Article courtesy of http://www.phpa.com/. Tim Coffman is a 2006 Twin Valley High School graduate and a third-year professional ice hockey player.
Succeeding as a professional hockey player has a lot to do with opportunity and being a suitable fit within a team or organizational culture as a whole. Tim Coffman found success in college hockey, and has since parlayed the connections he made there into opportunities to play professional hockey in the ECHL and Europe.
Coffman credits his bond with Utica College coach, Gary Heenan, for the countless opportunities he has earned throughout his hockey career. And although he has been out of college hockey for four years, Coffman has not hindered the personal and professional relationship he and Heenan continue to share. From the moment Coffman visited Utica and spoke with Heenan, he knew Utica College was the place for him.
“When I went and visited Utica and met Gary Heenan, I realized that it was probably going to be the best place for me to play. Gary is a great coach, he gave me the opportunity, tons of ice time, and really made playing in Utica a fun experience.”
Coffman didn’t disappoint his coach, taking home Rookie of the Year honors for the ECAC-West Conference of NCAA Division III hockey in 2009.
“My success came from Gary giving me the opportunity to play a lot of minutes which gave me confidence going forward with the rest of my college career.” Coffman led the Utica College Pioneers with 37 points in 25 games during his rookie season and went on to captain the team in his final two years.
After four seasons, the Public Relations major finished his college career as the all-time leader in Utica College scoring with 139 points (58 goals, 81 assists). He then capped off his senior season in 2011-12 by signing with the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL, and immediately reported to the team, seeing action in 14 regular season games with the Road Warriors.
“In college, I relied a lot on my natural ability and instincts. But once I went to Greenville, it was an eye opener because I realized that if I want to play professional hockey at the ECHL level or higher, I need to train harder and take better care of my body.”
This realization became even more evident the following year. The start of the 2012-13 season was marred by the NHL lockout, with players on NHL entry-level contracts being permissibly assigned to the American Hockey League. This lead to a trickle-down effect and roster shuffling within the development leagues, leaving some players without a team to play for. Coffman had attended Greenville’s training camp that year, but was released due to the number of players being reassigned to the team from their American Hockey League affiliate.
Coffman’s story and the importance of making personal connections became apparent while waiting for tryout offers from essentially anywhere there was professional hockey. “During my senior year in Utica we played two weeks over in Europe, which ended up working out well for me because a guy that saw me play there gave my name to a team in the Netherlands who needed a player. I ended up getting a call from the team in the Netherlands in November of that year asking me if I wanted to play,” explained Coffman.
“Again, it was my college coach that ended up helping me set that up. I didn’t know anything about hockey in the Netherlands, I really didn’t even know they had a league.” The overarching theme for Coffman up to this point had been based on the fact that a great relationship with one individual can go a long way.
Coffman seized the opportunity to keep playing and develop his game with the Tilburg Trappers, leading the team in scoring with 48 points in only 26 games. The Trappers went on to win the Dutch Cup (League Championship) that year with the help of Coffman’s top-end offensive talent.
When asked about life in the Netherlands, Coffman replied, “I went to Tilburg, which if you’re going to play in that league is probably the best team to go to. It kept me playing hockey, which was the most important thing. It kept me skating, working out, and staying in game shape. It’s a great town to live in and the Netherlands is actually really ‘Westernized’ for Europe so I really enjoyed it.”
Although Coffman relished his time playing in the Netherlands, he always had planned on returning to North America to continue his hockey career.
The importance of maintaining strong personal connections was put on display once again when Coffman returned to his hometown of Elverson, Pennsylvania. Keeping in contact with Heenan during his time in Tilburg, his former coach came up with yet another opportunity for him.
“It was Gary again, he was in Alaska talking to ‘Murr’ (Rob Murray – Head Coach of the Alaska Aces of the ECHL) and he told him he knows a player that might be able to help his team out. Murr gave me a call, and after talking to Gary again I realized that Murr was the type of guy who was willing to give me a shot.”
Coffman noted a line that Murray mentioned to him when they spoke prior to his arrival in Alaska. “He told me that ‘If you have the skill, I don’t care where you come from or what your background is.'” It was that line that made Coffman feel the same kind of initial connection with Murray that he did with Gary Keenan years earlier. It led to Coffman flying out to Alaska to play for the Aces during the 2013-2014 season.
Unfortunately for Coffman, his first season with Alaska ended prematurely after suffering a foot injury. Although he missed out on his first taste of playoff hockey with the Aces, he used it as motivation to come back stronger and more prepared for his second year with the team. In 2014-2015, Coffman skated in 48 games, finishing with 40 points (13 G – 27 A).
Now entering his third season with Alaska, Coffman credits his college coach for molding him as a player and helping him become a better person. “From my freshman year of college to the player I am now, he has played a pretty major role. I have a great relationship with him and still talk to him a lot; he has been a huge influence for me.”
Another aspect of Coffman’s life is his ongoing desire to learn about the business side of the game. In only his second season with Alaska, he was elected as the team’s PHPA Player Representative and attended the PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives this past summer.
“The PHPA meeting was one of the highlights of my summer. When you’re not a Player Rep or Alternate, you really don’t see how much work goes on behind the scenes. The amount of work put into our union is incredible and it was pretty neat to learn about it. To see how dedicated the PHPA staff is towards protecting the rights of minor league players really made me appreciate what they do for us.”
Coffman hopes playing hockey will remain part of his life for the foreseeable future, but realizes that his career on the ice will not last forever. He has a strong desire to work in hockey after his playing career is over and he looks forward to hopefully returning to next summer’s PHPA meeting.
Although hockey formed the foundation of the relationship Coffman and Heenan developed during their time together in Utica, their relationship off the ice has since made all of the opportunities possible. It is a remarkable example of how important personal connections can be in regards to growing as an individual and as a professional, in any line of work.
Follow Brendan Connolly on Twitter @BConnolly_