Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
JD Forrest you will come home eventually.
The native of Auburn, NY, joined the Tampa Bay Lightning organization as an assistant coach with the Syracuse Crunch.
After eight seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins — including the last four as their head coach, going 113-102-24-13 — his new position puts him more than 30 miles from his hometown. Forrest's nine-year playing career took him to the AHL, ECHL and Europe, and after his retirement in 2014 he spent a year with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program followed by a season in Austria with the EC Red Bull Salzburg under-20 team.
Forrest called the Lightning “one of the best destinations in the NHL and AHL” in terms of their careers.
“One of the ways people are looking at the whole league is how to win,” he said. “I'm very happy about that and I can learn from different people.”
Those people will include players who ended up starting the season in Syracuse. The Tampa Bay organization has redone its organizational depth chart this summer, especially on the blue line. New Real signers Tobie Bisson, Derrick Pouliot again Steven Santini all spent significant time in the AHL this past season, and yet the Crunch's roster is in flux, with Forrest – who will be in charge of the Crunch's penalty kill – and the head coach. Joel Bouchard they should have strong choices among their defenders.
“I have a lot of respect for what the players go through,” said Forrest, “how hard it is to get where they want to go, the daily effort of it. It can be challenging, and I'm just here to try to help and guide where I can.
“Also, the players are an important resource that I can learn from. Such a relationship with a coach, and I think it starts with mutual respect and understanding that what they are going through is not easy. As an assistant, especially, working with 'D,' it's a small team on the team, and that relationship is very strong.”
Working with Bouchard will be another learning opportunity. The two spent the summer getting to know each other better, exchanging ideas and talking hockey.
“I'm here to help Joel with the areas he's looking for,” Forrest continued. “He was very good at communicating with me. He's set some expectations — and I know they're high in Syracuse — continuing to build on what he started in his freshman year.
“I'm in a support role now, and I think I can help in that area.”
Forrest's playing career has taken him to different places in succession, a journey that began when he left Auburn to join the first USNTDP under-18 team in 1997. He was drafted by Carolina in 2000, and spent four seasons as a defensive standout. Boston College, where he won the national championship as a freshman. His 10-year pro career included 35 games in the AHL, but he spent most of his time in Europe alternating between Finland, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany.
“It's been a long time since I've been away from home,” said Forrest, “we're very happy.” I understand community relations, and ownership is very involved in making part of the fabric of Syracuse and a great place in Central New York.
“I'm looking to contribute to that.”
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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