Adam has put fingertips to keyboard to reflect on the Panthers Q&A with Danny Stewart and Omar Pacha, in particular the effect that evening may have had on the fanbase.
You never quite know what to expect from evenings like the recent Q&A event held at the Saltbox. A common criticism levelled at the format is that they can feel a little formulaic and samey, particularly if like me, you’ve become a regular at them and heard a bunch of similar questions year in, year out – albeit posed by different faces in the crowd. In terms of excitement levels and how ‘close to the edge’ the questioning gets, much depends on the composition of those in attendance, with last year’s event having moments that felt genuinely prickly at times when a number of disillusioned season ticket holders got their chance to give CEO Omar Pacha a good grilling. But after the horrid traumas everyone at the Panthers had experienced in recent months, a repeat of that was never likely this year, nor warranted for that matter. Nevertheless, other than representing an opportunity to catch up with hockey friends during the off-season, you still desperately hope that there’s something worth venturing out the house to hear about.
There was more than a hint of Groundhog Day about proceedings, with Pacha present to unveil his third permanent Head Coach in his short time at the organisation. This time around, there was no mildly awkward phone call to the then newly-appointed Head Coach like at last year’s event when Omar got Jonathan Paredes on the phone to share a few thoughts with fans. The main man was there in person to address us on this occasion, and given the rather underwhelming reaction to Danny Stewart’s appointment from the fanbase as a whole, it was comforting to hear him receive a warm and enthusiastic reception from a packed room.
Maybe the extra ingredient that made this year’s event feel worthwhile was the platform afforded to Danny Stewart to introduce himself to some of the Club’s supporters. After seventeen years in the UK, you might expect to know a fair bit about the latest man to stand behind the home bench in the Motorpoint Arena. Let’s be honest, the world of British ice hockey is notoriously insular with no real hiding places, yet I felt like our new Head Coach still remained somewhat of a stranger to us. With his playing days now a diminishing memory to me, my knowledge of Stewart’s hockey acumen is shaped far more around his coaching exploits, firstly at a doomed Vipers organisation, then on to a stint as an Assistant in Fife, before spending the last eight seasons down the road in Coventry. It was fascinating to hear some of his recollections of time spent in Newcastle, where faced with extreme adversity and a decimated playing roster, firefighting became Stewart’s modus operandi for managing one crisis after another as the Vipers careered towards EIHL oblivion. Whilst his time at Fife evaded discussion, it’s clear the road in which Stewart has travelled to reach where he now is has been tough, with nothing coming particularly easy in attempting to pull rabbits out of hats at rink-based organisations. Having to work damn hard to keep things afloat at, and the tin hat is going on, some of the lesser glamorous outposts in the EIHL (sorry!) will have definitely helped to shape and define the type of coach Danny Stewart has now evolved into.
So a coaching CV which doesn’t exactly set the world alight may well explain why, looking around the ever-unforgiving landscape social media, there’s still a sizeable section of Panthers fans who remain unconvinced about our new Head Coach. That’s no surprise though as Stewart’s coaching experience to date has largely been predicated around wringing every last bit of value out of budgets which don’t generally come anywhere close to those enjoyed by the Arena-based organisations. Another factor contributing to the apathetic welcome will no doubt be the struggles encountered by Coventry Blaze in recent seasons, notwithstanding that, there’s still been the odd year where Stewart has shown he’s capable of assembling a roster of hard-working guys and getting them to perform greater than the sum of their parts. The truncated Covid season saw Blaze mixing it with the big boys and definitely part of the conversation over where the title might’ve been heading that year if a global pandemic hadn’t forced an early league shutdown. And whilst one positive season amongst several of struggle should not be given undue weight in assessing how Danny Stewart might possibly fare in new surroundings in Nottingham, there is cause for optimism that with a larger budget, in part boosted by an increase in season ticket sales, he might just be someone who knows exactly what is needed to get his side to be fighting at the right end of the table.
No doubt there have been times over the last few seasons where a little bit more high-end quality, stemming from a larger budget, would have turned Stewart’s team from one in the lower echelons of the standings to one which could have routinely performed on a par with those teams with far greater resources at their disposal. Whilst that is a largely hypothetical opinion and massively open to debate, this season gives Danny Stewart the chance to test himself as a more elite Head Coach in a whole number of different ways. For example, coming off the toughest of tough seasons, can he help shift the focus from the understandable love and gratitude of Panthers fans towards last year’s roster back to one where greater competitiveness becomes expected? Well, one of the striking things about Stewart’s coaching skillset seems to be his willingness to battle, as a player this was clear, and by his own admission, his teams have always set out to play with heart and determination – even if the levels of talent haven’t always been consistently there. That bodes well for creating a culture of not backing down and developing a strong sense of unity and identity amongst the 2024-25 roster, something reaffirmed by the number of guys already recruited who have enjoyed leadership roles at their previous teams. Some Head Coaches making that step up to a bigger organisation might shy away from assembling a bunch of players who have strong personalities in order to get across their own dominance, but it’s reassuring that Danny Stewart doesn’t seem fearful in having characters in the locker room who might rock the boat, hopefully in a constructive manner, if things aren’t quite going to plan.
Having seen the Blaze many times over the last several years, it’s not too unkind to say that the style of hockey employed has been fairly ‘blue collar’ in its aesthetic appeal. Maybe the smaller, more cramped ice pad at the Skydome necessitated a slightly less watchable brand of hockey, and then throw in the well-speculated budgetary constraints limiting the calibre of roster able to be assembled and you get an understanding for why there are concerns from some in the Panthers fanbase over how Stewart will make that coaching transition further north in Nottingham. But the start he’s made should give encouragement that there are positives just around the corner. Most of last season’s most impactful import forwards have been encouraged to return, whilst the addition of Sam Herr adds a ton of additional quality in the playmaking and finishing departments. From recruitment so far, it’s clear that the Head Coach wants to blend some of the fast and attractive transitional hockey us fans saw last season with some grit and aggression to make Panthers a tough outfit to play against. Naturally, no one knows how the group of players assembled by Stewart who take to the ice against the University of Quebec Trois-Rivers in just over a month’s time (phew, hockey is back!) will fare, and of course, far tougher physical battles than that particular exhibition game lay ahead as the domestic campaign gets underway. However, and assuming we can attract a pair of good calibre netminders to Nottingham (could Danny Stewart pioneer the goaltender-less brand of hockey?), the roster looks fairly exciting with a little bit of everything helping to cover all bases.
Watching and listening closely to Danny Stewart during the Q&A, it was evident just how determined a character he is. A warrior is maybe a description reserved for a mega-competitive player who doesn’t know when they are beaten, but I think we may have the coaching equivalent of that here, perhaps it’s the underdog mentality forged from coaching sides not expected to compete for league titles which brings this out in him. Stewart seems a good, confident speaker, able to switch between light-hearted anecdotes in front of a room of strangers to a more serious overview of what his objectives and general principles as Head Coach are with a level of ease which instils confidence that communication between himself and his players will be positive. Personally, having seen the roster built so far, and combined with Stewart’s competitive nature, it’s helping to build the excitement levels ahead of the coming season. However, and I hate sounding so preachy, but us fans really do need to be patient over these first few weeks and months of yet another new era, after years of underperformance, combined with the horrors of last year, surely a tempering of expectations is justified whilst Danny Stewart is allowed to exert his influence over all aspects of on-ice matters. And it’s a baptism of fire for sure. Looking around the Elite League, the level of competition this season is pretty daunting. Everyone seems to be trading up from last year’s levels which means no easy games, so if we don’t quite get out the starting blocks as quickly as we’d hope then let’s put our trust in Danny to see where we’re a little short and make those coaching or roster adjustments.
From everything said in the Saltbox last week, it sounds like the organisation have put its full faith in our new Head Coach to be around in Nottingham for some considerable time, and that’s exactly what this hockey club needs, continuity and a stable coaching base in which to grow performances and entice the better guys who pass through this city to ply their trade, to return year after year. One thing is for sure, if Danny Stewart wants to break his duck and win trophies as a Head Coach, then you’d think there would be no better opportunity for him to do it here in Nottingham. Here’s hoping!
We were lucky enough to grab a few minutes with Danny and Omar Pacha after the Q&A to do a little piece for the TCW podcast in the corner of Saltbox. Being honest, it’s not really natural territory to be in the company of such influential people in charge of a sports club that has been so integral to my teenage and adult life. Putting that unease aside, it was refreshing to hear how candid Danny Stewart was in responding to a question from Tina about why she should reconsider her sceptical view of his appointment as Head Coach. I won’t lie, I was sort of taken aback by the directness of the question. But Danny did not shy away from it and answered candidly, helping (I think!) convince Tina to soften her opposition a little bit. His demeanour in setting out the case for his appointment (akin to a job interview!) also had the effect of helping put me at ease too – another tick in the box! And that’s another thing which endears me to Stewart, his willingness to confront those doubters and back his own ability to make a real positive difference in Nottingham.
What I heard last week from up on stage in a sweltering bar packed with Panthers fans gives me quiet confidence that in time, and with the right support from management, Danny Stewart could be that unifying guy who helps to finally join all the dots together and turns the Nottingham Panthers back into the force they really ought to be in British ice hockey. It probably won’t happen overnight, but small steps forward, particularly in this first season (a league win against Sheffield would be nice!), will still be considered great progress from my point of view.
Best of luck to you Danny!
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