The Next Guy

By Kelly Sharp

Returning home to his hockey roots is always special for Don Nachbaur. Prince George is where his dream of playing in the National Hockey League began and built into a passion. He followed Darcy Rota as the second Prince George minor hockey player to skate in the NHL.

“Yeah I was the next guy,” said Don Nachbaur, who is five years younger than Rota.

The double “D” Prince George connection goes back to their minor hockey days when Don admired the skill and work ethic of Darcy. There friendship grew when Nachbaur was drafted in third round of the 1979 NHL draft by the Hartford Whalers and was called by Rota, in his 6^th NHL season, to train together in the summer.

“Darcy taught me a lot about hard work,” said Nachbaur who can remember pumping weights in the basement of the old Prince George Civic Centre.

The 6-2 Nachbaur played 15 seasons of professional hockey, 223 games in the National Hockey League. He credits his junior coach, Dave King, for shaping his game for the next level. “Dave King new I needed more intangibles to survive in pro hockey,” Nachbaur said. Under the tutelage of King, the Prince George minor hockey product developed toughness. Physical play became very much part of the forward’s repertoire. In his final junior season, he scored 44 goals with 175 penalty minutes.

Since retiring as a professional hockey player in 1994, Don Nachbaur has moved behind the bench, from assistant coach in the American Hockey League to head coach of major junior players in the Western Hockey League.

“I really enjoy this age group,” said Nachbaur, head coach of the Tri-City Americans. His message to the junior hockey player pursuing a pro career is a simple one.

“It’s not given to you, you have to earn it,” the Prince George minor hockey product said.

Don Nachbaur knows about commitment, realizing a dream when told he did not have the ability to reach the NHL.

“It really came from within, it was the heart and passion to be a player,” Nachbaur said in explaining his determination to prove the critics wrong.

Don says he learned so much in his hockey career beginning with his minor hockey days in Prince George.

“All the coaches I had in Prince George had a piece of what I became,” added Nachbaur.

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