traded. Every scenario, I’ve seen it all. A lot of guys go through that and it’s a difficult part of the job, of this life. Just all those experiences I can draw from and give advice.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell