In the days after Steve Spott landed a job as a rookie assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs in July, he was tasked with a bevy of responsibilities by head coach Randy Carlyle.

Among them, Spott was charged with devising a new breakout play for a team that has long struggled to get the puck out of its own end. Spott thought he’d hit on an effective strategy — until, that is, he shared the plan with Leafs leading scorer Phil Kessel. When Kessel voiced displeasure, Spott discovered a harsh reality of life in the NHL. In some corners of the league, and apparently in Leafland, a coach’s learning curve involves bending to the desires of star players.

At least, such was the gist of an anecdote Spott shared at a coaches’ clinic at which he was a guest speaker last month, this according to interviews with three minor-hockey coaches who were in attendance.

“Spotter said that when he went to Phil (with the breakout play), Phil said, I’m not doing it,” said one of the attendees, a former professional player.

Said another: “Spott was saying (that) these are the things I’ve got to deal with now that I’ve never had to deal with. In the AHL (where Spott coached last season with the Toronto Marlies), when you’re the coach what you say goes. Whereas now that I’m here (in the NHL), I’ve got a guy telling me: No. I’m not going to do that.”

The 46-year-old Spott told the group that he made Carlyle aware of the pushback he’d received from Kessel, 26, who signed an eight-year contract extension worth about $64 million last season.

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“Spott said Carlyle’s attitude was that we’re fired before (Kessel is) out of here, the hierarchy doesn’t want to deal with Phil. He scores 30 (goals) a year and that’s all they want,” said one of the attendees. “(Spott said) Phil hates coaches. He hates Randy. He hates me and I don’t even know him yet.”

One of the minor-hockey coaches who was in attendance said Spott spoke of Kessel’s alleged hatred of coaches with his “tongue in cheek.” Another said he was “shocked” at Spott’s candour. Indeed, given the club’s historic bent toward secrecy, the clinic amounted to a rare window into the inner workings of the Leafs.

Spott was complimentary of Kessel, telling his audience that the winger is one of the smartest hockey minds he’s worked with. Spott also marvelled at how Kessel — who Spott estimated during the lecture is “15 pounds overweight” — remains an explosive speedster.

The Leafs assistant shared other tidbits. He told the clinic that the team’s search for better defensive play will see them strongly discourage defencemen from making high-risk keep-in plays at the opposing blue line — pinching, in the parlance. Spott said that Toronto’s defencemen will be instructed to “never trust a forward” to backcheck or cover.

Spott also told the group that the Leafs need to improve communication with the AHL Marlies. While the NHL team and its top minor-league affiliate conduct practices in rinks separated by the lobby of their Etobicoke training facility, Spott said there wasn’t enough synergy between the clubs last season; their Xs and Os on power plays and penalty kills, for instance, differed. Since the Leafs have repeatedly spoken of the importance of developing players through the minors, Spott said it would make more sense for the Marlies to mimic the game plan of the Leafs.

As for the breakout play, Spott said in his presentation that he and Kessel ultimately reached a compromise. According to attendees, Spott explained his original strategy like so. With the Leafs moving the puck out of their zone up the left boards, the scheme called for Kessel, the right winger, to speed across the blue line toward the left wing — thus pushing back the opposing defenceman who, in previous seasons, has too often stymied the Toronto breakout by keeping the puck in. Spott told the clinic that Kessel didn’t like the idea; the player prefers the strategy of staying closer to the right wing awaiting the kind of cross-ice pass that would put him in a foot race with the opposing team’s left defenceman.

“(Kessel) originally said no, and then he said he’d meet Spott halfway and come to the middle, but that he wouldn’t go all the way across like Spott originally wanted. But it’s Phil’s show,” said one of the minor-hockey coaches who was in attendance.

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Said another: “At the end of the day (Spott) was just being truthful, I think. There has to be compromise with today’s athlete, especially today’s star. You’ve got to coddle these guys.”

Kessel, when asked this week if he had discussed breakout plays with Spott during the off-season, said he didn’t recall the conversation. Spott didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this article.

The minor-hockey coaches who spoke to the Star requested their names be withheld because of the sway the Leafs hold in the sport. One of them, a former professional player who counts himself a fan of Toronto’s NHL team, said he appreciated Spott’s honesty.

“It shows that these guys are human . . . It’s nice that he shared some of the challenges that face NHL guys,” he said. “It was pretty interesting . . . You can see where (the Leafs coaches) are coming from and you can see where Phil’s coming from at the same time.”

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