ALLENTOWN – The journey to realizing a dream of someday coaching in the National Hockey League can begin with a few important first steps.
For Yardley native Terrence Wallin, it started with a successful stint guiding the Maine Mariners (a former ECHL affiliate of the Flyers) to a pair of Kelly Cup championships and then most recently joining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate — as an assistant coach.
The prospect of working in the Philadelphia-Allentown region played a role in his decision to join the Flyers organization.
He was a big fan of the team growing up in Bucks County and now, still only 33 years old, this return to his old stomping grounds was just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Plus he’s working with head coach John Snowden and the two go back a ways.
“I think the relationship I’ve built with (Flyers general manager) Danny (Briere) and Riley (Armstrong, former head coach of the Mariners prior to Wallin) and dating back to the relationship I’ve had with ‘Snowy’ (Snowden) were crucial,” said Wallin in a Saturday afternoon interview prior to the start of game two of the Flyers-Rangers Rookie Series at PPL Center.
“But to get the chance to help the Flyers and help develop prospects, and help this team I grew up watching, it’s a dream come true. At this point, I can’t think of a more exciting job for myself.”
Wallin played his high school hockey at La Salle (Philadelphia) and college hockey at Umass Lowell. His pro hockey resume includes brief stints with AHL teams such as the Binghamton Devils and the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Today, he still has family in Yardley and the surrounding area.
“Being from Maine and making that move down here, with the familiarity and having family here – our world is a little difficult sometime with travel,” Wallin said. “But it’s nice to know we have family around and we’re familiar with the area.”
In his youth, Wallin would catch Flyers games on television as much as he could.
“It was a pretty surreal thing last night (Friday night’s Rookie Series opener) to see my little guy (son Wes, aged two-and-a-half, sitting with his mom, Erin) across the way watching the warmups in my jersey from when I was four years old,” Wallin said with a smile. “It was a pretty cool moment, probably something I’ll never forget.”
The Wallins plan to live in Allentown and make this community their home base.
When it comes to pro hockey, Yardley is probably best known for being the hometown of Brian O’Neill, possibly the only Bucks County native ever to play in the NHL (one season with the New Jersey Devils). O’Neill has also played in Finland, Switzerland and currently competes for Lulea in Sweden.
O’Neill began his career in auspicious fashion. After four years playing for Yale, he helped the Manchester Monarchs win the AHL Calder Cup (in 2014-15) and he was named most valuable player of the playoff tournament.
Wallin and O’Neill, 37, are good friends.
“I have a brother (Chris) who is Brian’s age,” Terrence said. “We know the O’Neills really well. It’s always been fun to track him on the way up.
“And it’s been really fun to watch this area grow in hockey. It’s nice when you hear guys from the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area succeed.”
Snowden plans to tap into Wallin’s hockey knowledge as much as possible.
“The one thing I love about Terrence is he’s got a very good development mind,” Snowden said. “Development will be a massive process for us this year. Teaching the players what’s going to make them an everyday NHL player.”
Watching the players achieve success is all worth the effort. Coaching is a big part of it.
“He (Wallin) has a great brain for the development process,” Snowden said. “He can look at the structural side and he can look at the development side. And we can tie it when we teach. He’s got great ideas when it comes to the power play. I like that he’s eager. He’s not a yes man. He’s going to tell you what he thinks.”
The fact that Wallin is only in his early 30s no doubt helps young players like the ones on the Phantoms relate to this coach.
“I think we’re kind of in a new age of coaching where the younger coach can be a part of an extension of the staff,” Wallin said. “Having only retired as a player five or six years ago, I think guys know I’m speaking from being in their shoes not that long ago.
“So I believe I can be with those guys, talk them through the highs and the lows of the season. Then, as a coach, I love the relationship building of its own but I just want to develop players.”
Some of those players might include standouts such as Jett Luchanko, Oliver Bonk, Alex Bump and Denver Barkey.
“I want to develop players who want to play with the puck, want to create,” Wallin said. “I’ll be in charge of with the puck and the power play type of things. ‘Snowy’ and I think a lot alike. I think I can continue to pick his brain and we think we can score a lot of goals with the group we have.”
Even back to his early 20s, Wallin had dreams about taking a coaching career as far as it could go.
“Toward the tail end of my pro career, I knew I probably wasn’t going to make that jump to the American Hockey League,” he explained. “But I thought that I could have a future in coaching.”
In his final playing season, Wallin spoke with Briere and Armstrong about coaching and they gave him encouragement.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a student of the game,” Wallin said. “I love to learn. That’s why I’m excited to work with guys like (special advisors) Patrick Sharp and John LeClair. It’s a great opportunity for me to continue to learn.”
Wallin allows himself to think about advancing his vocation as far as it will take him. Clearly, he’s one of the bright minds on the way up in this sport.
“Ideally, down the line, I’d love to coach in the NHL,” he said. “I’ve never made that a secret. It’s been my goal since I got into coaching. That will be a special moment.”
For Yardley native Terrence Wallin, it started with a successful stint guiding the Maine Mariners (a former ECHL affiliate of the Flyers) to a pair of Kelly Cup championships and then most recently joining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms – the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate — as an assistant coach.
The prospect of working in the Philadelphia-Allentown region played a role in his decision to join the Flyers organization.
He was a big fan of the team growing up in Bucks County and now, still only 33 years old, this return to his old stomping grounds was just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Plus he’s working with head coach John Snowden and the two go back a ways.
“I think the relationship I’ve built with (Flyers general manager) Danny (Briere) and Riley (Armstrong, former head coach of the Mariners prior to Wallin) and dating back to the relationship I’ve had with ‘Snowy’ (Snowden) were crucial,” said Wallin in a Saturday afternoon interview prior to the start of game two of the Flyers-Rangers Rookie Series at PPL Center.
“But to get the chance to help the Flyers and help develop prospects, and help this team I grew up watching, it’s a dream come true. At this point, I can’t think of a more exciting job for myself.”
Wallin played his high school hockey at La Salle (Philadelphia) and college hockey at Umass Lowell. His pro hockey resume includes brief stints with AHL teams such as the Binghamton Devils and the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Today, he still has family in Yardley and the surrounding area.
“Being from Maine and making that move down here, with the familiarity and having family here – our world is a little difficult sometime with travel,” Wallin said. “But it’s nice to know we have family around and we’re familiar with the area.”
In his youth, Wallin would catch Flyers games on television as much as he could.
“It was a pretty surreal thing last night (Friday night’s Rookie Series opener) to see my little guy (son Wes, aged two-and-a-half, sitting with his mom, Erin) across the way watching the warmups in my jersey from when I was four years old,” Wallin said with a smile. “It was a pretty cool moment, probably something I’ll never forget.”
The Wallins plan to live in Allentown and make this community their home base.
When it comes to pro hockey, Yardley is probably best known for being the hometown of Brian O’Neill, possibly the only Bucks County native ever to play in the NHL (one season with the New Jersey Devils). O’Neill has also played in Finland, Switzerland and currently competes for Lulea in Sweden.
O’Neill began his career in auspicious fashion. After four years playing for Yale, he helped the Manchester Monarchs win the AHL Calder Cup (in 2014-15) and he was named most valuable player of the playoff tournament.
Wallin and O’Neill, 37, are good friends.
“I have a brother (Chris) who is Brian’s age,” Terrence said. “We know the O’Neills really well. It’s always been fun to track him on the way up.
“And it’s been really fun to watch this area grow in hockey. It’s nice when you hear guys from the Pennsylvania/New Jersey area succeed.”
Snowden plans to tap into Wallin’s hockey knowledge as much as possible.
“The one thing I love about Terrence is he’s got a very good development mind,” Snowden said. “Development will be a massive process for us this year. Teaching the players what’s going to make them an everyday NHL player.”
Watching the players achieve success is all worth the effort. Coaching is a big part of it.
“He (Wallin) has a great brain for the development process,” Snowden said. “He can look at the structural side and he can look at the development side. And we can tie it when we teach. He’s got great ideas when it comes to the power play. I like that he’s eager. He’s not a yes man. He’s going to tell you what he thinks.”
The fact that Wallin is only in his early 30s no doubt helps young players like the ones on the Phantoms relate to this coach.
“I think we’re kind of in a new age of coaching where the younger coach can be a part of an extension of the staff,” Wallin said. “Having only retired as a player five or six years ago, I think guys know I’m speaking from being in their shoes not that long ago.
“So I believe I can be with those guys, talk them through the highs and the lows of the season. Then, as a coach, I love the relationship building of its own but I just want to develop players.”
Some of those players might include standouts such as Jett Luchanko, Oliver Bonk, Alex Bump and Denver Barkey.
“I want to develop players who want to play with the puck, want to create,” Wallin said. “I’ll be in charge of with the puck and the power play type of things. ‘Snowy’ and I think a lot alike. I think I can continue to pick his brain and we think we can score a lot of goals with the group we have.”
Even back to his early 20s, Wallin had dreams about taking a coaching career as far as it could go.
“Toward the tail end of my pro career, I knew I probably wasn’t going to make that jump to the American Hockey League,” he explained. “But I thought that I could have a future in coaching.”
In his final playing season, Wallin spoke with Briere and Armstrong about coaching and they gave him encouragement.
“I’ve always thought of myself as a student of the game,” Wallin said. “I love to learn. That’s why I’m excited to work with guys like (special advisors) Patrick Sharp and John LeClair. It’s a great opportunity for me to continue to learn.”
Wallin allows himself to think about advancing his vocation as far as it will take him. Clearly, he’s one of the bright minds on the way up in this sport.
“Ideally, down the line, I’d love to coach in the NHL,” he said. “I’ve never made that a secret. It’s been my goal since I got into coaching. That will be a special moment.”
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