PWHL Boston GM Explains Unique Twist To Coach Search

PWHL Boston made some significant additions to their coaching staff earlier this week, including goalie coach Lenny Mosca. Although general manager Danielle Marmer made the ultimate decision on the hiring, she utilized Boston goaltenders Aerin Frankel and Emma Söderberg during the process.

“I think that that’s a position that it’s relationship-based. It’s confidence-based,” Marmer told NESN.com in a phone interview on Wednesday. “It’s who (Aerin and Emma) and who our third goalie will be, who feels they can build a great relationship and rapport with, who can instill confidence in them.”

Unlike the skating positions on the team, goalies often do not need to change their playing style, which Marmer noted while finding the right goalie coach for PWHL Boston’s tandem.

“When you’re in a season, you’re not trying to change the way the goalie plays. You’re only trying to add confidence and help them make saves but without changing a whole lot about their game,” she said. “Whereas for players, coaches can be harder on players because there’s somebody else who will step up if somebody doesn’t have the best game or is in the best place.

Marmer continued: “We want to push those players to get better, but it’s a little different on the goaltending, and you want them to compete with one another and fight to get better. But it’s really confidence-based. It’s really relationship-based.”

It’s not often heard of, especially publically, that a GM would include players in the process of hiring coaches. Still, Marmer had a specific reason for leaning on Frankel and Söderberg.

“This is the only time I’ve had (any player) sit in on an interview process,” Marmer explained. “Part of that is, I was a player. I was a coach. I was a video coach. I kind of know that world, but I was never a goalie. I can’t pretend to be an expert on goaltending and what makes a great coach. And when you’re talking about different styles of play, yeah, it’s not my forte. So, I wanted to make sure that we had the experts who are our actual goalies on that call.”

Entering her second season with PWHL Boston, Marmer explained how important it is for her and the rest of the staff to empower their players based on their knowledge and experience in the sport of hockey.

“I recognize that there are players on this team who have significantly more experience playing at a higher level than I ever played, or just like in the world of hockey, or they’re older than I am,” she said. “All of those things, I want to make sure that I’m not coming in and making executive decisions about things I don’t know as much about. If they know things, they have experience with stuff.

“I want to lean on them if they have the better experience or the better knowledge. So there are definitely times where I might ask Hillary her thoughts on the situation, or I might ask, in this situation, the goalies for their help on identifying a goalie coach. So, it’s definitely something that I’m aware of. And want to make sure that I collaborate with our staff, but also the players as well. And again, it’s not on everything, right, but on the things that make sense.”