Graham Belak's career playing professional hockey might be over, but his transition in becoming a coach has just begun and so far it has been a perfect fit.

Just ask his co-coach and players.

Belak, who moved to Whitehorse in September, has excelled in his new role as co-coach of the Midget Mustangs, which can be credited to the experiences he gained playing hockey at the major junior, professional and university levels.

'I had so many coaches over the years growing up until now and you learn a lot,' he said. 'I tried to take a little bit from every coach and when you have so many coaching styles then you can make your own style.'

Belak was selected 53 overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. At that time he was playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Edmonton Ice, but his first professional game was in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hershey Bears in 1997-98.

With the Avalanche, Belak had the opportunity to go to training camp with his brother, Wade, who was also with the organization at the time and currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Two years later, Belak went back to junior and his brother ended up being traded to the Calgary Flames. That was as close as the two of them ever got to playing in a professional game with each other.

Belak would move on from Hershey to play in the WHL for the Kootenay Ice, which was followed by a year at the University of Alberta. He would spend seven more years playing professional hockey in North America, alternating between the AHL and the East Coast Hockey League, before deciding to play in Europe.

In 2005-06, Belak was playing in England when he suffered a back injury, which was one of the reasons why he decided to give up pro hockey.

'I just had enough,' he said. 'I wasn't the most skilled player, so I had to work hard and grind it out in the corners. If I wasn't hitting, I wasn't playing, some people think it is fun, but it was something I did just to keep me there. I never really enjoyed it.'

His highlights playing the game include winning a championship in the 1999-00 season as a member of the Kootenay Ice, scoring a pro hat trick in the ECHL for the Trenton Titans in 2001-02, being drafted by the Avalanche and playing in a few NHL exhibition games. Although, Belak said just playing professional hockey was in itself a highlight.

When Belak arrived back from Europe in June of 2006 he applied for a job with the RCMP and supported himself by doing various odd jobs until his eventual acceptance into the program in April 2007. Belak graduated at the end of August and was posted to work in Whitehorse. He became a co-coach of the Midget Mustangs after a co-worker asked him if would be interested in helping out with the team.

Belak's soft spoken and easy going personality makes him very popular with the Mustang players, but there is also that added respect because of the accomplishments he has achieved playing the game.

He said he can be laid back at times.

'I want the kids to work hard and when they are not working hard I will let them know, but I don't want to be that guy who just yells and screams all the time because it is just not me,' Belak said. 'It is not my personality on my own, so why would I be that way in coaching?'

Belak said his personality made playing the game a lot easier.

'I was always kind of a jokester, always played pranks on everyone on the team because I had a lot of time on the bench to think about what I was going to do next,' he said. 'To be that guy, the grinder, the journeyman player you have to something to keep your spirits up because if you are a serious person in that job it is just going to drive you nuts. I was always able to find the positive in everything and that's kind of the way I deal with my job and everything else.'

He said that coaching the kids is a lot of fun and it was a real honour to be asked.

'I never represented my province, country or anything so to be able to do that for some place that is my new home, the first year I am here, is pretty special.'