It has been four years since Marty Johnston left his job as head coach of the Carleton Ravens men’s hockey team.
In 2017, Johnston transitioned to the professional level when he took an assistant coaching job with the Manitoba Moose, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.
Although he hasn’t been behind the bench at Carleton in years, Johnston remains a household name in Ottawa hockey circles.
His impressive coaching record with Carleton combined with his time playing for the Gatineau Olympiques has earned him a strong reputation for success. That reputation helped Johnston win Ontario University Athletics East Division’s coach of the year award for the 2014-15 season.
Johnston looks back at his Carleton years fondly. He said coaching the men’s hockey team helped him grow not only as a professional hockey coach, but also as a person.
Starting with his promotion to head coach in 2010, the Ravens under Johnston would prove to be one of the best in the country. They played against some of the top schools in Canada when they played for the University Cup in 2013-14 and 2015-16.
“For me, starting at Carleton when I did was a chance for us to sort of rebuild the hockey program,” Johnston said.
While Johnston and the Ravens were starting to make noise in the U Sports men’s hockey scene, they also proved to be a disruptive force for even professional hockey teams.
“Initially we started out with growing pains, but once we built a solid foundation as a program, we were knocking on the door of winning a national championship.”
In September 2015, the Ravens played the Binghamton Senators of the AHL in an exhibition game at the Ice House. Despite the mismatch on paper, the Ravens snuck out a 1-0 win on home ice.
“The crowd was packed and it was a really special night for the guys. For a bunch of those guys that was their first taste of pro hockey, and I was really proud of how they played,” Johnston said.
Johnston’s pre-coaching background
Johnston comes from a strong background of collegiate hockey. Before coaching the Ravens from 2010 to 2017, Johnston played for the Dalhousie University men’s hockey team from 1999 to 2002, where he served as team captain in two of his three seasons.
After graduating from Dalhousie, Johnston played years of minor-professional hockey in Canada and the United States before ending up in Scotland for his final season in 2004-05.
“I landed in Scotland, playing for a team called the Edinburgh Capitals. I was able to finish my MBA there, so overall I’d say my time in Scotland was a good experience,” Johnston said.
Johnston scored 18 goals and 45 points in 28 games playing for the Edinburgh Capitals.
After his playing career had ended, Johnston became assistant coach at Carleton for the 2007-08 season. By 2010-11, Johnston had been promoted to head coach where he led Carleton through seven solid seasons, posting a 129-49-12 combined record.
After his success at Carleton, Johnston had his eyes set on coaching at the professional level. When Johnston was hired as an assistant coach for the Manitoba Moose in 2017, there was an adjustment period for the Gloucester, Ont. native.
“Things were quite different in Manitoba,” Johnston said. “At Carleton, I had been the head coach, but I was hired as an assistant coach for the Moose. Right away I had to learn on the fly, because my first task was to run our defence.”
Despite playing his entire career as a forward, Johnston had to adjust quickly to running a defence in a professional hockey league. Although his time on the ice was spent scoring goals, his coaching duties have seen Johnston become more defensively-oriented.
“It really helped change the way I saw the game. Obviously, at Carleton I had a hand in how our defence was executed, but it was an interesting experience focusing entirely on the defence,” he said.
“I notice some things now that I did as a player that would make me pull my hair out as a coach.”
“Eventually I got to run our power play, which was a little bit more my speed,” he added jokingly.
Minor league hockey coaches such as Johnston are in a unique position where they not only have to worry about winning games, but also developing recently drafted players for the NHL Winnipeg Jets.
Johnston said he and his staff are determined to teach the young players proper positional play, as well as what it takes to be a professional hockey player.
In terms of hockey skills, Johnston says younger players are only getting better and better.
“The players that are coming into the professional game are very skilled at quite a young age,” Johnston said. “Each and every draft year, the new crop of players come in already faster and stronger than the rookies the year prior. It’s quite impressive.”
He said he has also noticed the practice intensity is higher than it was during his playing days. While practice was once used as a way to keep players in shape during the regular season, more and more coaches are now using practice time as an evaluation tool for players.
“The practices are highly competitive now. You really do get the sense that guys are fighting for ice time and spots in the lineup, and as a coach that makes you happy,” he said.
Taking things one day at a time
With the pandemic hanging over the heads of hockey teams across the country, Johnston believes taking a one-day-at-a-time approach will be key for his team this season.
“The main thing I’m focusing on right now, actually, is that we are having good practices,” he said. “It will take a little while for the guys to get their lungs back after such a long time off with the pandemic.”
He added that his team faces logistical issues such as travelling for the team, COVID-19-related lineup decisions, and other unforeseen pandemic impacts. For Johnston, staying calm and navigating turmoil is all part of the job.‘Focusing on the process’ is something Johnston believes can be applied to anyone’s daily life, not just high-level athletes.
“I feel that so long as I am working towards something and striving to be better, the emphasis should be on the process and not on the results.”
Featured image by Kyle Fazackerley.
