A “Come to Jesus Meeting” for First Place Bears
A first place team, with sky high expectations yet when Todd Nelson looked inside his locker room he wasn’t 100% pleased where it’s mindset was heading into Saturday’s game against the Crunch.
“We had a come to Jesus meeting before the game with everybody, even the guys who were not playing, and we just talked about getting ready for playoffs,” said Nelson after the game on Saturday night.
A “come to Jesus meeting” is nothing to shake your stick at. These meetings can be difficult and powerful. The focus and tone of this meeting for Bears, positive, and a realization that some things need to be adjusted according to Nelson.
“Ever since the All-Star break, you know, we’re playing inconsistent hockey and there’s a bit of bickering going on, on the bench during practice and that, and I wanted to nip that in the bud.”
Todd Nelson is a master at getting the most out of roster. Look no further than last year’s Calder Cup Playoffs. On paper the Bears were not the best team. In the locker room they were stronger than iron. It was that bond coupled with the grit and toughness that allowed them to claim their 12th Calder Cup and it has not been forgotten among the Bears this year.
“We talked, we hate to talk about last year but we talked about how tight our dressing room was last year and that’s probably why we won the cup,” said Nelson.
“Because if we didn’t have a tight dress room and didn’t love each other there, you know, when Coachella scores to tie it up 4 – 4 in game three. Guys could have easily packed it in but they didn’t. They stuck with it. Let’s face it, that was a heck of a series and we had to come from behind.”
To claim a second straight Calder Cup, Nelson feels that level of bond is needed in the locker room.
The players and the guys may not like talking about last year but I do. After game six to Coachella lies a perfect example of the love that was in Hershey’s locker room. While some teams may have been stressed by losing a lead and being forced to a Game 7 on the road, the Bears kicked back and relaxed with a family cook-out. There was no stress, no anxiety, rather just a moment to bond and appreciate what every player, staff and family member did up to that point.
After the game against Syracuse, Nelson added that this squad is close but that there is room for improvement, and he wants guys picking everyone up because nobody is perfect.
How did his team respond? Well, a 4-1 victory over Syracuse and 4-0 thrashing of Hartford says pretty darn good.
Those are two playoff caliber teams. And with first place in the North Division Cleveland on the docket this Friday and Saturday, the Bears must bring that same level as energy
The mentality of the team as Nelson said it’s “hit or be hit, because [these next few games] it’s going to be playoff style games because they play gritty and they play hard.”
Bears fans have to love the way the team responded to the first two games in this stretch. For a team that may be the best in the league on paper, and is in the standings, showing a lot of grit, toughness during the stretch run is a very positive sign for another deep run to the Cup.
Giving Nelson the final word
“It’s not a cliché when we say ‘we are here to win the Cup’, it’s reality, it is with the Hershey Bears.”
Den Notes
We mentioned last week that over the course of the final 15 games there was still a lot of work to be done for the Bears. The meeting before the Syracuse game and Coach Nelson’s comments about nipping some things in the bud show that those words weren’t just throwing around a cliché. This team continues to work to be better.
We also mentioned that as the regular season comes to a close, Bears fans would see some different lineups for the Chocolate and White. Mike Vecchione playing center a few games is one of those moves. As Nelson said after the victory over Syracuse Saturday having Veccs at the “C” slots the Centermen in the right areas and that the lines seem to “have more chemistry that way.”
Nelson went on to compliment Veccs play at the dot, “He is our best draw man. I was the one that put them on the wing last year. He’s played center his whole life. But he is good in the face-off dot, he is responsible.”
Photos: Hershey Bears / Tori Hartman
