Well, it has been almost a month into the season and we've had a little bit of everything. Some good and very well played games. Some not well played matches and a real ugly one. The good news is we are still in first place and we just played our worst game. So, what does this mean for a coach? When things are going well, you tend to let things be for the most part. Disrupting a teams momentum is something a coach must walk a fine line with especially with young players. In hind sight, though, having a weekend like we just had could be the best thing for us. The season started with such a bang and we got out of the gate quick, not much adversity. Now, I get to be on the otherside of coin. It is very easy to get critical in my position, but that is exactly what I want to avoid as a coach. I never thought it helped for a coach to come into a meeting and sit there and criticize players or embarrass them. I really enjoy sitting down with a guy and chatting about something that we can improve on in a positive manner. I reacted better with this approach and I want to have that kind of interaction with our guys. These players are pros, but they are still kids and many of them have just started their careers. They are here to learn and hopefully I can help with that. The easy part is when you win. Now, the tough part strats, turning aroud a losing streak... It has been rare in my career that I can finish a game and meet up with my brother and a college buddy and then head home for the night. One of the best things about taking this job is I am home almost every night, and I am in Portland a good majority of those. I love Portland, and in the past the summer has been the only time I have been able to get into town. Now, doing the things I love the most aside from hockey are easier to enjoy...

I'm sure many people wonder, what it is like going from a player to a coach? I was always curious why players would get right into coaching. For me, it was the right fit for the family, staying in Maine and the opportunity was too good to pass on. And you know, I really enjoy it. What is not to love so far? We are almost one month into the season and we haven't lost in regulation. But that is not the most rewarding part of coaching. For me, watching guys execute what you and the coaches devise before and during the game and having success with it far outways the wins and losses. The bottom line in pro sports is about the W's, though, so in that respect I got no grace period.The coaches and players are expected to get results immediately. As a player, I really took pride in sticking to the game plan my coaches laid out, so as a coach, this is what drives my ambition in helping these guys make it to the next level...

When you start anything new, you can never prepare for every situation. So I found out this week. Do you remember the coach in the movie, "Bull Durham"? His classic line, "This is the toughest job a manager has...". Well, I can tell you, it couldn't be more true. The harsh reality of pro sports is that guys get reassigned, or as we call it, "sent down". This means you are heading to the next level down the chain of the organization. Our staff has all played at the highest level, and the hardest part of playing in hockey is knowing a guy is getting sent down. You skate with a guy, sweat with him, sometimes bleed with him and you are like family. As a coach, it is no different, except one of you must be the one that tells the guy he is leaving. Luckily, that guy is not me. That is left for the head coach and is why he gets the big bucks. But I find I must leave the room when it is happening. When you really appreciate the effort and work a guy displays everyday, telling a player this must really be difficult. Like the saying goes, "This is the toughest job a manager has...".

Hello, everyone! It's Eric Weinrich, here, former player and newly appointed assistant coach of the Portland Pirates. I would like to take you through a season and let you experience and take part in the life of a coach, our players and some of how a family lives during a year, as well as some perspective from a former pro player who now sees life and sport through the eyes of a coach and my children. I can assure you the perceived similarities are not always as they seem. This will be my first season in 18 years that I won't be playing. But, it will be the first year since 1988 that I will be living full time in the state of Maine. It will also be the first time in my life that I get to watch my children get on the bus everyday of the week and have the opportunity to attend their activities. Who says retirement is all bad?