HOW NEVER DREAMING FOR THE NHL GOT APPERT THERE
Jan 2, 2024
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
When Saturday morning came on Dec. 30, head coach Seth Appert walked through the doors of Blue Cross Arena as if it were another game day. The Rochester Americans were prepping for a road game that night in Utica, one they would take a bus for later that afternoon.
Then, his phone rang. It was a call that would flip his day upside down. Don Granato, head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, was feeling ill and unable to coach that night’s game as the Sabres were set to host the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams informed Appert that he would be needed on an NHL bench for the first time in his career.
“I wasn’t thinking about who I needed to tell or sharing the news,” said Appert. “There’s a lot of work to do. I was thinking simply: what do I need to get done here in Rochester to put Paetscher (Nathan Paetsch) and Vinny (Prospal) and our team in the best position to win tonight (in Utica). I spent about another hour or so getting stuff organized here and putting our lineup together. I talked with the staff about things we needed to focus on and then I knew I needed to get there, so my mind was more on that than it was on sharing the news.”
After getting organized and situated Saturday, Appert called his wife, followed by his two daughters to share the good news, though by this point the announcement had already spread through social media.
“I probably should have called earlier,” he laughed. “By the time I called it was already public, so they knew anyway.”
The only reason Appert hadn’t called earlier was because he wasn’t worried about himself. His concern was on his team, or teams in the case of Saturday.
Appert has spent nearly three decades behind the bench as a coach. The 49-year-old out of Cottage, Grove, Minnesota got his start in the fall of 1997 as an assistant coach for the University of Denver. He then flocked to the head coaching helm in 2006 when offered the position at R.P.I. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). He has led teams ever since.
It would be fair to assume that for Appert, like most in the world of hockey, reaching the NHL was a dream come true. It’s symbolism for reaching the ultimate goal in life. But the Amerks head coach doesn’t see it that way.
“Not for me. I never got into coaching with the dream of coaching the National Hockey League.”
It’s somewhat jarring to think that a hockey coach wouldn’t dream of coaching a hockey game in the NHL. If that wouldn’t be your ultimate goal, then what would it be?
“I got into coaching because I love helping people pursue their dreams. I could have easily stayed in college coaching my whole career and I would have loved it. I would have been just as passionate and competitive about that.”
Appert’s philosophy has always been honest, not modest. The way in which he speaks about his players comes with an unparalleled level of authenticity. His feelings and words are aligned. His message is genuine.
Since the 2020-21 season, several Amerks players have blossomed from rookie prospects into NHL-ready talent. Players like Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are some of the many names Appert led in Rochester. It’s something he says was one of the coolest things about the whole experience over the weekend with the Sabres, as the fourth-year Amerks coach was reunited with some of his former players. That, and hearing from players and staff he has worked with over the past 27 years. Appert has left an indelible mark on the lives he’s touched through the game of hockey.
“All my focus has been on is trying to be the best coach I can for the Amerks and to try and develop our players to enhance their careers. I never really look at things in terms of how they are for me.”
Appert’s natural instinct to be selfless led him to the NHL. It wasn’t his dream, but by making the dreams of so many young players that he’s helped come true, he earned this opportunity. Appert has developed success stories on the ice by instilling winning habits and fostering a culture that breeds development. As a result, he, too, was successful, picking up his first NHL win in overtime against Columbus. He was awarded the game puck, courtesy of Sabres captain Kyle Okposo. It’s a moment Apps described as ‘pretty awesome.’
Now, it’s business as usual once again for Appert as the Amerks get set for a pair of big divisional games against Cleveland this weekend. When Appert pops up behind his players on the bench at Blue Cross Arena Friday, it will come with having now had a taste of what it’s like on the grandest stage. It was never Appert’s dream or goal throughout his career, but his perspective has altered, at least a little bit.
“Now that you’re here at the second highest level of pro hockey in the world, do I want to eventually become an NHL head coach? Yeah, that’s a goal now, but it isn’t something I have to do my whole life or that if I don’t get there, I’ll look at it as a failure. That’s just never how I’ve looked at things. I’ve always felt that if you do a good enough job where you are, things will take care of themselves.”