The man behind the moustache

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This article was published 21/10/2011 (5083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Paul MacLean’s trademark moustache is much greyer now, not that anyone on the planet hasn’t aged since his days patrolling the wing for the Winnipeg Jets in the 1980s.

But the thing remains as prodigious as ever — so much so that when the Ottawa Senators head coach walks into a room, it’s estimated the bushy growth above his upper lip has a 10-second head start.

Now, not surprisingly, one of the first questions the 53-year-old was hit with Thursday in advance of the Jets-Senators tilt at Scotiabank Place was about coaching against his, sort of, old team. (Different franchise, different owners, different history, but they are called the ‘Jets’).

“It is special,” said MacLean. “It’s where I started — I didn’t play my first NHL game with the Jets (he suited up for one contest with the St. Louis Blues before being traded), but I had seven years with the Winnipeg Jets and they were great. I’m really excited they’re back in the league and the city has hockey again. The fans were tremendous to me.

“I’m a little more focused on my team at this point in time and not who we are playing as much, but it’s great they’re back in the league and it’s evident by the crowds they have at the rink and the buzz in the city of Winnipeg. It’s obviously good for the league.”

Yes, while his answer was thoughtful and measured it’s clear the man has bigger things on his mind these days.

Although it was widely predicted the Senators — in the first year under MacLean in their current rebuild — could be one of the NHL’s worst sides this season, no one figured they’d be as bad as they’ve been to open the campaign.

Entering Thursday’s action, Ottawa was 1-5 and had given up 30 goals in six contests, the most recent a 7-2 home shellacking by the Philadelphia Flyers. Given his squad’s woes, Thursday morning might not have been the best time to prod MacLean for his memories of his days as a Jet.

So, we’ll relive them a bit for him. Originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1978, MacLean was acquired by the Jets in 1981 and in seven years, mostly on the wing with Dale Hawerchuk, he averaged 35 goals a season.

Born in France but raised in Canada, MacLean bounced around from bench to bench as a coach, working with Peoria and Kansas City in the IHL, Quad City in the UHL and as an assistant in Phoenix, Anaheim and Detroit.

The Sens came calling in June, offering him the chance to be one of the main architects of the team’s rebuild. And while the results may not show it, MacLean’s tenure in the NHL as a player and coach has his troops believing his blueprint will work — given time.

“He’s been great,” said Senators veteran Jason Spezza. “He’s given us a great plan. We haven’t executed it yet, but he’s a real personable guy who has some edge to him. He’s not shy to bark at you and let us know when he’s not happy, but he’s also been a good teacher and run a good ship so far.

“Our record isn’t reflective of how he’s been. He’s come in and he’s brought a real good attitude and fresh outlook to our team. It’s just unfortunate the start we’ve gotten off to.”

Yes, rebuild or not, losing doesn’t sit well with MacLean. He’ll have to preach patience while being short of it himself.

“The growing pains are there. I think a lot of times we look like we’re learning and when you hesitate and are not sure with what you’re doing and it’s not automatic, that’s when you get the hesitation and pause in our game and we end up making mistakes that end up in our net.

“The No. 1 thing we want to see right now is them playing with confidence and try to dictate the game as opposed to waiting for something disastrous to happen.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait

PAUL MACLEAN: THE JET YEARS

HE wore Jet colours for seven years (1981-82 to 1987-88) before being traded to Detroit for Brent Ashton.

MacLean’s years in Winnipeg were very productive — he still ranks among the Jets 1.0 franchise’s career leaders in a number of categories.

Among them:

Ninth in career games played, 528 (first overall: Shane Doan, 1,124)

Fifth in goals, 248 (Dale Hawerchuk, 379)

Sixth in assist, 270 (Thomas Steen, 553)

Sixth in points, 518 (Hawerchuk, 929)

Ninth in penalty minutes, 726 (Keith Tkachuk, 1,508)

Third in power-play goals, 97 (Hawerchuk, 122)

Seventh in game-winning goals, 24 (Doan, 54)

Fourth in hat tricks, 7 (Hawerchuk, 12)

— Tait