From Las Vegas to Austria, ex-Wranglers hockey coach Rob Pallin pursues dream
When it comes to coaching today’s hockey players, Rob Pallin uses a philosophy that dates back to long before the 49-year-old Chisholm, Minnesota, native laced up his first pair of skates.
It’s simple: Respect the athlete, listen to them, be positive around them and, more often than not, you’ll get the best they have to offer.
Pallin, the former Las Vegas Wranglers’ assistant coach, has spent the past three years coaching in Europe. He said coaching overseas is no different from coaching in North America.
“Players want direction,” he said. “But you have to gain their trust. I’ve always listened to what they have to say. I think they liked my honesty. I tell every group of guys I coach there’s no easy way to do things. I tell them, ‘We take the stairs. We don’t take the elevator.’ There’s no shortcuts to success. It’s all about working hard and working smart.”
Pallin heads back to Europe next month as the first-year head coach of TWK Innsbruck, which plays in the Austrian pro league, the EBEL. It’s the same league he had been coaching SAPA Fehervar of Hungary. He was in his second season there when he was fired in January after the team slumped following a rash of injuries.
“My first year we went from 10th place to fourth,” said Pallin, who went 49-40-5 in his 1½ seasons with SAPA Fehervar. “But last year, we had four major injuries to four key players, and we missed a total of 120 games from the injuries. No team is going to survive that.”
In less than a week, Pallin was contacted by TWK Innsbruck along with a team in Switzerland. He accepted the job with Innsbruck because he was familiar with the league, loved the area and had met a woman in Hungary.
On Thursday, Pallin and Dora Moder were married in Las Vegas. They are expecting their first child in late September.
“It’s an exciting time in my life,” he said. “Three years ago, I was coaching in Vegas with the Wranglers. Now, I’m married. I’m going to be a father. I’m a head coach in a very good league that I would say is comparable to the AHL in terms of talent. I’m very blessed.”
Pallin also has kept his hand in the goings-on with USA Hockey. He worked at the West Coast development camp a month ago, at which 80 of the top 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds competed, and was at the national camp in Minnesota two weeks ago for that same age group. He has developed great contacts with American junior and college hockey and has a keen eye for talent.
“You go to practice, and you can tell right away what kind of player a kid is,” he said. “Is he the first or the last one on the ice? Is he working hard or just going through the motions? Is he a leader or is he a follower? And most of all, can the kid skate? It’s all about skating in today’s game.
“I’ve been spending the past few months trying to put together a roster for Innsbruck that can compete every night. You win with talent, but you also win with effort and attitude. We signed guys who give effort and have a great attitude.”
Pallin sounds a lot like Bill Foley, who owns the Las Vegas NHL expansion team. Foley has said he wants a team that can skate, play smart and with maximum effort every night.
Pallin, who has been in Las Vegas since 2000, also has helped develop players in the city’s youth hockey program, including the Minnesota Wild’s Jason Zucker, along with minor leaguers Cory Ward and Gage Quinney.
He said he has no doubt the NHL will work in Las Vegas.
“It’s an exciting time for the sport,” Pallin said. “I give Mr. Foley credit for his willingness to fight through the challenges, be patient and stay with it until the end. There’s a great fan base here, and I have no doubt they’ll support the NHL.”
He’ll be following developments in Las Vegas from Austria. Could a homecoming be a reality as a scout or development coach?
“Every player’s dream is to play in the NHL, and every coach’s dream is to work in the NHL,” Pallin said. “For me, Vegas is home. It would be an honor to be part of building something from the ground floor up. But right now, my focus is on Innsbruck and winning a championship there.”
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj
