Pat Ferschweiler is focused on Western Michigan right now but admits the NHL coaching links are ‘exciting’

ST. LOUIS ― In the third period of Western Michigan’s Frozen Four semifinal on Thursday night, Denver scored twice to tie the game late. As a Flyers beat writer, your eyes are trained to immediately look to the bench to see the reaction from the head coach.

But instead of being demonstrative with disappointment, Western Michigan’s Pat Ferschweiler was restrained. It helped keep his team grounded, allowing his players the chance to eventually win in double overtime.

» READ MORE: Alex Bump showcases his diverse offensive skill set as Western Michigan reaches NCAA title game

“He keeps the guys calm,” Broncos forward and Flyers prospect Alex Bump said. “[If] he’s freaking out, we’re probably going to start freaking out. Everything trickles down from him. We all look up to him. He means the world to every single one of us. So, it’s a complete honor to play for him.”

Ferschweiler’s flowers do not just come from his players. Tuesday, the Western Michigan coach was named the Spencer Penrose Award winner, as the top coach in Division I men’s hockey.

While the 55-year-old has his eyes set on delivering his alma mater its first national championship, his name has also been thrown out there as a candidate for various NHL job, including the opening with the Flyers. It’s worth noting that Ferschweiler played alongside Flyers president Keith Jones with the Broncos in the early ‘90s.

“I’m focused on coaching Western Michigan to the best of my abilities,” Ferschweiler told The Inquirer on Friday. “It’s an exciting time to be in a conversation for something like that, but I love this job that I’m doing right now. I think it’s a great fit for me.”

Ferschweiler has NHL coaching experience. Although he never played higher than the old International Hockey League, he was an assistant coach for four seasons on Jeff Blashill’s Detroit Red Wings staff (2015-19). After spending thousands of hours watching videos as part of his job, he has taken the tools and insights he learned to the college ranks.

Today, the Broncos play an NHL style. Defensively, he wants his team to play fast because, “The more we can have [the puck], that’s, I believe, the best defense there is.” Where have we heard that before?

Western Michigan plays man-to-man high and a little bit more of a zone defense below the hashmarks to go up the ice quickly. A big believer in puck support, he and his staff “don’t love to put people on islands if we can, we love to give them help when we can.”

» READ MORE: 12 coaching candidates the Flyers could target to replace John Tortorella

Offensively, there is structure but also space for creativity. He wants his team to attack fast off turnovers and not allow the other team to get set up. And while he implores a 1-3-1 structure on the power play, like most NHL teams, he essentially believes in the age-old acronym, “KISS.” It’s why his team has the sixth-best power play in the country (25.9%).

“One of the rare opportunities you get to cheat in sports, right? We have five guys, they have four. And I think you can complicate a power play with a whole bunch of movement that people can get dazzled by, but very little results,” he said. “I think you can simplify a power play and simply find the open man. We’re simplifying power play, and I think that’s what repeats our success.”

Calm, cool, and collected. That sounds like a good recipe for the next Flyers bench boss.

“It’s the most important thing you can have, because I believe calm leads to good decisions,” Ferschweiler said. “And when you’re calm, you can see solutions, rather than problems. I think when you’re frantic and you’re panicked or you’re under stress, you see problems. In hockey, there’s too many problems out there. We need to find solutions.”

There is more than a national title on the line for Boston University forward Devin Kaplan and Bump. Bragging rights are on the line for the two Flyers prospects.

“I was on the phone, on FaceTime, with him and Owen McLaughlin (a Flyers prospect at North Dakota) the other night,” said Kaplan. “We were just talking about the games, wishing each other good luck. It’s cool having those guys to talk to in games like this. I’m sure I won’t be talking to them too much in the next two days.”

Sitting in the visiting locker room at the Enterprise Center, Kaplan called Saturday’s championship game (7:30 p.m., ESPN) a full-circle moment for himself. He grew up a fan of Boston University hockey — he vividly remembers watching Jack Eichel and the Terriers win in 2015 — and is ready to finish the season on a high note.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect Devin Kaplan and West Chester’s Jack Page eye an NCAA title with Boston University

A guy who likens himself to New York Ranger J.T. Miller, Kaplan has built his game up this season.

“I think he’s come a long way this year,” coach Jay Pandolfo said. “I think he’s starting to figure out the way he needs to play to be effective. He’s a power forward-type player. He’s very good at attacking the net. He’s got to make sure he’s good below the goal line, separating, being able to protect pucks, and getting to the net.”

A right winger, Kaplan creates space for his linemates, center Kamil Bednarik and left wing Cole Eiserman, who are New York Islanders prospects. Bump is excited to go up against Kaplan — whom he called strong and tough in the dirty areas — especially because there’s a lot on the line as the two head towards a meeting at development camp in early July.

“I won’t let him hear the end of it in the summer, I’ll be all over him,” Bump said if Western Michigan beats Boston. “Bragging rights, there’s no cooler thing than winning a natty against one of your buddies and getting to be able to brag about it. So, I’m excited.”

Kaplan is ready to face the crafty sniper Bump, who put nine shots on goal in WMU’s double-overtime semifinal win.

“You have to be aware of him on the ice at all times,” Kaplan said of Bump. “You can’t really give him any space, because you know at any given time he can put the puck in the net. He’s just a really dangerous player, but we’ll be aware.”

And then he added: “Hopefully we win, so he can’t hold it over my head.”