Dave Hakstol already has coached in the big time

The new hockey coach is under an enormous amount of pressure. He is taking over a team that has a long tradition of winning and is used to selling out its state-of-the-art building. The new coach's fan base is also craving a long overdue championship.

"A ton" of pressure, Brad Berry admitted Tuesday during a telephone interview from North Dakota. "The standards and expectations are very high, but I don't think I'd want it any other way."

You may not have heard of Berry before, but he is quite familiar with Dave Hakstol, the new hockey coach who grabbed the local headlines when he was hired by the Flyers on Monday. Hakstol's ascent into the NHL allowed Berry to move out of his assistant's role and into the head coaching job at the University of North Dakota.

Berry, 50, spent nine noncontinuous seasons as an assistant under the younger Hakstol at North Dakota, so he has a pretty good read on the man. Berry also played parts of eight seasons in the NHL and spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets, so he also knows about the transition Hakstol is about to make.

"He is a very detail-oriented guy and a very knowledgeable hockey coach," Berry said. "I'd describe his work ethic as tireless. All the qualities you would want from somebody who is taking over your program, he has them. He has a lot of respect for his players and his coaches.

"Some head coaches end up becoming micro managers, but Dave had faith in his staff and he let us do our jobs. He knows how to communicate in the right way. Here in college, the players can range from 18 to 25 and he reached out and connected with all of them."

That sounds similar to the description that Flyers general manager Ron Hextall gave of Hakstol during the coach's first news conference. The only check mark missing, Hextall said, was NHL coaching experience and the general manager insisted that was not a concern.

That does not mean Hakstol should expect a perfectly smooth transition from an elite college hockey program to the NHL. There will be some things that are different.

"It's different when the money comes into it from the players' standpoint," Berry said. "It's their living, so that is definitely a different side. And for the most part, we've always had North American players [at North Dakota]. In pro hockey, they come from all ends of the earth, so he will have to adjust to some of the international flavor of the game.

"I don't think it will be a huge thing. Hockey is hockey and the biggest thing is connecting with the players. I can't see that being a problem with the kind of person he is. I would say he is firm but fair. He demands hard work but in a way that he connects with guys."

One thing that should not be an issue for Hakstol is the bright lights of the NHL. It's true that Grand Forks, N.D., has a smaller population than Cherry Hill, but the hockey there is big time. North Dakota's arena has a capacity of 11,643 and it is a rare winter night when the place is not packed. It was built in 2001 and every seat is customized in North Dakota green leather with cherry wood arm rests.

"It's one of the most beautiful buildings we have in North America," Wayne Gretzky said after touring the place.

The college hockey program in North Dakota is like the college football program at Southern Cal. There is no nearby NHL or NFL team in those places, respectively, so the college game draws all the attention.

It's no wonder Hextall had to call Hakstol three times to convince him to make the jump to the NHL.

"We're in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and this is hockey country," Berry said. "People pick up the paper every day to read about our team. Our fan base is unbelievable. Our fans don't just pack our arena, they also travel all over the place. That's the magnitude of what we have here. At North Dakota, you go to school, you play hockey and you have a chance to get to the highest level."

NHL all-stars Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, and T.J. Oshie went to North Dakota. So did the Flyers' Chris VandeVelde. The program has made 21 appearances in the Frozen Four and won the NCAA title seven times. The team's last title came in 2000 when Hakstol was still an assistant, so the fan base is becoming a little impatient.

Yes, there will be some adjustments for Dave Hakstol in his new job at the highest level of hockey, but coaching in the big time will not be one of them.

Berry turned down an offer to be Hakstol's assistant with the Flyers because he wanted a chance to be a head coach for a high-profile program. He might have taken the job with more pressure.

@brookob