Former Vernon Vipers head coach-gm, Mark Ferner puts his stamp on his new club, the Everett Silvertips. Ferner was head coach-gm of the Vipers for four years (2007-2011).
This is in the Everett Herald Newspaper:
Silvertips' Ferner puts his stamp on team
By Nick Patterson, Herald writer
Published: Thursday, September 1, 2011
EVERETT -- Mark Ferner has finally been able to put his stamp on his new team, at least a little.
The Everett Silvertips' new head coach received his first chance to do some hands-on work with his new charges during the team's first two practices Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at Comcast Arena.
And what Everett's returning players have found about their new coach is not so much that Ferner is going to change the way they play, but more that he has a different way of expressing it.
"A lot of it's similar," overage forward Josh Birkholz said. "Our structure in all three zones is pretty much the same. But it allows for a little more creativity."
Added center Ryan Harrison: "We're doing the same systems, just a little bit different. But (Ferner) comes at it a little more casually. He's catching everyone's attention, though, and everyone seems to be following it well."
Ferner's predacessor Craig Hartsburg, who stepped down in the offseason to become the associate head coach of the NHL's Calgary Flames, was a demanding task master. So far the players have found Ferner, who came with the reputation of being a player's coach, works with a little softer touch.
"You can sense in these first couple practices and throughout training camp just how comfortable the guys feel around (Ferner) and how personable a guy he is," Birkholz said. "He's really easy to talk to. If you have a question he's right there to stop the whole practice and explain it to everyone. I think his energy and positive attitude are already starting to leak into the other guys. It's exciting going into the year seeing the positive attitude start out right at the beginning."
Everett's coming off a rough season, where the Tips underachieved and morale was low at season's end. Ferner's coaching style, at least initially, appears to be re-energizing the players.
"I like him," center Ryan Harrison said about Ferner. "He seems to like to have fun. He demands work ethic, he told us that again today, but if we have fun doing it that's what he wants.
"The atmosphere is positive," Harrison added. "Everyone's having fun being at the rink. We've got a workout (shortly after Wednesday's lengthy practice) and everyone's not even tired, we're kind of looking forward to it and looking forward to working."
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