NPHL Media

By Garrett Fabris

 

From mini mites to under the bright lights with the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League, Danny Lorenz has played on almost every stage hockey has to offer. Now Lorenz is the head coach for the Seattle Ravens in the Northern Pacific Hockey League.

 

Before Lorenz became a head coach, he started playing hockey in Canada around the age of four. He said, “at a very young age, I remember being fascinated with all the hockey equipment, especially the goalie gear. Which is what initially drew me to being a goalie. Also, as a kid, a lot of the older kids in the neighborhood would play street hockey, and they had the full set up in terms of goalie gear; so I would go out and play with them as a goalie.”

 

Graduating from street hockey, Lorenz progressed to organized hockey. He stated, “I first played on a mini mite team up in Vancouver, but then my family moved to Edmonton. So for the majority of my youth hockey career I played up in Edmonton on the outdoor rinks.”

 

“Then at the age of 16, I went on to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League. I was with the team for four years, and after that I was drafted in the third round of the NHL draft by the New York Islanders in 1988,” said Lorenz.

 

After being drafted by the Islanders in 1988, Lorenz spent about five years in the Islanders’ system. During his time in New York, Lorenz played in eight games while backing up for another 50 or so.

 

After his five-year stint with the Islanders, Lorenz then became a free agent and signed with the Florida Panthers. He said, “after I signed with the Panthers, I played for their minor league team over in Cincinnati. So I was there for a couple of years, but after that I went to a bunch of different places in the international league and the American hockey league.”

 

Towards the end of his playing career, Lorenz found himself playing for a few teams overseas. He said, “I went over to Europe and played a year in Germany and two years in England. To travel across the world and play hockey was pretty awesome.”

 

As Lorenz entered his 15th, and final, season playing professional hockey, he knew that he wanted to stay around the game. But Lorenz wanted to make the transition from playing to coaching.

 

“I was playing in a league down in New Mexico and I knew my playing career was coming to an end. When a coaching opportunity came up, I had to take it to get my foot in the door. I then started coaching for a junior league team up in Cincinnati. I was coaching there for about three years,” said Lorenz.

 

After Lorenz got his foot in the door as a head coach, opportunities kept coming his way. Lorenz stated, “after my three years in Cincinnati, I had an opportunity to move back to Seattle. Since I played in Seattle, I had roots there. My family was also living up in Vancouver – British Columbia – at the time, so it wasn’t just a hockey opportunity, but an opportunity to get closer to my family.”

 

Lorenz continued, “once I made the decision to move back to Seattle, I was able to coach the U18 team they have here in Kent, and I also managed their youth hockey program as a hockey director.”

 

As Lorenz was coaching Kent’s U18 team, little did he know that the NPHL was planning to expand into Kent, Washington, with the Seattle Ravens franchise. As the Ravens started laying the foundation for the team, Adam Speer – who is the owner and generals manager of the Ravens – contacted Lorenz about the possibility of him coaching the team. Lorenz happily accepted this opportunity to return back to junior hockey.

 

Reflecting on his 11-year coaching journey, Lorenz stated, “my coaching journey has been a lot of fun. I enjoy working with this particular age group because I work and communicate well with them. I hope that I can pass on some wisdom to all my players because these are very important years for them, their schooling, and their hockey career. Coaching is an opportunity for me to give back.”

 

Lorenz went on to say, “I’m grateful to be back coaching junior hockey. Like any fist year program, you can go through some struggles, and we have faced our fair share of adversity this season. But we have had great support from the team’s owner and general manager, Adam Speer.”

 

Sometimes a journey is defined by the road it takes, but it can also be shaped by who’s with you on this journey. Lorenz stated, “I’m grateful for my assistants in Joe Stone, who I’ve know for several years, and Jay Johnston who’s helped me out at the U18 level for a number of years. They have brought a lot to the table for me personally and the team this year.”

 

Heading into this weekend, the Ravens will be taking on the league’s top team in the Wenatchee Wolves. This home-and-home two game series will begin on Saturday, January 23rd, and conclude on Sunday, January 24th.

 

For a full weekend preview, tune in to the NPHL’s website on Wednesday, January 20th.