Once upon a time there was a Canadian hockey coach obsessed with strength and conditioning who come over the pond to taste something European. He landed in Dunaújváros, Hungary, quickly became the head coach, transformed the team's off and on season preparations and went on to win everything. Meanwhile he joined the Hungarian national team staff - and then went off the map. But we've found him again so this Weekend's Read is a Q&A with J.P. MacCallum.
After leaving Hungary in 2012, you went to Asia and collected a couple of gold medals. How was the league, the country, the culture change?
I started coaching the Free Blades during the 2012-13 season. That was made possible thanks to my involvement with the Hungarian National Team. While at the World Championships in Ljubljana in 2012 I was connected with Chris Wakabayashi who at the time was an assistant coach with the Japanese team. Chris was a coach and manager with the Free Blades and he was looking to change the structure of the organization. This contact was made through Mark Mahon who was the Head Coach of Team Japan at the time and also a very good friend of Ted Sator. Ted had introduced me to Mark two years earlier and I had kept the connection. The hockey world is very small and you are always best served to keep your network tight. I have been fortunate to connect with some very good people in a short amount of time.
That first season with the Free Blades turned into a Championship year and we turned a lot of heads in the league with our aggressive, high-tempo play. The second season did not go as planned as we missed the top 4 by three points. We had too many losses that season when we out-shot our opponents. For my third season leading the team we got everything back on track and finished with another Championship that came with a 3 game sweep on the road.
The league is very skilled with a tremendous emphasis on speed. Because there are only 3 imports per team it places a lot of emphasis on the local players and thus has a development advantage in my opinion. Good young players were able to come to the Free Blades and battle for a position right away.
Each season I coached the team we placed more players on the National Team. I think this is a tremendous measuring stick to show whether or not teams are developing talent. One of my proudest moments in Dunaujvaros was during the second season when we had 11 players at the first National Team camp when the previous season there had only been 1 invited.
The country and people of Japan were great to my family and myself. From all the places I have traveled it has to rank as the highest in terms of safety and cleanliness. There are also many great aspects of the culture that I loved including the respect shown to all people and of course the cuisine. I believe I could have some sushi everyday of my life.
What made you grow a beard?
My beard was something I was just playing with during my troubled second season with the Free Blades, then Mara, my wife, told me to just go for it and the rest is history. It is now going on two years looking like Wolverine and I actually think it might be time to make the switch back.
What are you doing in South America right now? You probably don't work as a hockey coach…
This season as a family we made the decision to not find a team to coach to allow Mara to pursue business ventures she has been putting aside while following me around the globe the last 7 years.
Mara works professionally in the yoga and nutrition world and she has a huge following with her website www.yogarenegade.com This past fall she hosted a 200 hour yoga teacher training course in the Dominican Republic as well as a yoga and wellness retreat in Mexico. She also furthered her yoga knowledge with a month long course in Guatemala. All that activity brought us into the New Year and we now have some “free-time” on our hands to explore before I begin my off-season training back in Halifax in May.
We enjoy schooling our children by traveling and we had always wanted to go to Argentina so there seemed like no better time than now.
So this year your children are not attending school the conventional way?
We have chosen to homeschool Szerafina and we plan on doing the same with Selah. With our transient life we feel it is the system that works best for everyone. Also Szerafina is currently thriving in this environment. She loves learning and she loves being challenged in new environments. For us traveling the world presents a lot more learning opportunities than sitting at a school desk. Wherever we travel we also look for other opportunities for our children to learn and study. On our current trip Szerafina spent 4 weeks learning Spanish in Guatemala. This summer in Canada she will begin guitar and singing lessons. For the moment this is what works for us but it could always change in the future.
We know your wife Mara does yoga, but can you implement such methods in hockey coaching?
The athletes that I train in the summer have now been doing yoga with Mara for over a decade. To me the biggest advantage they receive from a committed practice is increased mental strength. Players have time to get into their own headspace without anyone in the room passing judgment. They can feel themselves becoming stronger and more flexible and I witness a substantial increase in their positive approach to training. A player that can make the world quiet in their head during yoga can also replicate that same feat on the ice when called upon. My top athletes that compete at the NHL level now ask for more yoga every summer because they know how much it benefits them in the short term and also how much longevity it could add to their career. Mara also did yoga every week with my Free Blades players.
How satisfying is that your protege Brad Marchand is such an elite player in the NHL?
Brad Marchand and I have now trained together for over 15 years. The growth I have witnessed in him has been nothing short of phenomenal. There have been personal accolades, gold medals, and Stanley Cups, and through it all he still wants to achieve more. This is the key to pursuing greatness. What was done last year is not good enough this year. This is how we approach every off-season. We have to continuously push boundaries to make sure he arrives at training camp as the most prepared Bruin for that upcoming season. He is fully aware of how much is on the line and each year he shows that he is ready for more and more responsibility. I think to date, this season has been his most complete as a professional and I know he still has more to give.
This very weekend there's an Olympic Qualifier Tournament going on in Budapest, so what are your memories of the national team playing there in 2011 when you helped Ted Sator?
The World Championships of 2011 certainly leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth. We had a great team and a great staff. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Ted Sator, Lajos Énekes and Dave Marlin. The fans of Hungary were amazing the entire week. You could tell how appreciative they were of the team’s efforts every game. We were so close in that final game with Italy... To lose the gold medal on a penalty kill in overtime was devastating at that moment.
Looking ahead I am proud that Hungary has once again made it to the World Level. It will be an incredible learning experience for everyone involved and it should give the future generations of Hungarian hockey players added incentive to be a National Team player one day. I wish the team the greatest success!
Do you plan to jump back into coaching next year? And if yes, do you want to come back to Hungary some time?
I am currently in talks with four different teams regarding coaching next season. It was always my intention to get back behind a bench. This season I have missed my daily hockey activities greatly and I am truly excited at what next season will bring. I think it is beneficial to take a step back if you have the ability and learn how much something really means to you. My time in Hungary was very positive. I worked with some great people and met many more. The people of Dunaujvaros were especially welcoming to my family. If the right opportunity presented itself for a return to the country I would certainly be interested.
Photo: JP MacCallum, László Mudra