Keeping Up With Kevin Dineen

During the NHL lockout, there’s not much for coaches to do with their time to stay in game shape. Sure they can hit the gym like the players, but I don’t see Bruce Boudreau getting that 5k run in. Maybe Barry Trotz won’t get rusty considering his tenure as the second longest serving NHL coach of one team, that team being the Nashville Predators.

Scouts and general managers can go see their prospects and in the system players play like Dale Tallon has. Keeping up to date as the hockey world remains revolving is important to remain in the loop when the NHL resumes. You hear of hockey clinics put on by former team members or executives. Kevin Dineen recently held a clinic with TV analyst Bill Lindsay. He’s also been to see the AHL affiliate of the Panthers, the San Antonio Rampage.

You would assume coaches would like to stay in their respective NHL city, or wherever their family may be to spend time with them (Dineen has four children). Hobbies get a lot of attention considering the recent news that Panther’s head coach Kevin Dineen and Baseball Hall of Fame member Wade Boggs fish together.

“Dineen, an avid fisherman, has been fine-tuning his skills by winning two tournaments in the Keys. He’s been hanging out with fellow fisherman, baseball great Wade Boggs.”

On November 9th, Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel posted his interview with Dineen that included the surprising news of baseball and hockey worlds colliding. At first glance the duo seems bizarre. But when you listen to Dineen’s account of their friendship, it all makes sense.

“…we’ve had conversations about Don Fehr, the things that he’s done for MLB Player’s Association…”

I would imagine the way they came together as fishing buddies had a lot to do with the way Elaine and Susan became buddies on Seinfeld. Aforementioned, baseball and hockey worlds colliding. You know you have to keep the worlds separate. Donald Fehr’s secrets leaking between buddies? Dineen getting the scoop on Fehr from Boggs? Who knows how much time Dineen and Boggs even spend on the subject.

Hanging out with Wade Boggs on a boat, maybe drinking somer miller lites sure sounds like a good way to drink away, I mean fish away the lockout.

It’s also possible Boggs shares tips about his experience with hair loss. His worst memory was champagne running down his forehead in New York. Let’s hope Dineen never has to experience this when the Panthers win their Stanley Cup. I mean, DISASTER. You need hair to enjoy the moment, guys.

An interesting fact revealed in this interview was the lack of communication with any players. “He’s bumped into some of his players when they were practicing at Saveology (they’re at Glacier Ice Arena in Pompano these days) and at some of their children’s games but other than some hellos he’s not allowed to interact with them.” That’s tough when you spent a minimum of eight months travelling and working with a group of guys you are no longer to be in touch with.

Besides fishing tournaments, Dineen has been spending time with his family in Florida. Who knew he had four children? Now you do. And who knew his fishing buddy was Wade Boggs? Now you do, too.