Rock City Toughness: Leyland An “Every Man” When It Comes To Embracing City

Jacques Demers, as the irrepressible coach of the Detroit Red Wings, wasn’t happy. In 1987, around the beginning of his tenure in Detroit, Demers had to make changes. His team was slumping and wasn't putting in the effort needed. He could not abide to this. So one blustry winter morning, he called practice at 7:30 a.m. “I wanted them to get up early, just like all the hard-working people who pay to see them play,” Demers said, explaining the early-bird ice session. “I wanted them to fight rush hour traffic and everything. Just like the fans do every day.” On another occasion, Demers arranged for a field trip. On the tripped, players were bussed to a blighted part of the city so they could see how fortunate they had it in the NHL. Demers took a team that surrendered over 400 goals and mustered just 40 points the season prior and instilled a more intense work ethic. On the ice, he emphasized defense and checking first, scoring second. It worked. The Red Wings ... (link)