Koehler keeps eye on talent

By Tom Williams

YOUNGSTOWN — In the United States Hockey League, trades happen.

Jason Koehler, the Youngstown Phantoms director of player personnel and assistant general manager, doesn’t see his USHL expansion team’s roster being shuffled in the immediate future.

“There are going to be trades throughout the year throughout the league,” said Koehler as the Phantoms’ first game nears. “For us, hopefully not.

“You really like to believe that you’ve made the right decisions from the get-go,” said Koehler, explaining that the league’s trading deadline is in February.

Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt is also the team’s general manager.

“He runs the show and makes the final call,” said Koehler who was the general manager for the USHL’s Chicago Steel two seasons ago and a scout for Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League last season.

When Bruce Zoldan obtained a USHL franchise in the spring, he disbanded his Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey League and named Mainhardt (his old coach) as the USHL Phantoms coach.

Because Mainhardt’s workload has increased with the responsibility of running a top-tier junior hockey team, Koehler was hired to help with player acquisitions. It’s a role he’s become accustomed to since he interned with the Pittsburgh Penguins a decade ago.

“At all of the stops I’ve been at in junior hockey, I’ve primarily been responsible to oversee all the player personnel of the team,” Koehler said. “I’ve very familiar with the player pool across the United States.”

Koehler grew up in Prospect, Pa., in nearby Butler County.

“I played a little bit of hockey but was never as good as any [Phantom],” said Koehler, who majored in sports administration at Robert Morris College.

During his junior and senior years, he interned with the NHL Penguins for two seasons when Kevin Constantine was head coach and his assistants were Troy Ward, Mike Eaves and Don Jackson.

He also spent the offseason as an intern in the front office with general manager Craig Patrick, doing internal analysis on contracts and salary arbitration.

“It was a wonderful opportunity for someone 21 years old,” Koehler said. “To be part of that on a daily basis was unbelievable at that age. They opened my eyes to the NHL at a young age — I had no business being there but I loved every minute of it. I soaked everything up like a sponge. They were great mentors.”

Koehler’s career in junior hockey began with the Pittsburgh Forge from 2001-03. Then when Zoldan created the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in 2003, Koehler spent a little bit of time here working with Mainhardt.

“Bob and I have known each other for nine years,” said Koehler, adding that he’s known assistant coach Curtis Carr for about four years. “The relationship is very strong.

“We all have opinions, we all go out and watch players,” said Koehler of his role. “We discuss them and then I kind of filter it all out then come to bat and suggest the route we should go.”

As the eastern-most team in the Midwest-based USHL, Koehler said he believes the Phantoms have some recruiting advantages in location and the Covelli Centre.

Koehler said the USHL has “a lot of Midwest cornfield type of cities. And you have a lot of high-end players from the East, city-type kids.

“That’s a culture shock to them,” Koehler said.

As for travel, he said it’s not as difficult or costly for parents to come here to see their sons play as compared to Nebraska, Iowa or South Dakota.

“Youngstown opens up a lot of doors from a recruiting standpoint,” Koehler said.

williams@vindy.com