Meet your coaches: Predators prospects benefit from veteran expertise during development camp

Since Predators assistant general manager and director of player development Scott Nichol joined Nashville’s management more than a decade ago, the Music City has changed almost unrecognizably around him.

On the ice at Centennial Sportsplex, the Predators’ development camp is no exception.

“We have five goalie coaches and four player development people. I look out at the rink and I see all our Milwaukee coaches on the ice, our development coaches skating,” said Scott Nichol, the Predators’ assistant general manager and director of player development. “When I started, I was the only one on the ice. So I think the resources that our kids have now are tremendous, and that’s what we keep telling them. Lean on the staff, because we’re all here for you and we have a lot of good knowledge.”

Participating in his first Predators development camp since being acquired at the NHL trade deadline earlier this year, defensive prospect Jeremy Hanzel hopes to improve his physical game when he makes his professional debut in North America this season.

Thanks to Stanley Cup champion and defensive development coach Rob Scuderi, as well as former Predators defenseman and current professional development coach Mark Borowiecki, Hanzel was able to start making his goal a reality.

“They’ve been amazing,” Hanzel said. “Everybody here has been so inventive. And I just try to be a sponge and get the best out of everybody that I can.”

The same thing happened for Tanner Molendyk, the Predators’ first-round pick, who took the ice Tuesday for the first time in months. Nashville’s development coaches were there to help him.

“They’re massive,” he said. “Scuderi has been talking to me about what’s going on all year, we’ve just been chatting and seeing how things are going. And then Boro is Boro, he’s hilarious and it’s really fun to be around him.”

Nashville’s on-ice coaching staff isn’t limited to the blue line.

Between the pipes, new director of goaltending Mitch Korn works alongside Predators goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok, Milwaukee Admirals goaltending coach Jason Barron and retired franchise legend and European development coach Pekka Rinne.