Alan Letang: What Makes the New Salzburg Coach Tick

"There's a team in Croatia – could you imagine going there?" Letang's only thought was: "What? Croatia? What are we thinking about here – is this the end of my road?"

Nevertheless, he took a leap into the unknown and went to Medvescak Zagreb. The then-EBEL newcomer promptly named him captain, and Letang ultimately accompanied the club all the way to the KHL.

Today, he raves about that decision: "It was an incredible experience. I wouldn't change anything about it. The people, the country, the team, the way I was welcomed. Simply everything was fantastic."

Little Professional Experience as Head Coach

In 2014, Letang transitioned from the ice to the coaching bench. Medvescak Zagreb gave him his first steps in his coaching career as an assistant coach.

After seven years in the Croatian capital, Letang returned to Canada with his wife Krystie and their two children. There, he first worked for two and a half years as an assistant coach with the Owen Sound Attack and took over as head coach on an interim basis in January 2019. For the 2019/20 season, the "interim" tag was dropped.

By this time, Letang had already landed on Hockey Canada's radar. As an assistant coach, he accompanied the "Maple Leafs" to the 2020 World Juniors. The result: Canada won the gold medal in the Czech Republic.

In 2021, Letang was appointed Head Coach of the Sarnia Sting, a position he was scheduled to hold until November 2025. However, his experience as a head coach in the professional sector is limited: Aside from a two-month stint with the Blue Devils Weiden from the DEL2 in spring 2026, Letang had exclusively worked in junior hockey until now.

Canada's Gold-Winning Coach

Although he didn't collect any club trophies, he did earn further gold medals with Team Canada.

In 2022/23, Letang served as Assistant Coach at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the World Juniors. Both tournaments ended with gold. The U20 squad, in particular, was stacked with future NHL stars. Connor Bedard dominated on the way to the title with 23 points in seven games.

Letang's journey with the birthplace of hockey was not over. The following year, the Canadian set the tone as Head Coach. With Macklin Celebrini, he had the next superstar talent under his wing.

What Made Bedard and Celebrini Special

What fascinated him most about working with Bedard and Celebrini was not primarily their exceptional skills. Letang named something else: "Their dedication, passion, and love for the sport."

Both worked extremely hard on the ice, but they did it with joy. You could feel how much fun they had pushing themselves to always get better. Above all, their eagerness to learn impressed him.

"I love that attitude where they ask me great questions, which in turn challenges me to find the right answers for them if I don't have them immediately available," he recounts.

That very much reveals a lot about Alan Letang the coach. He doesn't see development as a one-way street. The coach should teach his players something while also being willing to learn from them.

Bedard and Celebrini challenged him with their questions. Their mindset and their way of dealing with pressure and expectations were at least as remarkable as their talent.

That both could become defining players of their generation therefore doesn't surprise Letang. At the same time, he puts their exceptional development into perspective: "Both are more the exception than the rule."

The Search for Small Advantages

And yet, he also sees their development as an emblem for modern ice hockey.

During his playing days, there weren't nearly as many 18- or 19-year-olds with such talent. "That speaks to the ongoing development of coaching. Everyone is trying to push the boundaries of the game."

Systems have their limits, Letang explains. That's why it requires people who are willing to intensively analyze things and constantly look for new possibilities.

Letang: "How do I find the decisive advantage to improve myself within the system? How do I find the decisive advantage to make a 16- to 18-year-old better?"

These questions are indicative of his approach. It's not about reaching a perfect state at some point. It's about finding the next small advantage.

Always Searching for the "Why?"

This attitude also shapes Letang's understanding of modern player development.

The Canadian believes one must be open to "listening to smart people in our environment." Ideas, after all, can come from anywhere, even outside of hockey.

"Sometimes people, even outside of sports, give you ideas on how to change tactics, adjust training content, or perhaps even alter the way you travel," says the new Salzburg coach.

Nutrition has also become an important factor. Players are much more aware of this today and have better access to information. But above all, they are willing to question things.

That's precisely where Letang sees a difference from his own generation. "We were simply told to do it this way, and we trusted that process."

Today, it's different. Players want to know why something is being done. And it's precisely this curiosity that he wants from every single player today. Not just from the top talents, but also from the veterans.

Letang: "If someone isn't satisfied with a 20-goal season, the question must be: How do I get to 25? Or: How do we improve as a team?" This is how a dynamic should emerge in which players push each other and get better together.

Standards Instead of Rules

Despite all the openness, Letang also believes clear guardrails are needed. And he summarizes them in one term: standards.

"For me, it's about conveying our system, our mindset, and our standards – not rules, but standards that we adhere to," explains the 50-year-old.

For him, that doesn't just start in the game. Standards should apply in the gym as well as on the ergometer, in practice, in games, or in the hotel. Crucially, the entire team must embrace them – especially the leadership players.

Letang deliberately speaks of a culture. He doesn't just want to set guidelines and control their adherence. He wants the team to adopt the expectations and hold each other accountable to them.

Only Adjustments Necessary

This also aligns with his understanding of Salzburg. The club has built a successful tradition over the years. That's precisely why he doesn't want to come in with the ambition of reinventing everything.

"The foundation is here. The tradition, the expectations, and the standards are in place." He will adjust some things with his coaching staff and introduce his own ideas. But the foundation is already there.

The composition of his staff should also help. Adam Maglio was already part of the coaching staff last year and knows the operations in Salzburg. Jason Morgan, in turn, has known Letang for many years.

The new Head Coach sees the diverse experiences as an advantage. "If we bring all that together, we have a versatile staff. We've been working together very well so far."

Honesty Instead of Evasion

High standards, however, inevitably bring situations where not everything goes according to plan. Letang knows that a season holds its ups and downs. And that a coach sometimes has to address things that nobody wants to hear.

He doesn't want to avoid such situations. He is aware: "There will be difficult conversations I have to have. And I don't believe in shying away from those conversations."

Instead, he relies on honesty and openness. From the outset, players should know where they stand with him. This also has a personal component for Letang. An open conversation is not an expression of distance, but of interest in the player.

"We will have honest, open conversations because that means the person is as important to me as the player in the jersey and the entire organization," says Letang.

Only once this trust is built can a team develop in the desired direction.

Different Paths, One Common Goal

Letang also knows that not every player comes to Salzburg with the same motivation.

One wants to establish himself long-term with the club, the next wants to recommend himself for a move to a top league. Especially younger players might also see Salzburg as a stepping stone in their career path.

For Letang, that is completely legitimate. "Whatever those motivations may be – when we are together in the locker room wearing this jersey, we have one goal and one motivation."

Individual goals should not disappear. On the contrary: For Letang, development is an essential part of professional sports. Crucial, however, is that a common identity emerges from different personal ambitions.

It is precisely this identity that has made Salzburg strong in the past.

Back to a Different ICE

Letang brings a certain familiarity with him on his return to Austria. He still knows the win2day ICE Hockey League from his playing days, but that was twelve years ago now.

And the league has changed during that time. Support has grown, reach has increased, and with more teams, depth has also grown. But most importantly, the league is more balanced.

"When I played here, there were the top teams and then some teams at the bottom end. Today, there's much more balance in this league," he says.

That makes it harder to win night after night. Letang: "You have to be at your level, have your systems under control, and execute your details cleanly."

This last point, in particular, must be especially important to him. Because the closer the league gets, the more crucial those small details become, on which the Canadian places such great importance.

Letang's Real Task Begins Now

Alan Letang doesn't have much time to settle into Salzburg.

After the first test games, the Salute Tournament awaits as the first major benchmark before things get serious for the first time in the Champions Hockey League.