Жаред Беднар тоглогчдын ур чадварыг нэмэгдүүлж, NHL-д амжилт гаргахад нь хэрхэн тусалдаг вэ

DENVER —One of the biggest challenges for any NHL coach is figuring out how to get the most out of every player. Some need help finding their confidence, others need to round out their game, and some simply need a coach to show them there’s another level they haven’t reached yet.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has made a career out of doing exactly that.

As he prepares to coach his 800th game with the Avalanche on Saturday at Ball Arena, Parker Kelly and Martin Necas spoke with The Hockey News about the ways Bednar has helped them grow as players. Their experiences are different, but both point to the same strength: Bednar knows what he wants each player to improve and how to help them get there.

For Kelly, that meant discovering an offensive side to his game he didn’t know existed. For Necas, it meant becoming more aggressive as a goal scorer and getting into the tougher areas of the ice.

Kelly joined Colorado from the Ottawa Senators and has steadily earned a bigger role with the team. Last season, he scored a career-high 21 goals, showing just how much his offensive game has developed.

He credits Bednar with playing a significant role in that progress.

“When I came over from Ottawa, I remember thinking how dialed in he is. He’s very much a players’ coach, his door is always open, and he’s a great teacher of the game,” Kelly said. “He has no problem showing you clips and helping you understand things so you can grow as a player.

“He’s done a really good job of unlocking an offensive style of game in me that I didn’t know I had.”

Bednar’s work with Necas offers another example. Last season, he saw an opportunity to make the forward more of a goal-scoring threat. Necas has an explosive shot, but Bednar wanted him to use it more instead of looking to pass. He also wanted to see more commitment to the defensive side of the game.

Martin Necas: pic.twitter.com/HJSeBFUFfr

— Ryan O’Hara (@OHaraSports) November 7, 2026

Necas responded with the best offensive season of his NHL career, finishing with 38 goals and 62 assists for 100 points. It was his first time reaching the 100-point mark.

Asked where Bednar has helped him improve the most, Necas pointed to his willingness to get into the dirty areas and become a more complete player.

“Going more into the dirty areas (of the ice) and scoring goals there,” Necas said. “Just my all-around game, playing D, there’s always space for improvement.”

Bednar has spent 24 years coaching hockey, including 11 seasons in the NHL. His résumé includes championships at the ECHL, AHL and NHL levels, with titles alongside the South Carolina Stingrays and Lake Erie Monsters before leading Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2022.

His approach to developing players has certainly evolved over that time, but Bednar doesn’t believe the underlying philosophy has changed much.

The Hockey News asked him what, if anything, has changed in the way he works with players to help them reach their full potential.

“I’m sure there’s lots of changes. I don’t feel like it’s that different, though,” Bednar said.

He used Kelly as an example of how a player’s needs change throughout his career. For someone just breaking into the NHL, the priority is earning the trust of the coaching staff and establishing a role.

“In a case of a guy like Parker Kelly, when you first break into the league, for a lot of guys, it’s about survival,” Bednar explained. “It’s doing the things that your coach is real specific about to help you make sure you’re a solid, trustworthy player, so you can stay in the league and then help the team.”

Once a player has established himself, the expectations can expand beyond that initial role.

“As you get a little bit of experience, then it becomes a little bit more about, okay, you’ve established yourself as that type of player, like a defensive player, checker, penalty killer,” Bednar said. “Then, as his next coach, it’s about trying to help him grow into a more dangerous offensive player and become even more well-rounded.”

The same applies to players who already bring plenty of offense. Bednar said those players need to find ways to become more reliable across the ice rather than focusing exclusively on their scoring.

“Some of our guys are really good offensive players, and we have to help shape and mold them into trustworthy 200-foot guys who just help them get more out of their game in any area,” Bednar said.

For Bednar, it ultimately comes down to understanding the player and having conversations about where they want to improve.

“Just studying it and communicating with the players to where they think they can grow and finding a mutual ground on that, and just trying to help them out,” he said.

That philosophy has helped Kelly uncover a new part of his game and pushed Necas toward becoming an even more dangerous offensive player.

With 800 games behind Colorado’s bench, Bednar was asked what the milestone meant to him. His answer was fitting for a coach who has always put the team’s success ahead of individual recognition.

“I didn’t even know it was 800 until we were just walking down the hall and he told me,” Bednar said. “I’m grateful and fortunate to have been here for all of it. The most important thing to me is trying to help our team win today. Then tomorrow, it becomes about today again.”

Bednar admitted the milestone might carry more significance once his coaching career is over and he has time to reflect on everything he’s accomplished. For now, his priorities haven’t changed.

“I really don’t care about personal accolades, not one little bit. Winning is the most important thing to me,” he said.