Mike Yeo: Former Penguins Assistant Coach Is Ready to Be an NHL Bench Boss

Mike Yeo has his heart set on being a head coach in the NHL, but a prospective NHL head coach must take the same path of a player who wants to find success in the big leagues. They work their way through the minors, get some limited playing time against the big guys and then manage to get a permanent job with an NHL squad.

Although Yeo’s big break as an NHL bench boss hasn't come yet, he seems to be doing just fine so far as the head coach of the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League. The Aeros are the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

Last year, the Aeros finished dead last in the AHL’s West Division, posting a record of 34-34-7-5 for 80 points. But this year, under Yeo’s guidance, the Aeros finished second in the division and the Western Conference with a record of 46-28-1-5 and 98 points. They finished just four points short of the West Division crown.

Houston is currently competing in the Calder Cup Playoffs, where they have swept the Peoria Rivermen, knocked off the West Division champion Milwaukee Admirals (a series which included three straight overtime games) and are up three games to one against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

This is not Yeo’s first time in Houston. He played with the Aeros when they were a member of the International Hockey League (IHL). In five seasons from 1994 to 1999, Yeo had four seasons of more than 100 penalty minutes and two seasons of 30 points or more. He posted a career-high 41 points in the 1997-98 season.

When the Penguins moved their AHL affiliate to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the 1999-00 season, Yeo played in 19 games, posting four points. However, knee injuries forced him to retire, and he moved behind the bench almost immediately, working with then-head coach Glenn Patrick.

While Patrick and Yeo were working together, the Penguins went to the Calder Cup Finals in 2001, where they lost to the Saint John Flames.

Patrick was fired after the 2002-03 season, but Yeo stayed on board as an assistant coach when Michel Therrien was brought in. The Pens again went to the Calder Cup Finals in 2004, but were swept by the Admirals.

When Therrien was promoted to Pittsburgh following the firing of Eddie Olczyk in 2005, Therrien took Yeo with him. The duo led the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, and although the Penguins lost to the Detroit Red Wings, they still had an improbable playoff run to that point, sweeping the Ottawa Senators and defeating both the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.

Yeo survived yet another coaching change in February 2009, when Therrien was dismissed after the Penguins were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Dan Bylsma came in from Wilkes-Barre, and Yeo worked with him to turn the team around and bring Pittsburgh their third Stanley Cup.

After the 2009-10 season, Yeo accepted the head coaching job with Houston. Although it wasn’t the NHL job he was holding out for, he happily accepted, and it’s safe to say things are going just fine for him.

He credits his chance to work with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the NHL’s most elite players, in helping him get ready to be in charge of a team of his own.

“Getting a chance to work with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and many of their other young stars, it keeps you sharp every day,” Yeo said in a story in the Star Tribune. “If you want to have credibility with these guys, you better be on the ball and you better know your stuff.”

Provided the Aeros avoid a collapse against the Bulldogs and advance to their first Calder Cup Finals since 2003, the Wild or any number of NHL clubs could be looking for Yeo’s services on the big stage.

And those who have worked with him think he’ll be ready.

“What he brings to the table is five years as an assistant in the NHL, someone who’s been to two Stanley Cup Finals, won a Stanley Cup and won’t be intimidated by players,” Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero told the Tribune. “I mean, he coached Sidney Crosby. That goes a long way when you’re considering hiring a minor-league for an NHL coaching job.”

Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma agreed.

“Do I think he has enough experience? No question at all…I’m not sure I want to coach against Mike Yeo if he’s in the National Hockey League.”

You can't argue with the experts. Yeo has it all, from experience coaching some of hockey's best players to working with championship teams, not to mention the ability to turn a bleak situation into a positive one.

I am crossing my fingers that Yeo is able to get Houston into the Finals and even help them win a Calder Cup.

If he does that, then Penguins fans should get used to seeing him on an opponent's bench in the NHL next year.