Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
In 2020, he was hired by the Buffalo Sabres Seth Appert with a specific mandate: developing young talent with the Rochester Americans as the NHL club rebuilds.
In four seasons as the Amerks' head coach, Appert — whose coaching background included more than two decades at the NCAA level and time with USA Hockey's Team Development Program — brought in players like Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Peyton Krebs again Mattias Samuelsson on their way to full-time jobs in Buffalo. Jiri Kulich, Isaac Rosen again Devon Levy they are all ready to run for office this coming season.
Appert has been awarded a spot on the new Sabres' coaching staff Lindy Ruff. Again Mike Leone he was brought to continue the work in Rochester.
Like Appert, Leone's background, 36, includes time with the highly publicized USNTDP, a three-year stint that featured roles representing the United States at numerous international tournaments and helped produce more than 40 NHL draft picks. A native of Dearborn Heights, Mich., he also served as head coach and general manager with Green Bay of the United States Hockey League and was an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University and Quad City of the ECHL. In Leone's days as a pitcher with Texarkana and St. Louis in the junior North American Hockey League, his teammates included a three-time Stanley Cup champion. Patrick Maroon and the current head coach of the Cleveland Monsters Trent Vogelhuberand played for a Calder Cup and Stanley Cup winning coach John Cooper.
In Rochester, Leone enters a position that will provide some familiarity, given the NTDP responsibilities he shares with Appert. Assistant coaches Vaclav Prospal again Nathan Paetsch will be returning to Appert's staff as Leone works to build a relationship with his new team.
“I think it's very important, especially for all the young players now, to care about the person first, the player second,” Leone said. “I think that's how I started my coaching career. That's what I believe in. Finding a level of trust to work with an athlete… I think that's very important, knowing why you do things a certain way when you're developing an athlete.”
There is more talent moving through Buffalo's pipeline, including a recent first-round pick at forward Noah Ostlund again Konsta Helenius. Ostlund, 20, made his AHL debut with the Amerks late last season; Helenus, 18, was taken 14th overall in this past June's draft. Anton Wahlberg, a second-rounder in 2023, joined Rochester in March after finishing his season in the Swedish Hockey League. The Sabers are counting on those players and others to follow a familiar path through the AHL to make the organization's rebuilding project a success.
Leone's approach is also familiar. In addition to playing for Cooper in the NAHL, he played a season Jeff Blashill in Western Michigan, and was trained in Toledo (ECHL) by the Detroit Red Wings'. Derek Lalonde and the Grand Rapids Griffins' Dan Watson.
“I'm probably the luckiest guy in hockey to play for the people I've played for,” Leone explained. “They are my mentors. They are the people I depend on. Jon Cooper, for example – his relationship with his players, the way he approached difficult conversations, just coming into the room and caring about you as a person, went a long way. Jeff Blashill – playing for him in college and learning as much as the player around him. And Derek Lalonde was someone who knew how to talk to players. You always knew where you stood.
“I've been really lucky and I've made my way as a coach and I have my own thoughts and ideas, but my core values are very much in line with the coaches I have to play for.”
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has covered the American Hockey League for nearly two decades at outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM ! Sports, and most recently was the host of The Hockey News On The 'A' podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league's top scorer in 2016.
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