Defending the Blue Line with Mike Haviland

Cleveland – This summer the Cleveland Monsters brought on Mike Haviland to run the defense for the team. Between injuries, call-ups, and having a veteran defender playing forward, it hasn’t been the easiest season for Haviland. However, he’s been able to take different defensive pieces and make them work for the Monsters on special teams and at even strength. It does help that he has a young, motivated guy like Billy Sweezey helping lead the way.

At the beginning of March, I sat down with Mike Haviland to talk about some of his players and the importance of different aspects of the defensive position. 

Full Press Hockey: After a year of playing forward, Dillion Simpson is finally playing at his natural position of defense. What has it been like having him back on the blueline?  

Mike Haviland: He’s been back a couple of times here and there. He’s been back and in games when we needed him. When we’ve gotten into penalty trouble we threw him back with the defense a couple of times. Or when we need to settle things down a bit. 

Just most of the time, he’s been upfront and now he’s back and thrown right into it. Simmer is a pro, he’s been around, and he’s played it his whole life. It’s like riding a bike. It’s easy for him to get right back at it. 

FPH: For you though as a coach, how do you adjust to what kind of plays or pairing you’re putting together knowing that you might have him or you might not have him on defense? 

MH: We had him with Jiricek and losing him kind of hurt that back area. We really want to have a veteran guy with Jiricek to help him and it’s not only the coaches. It’s good when you have a peer, a guy who is a veteran who has been through it and can kind of settle him down at times too. It’s a big part of his development. I think Simmer fits that to a T. That’s kind of what we look for with Simmer, going for a younger defensive partner.

FPH: Billy Sweezey has taken on what feels like more of a veteran role for the Monsters.  From your point of view, what has he been bringing to the game?

MH: I think Billy just brings you that energy every day. You know what you’re getting out of Bill every night. He plays the game hard, he plays the game physical, he’s vocal in the locker room, and very well-liked by his teammates. 

Billy is a guy who, that physical presence that he brings, keeps the other team on their toes and you have to know when Bill is out there. I think that his leadership and how he plays just give us that inspiration every night that this is the team we need to be. Bill just kind of leads that way. 

Around The AHL

• Wranglers End Season in Series Loss to Firebirds
• Wranglers Advance, Set To Play Coachella Valley This Week
• Eagles Lose Game 5, Eliminated From Playoffs
• Expanded AHL Playoffs Don’t Quite Pay Off
• Firebirds Tie Series on True’s Shorthanded Stunner

FPH: What goes into finding the right pairing for the right line? 

MH: Sometimes on the defensive side of things at home we like to match up against their best players. Kind of stay-at-home defensemen as much as we can. Most of the time I look and see if we’re in need of offense. We’ll probably put our offensive defensemen out. If we’re behind a goal or something like that, I know Fix is going on the ice. Maybe I put Christiansen and Jiricek together because they are our production guys back there. So, you try to think about where the game is and what the score is when you are looking into that type of thing. 

FPH: Will you expand on the importance of the defense having a good relationship with the goaltended and the importance of being an extension of the goaltender?

MH: It’s a big part of it. The goalie touches the puck an awful lot. We have certain calls so everybody is on the same page. It’s a big part of it, communication, and it’s something that we stress a lot, talking to the goaltender, letting him know what he has and what he doesn’t have. Even with the screens, we go the other way and I’m sure Thiess will tell ya the goalie needs to tell our defensemen so he can see. 

There is a lot of talk between the goalies and how to play 2-on-1 and what he wants. There are a lot of different situations we go over and then just reinforce it all year long. So everyone is on the same page. 

FPH: A lot of talking? A lot of communication? 

MH: Yea, it’s a big part of it. I think it’s not only from the defense to the forwards, it’s the goalie and the defense. As I said, the goalie touches the puck an awful lot. So, we want to make sure we are on the same page. 

FPH: Let’s talk about the +/- stat. Do you ride on that? Or do you pair it with the eye test knowing that the plus/minus stat might not always be indicative of how the defender is playing?

MH: For me, I like to watch film. I think you know your team when you watch a film. Sometimes things just happen. Listen, mistakes are going to happen, and all the time. Sometimes there is a bad line change and a goal goes in, or you step on the ice and it’s the end of a penalty kill and the goal goes in. 

So, I think you have to watch the film to understand how your guys are playing. You get a better perspective of that when you watch the film the next day and then you can see who is playing well and who is not. You kind of have an idea during the game but you really have to watch your film to understand that.