The biggest change for the Pittsburgh Penguins this off-season came not among personnel but with a new head coach. Dan Muse is a big unknown, he’s been behind the bench as an assistant for five total seasons between Nashville and the NY Rangers but has hardly been a prominent figure. That changes with a step into the spotlight as a first-time NHL coach, and Muse has brought a new flavor to the mix.

“It’s been good,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “I think everything has been very clear and it’s Day 1, but even [Wednesday] was very organized and easy to move around and do your usual business. At the same time, obviously, a lot of new things and new voices. [Thursday] was a good day. It was probably one of the harder first-day training camp skates I’ve done in a long time.”

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His fellow veteran defender teammate Kris Letang echoed a lot of those sentiments.

Bryan Rust was feeling the vocal and competitive vibe too.

Nothing can really be that wrong on the first day, but an infusion of energy and freshness is a positive change a team can get from switching coaches.

It’s easy this time of year for the players to come on in and get to work, Muse and his staff have been hard at work preparing for this camp with very long hours to make sure that they are organized and can focus on the areas that they see fit to get ready for the long season. GM Kyle Dubas gave a window into that type of work ethic and level of preparation that Muse has been bringing to the table.

“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time now, really, since our staff came together,” Muse said in a press conference after the final of three practices on day one. “It’s exciting more than anything.”

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Muse was dripping with excitement and enthusiasm after the first day.

“There’s been a lot of preparation to get ready, not just for today, but for the season. And so, I think for everybody on the coaching staff, it’s just an excitement that we’re getting going,” Muse said. “I thought the players felt the same way, too.

“Skating around with guys that have been in this league for 20-plus years and talking a little bit, especially with (Evgeni) Malkin, Letang – this is their 20th training camp. Like, how cool is that?” said Muse, who had been coaching for 20-plus years before stepping into this role.

“And then the next shift, you grab one of the guys that’s coming into their first training camp ever, and it’s like, ‘it’s your first training camp. How cool is this? How lucky are we?‘”