Like most hockey players, the coaches who have guided Nick Oliver over the years have played a huge part in making him into the player his is today. Oliver, drafted by the Nashville Predators in the fourth round of June’s NHL Entry Draft, is currently participating in the Predators Development Camp this week at the Centennial Sportsplex..jpg)
The 18-year-old Oliver has played for some coaches whose names carry serious cache in the hockey world and one coach that may not be a household name in the hockey world, but is certainly well known in the Oliver household.
In his bantam hockey years, Oliver played for former NHL players Aaron Broten and Bryan (Butsy) Erickson. Broten played 12 seasons in the NHL and Erickson parts of eight.
This past season, Oliver played briefly for the Fargo Force of the Tier 1 United States Hockey League under legendary coach Dean Blais. Blais is most famous for his ten seasons spent as head coach of the University of North Dakota. In ten seasons at North Dakota, Blais led the Fighting Sioux to two National Championships.
But the coach who has had the biggest impact on Oliver also doubles as his father. Scott Oliver spent a total of six seasons as the head hockey coach at Roseau High School in Roseau, Minnesota. The last three seasons, Scott’s son Nick was a star player for the Rams.
Never heard of Roseau? Well, the small city in extreme northwestern Minnesota with a population of 2,789 has produced some outstanding hockey players. In addition to Broten and Erickson, Rams’ alumni include Paul and Neal Broten, as well as current Chicago Blackhawks forward Dustin Byfuglien. Neal Broten was a member of the 1980 US Olympic Miracle on Ice team that won gold in Lake Placid.
Despite being known as the coach’s kid (“C.K.” according to Scott), Nick Oliver loved playing for his father at Roseau.
“He’s my Dad, you love him to death, so the more time you get to spend with him at the rink, the better,” Nick said. “It was tough at times. You might get judged a bit differently because people think you get special treatment, special attention. You just have to try to block that out and keep working hard.”
When Nick was named as a member of the varsity team in his sophomore year, tongues around Roseau began to wag a little.
“I think when I came on the varsity as a tenth-grader; a lot of people around the town were saying that the only reason was because my Dad was the coach. It was tough right away, but you learn to block it out and you learn to mature. It helps you grow up a lot. I’ll tell you right now, he was a lot tougher on me than any of the (other) players.”
Scott Oliver knew Nick earned his spot on the varsity that year, and the wagging tongues around town were soon transformed to shouts of joy. That season, the Rams won the Minnesota Class AA Championship, the seventh State Championship in school history.
The championship was played in front of a sold out Xcel Energy Center, home to the Minnesota Wild.
“Being able to win it my sophomore year with my Dad behind the bench, that was even that much more special for me, him, and the rest of my family,” Nick said.
When asked whether Scott the coach or Scott the Dad was more proud the day Nick was drafted by the Predators, Scott paused and emotionally said:
“Me the father. That was probably the one time I did not look at him as a player. I turned around and looked at him and thought how neat that was for him to have that day and have this opportunity. Certainly we are humbled by the whole experience.”
Nick will go back to Fargo this fall to play another season with the Force and then plans to head to Saint Cloud State University in the fall of 2010.
Scott may no longer be his son’s coach, but he is definitely his biggest fan and supporter.
“He really has his head on his shoulders in regards to what he has to do and what is in front of him,” Scott said. “Being in the situation he is in right now with a good organization like he is with, and with his work ethic and his determination, I know he is going to work very hard at it.”
If anyone in attendance for the on-ice session at Centennial Thursday did not know Nick was a coach’s son, he displayed one trademark characteristic that should have tipped them off – he was the last player off of the ice.
Textbook.
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