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Q&A: Meet the new head coach of the Chicago Wolves

For 17 seasons, Craig Berube was one of the NHL's toughest and hardest-working players (he still ranks seventh all-time with 3,149 penalty minutes). Then Berube segued directly into a 12-year run coaching in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, which concluded with two seasons (2013-14 and 2014-15) as Flyers head coach.

Now the 50-year-old Calahoo, Alberta, native is the Chicago Wolves' new head coach and he's ready to lead the American Hockey League squad back to the top. Berube took a moment to size things up prior to the Wolves' season opener on Friday at Grand Rapids and the team's home opener Saturday night at Allstate Arena.

Q: When you played, what did you pride yourself on?

A: "I think hard work and competitiveness. All pro players have to have that. Those were the two things that I could control as a player. I wasn't the most skilled guy, but I tried to work as hard as I could."

Q: How does that inform who you are as a coach and what you try to teach your players?

A: "I really try to preach how hard you have to work. We've got a lot of young guys in this league that want to play in the NHL, and I think it's part of the job as a coach to instill a work ethic in them. They all think they're working hard (smiles), but they all can work harder. And it's off the ice, too. Then it's about competition. You have to be a highly competitive person to play in the NHL. You've got to bring that out in them."

Q: What did you learn last year while not being affiliated with a team for the first time since you were a little kid?

A: "Just how much I missed coaching and being in that routine every day and being part of it. You know, I watched a lot of hockey last year. I did a lot of scouting for Canada's World Cup team, so I really got a different perspective from the press box on players and studying different systems."

Q: What would you be if professional hockey hadn't become your career?

A: "I'm not sure. I grew up on a farm. My dad worked on a farm. There was a lot of oil work out on the Alberta pipeline and a lot of construction work. Building roads. My dad and my (six) uncles did that. I imagine I would have gone in that business because I did some of that with them when I was young."

Q: So that's where your work ethic comes from?

A: My dad and my uncles, they instilled all that into me with how hard they worked. But to be honest with you, it was how they enjoyed their work more than anything."

Q: What do you predict will happen with the Wolves this year? What is this team capable of achieving?

A: "They can achieve whatever they want. There are a lot of good players here. It's about coming together as a team and playing as a team. That's what separates teams from winning championships and not winning championships.

"There are a lot of good veterans here. Strong goaltending. We can accomplish a lot of things. But it takes a lot of work and there are a lot of good teams out there. Again, it's being competitiveness and playing together as a team."

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