USA Hockey Magazine

44 // JUNE/JULY 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM When his playing days ended, he returned to Ann Arbor, Mich., to launch his coaching career as an assistant with the NTDP. By that point, the program had already collected a handful of gold medals and was well on its way to becoming the class of the international hockey community. Since the program's onset, the emphasis on player development has only grown, and Wroblewski has had a front row seat to watch its growth. The continuing emphasis on individual skill development has not only paid off in the num- ber of college scholarship and professional careers launched, but also in terms of the number of international championships won by teams that featured a majority of players with NTDP experience. A f t e r s e r v i n g a s a n a s s i s - tant with the gold-medal win- ning Under-18 team in 2010, Wroblewski left the NTDP to continue building his coach- ing resume with stops in the E C H L a n d t h e A m e r i c a n Hockey League before the lure of working with younger players brought him back to the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms. "I always thought pro hockey was my final destination. Then you get involved in the development side of things and start to realize you love helping young players better," he said. "You start to miss out on some of the personal relationships and really how you can form an individual and get them ready for the next stage of their life." At that point, returning to the NTDP didn't seem a viable option due to the established staff of veteran coaches. "Danton [Cole] and Don Granato were still with the program so you're not really eyeing that as something that could be a possibility," he said. But during the summer of 2016, Wroblewski's homecoming was complete when Granato joined his brother, Tony, at the University of Wisconsin, and the former player and assistant coach was awarded the head coaching post. "Being at the NTDP is so spe- cial and each day really brings on a new identity. There's so many d i f f e r e n t t h i n g s t h a t y o u'r e working towards," he said. "The different competition levels that you're g oing to be facing whether it's a Div. I or a Div. III team or the USHL, or international. There's always something on the horizon that y o u h a v e t o f o c u s f o r a n d i t really enhances your ability to be versatile." That versatility, along with previous international expe- rience, came in handy at this year's tournament. Teaming up behind the bench with fellow NTDP alum Greg Moore, the U.S. once again found itself perched atop the medals podium. "I'm just really happy for the players, number one. All of their hard work is validated after this experience," Wroblewski said. "I couldn't be happier for our federation right now. When you have the right mix of players and the right amount of character, it's going to come through at the end and those guys proved that they had it." P Catherine Bogart is the coordinator of internet content and development for USA Hockey. When you have the right mix of players and the right amount of character, it's going to come through at the end and those guys proved that they had it. BEING BACK IN SLOVAKIA, Greg Moore was hit with a surreal feel- ing. The last time he was here was in 2002 when he served as an alternate captain on the U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team. His team would bring home the first of many gold medals at the IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championships. "It was definitely special. Our team was a very close group of guys," said Moore, who parlayed his experience at the National Team Development Program into a 10-year pro career. "The success we had is definitely something a lot of us will never forget." His return trip to Slovakia as an assistant coach for this year's U.S. Under-18 Team would prove to be as successful as his first time abroad. The Lisbon, Maine, native helped Team USA capture its 10 th IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship, making him the first American to win the tourna- ment as both a player and a coach. "Anytime you have the chance to represent your country it's exciting," Moore said moments after the U.S. captured another gold medal. "Being a staff member, you're more proud of the kids and their oppor- tunity and what they've gotten to experience, especially having been through it yourself. It's a brother- hood that you have for the rest of your life." — Catherine Bogart FULL CIRCLE Slovakia Brings More International Success For Moore AFTER A SHAKY START IN ITS OPENING GAME, THE U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL UNDER-18 TEAM SETTLED DOWN TO TAKE HOME ITS 10TH GOLD MEDAL AT THE 2017 IIHF UNDER-18 MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.

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