Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

The Life Of The Pittsburgh Penguins Equipment Manager

10/19/2014 at 7:10am EDT

from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

Pouring coffee with Penguins head equipment manager Dana Heinze can be a revealing experience.

First, grab a Styrofoam cup, black or gold with the Penguins logo on the side. Heinze packs these for road trips and insists the Penguins are the only NHL team that travels with logo-covered cups.

But don't dare put cream at the bottom and pour. That's an inadequate mix. Instead, dump one into the other, then repeat.

Spill a little? In an instant, there's an outstretched arm offering a paper towel.

“It's the little details that set us apart,” Heinze said. “People might think it's excessive or extreme, but I think it makes a difference.”

Heinze, 46, is a master of details. The 2014-15 season is Heinze's ninth in his current role, each more obsessive-compulsive than the last.

The man who outfits the Penguins, who fixes equipment, who sharpens skates, who ensures players are offered their preferred hair product and who organizes the locker room, leaves no box unchecked.

continued

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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