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BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYSeptember 24, 2014Steve RohlikDETROIT, MICHIGAN STEVE ROHLIK: Thanks, everybody, for being here. It's that time of year again where it's pretty exciting to be able to get on the ice a little bit with your guys. At the same time a little frustrating with only going to be able to be out there for 40 minutes at a time three times a week here, but we're really excited. I mean, our biggest thing is we want to build on last year. Our focus is getting better. Our focus is trying to make the next step. I think we've got a great group. I think our biggest asset is our culture in our locker room. It's fun to see the guys, they love to come to the rink, and as a coach, that gets you excited. We've got some older guys coming back. The nice thing is, knock on wood, hopefully we don't have to deal with six goalies this year. I feel pretty comfortable with our goaltenders. I think that will be our strength, and I think like Tom said, our biggest thing is going to be who's going to score goals. I think we're going to have some decent depth. It's going to have to be a team effort every night for us to compete in this league and to win games. It's always tough to win no matter you're at home or on the road. We're really looking forward to it. It's going to be a challenge, but we're excited. Q. You mentioned your team needing to make the next step. Could you define what that next step is? STEVE ROHLIK: Well, you know, I mean, getting better, and I think starting off 0‑3 last year, I mean, you start behind the 8‑ball a little bit, and when you look at your group, you try to continue to get better and hopefully you're playing your best hockey at the end of the year, and I thought we were doing that last year. Now it's our job as a group to continue to build on that. When you get to the Big Ten tournament and you're trying to play your best hockey and come up a little bit short, hopefully that's what's left in their minds, and again, I talk to trying to make the next step by becoming a better team, and it's our focus to try and start that right away. That's what we're focused on, just trying to get better. Q. There's a lot of hockey history in this building, and you were part of it, captaining the Wisconsin Badgers to a national championship. Do you get a little nostalgic when you walk into the Joe? STEVE ROHLIK: It's certainly some good memories walking back here, walking in. It doesn't seem that long ago, but as you know, we're all getting a little bit older. But just talking to my guys driving up here, the tradition and the history of this building is pretty impeccable. You think about the players that are on the wall behind us, and for us, we're very fortunate as a group to have our Big Ten Tournament here, and for me it's obviously special. It's one of the biggest games of my career, to be able to hoist that trophy. You know, it's going to be fun, and again, it's not about me, it's about our team, and it's about coming up here, but certainly the experience of being up here, it's something that we can talk about. Q. A year after all the schools in this league were kind of feeling each other out trying to get to another one another, do you sense a greater element of comfort, if that's a good word, for teams that are going to be competing against each other, but from the coaches, from the familiarity with the leagues, those types of things? STEVE ROHLIK: Well, I don't know if it's comfort. I think what this league does when you look around the room and you see the other five coaches, you know every day you're forced to be a better coach, and then you look around the room and you look at the rosters, and you're forced to make your players better, and I think that's what this league is all about, and I think that's what separates this league. I think that's what forces the six teams, and I don't know if you want to say comfort because I think it makes you uncomfortable to show up every night, but I think, again, that's what separates this league. Q. Just your thoughts on the variety that you get with an expanded non‑conference schedule. STEVE ROHLIK: Well, we like it a lot. I know as coaches, I think it's been‑‑ the scheduling has been a little difficult here the last couple years because of the changes in the leagues and more teams searching for non‑conference games. But certainly it gives you that variety. It gives you that variety to go out east or go out west and play in some different leagues. For us when you look at it, when we start off this year with Providence, Miami and UNO in three of our first four weeks, you're going to find out in a hurry where you're at across the board in college hockey, so we really like it. Q. Like many of the coaches, I'm sure you're wondering where the offense is going to come from with the departure of Dzingel and McCormick. How do you kind of preview that for us? STEVE ROHLIK: You know what, that's why all of us are here in the game is to try to get those guys in the next level, and now it's time for other guys to step up. I think that's a positive. When you look at guys like Tanner Fritz, two years ago he led the CCHA in scoring, I think people forget about that, and guys like Nick Schilkey and Anthony Greco and David Gust and Nick Oddo. We've got guys that got to step up, and it gives a chance for the Darik Angelis who had nine goals last year and some of our freshmen coming in. We're going to have to be a four line and every line is going to have to chip in. I don't think you're going to see‑‑ maybe a Ryan Dzingel walk away with the points, but we certainly are very capable. That's just the big question right now. Q. What was the biggest benefit to being in the Big Ten a year ago? STEVE ROHLIK: Well, I mean, for us certainly the Big Ten is the brand at Ohio State. The people there relate to what the Big Ten is, and I think it's certainly elevated our awareness across the country in college hockey and anywhere you go now with the Big Ten Network and whatnot in Canada and people recognize Ohio State for also being a hockey program. I think for us, that's really been a big thing with the Big Ten. Like I said earlier, on the other side of it, what the Big Ten means is you're forced to be better. You've got five other fantastic programs, and I think at the end of the day, that's the key. It's forcing us all to be the best we can be. Q. You talked on the run at the end of last season and building off of that. What are some of the effects you've seen from what that did for your team to help in recruiting, confidence, etcetera? STEVE ROHLIK: Well, I think it helped across the board. Sometimes you've got to lose a tough game to realize what it takes to get there, and certainly it was a great run, and certainly it was a tough loss at the end. But I don't think there's a guy in our locker room that hasn't forgotten that moment. So I think that's a driving force for all of us. You're the first one to look in the mirror and say what could we have done different. Well, what we can do different is work harder and try to get better today and tomorrow. When you're on a big stage like this in the Big Ten and you're on TV all over, people recognize that, so it was a big stage. We were there playing with the best teams in the country, and certainly it's helped our program across the board. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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