Mike Paul has a belief in the way that he approaches coaching - and the pandemic has only served to reinforce his guiding principles.

"I try and make it the best experience for them," said the bench boss of the Sudbury U15 A Lady Wolves, the squad that currently sits in second place in the Central Division of the OWHA LLFHL, their record of 8-4-3 leaving them well back of the Toronto Leaside Wildcats, but four points ahead of the Barrie Sharks.

"There are enough pressures in their lives outside of hockey, right now, so when we're at the rink, it's about trying to make it an enjoyable atmosphere, all while working on the skills."

"You never want to lose sight of the fact that the girls love to play and that's why we're here," added Paul.

Not to be lost, however, within the context of this general approach to his relationship with his players is the fact that Mike Paul and staff also have a clear vision of their very specific points of emphasis, when it comes down to the product on the ice.

"Last year, I really wanted them to work on their passing," he said, having been awarded the U13 AA team, a group which never officially came to life, even in terms of formal tryouts, because of all of the restrictions that were imposed in 2020-2021.

"As you go up the echelon, you quickly understand that it's increasingly difficult for an individual to win the game. The passing, for me, is key for them to have success. You have to keep moving the puck up, as fast as you can, to get on the attack."

"At our first couple of practices, I remember reiterating to them that the breakout pass was the most important pass," Paul added. "Once you make that pass and you hit it, everything starts to fall into place because the timing is there."

As the team record might indicate, the girls have done a nice job of buying in to exactly what Paul and company are selling. When all involved are aligned as one, it makes for a positive environment for everyone.

"It all comes down to their work ethic and they have been exceptional - all of them," said Paul, whose younger sister and former female hockey standout Becky (Paul) Sabourin is also part of the Lady Wolves' coaching ranks, at the helm of a U11 AA team that is showing a great deal of potential.

"I think the girls are having fun," he continued. "That's the atmosphere I try and create for them. Certainly, you correct the mistakes when you have to correct. But I told them, throughout the tryouts, that I wanted 17 girls that at any given point, were going to be each other's biggest fans."

The parameters of the 2021-2022 might not be ideal, with the January shutdown throwing the latest wrench into the mix. Mike Paul is not about to let that rain on his parade, of that of his team.

"It's just a weird chemistry with this group, and I credit that to the coaching staff," he said. "We're very open, we're very positive, and we try and keep it like that for them."

"To me, there is no special recipe to it - it's grooming them with confidence."

The 2021-2022 Sudbury U15 A Lady Wolves are Addison Gibbs, Allaura Peltier-Restoule, Daniela Grottoli, Elsa Blum, Bella Massimiliano, Gabby Foreshew, Gracey Paul, Izabel Courville, Jillian Landry, Kendra Cole, Laryssa Mayer, Makayla Robertson, Mya Ricci, Payton Cyr, Reese Williamson, Sarah Withers and Tessa Alexander.

Joining Mike Paul on the team staff are assistant coaches Paul Courville, Dan Grottoli, Bob Alexander and Nat Lamoureux, trainer Jamie Ricci and team manager Monica Withers.