Dan Bylsma was out of work for the last year, but the Buffalo Sabres’ new coach certainly wasn’t out of hockey. He would sit in front of the television for hours and analyze the sport.
“I’m quite confident my wife thinks I watched too many hockey games last season,” he said Thursday.
The 44-year-old enjoyed the experience, even if Mary Beth Bylsma didn’t. The sabbatical allowed him to see why certain teams had success, what didn’t work for others and how different coaches put together game plans. He’s confident the time away from the bench will make him a better coach than he was in his previous job – and he was a Stanley Cup winner in Pittsburgh.