Leveling Up and Leading D-Corps 

Kraken assistant coach Aaron Schneekloth and Lane Lambert had never met before the Seattle head coach phoned this past summer.

“All I knew is I was informed by the [Colorado] Avalanche there was an NHL opportunity for an interview,” said Schneekloth, who coached the American Hockey League affiliate Colorado Eagles to a Pacific Division title last season. “When going through the hiring process in those conversations with Lane, I felt like the comfort level was really there. How we interacted, talking about different plays and structures in the defensive zone. How we like and want teams to play. There were a lot of similarities.”

After Tuesday’s practice at Kraken Community Iceplex, Lambert confirmed the good vibes per those offseason calls.

“I think you always get that positive feeling with [the successful candidate],” said Lambert about connecting with Schneekloth [pronounced “Sh-knee-cloth"]. “It's pretty immediate. That's how I felt with him. The more we had conversations, the more I knew he was the right guy.”

With the Kraken halfway through a four-day break between games, Lambert made a point with Tuesday’s media scrum to make clear his players have put the team in a good position for a playoff run as the season enters the second quarter-mark. Schneekloth’s work with the defensive corps has contributed greatly to that success at both ends of the ice, most especially succeeding at keeping high-danger shots to lower numbers in most games.

“We talked about that as a team, where we're at [second wild-card position in the Western Conference going into Tuesday action],” said Lambert. “You sometimes get so lost and focused in the last game or two. Dallas, I thought we played a great game. I thought we could have won that hockey game. I don't think any of us were happy with the Edmonton game.

“For us to get back to practicing and having conversations about where we're at and where we want to go, where we need to improve and continue improving, and be able to work on those things on the ice, it's good. They have put themselves in a good position to this point. We've worked hard. They've been hard to play against.”

Connecting with Defensive Corps

Lambert said Schneekloth’s work with both veteran and young D-men has greatly fortified the much-sought hard-to-play-against label for this season’s version of the Kraken.

“I hired him for a reason,” said Lambert. “I think that he's come in and exceeded expectations for me. His thought process in terms of seeing the game and making adjustments to the game has been really welcome to me. Running the defensive standpoint, he's done a pretty good job of managing their ice time and putting them in positions to succeed.”

Schneekloth is a legendary player and coach with the Colorado Eagles across the franchise’s history in the ECHL and AHL. He played in 2006 for the Loveland-based team (including two seasons named as the league’s best defensemen) until his retirement in 2013. He joined the Eagles’ coaching staff as an assistant the next season and later, as head coach, led the team to back-to-back ECHL Kelly Cup championships in 2017 and 2018 before the franchise transitioned to the AHL. He appreciates and respects the move to a higher level of competition as part of the Seattle staff behind the bench.

“At every level, the talent, speed, execution, and individual player vision all go up,” said Schneekloth about adjusting to the NHL pace. “The NHL is at the highest level. Our main focus is on the habits and details in game situations, such as techniques to kill plays. At this level, you try to pass on some of those tools for guys to use.”

Schneekloth said all of the Kraken’s defensive group are open to coaching, no matter how many years in the league or Stanley Cups won. He used training camp to build relationships, and in-season sees his role as being to boost performance in concert with each D-man.

Starting with Relationships

“First, the top priority is to build a relationship, get an understanding of who they are as persons, then being with them and watching them and knowing who they are as players,” said Schneekloth. “How can I help them get better? What things do they feel they want to work on? What things do I see that I want them to work on? We work together on it ... I think that's what the players want.”

Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura both validated Schneekloth’s approach.

“He is quick with feedback,” said Oleksiak. “I try to keep an open line of communication with him and make sure I can take and use any criticism. He’s totally locked into Lane’s systems of play. I think we have pretty good chemistry so far.”

Mahura played a formidable stretch of games with Ryker Evans out of action for the first five-plus weeks of the regular season. Lately, he has been working extra with Schneekloth to stay game-ready. The Kraken assistant coach praised Mahura’s team-first professionalism. The D-man is equally positive about Schneekloth’s coaching approach and demeanor.

“He’s been great,” said Mahura about the coach nicknamed “Schneeks”. “We started forming that bond and relationship in camp and have carried it over into the season. He's got a lot of coaching experience throughout his career, so there's a lot I can lean on. He’s helped me with body positions in the defensive zone, in that automatically you’ve got the right body positions in a place where guys are not getting around you, taking time and space away, and using it to my advantage.

“When you're not playing, you're trying to use your time to get better,” said Mahura. “So, when you get back out there, you're a better player than when you came out of the lineup. We have a lot of time with each other, especially on game days. He’s definitely helping me with that.”

Going Next Level with Support

While the NHL regular season is relentless and all-encompassing for coaches, Schneekloth does at times savor his shot in the National Hockey League after decades in pro hockey as a player and coach.

“I’m grateful for a lot of support from family and friends,” said Schneekloth, a husband and father of two children-- a son in university and a daughter in high school. “My goal is always to continue to develop and grow. You've got to step outside of your comfort zone. I felt it was the right time for me to be part of the NHL. I have nothing but the best things to say about the Colorado organization and the people. But this has been an amazing opportunity and experience to work and grow with the Kraken players, coaches, and staff members who have been in this league a long time. I’m learning and growing every day.”