Thunder newcomer Nikita Kashirsky easing into next career

Nikita Kashirsky is beginning his first season as a player-coach for the Wichita Thunder, and he’s starting small.

“First and foremost (he needs to) make sure the water bottles are filled up in the morning,” Thunder coach Kevin McClelland joked.

It might not take long for Kashirsky to build trust, though. Signed during the offseason after time in the American Hockey League and the ECHL, which the Thunder joined this month, the Russian forward figures to be one of Wichita’s most important players.

If he develops a similar knack for coaching, Kashirsky may find it easier to transition away from his playing career – and gain more responsibilities in the meantime. He played and coached last year for the Dundee Stars of Scotland.

“I feel like you’ve got to play until you have to go, so you don’t have any regrets,” the 29-year-old Kashirsky said. “I haven’t thought about that, and I don’t want to think about it. It has to be a great opportunity for me to stop playing and just be a coach.”

Kashirsky wanted to return to the United States, where he has spent most of his seasons since playing collegiately in Vermont, and asked his agent to seek teams looking for a player-coach combination. McClelland showed immediate interest.

McClelland has afforded coaching opportunities to players immediately beyond their playing careers, but never during them.

Top assistant Jason Duda had a brief stint as interim coach as he finished his 14th season as a Thunder player in 2009-10, but moved over a seat when McClelland was hired the following year. Travis Wight retired during last season and was immediately handed a spot on McClelland’s staff.

“It’s an opportunity for them,” McClelland said. “A lot of these guys, toward the end of their career, really don’t start looking toward the future. There’s a lot of opportunity for coaching out there. These guys want to try to stay in the game that’s been such a part of their life.

“It’s good to bring them in and show them the ropes a little bit, and maybe they can show us a few things, too. You can always learn in this business.”

Kashirsky is eager to continue his education with duties that stretch further than keeping his teammates hydrated. He’ll help scout opponents by analyzing video and spotting trends, along with offering his opinions to McClelland and Duda, who organizes the Thunder’s special teams.

Watching so much hockey will give Kashirsky a different perspective on the game and, he believes, improve his game because he will learn which tendencies are more apt to winning hockey.

He’ll also spot mistakes that will need to be addressed with his teammates, and mistakes Kashirsky believes he can’t make as the one offering corrections.

“You’ve got to do what you preach,” Kashirsky said. “(Coaching with Dundee) actually made me a better player in terms of being more responsible with what I do on the ice. I can’t just tell guys not to turn the pucks over or get down on their knees and block shots, then all of a sudden I go on the ice and didn’t do it. It’s not going to work.”

Kashirsky has more familiarity with the “player” half of his job title, and it’s the half to which he’s dedicating most of his time. Even though he’ll have some authority over his teammates, Kashirsky isn’t interested in exercising it beyond practices and meetings.

He might provide enough on-ice leadership simply through his play: Over his last 150 games, covering three seasons and three continents, Kashirsky has scored 143 points.

“Whenever I’m in the locker room, I’m a part of the team,” Kashirsky said. “I’m one of the boys. On the ice, same thing, I’m one of the players. When it’s time to play a game, Kevin and Jason take care of the rest. I do a lot of prep work for the game, but … during the game days I take care of myself as a player.”

This story was originally published October 23, 2014 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Thunder newcomer Nikita Kashirsky easing into next career."