Coach Dave Hakstol graduates to NHL with Flyers opener

Ron Hextall is a risk taker.

For proof, go back to May 18, the day the Flyers' general manger stunned the hockey world by hiring the University of North Dakota's Dave Hakstol as the franchise's 19th head coach.

Hakstol, 47, is the third head coach ever to climb directly from the NCAA ranks to his first head coaching job in the NHL.

"It's a gamble, but one thing I know about Dave is that he has all the intangibles to be a very good NHL coach," Hextall said. "I'm extremely comfortable with that."

Hextall's son, Brett, played for Hakstol at North Dakota from 2008-11. Brett's father was not a helicopter parent who hovered over his coach, Hakstol recalled.

"He would stop in and say hello whenever he was in town or at a road game," Hakstol said. "He was the furthest thing [from an interfering parent]. He and his wife were parents who supported their son and didn't hover around the rink a whole lot."

When he attended North Dakota games, the elder Hextall liked what he saw from the demanding, driven coach.

"When you watch a guy coach, there is a certain feel you get," Hextall said at training camp last week. "I had a feel years back that Dave at some point was going to be an NHL coach. Where? For us? For me? I had no idea there. He's got a sense with just the way he carries himself, his work ethic. You watch his teams play over and over and how hard they work, they're very structured. You get the sense from watching his teams that everybody is listening and everybody has bought in, and that's a sign of a good coach."

A good college coach. But will it carry over to the NHL, where, generally speaking, high-priced players have more job security than coaches? Will Hakstol be able to motivate players the way he did in college?

Hextall thinks Hakstol - who directed North Dakota to seven Frozen Four Finals in his 11 coaching seasons - will make a smooth transition.

"I strongly believe he will," he said. "I think [he] has thus far. . . . I think he ran a really good camp and he's in charge."

Hextall acknowledged that Hakstol, who has been leaning on his assistants for guidance, still has to learn about the league, opponents' tendencies, and the ins and outs of the NHL game.

He is not concerned.

"It's no different than bringing a rookie in and [asking], 'Does he know the league, does he know the players?' No. It takes a while, it takes experience," Hextall said. "But I'm very comfortable saying Dave has all the intangibles. He's an extremely intelligent guy. He deals with people extremely well. Everybody knows where they stand. He's a very good communicator, so I'm really excited."

The players call him "Hak," and they were receptive to the high-paced, intense training camp he ran.

But if the losses start piling up under an inexperienced ex-college coach, it's fair to wonder if the players will lose confidence in him more quickly than if their boss had an NHL background.

"He has to prove now that he's an NHL coach, and like I said, the things he has - a level of intelligence with regard to the game of hockey - is elite." Hextall said. "His work ethic is elite. His focus is elite. So he has all the intangibles that lead me to believe he's going to be a very good NHL coach."

Chapter 1 starts in Tampa on Thursday, when Hakstol will follow in the footsteps of Bob Johnson and Ned Harkness, the only other men to go directly from the college ranks to their first jobs as an NHL head coach.

Johnson went from the University of Wisconsin to the Calgary Flames in 1982 and, after a successful stint, later guided Pittsburgh to the 1991 Stanley Cup. Harkness went from Cornell University to the Detroit Red Wings in 1971 and lasted just 38 games (12-22-4).

For Hakstol, the excitement of coaching in his first NHL game "really hasn't had much of an impression on me to this point," he said after practice earlier this week. "I mean, I'm obviously excited to move from preseason and into the regular season, but I haven't given that a whole lot of thought, honestly.

"I'm sure there's going to be some moments there, no question. I'm sure there's going to be some nerves, some excitement, some emotions," he added. "Until I get there, I don't know what those are going to be, and they'll come and go pretty quick as the game gets going."

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull