News

MacEachern excited for first NHL goal

by Chris Pinkert / St. Louis Blues

They say good things come to those who wait.

On Monday afternoon, after three full seasons of college hockey at Michigan State University, 132 games in the American Hockey League with two different teams and (finally!) four games in the NHL, Mackenzie MacEachern buried his first career NHL goal.

"It was a pretty cool feeling to score that one," MacEachern told stlouisblues.com after Tuesday's team practice in Anaheim. "I saw the opening, seized the moment, just saw it and took it."

The goal came in the first period against Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick at Staples Center, with the bright lights of Hollywood serving as the backdrop. Jordan Nolan won a face-off in the offensive zone and knocked the puck to the boards, where Ivan Barbashev won a battle for the puck and pushed it back to Vince Dunn on the point. Dunn's shot made it through traffic, bounced off Quick's pad and squirted out to MacEachern, who made a diving play to beat Kings' defensemen Derek Forbort to the loose puck for the goal.

"I thought I was all by myself, but I felt his stick come down on me and I was a little nervous it wasn't going to go in," MacEachern recalls. "But it crossed the line and went in... I use my body to get in front of the net and just bang home rebounds. That's probably what you're going to get from me and hopefully I can keep doing that."

"It's always fun to see a guy get his first goal," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said. "'Mac' has come up here and played pretty good for us. He skates really well, he's getting in on the forecheck and banging bodies.

"He's playing a hard game, and that's his game."

BIRMINGHAM — He’s set to inherit one of the most successful high school hockey programs in the state of Michigan.

The simple challenge now for Kenny Chaput is to keep that fact accurate for years to come.

“I wouldn’t say there are nerves, but this is an exciting step,” Chaput said last week about becoming head coach of the Birmingham Brother Rice hockey team. “I’m glad I had the backing and support I did. For the school to trust me with this program meant a lot. This is a program with a lot of very good people. We have a well-running machine where I don’t have to come in and make drastic changes. Hopefully, people don’t see a whole ton of different things.”

Chaput takes over for Lou Schmidt Jr., who decided shortly after the 2016 playoffs ended in the Division 2 quarterfinals that it was time to step aside.

Schmidt did so with a 236-107-19 career record and three state titles in 13 years.

Chaput, 50, had served as Schmidt’s assistant each of the past seven seasons and was hardly surprised when his predecessor retired.”

“Over the past few years, while Lou hadn’t come out and say it, he’d dropped some hints that this day was coming,” Chaput, a Southfield native and Wixom resident, said. “He’d given me more responsibilities, put me in charge of more aspects of the team.

Chaput said he became more involved in running practice, taking over the special-teams units and working out schedules, for example.

“It’s been an apprenticeship for a few a years,” he said. “Lou was still calling the shots, but he was more the CEO and delegator. He allowed me to learn a lot of the things I needed to while staying very involved. He allowed me to grow into this role. I feel ready. When Lou told me his plans as the season wound down, and told me he was behind me taking over, I think that really helped when he went to the school with that idea.”

Chaput still had to interview for the position, but he had the endorsement of Schmidt from the beginning.

“We are extremely pleased to have Kenny leading our program at Brother Rice,” Jeff Calcaterra, Brother Rice athletic director, said in an April 29 press release. “His vast coaching and playing experience throughout the hockey community will greatly benefit our players and our program. His coaching success throughout his career is due to his attention to detail, work ethic and great knowledge of the game. Kenny’s communication skills and ability to develop our young men make him a perfect fit for our family here at Brother Rice.”

Chaput grew up in Southfield, earning All-State honors in hockey twice while playing at Southfield High.

After graduating in 1984, he played at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

His coaching career began in 1997 with local travel teams.

He’s also spent time coaching AAA hockey, as well as teams in the Compuware and Victory Honda youth hockey associations.

With Rice, he was part of the state championship teams in 2012 and 2015.

“Kenny’s going to do (a) great job,” Schmidt said. “We have a big chunk of the team coming back, and rather than waiting to win again and then step aside, I felt right turning this team over to a guy like Kenny. He has a lot of fire in his belly. He’s been involved in every aspect of what we did as a team.”

Chaput said he understands the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” approach.

“As far as tactics go, I don’t know that things will be all that different,” he said. “Maybe I’m a little more outwardly passionate than Lou was, but other than that, there’s not a lot that’s going to be different.”

Including expectations.

“I’m at a program where the goal going into every year is to win a state championship,” Chaput added. “Most years, we have the talent level to compete. We’re going to continue with that same approach.”

Birmingham

Schmidt Jr. steps aside from Brother Rice hockey after 13 successful years

By Mike Moore

BIRMINGHAM — In what can only be described as a massive dose of modesty, Lou Schmidt Jr. said he was proud of building a “strong program” during his tenure as Birmingham Brother Rice hockey coach.

After 13 years, three state titles, a state runner-up and a winning percentage near .700, Schmidt decided shortly after the 2015-16 season ended that his time on the Warriors’ bench was done.

In late April, Schmidt, Brother Rice and the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League made it official.

“After 13 years, it was time,” Schmidt said when reached in late April. “The kids were awesome, but it really is that simple. It was time for me to step aside.”

He does so paving the way for long-time assistant Kenny Chaput to take over.

“Kenny’s going to do great job,” Schmidt said. “We have a big chunk of the team coming back, and rather than waiting to win again and then step aside, I felt right turning this team over to a guy like Kenny. He has a lot of fire in his belly. He’s been involved in every aspect of what we did as a team.”

What the Warriors did under Schmidt’s guidance was win.

He steps aside with a 236-107-19 record in 13 years with Rice, good for a .652 winning percentage.

Schmidt led the Warriors to state titles in 2005, 2012 and 2015.

He also was on the bench for the 2011 final, a 4-1 loss to Wyandotte Roosevelt.

Rice reached the Division 2 quarterfinals this past winter before falling to Hartland High 5-4 in overtime, ending the season 21-7-1.

It was shortly after that game Schmidt decided to call it quits.

“I feel like we built a strong program that will last for years to come,” he said. “That’s something I’m very proud of.”

Asked about all the success the Warriors enjoyed during his time, Schmidt was quick to deflect the praise.

“I’d start by saying how easy the school made it for me to coach here,” he said. “We always had good hockey players and good athletes, but the school stressed being students first, athletes second. That helped with the kind of men I was able to coach.”

He said he’ll spend more time traveling and golfing now, though he won’t be far from the action on the ice next winter.

“I’ll be at a lot of the games,” he said with a laugh, “just not the practices anymore.”