USA Hockey Magazine

AUGUST 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 23 "There's just a great connection in this community of helping these kids reach the levels that they are at," said the former St. Mary 's University netminder. "It's cool to watch how the whole process goes down, and it's been fun to be a part of it." Over the course of his career, Rogalski has earned a reputation as a dedicated coach whose only mission is to bring out the best in the goaltenders he works with. Having worked at every level from girls' leagues to juniors and up through the collegiate ranks, Rogalski first made it to the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, where he worked as the team's goalie development coach for three seasons, including their Stanley Cup run in 2019. "My path has been grueling," Rogalski said. "The one thing I'd say is that if you believe in something, you just got to go for it. It wasn't about making money. My goal in life, and in coaching, was to help people reach their potential. All I care about is any kid I work with is for them to be their best. You've got to believe in what you're doing, but at the end of the day you have to make sure that the athletes believe in themselves." Westlund's journey to the coaching ranks took a little long er as his playing career lasted the better parts of 14 seasons, includ- ing several campaigns spent overseas in Austria, Russia, Germany and Slovakia. "That's probably a product of never want- ing to grow up. My philosophy is play as long as you can because the game's the best teacher," said the Flemington, N.J., native. "I always knew I wanted to stay in the game. I thought I wanted to coach, whether as a head coach or an assistant. I just love the game, but I didn't really think about goalie coaching until it became time [to retire from playing]." After landing his first coaching job in Austria, Westlund was reunited with NHL goalie guru Mitch Korn. Just as Korn served as a mentor on the ice during their time together with Milwaukee in the International Hockey League, Korn was there to help Westlund get his foot in the coaching door. "He's the best. He's seen it all and he's done it all," Westlund said. "He's an awe- some human and I owe so much to him, n ot o n l y a s a p l a y e r b a c k t h e n , b u t f a st forward to when he moved into the director of goaltending role with Washington. He's the one that brought me in to interview for that Hershey (Bears) role. I owe an awful lot to that man." Westlund added that Korn's impact on the position extends beyond his work with N H L g o a l t e n d e r s. N o w w o r k i n g a s t h e director of goaltending development with the New York Islanders, Korn continues to be an advocate to help more Americans move up the coaching ranks. Dave Rogalski joined the New Jersey Devils as a goaltending coach in 2020.

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