TPH Co-Founder Dwayne Blais Makes NHL Bench Debut With Red Wings

Total Package Hockey co-founder Dwayne Blais made his NHL debut behind the bench on Tuesday, November 10, with the Detroit Red Wings at Enterprise Center for their matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Blais is a Player Development Consultant for the Red Wings and has also worked with their AHL affiliate, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. He has spent more than 25 years training athletes, and Tuesday gave him a look at that work in real time, at NHL speed.

Blais had stepped behind the Griffins’ bench last season, but Tuesday put him at the highest level of the sport. Behind an NHL bench, the game moves faster, the margins are thinner, and every shift brings something new to read. Throughout the game, Blais gave players feedback on specific skills, worked with the video team to offer real-time input, and flagged details to revisit after the game.

“It’s fast. Things happen quickly, and there are a lot of moving parts,” Blais said. “It was a great experience. It’s a great group of guys in Detroit and a first-class coaching staff.”

Development at Game Speed

During a game, Blais watches whether a centerman wins or loses a draw and why, how each player handles his individual play, and how individuals execute within the team’s systems. One message he returns to often is patience, because players usually have more time than they think. He said the conversations with players during the game are one of the most fun parts of the night.

Those conversations, at that speed, cemented his appreciation for the job behind the bench. “You appreciate what a coach goes through minute to minute, and how much faster things happen,” Blais said. “When you’re coaching in real time instead of rewatching footage, you understand why players make the decisions they do. It helps you understand the players more.”

That perspective adds to the development work that starts long before game night. Blais has been with the Red Wings since the 2021-22 season, and has helped to make the team’s development camps skill-based, focused on the specific details players can carry into games. Before joining the Red Wings, he worked with the Nashville Predators, the Washington Capitals, the AHL Hershey Bears, and the OHL’s London Knights. He was also one of the first Hockey Canada Certified Skills Coaches, a high-performance certification through Hockey Canada.

Advice for the Next Generation

As a founder of Total Package Hockey, Blais has worked with TPH student-athletes since the organization’s early days, and his NHL debut comes as TPH celebrates 25 years. For TPH student-athletes, and anyone working toward the next level, Blais shared some practical advice.

“Be adaptable. Build your skills, learn new things, and get outside your comfort zone. Be willing to fill gaps and expand your horizons.”

It’s an approach Blais has carried through his own career. From skills work and junior hockey to the AHL and now an NHL bench, he has consistently advanced his game at every level.

While Tuesday marked Blais’s first night behind an NHL bench, he is looking forward to more opportunities to coach from the best seat in the house. Congratulations to Dwayne on a milestone more than 25 years in the making.