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How is Panthers coach Kevin Dineen killing time? Fishing with Wade Boggs

Kevin Dineen

Florida Panthers hockey coach Kevin Dineen talks to the media, after an informal skate in Coral Springs, Fla., Friday, Sept. 14, 2012. With a lockout drawing ever closer, the NHL and the players’ union are in touch with each other after a day of internal meetings. But no new negotiating sessions are scheduled for Friday, one day before Commissioner Gary Bettman has said he will lock out the players. This would be the NHL’s fourth work stoppage since 1992. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

AP

Being a coach during a lockout makes for a pretty boring time. You can’t communicate with players, you don’t have the daily rigors of preparing your team, and you can’t even talk about your team.

So how is Florida Panthers coach Kevin Dineen handling not working? As Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel finds out, he’s busy fishing with a baseball hall of famer.

“I spent time with Wade Boggs over the last couple of months and we’ve had conversations about Don Fehr, the things that he’s done for MLB Player’s Association, just that we’ve both been through these things before and I think they’re [other fishermen] are surprised and I hope that they’re happy I’m still around to participate in those events and am very fortunate to get down there.”

How to handle a suddenly large amount of free time can be tricky. Barry Trotz finds that he goes virtually stir crazy. Dineen? Out on the boat with Boggs.

Like many have said, Dineen understands the frustration the fans feel and he’s glad there’s emotion behind their words.

“Nothing worse than ambivalence where somebody’s just, ‘Whatever, hockey’s gone, we don’t care about it anymore.’”

As for now, here’s hoping one of those fishing trips doesn’t turn ugly like Boggs’ time spent in Springfield with The Simpsons.