ECHL: Walleye’s Hirschfeld Learning From Great Minds Behind the Bench

The Toledo Walleye have had much success since arriving under the Walleye name. Many banners hang from the rafters of the Huntington Center as a reminder of the hard work that came before them. While everyone in the organization deserves credit, the coaching staff and their hard work may go unrecognized by some. Alden Hirschfeld, a current assistant coach, has paid his dues as a player on the ice and behind the bench, so could he be learning the ropes to become a head coach in the near future?

Hirschfeld, a native of Sylvania, Ohio, began his pro hockey career with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL and the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) after going undrafted. He would join the Walleye organization for the 2013-14 season and leave his mark shortly thereafter.

After three seasons of spending time with Toledo and the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, Hirschfeld spent his final two seasons on the ice as the captain of the Walleye as his final season was cut short due to injury. He would play 200 games with Toledo, producing 59 goals and 94 assists for 153 points. He scored three goals and five assists for eight points in 26 playoff games.

After his playing career was over, he immediately joined the coaching ranks in Toledo as an assistant. He got right in and knew how to handle pressure situations from behind the bench. Hirschfeld’s calm demeanor must not be mistaken, as he has an aggressive style of teaching the game from the bench. He is a student of the game and has had many teachers leading him to success on and off the ice.

In his first season in Toledo, 2013-14, his Head Coach was Nick Vitucci, an ECHL Hall of Famer and arguably the best goaltender in ECHL history. He has been a professional scout for the New Jersey Devils since the 2016-17 season.

When Vitucci left, Hirschfeld then played behind Head Coach Derek Lalonde. Lalonde quickly became a fan favorite, using his knowledge and past coaching experience to make Toledo a legit Kelly Cup contender. The Walleye played a quick, aggressive type of hockey under his tenure, making the playoffs during his two-year tenure. He is now the Head Coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

At the beginning of the 2016-17 season, Hirschfeld had another coach to get familiar with as new Head Coach Dan Watson took the role behind the bench. Watson was familiar with Toledo as he was a defenseman for the Toledo Storm and had been an assistant coach for the new Walleye team. Watson was direct and had a powerful voice behind the bench, something that motivated the players to work harder. Watson is now behind the bench of the AHL Griffins.

After he hung up his skates, Hirschfeld joined Watson behind the bench to become familiar with the role off the ice and possibly prepare for a head coaching in the future. From 2018-19 until last season, he took notes and watched as he directed the players through the success they had in the regular season. He sought advice and soaked in everything Watson had to offer, making him a promising candidate.

Hirschfeld may be years away from being a Head Coach in any league, but he has had some of the best minor league coaches to learn from. He is following in some big footsteps throughout the Toledo organization and in the franchise’s history. We do not know when his time will come, but we do know he will be ready to take over when the time is right to be as successful behind the bench as he was on the ice.