Alfie Michaud wasn’t sure where to turn after the end of his 15-year career in professional hockey. He contemplated playing another year overseas in Europe, but a unique opportunity brought the former University of Maine goalie back to Maine.
Torn between hanging up the skates and pursuing hockey interests elsewhere, Michaud reached out to Brad Church, the chief operating officer of the Portland Pirates, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes. In just one week, Michaud went from undecided to being the coach of the Portland Junior Pirates’ Under-18 team, and the goalie coach for the Portland Pirates.
“I planned on playing overseas, but it all happened so quickly,” Michaud said about the move to the Pirates organization.
“First, I talked to [Brad] Church and we had a good meeting. I got the job for the junior team and learned that the Pirates needed a goalie coach. Then I met with the head coach and general manager Ray Edwards and got the job.”
Before he knew it, Michaud was commuting 87 miles from his home in Vienna to the Pirates training facilities in Saco to work with his new players and peers. His knowledge and experience of the game made him an ideal fit for the Pirates, and so far, the change has been successful for both Michaud and the Pirates.
The Junior Pirates won the state Tier 2 title and will be playing in the national tournament in March. The Pirates are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division. Starting goaltender Mike McKenna is posting solid numbers under Michaud, tallying a 2.15 GAA and .932 save percentage, ranked 10th overall on theahl.com
“There’s a great coaching staff here, and I’m just trying to learn all I can,” Michaud said.
“I have a great group of goalies to work with, and I’m learning from them and the other coaches here too. It’s nice watching good players and just soaking it all in.”
The most rewarding aspect of coaching the Pirates for Michaud has been his ability to work with one of his childhood heroes, Sean Burke. Burke is the assistant general manager and goalie coach of the Arizona Coyotes, and was part of the interview process in Michaud’s hiring.
“He’s done a lot of good work with the players he’s coached. He’s always been a mentor of mine, and it’s really an honor to work under him,” Michaud said.
Before his brief stint in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks and years of professional play overseas, Michaud played between the posts for the University of Maine Black Bears during their last NCAA title in 1998-99, and was named the Most Valuable Player of that tournament.
The entire 1998-99 squad was recently honored at the Alfond Arena in November of last year, marking the team’s 15th anniversary of their NCAA title. Michaud has fond memories of that team and what they accomplished for the University of Maine.
“We were a special, tight-knit group,” Michaud said.
“I had a lot of great friends on that team. Playing for Coach [Shawn] Walsh was a wonderful experience. We never wanted to let each other down. As he would have said it, ‘you care so much about these guys, you would have gave them your left arm.’”
Michaud recalled his first encounter with the Maine coaching staff, and how they helped get the most out of their players.
“I went to Maine because of Walsh’s assistant coach Grant Standbrook, he recruited me,” Michaud said.
“I didn’t talk to Walsh until I committed. They made it fun for us. Walsh was a stickler for detail, very demanding, but also very fair. If you came in and worked every day, you were going to get to play. He was ahead of his time in how he managed his players. He could push the right buttons and get a response from anyone. The two of them together was a great team.”
Looking forward, Michaud is excited about coaching and the new experiences it will bring him. Despite hurrying into his new job, he’s humbled with where he is now with the Pirates organization and is anxious to continue his new career.
“I’m a coach now, and I’d love to continue coaching,” he said. “I’m no different than anyone else. I’d like to move up the ranks. One day I’d love to have that opportunity, but I’m really happy where I am now. It’s been a big change but I couldn’t be more pleased. I’m going to grind it out down here with Portland and keep learning.”