LEKSAND, SWEDEN -- Dave Gagner doesn't look any different than the other Canadian parents in the crowd cheering on their teenage sons at the world junior hockey championship.
But his mannerisms give him away. While others wildly root for Canada, bite fingernails and nervously rock back and forth, the former National Hockey League forward, who is now an assistant coach with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights, sits in the stands with his arms folded across his chest like he is still behind a bench.
When his 17-year-old son, Sam Gagner, and the rest of the Canadian squad, which after a day off resumes round-robin action against Germany today, beat the United States 6-3 on Wednesday, Gagner, 42, sat in the front row beside the fathers of forwards Daniel Bertram and Jonathan Toews and in front of his wife, Jo-Anne, and daughters, Jessica, 15, and Renee, 13.
Gagner chatted with the other parents and discussed strategy, but he also kept a close eye on Canadian head coach Craig Hartsburg and his on-ice matchups.
"I don't know if I can distinguish the difference of being a coach or a parent," Gagner said. "Of course, I want him to do well and, at the same time, I want to make sure the kid is making good decisions on the ice.
"But I also watch how they're coaching and what players they put out at crucial times, which key defence pairing is going out at certain times, especially late in the period."
The Gagners are the second father-son combination to play for the Canadian junior team. Steve Tambellini (1978) and son Jeff (2004) were the first. Gagner played for coach Brian Kilrea when Canada finished fourth at the 1984 tournament in Nykoping, Sweden.
When Gagner's 15-year NHL career ended in 1988-89 with the Vancouver Canucks -- the last of his seven teams, including the Minnesota North Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs -- he didn't plan to get into coaching.
He started Custom Ice Inc., a company that designs and builds outdoor rinks, but Sam began playing minor hockey in Oakville, Ont., and later in the Toronto Marlboros minor system, and Gagner found himself coaching his son.
This season, with Sam in his rookie season with the Knights, the entire family moved to London, Ont., when Dave was offered an assistant coaching position.
Sam, a smooth-skating forward, was leading the OHL in scoring with 17 goals and 63 points in 29 games before he departed for the Canadian junior camp. Gagner, who coaches the defence in London, has enjoyed the experience so much that he didn't rule out a chance that he'll one day return to the world junior championship as part of the Canadian coaching staff.
"I played the game for a long time and played for a lot of coaches," said Gagner, who scored 318 goals and added 401 assists in 946 regular-season NHL games. "I had to be analytical in order to be a good player. The game did not come that natural to me, and I was a small player. I like teaching kids. I like coaching junior players because they are so hungry to learn."
Sam and Dave Gagner actually learn together. Gagner gives his son pointers; Sam gives his father feedback on his performance. It's always been that way, and Gagner believes he has learned just as much from his son as Sam has learned from him.
"It's tough for me to agree with that," Sam said. "He has taught me so much. But I'm able to experience things in the room, and he may react differently to a situation as a coach than a player. As a coach, it's maybe a good thing to get a player's perspective.
"He usually comes to me. He's great that way. Whenever he's had a problem, he comes to me after a game or practice to see if I think it works. It's good to know that he wants to learn and keep improving."
In the summer, Sam suffered a setback when he was cut from the Canadian under-18 team. The Gagners were stunned. But they talked about it and the son was able to clear his mind and use the setback as motivation for this season. Now, he's the youngest player on the Canadian junior team.
"He's always been an easy kid to coach," Gagner said. "He loves to learn and he listens well. He's always been a keen student of the game.
"This is such a big step for him. A year ago, I never in my wildest dreams thought he would be playing in this tournament. I think he's done great."
Copyright © CUSTOM ICE INC. 2006