Glass & Out

In many ways, the Boston Bruins have been one of the model NHL franchises over the past 10 years. Over that span, the B’s have won a Cup while making three Finals appearances, captured two Presidents’ Trophies and only missed the playoffs twice. One of the main reasons for their success? Top notch special teams — and more specifically, their penalty kill. Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco is currently in his sixth season with the team and is in charge of the PK. The Bruins have finished with a top-three unit three times under his watch, including the current season. Sure, having arguably the top two-way forward in the league in Patrice Bergeron, along with super-pest Brad Marchand and a 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara helps, but a lot of the credit belongs to Sacco. The Medford, Massachusetts native played college at Boston University and was selected by Toronto in the fourth round of the 1987 NHL Draft. He would go on to play 13 seasons in the NHL and represent USA Hockey eight times, including the 1992 Olympic Games in

Ownership instability, the constant threat of relocation, and only two playoff series victories in 22 years have made the history of the Arizona Coyotes franchise one filled with turmoil. But for the first time in years, it appears that things could be trending upwards for the Desert Dogs. A young core that includes Clayton Keller and Jakob Chychrun, plus veteran stars like Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Taylor Hall, and a solid goaltending-tandem of Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta compose a team looking to end a seven-year playoff drought. They will take on the Nashville Predators in a best-of-five play-in series this summer. Assistant coach John MacLean is his third season with Arizona and knows the struggles of trying to build a contender. MacLean spent 22 years as a player (14) and coach (8) with the New Jersey Devils, and played a pivotal role in their journey from basement dwellers to NHL powerhouse. Drafted sixth overall in 1983, he would finish his career as their all-time leading scorer (347 goals and 701 p

Well, it appears that NHL hockey will be resuming sometime this Summer. While the unprecedented circumstances will create a playoffs like we've never seen before, the unique best-of-five series play-in round that kicks things off is sure to offer some intriguing matchups. The Minnesota Wild and assistant coach Bob Woods are now in preparation mode as they get ready for a series with the Vancouver Canucks. The Wild have had a turbulent year that saw head coach Bruce Boudreau replaced by Dean Evason in February. The Wild went 8-4 following the coaching change and appeared to be turning things around right as the season came to a halt. With no exact dates currently set, Woods and the Wild staff now face the tough task of two months of uncertainty and designing a plan for Elias Pettersson and the upstart Canucks. After an ECHL Hall of Fame playing career, Woods would take on a role as a player-assistant coach with the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks and Mississippi Sea Wolves for four seasons. It was there that he met B

Hockey's transition from a standard of big, tough, physical defencemen to mobile, puck-movers has truly been one of the more interesting changes the game has seen. Not only are undersized defencemen now given a legitimate chance to succeed, they're flourishing as some of the hockey's brightest stars. If Nashville Predators assistant coach Dan Lambert had been born 20 years later, his playing career may have played out very different. As a 5-foot-9 defenceman, Lambert had an impressive junior career that saw him rack up 319 points in 244 games with the WHL's Swift Current Broncos, capture a Memorial Cup championship and represent Canada at the 1989 World Junior Championships. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Quebec Nordiques but would go on to play just a handful of NHL games, spending most of his career in the AHL, IHL and DEL German pro league. Following his playing career, Lambert got his first coaching gig as an assistant with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets. After five seasons, he was named head coach a

Here at the Glass and Out Podcast, we tend to focus on topics like tactics, player development and leadership/communication. This week, we’ll be focusing on an often forgotten side of the game — but one that is just as integral to success on the ice: the mental game. Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky is credited as one of the pioneers of sports psychology, bringing together cognitive neuroscience and sports performance. He has spent his career researching, writing and speaking on performance psychology, sports science, and the emerging technology that allows us to better understand it. A co-founder and senior consultant at 80 Percent Mental Consulting, Dr. Zaichkowsky advises coaches, teams and sports organizations on developing athlete cognition. His current list of clients includes the Pittsburgh Penguins and Golden State Warriors. He’s also consulted with teams in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, Australian Rules Football, the Spanish men’s national soccer team and Olympic sports organizations around the world. From 2010 to

Look up the phrase “hockey lifer,” and you’ll likely find a picture of Rick Bowness right next to it. Bowness has coached for an incredible 35 consecutive years in pro hockey and currently sits in first place in all-time NHL games coached with over 2,400 of them. At 65 years old, he doesn't appear to be slowing down either. Bowness is currently the interim head coach of the Dallas Stars after taking over the team in December. The Stars sat in third place in the Central Division at the time of the season postponement. Ranked second in goals against with 177 allowed, there's no doubt that they will be a contender in the Western Conference if/when the season resumes. The Moncton, New Brunswick native began his coaching career in 1984 as a player-coach with the Sherbrooke Jets, Winnipeg's AHL affiliate at the time. The Jets promoted Bowness to assistant coach of the big club the following season. After four seasons back in the AHL, he would join the Boston Bruins as head coach for one season. Bowness would then h

One of the toughest challenges a coach can face is to be named interim head coach of a struggling team that is expected to make the playoffs, midway through a season. There’s no exact playbook for turning things around in such a short timespan. That is the exact situation that the Minnesota Wild’s Dean Evason faced this season. With the team sitting at 27-23-7 under Bruce Boudreau, Evason was promoted from assistant to interim head coach on February 14. He would guide the Wild to an 8-4 record and within a point of the final Western Conference wild card spot when the season was put on hiatus. The appointment was 22 years in the making, as Evason had progressed from coaching junior hockey in the WHL, to professional hockey in the AHL and NHL. After getting his career started with WHL stops in Kamloops, Vancouver, and Calgary, his first shot in the NHL would come as an assistant with the Washington Capitals. Seven seasons later, he would move to the AHL and become head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals for six se

From his pro career as an undersized enforcer, to his journey through unlikely destinations as a coach, Kevin “Killer” Kaminski has just about seen it all. The former tough guy recently finished his first season with the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, leading them to the playoffs after three consecutive last-place finishes. In fact, the Wolves won more games under Kaminski than they had the previous three seasons combined. As a result of the impressive turnaround, he was named co-SJHL Coach of the Year. Standing at just 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Kaminski was able to carve out a 12-year pro career as an enforcer after being drafted 48th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1987. He would go on to play 139 NHL games, collecting 528 PIMs and battling heavyweights like Bob Probert, Tie Domi, and John Kordic. Did we mention he was 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds? Following his retirement, Kaminski accepted an assistant coaching gig with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL under Mike Bab

There are few coaches in the history of hockey as accomplished as Ken Hitchcock. While he may not be officially there yet, it’s fair to say that’s it’s only a matter of time before he receives a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hitchcock has dedicated nearly 50 years of his life to coaching and his list of achievements are endless: - 3rd all-time in NHL wins(849) - 6th all-time in NHL games coached(1598) - Stanley Cup winner - Jack Adams Award winner - 3 Olympic Gold Medals with Team Canada - World Cup of Hockey Championship - WJC Gold Medal - 2 WHL league titles - 2 WHL Coach of the Year awards - CHL Coach of the Year - Honoured with the Order of Hockey in Canada Hitchcock's coaching career began at the grassroots level in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta with the Sherwood Park Chain Gang Midget AAA program. After 10 seasons of great success, he would join the WHL's Kamloops Blazers. In his six seasons there, the Blazers would advance to the Memorial Cup twice. His first shot at the NHL would come as an a

When you think of sports and the state of Nebraska, Cornhuskers football and the College World Series are usually the first things that come to mind. But thanks in part to current Omaha Lancers head coach David Wilkie, you can now add growing pipeline for ice hockey players to that list. There are few people as deep rooted in Omaha hockey as Wilkie. Prior to his three seasons with the Lancers in the USHL, he guided the Omaha AAA Hockey Association for seven seasons as their Director of Hockey Operations. He coached the program’s U16 and U18 teams to 34 major championships, bringing the program to national prominence. During that time, the program produced 92 junior hockey players, 44 NCAA Division 1 commitments and four NHL drafted players. Included in that list is his son Chris Wilkie, who finished this season second in goals in the NCAA as a senior forward for Colorado College. As a player, Wilkie was a first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens and would go on to play 167 NHL games. He also represented Tea

Today marks a special day for the Glass and Out Podcast. We’ve arrived at episode 100! We want to send a special thanks to everyone who’s tuned in over the past few years. Here’s to a 100 more! We are certainly in bizarre times around the world. When it comes to hockey, you’d be hard pressed to find a coach who had a stranger season than Kelowna Rockets bench boss Kris Mallette. The Rockets were struggling under head coach Adam Foote with a record of just 24-26-2-2 in late February. With the 2020 Memorial Cup taking place in Kelowna and things not going according to plan, GM Bruce Hamilton decided to shake things up by replacing Foote with Mallette, who had worked as an assistant for five seasons. Mallette was handed the reigns of a struggling Memorial Cup-bound team with only 14 games remaining in the regular season, all while replacing a well-respected former NHL star, whose son also happened to be the captain of the team and a first-round NHL draft pick. Then, just when the Rockets appeared to be respondin

If you had to pick one organization that was extra disappointed by the NHL postponement, the Edmonton Oilers would have to be at the top of the list. Currently sitting in second place in the Pacific Division, the Oilers looked primed to make the playoffs for just the second time in 13 years. And with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sitting 1-2 in league scoring, there’s no doubt they would be tough a out. Oilers assistant coach Brian Wiseman was in the midst of his first season behind an NHL bench, playing a key role in helping Edmonton back into contention as a member of Dave Tippet’s staff. Wiseman’s coaching career began under Tippet as video coach in Dallas during the 2002-03 season. After stops at Princeton University and the AHL’s Houston Aeros, he decided to take a six-year break from coaching. Wiseman’s career would resume with a return to his alma mater, the University of Michigan. He spent eight years as an assistant to legendary NCAA coach Red Berenson, the same coach who recruited him to play fo

There’s no playbook for the current pandemic that we are all currently facing. As we continue to work our way through unchartered territory, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe during this difficult time. We’re all in this together. Like many coaches all around the world, Oliver David’s season came to a disappointing end in early March. In the midst of his third season with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, David’s team sat second overall in the league with a record of 33-13-2 and looked primed to make a run at the Clark Cup. That will have to wait for another season. David’s first head coaching gig came with the NAHL’s Kenai River Brown Bears, where he spent four seasons. He would then join Dubuque as an assistant for three seasons. After a brief stop as Mike Johnston’s assistant coach with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, David would make his way back to Dubuque and take over the reigns as bench boss. How has David been dealing with the aftermath of a cancelled season and what does he see in t

Speed is everything in today's game. From the pace of the play, to how quickly young players are thrust into prominent roles, to how quickly coaches aspire to make their way up to the big leagues. Calgary Flames assistant coach Ryan Huska has approached his career with two key words: patience and loyalty. Throughout his 18 years of coaching, Huska has worked for just two organizations. His career would start as an assistant with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets in 2002, and he was named head coach five years later. During that time, Kelowna captured two WHL championships (2005, 2009) and made two appearances in the Memorial Cup. After 12 years in Kelowna, Huska joined the Flames organization, as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Adirondack. With Calgary's AHL affiliate now in Stockton, Huska remained the team's head coach for four seasons before being promoted to NHL assistant coach in 2018. Another impressive and rare distinction he's accomplished so far in his career? He's never been fired (knock on wood). How

The St. Louis Blues’ journey to their first Stanley Cup last season was truly one of the most incredible stories in recent sports history. Their unlikely turnaround from last place to champs has been well documented but here’s a quick refresher: On January 2nd, the Blues sat dead last overall in the NHL. After an impressive second half of the season that saw the team go 30-10-5, they finished 3rd in the Central Division. The Blues playoff run saw them take down Winnipeg, Dallas, San Jose and eventually the Boston Bruins in seven games en route to their first Cup in franchise history. A big part of the turnaround? An early season coaching change from Mike Yeo to Craig Berube. Berube, a former enforcer who accumulated over 3000 PIMs in just over 1000 NHL games as an undrafted player, made two Finals appearances with the Fylers in 1987 and the Capitals in 1998. His coaching career would begin with the Philadelphia Phantoms, where he spent four seasons as an assistant and head coach. He would then make the jump t

In a time where coaches are hired to be fired, it’s rare that you see longevity and success that Waterloo Black Hawks head coach P.K. O’Handley has been able to find in one league and, for the majority of it, with one team. With the exception of a four-year stop with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, O’Handley has spent nearly the entirety of his 30-year coaching career in the USHL, including seven seasons with the North Iowa Huskies and 17 with Waterloo. He is currently the league’s all-time wins leader with over 700 and counting. His long list of achievements include four USHL Coach of the Year awards, three GM of the Year awards, and the Black Hawks’ lone Clark Cup championship. Internationally, P.K. has represented USA Hockey at the World Junior Challenge as head coach in 2007 and 2017, and served as an assistant coach at the 2009 World Junior Championships. With such a vast junior hockey resume, there’s no doubt that opportunities to move into pro hockey have presented themselves. But for O’Handley, finding

The recent string of NHL coaching firings and hirings are prime examples that a career in coaching isn’t for the faint of heart. There are many that make life changing sacrifices in the long pursuit of a job in the NHL, which as we’ve seen, can offer little to no security. For Victoria Royals head coach Dan Price, the gamble is worth the risk for the game he loves. Equipped with a law degree and steady job at a Calgary firm, Price decided to enter the uncertain world of coaching. His first job would come in 2006 as an assistant with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins (now the Victoria Royals) for three seasons. After a three-year stint as head coach and general manager of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Drumheller Dragons, he would make the jump back to the WHL with the Tri-City Americans for two seasons as an assistant. Price would return to the Royals organization in 2016, taking over the reigns as head coach from Dave Lowry in 2017. Now in his fourth season with Victoria, Price has led the Royals to a winning

The NHL has had a history of former tough guys turned successful coaches, with Craig Berube, Gerard Gallant and Bob Boughner being the most recent examples. It would appear that Chicago Wolves head coach Rocky Thompson could be on his way to joining them. Thompson is a former Alberta Golden Gloves Champion who terrorized the Western Hockey League before embarking on a professional career, which included 25 games in the NHL and over 2,000 PIMs in his professional career. Thompson began his coaching career as an assistant with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings for three seasons. He would then join Dallas Eakins’ staff with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons and, eventually, the Edmonton Oilers. Thompson’s first head coaching opportunity would come with the Windsor Spitfires, where he led them to a Memorial Cup championship in 2017. Currently in his third season with the Wolves and coming off an AHL Finals appearance, Thompson has been able to reinvent himself as a player’s coach that is receiving glowing endorsements fr

For hockey fans, the holiday season means so much more than just time with friends and family. It means the World Junior Championships are upon us. High quality hockey from young men giving their all for their country in the quest for gold. University of Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko knows first hand the ups and downs that players face in such a stress-filled environment. He’s led Team USA as head coach twice at the World Juniors, capturing gold in 2017 and bronze in 2018. He was also an assistant coach during a disappointing fifth-place finish by the Americans in 2014. The two-time NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year winner has coached NCAA hockey for over 30 years, including 13 years as head coach at the St. Cloud State University. He is currently in his second season with the Golden Gophers. Find out how the long-time NCAA coach managed to find success in the short-term, high pressure tournament in this week’s edition of the Glass and Out Podcast! *Note: Due to technical difficulties, parts of the intervi

In the climate of today’s game, it’s understandable if a high profile coach or hockey executive decided to dodge something like a podcast appearance. That would definitely apply to Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who has been front and centre in the recent string of NHL coaching controversies. The Canes coach was gracious enough to join the Glass & Out Podcast during his team’s recent stop in Vancouver — and was a complete open book. The former Stanley Cup champ, Olympian, and two-time Selke Trophy winner followed up a successful playing career by becoming an assistant with his former team in Carolina. After seven seasons, he was named head coach and would lead the Hurricanes all the way the Eastern Conference Final in his first season. Known as a players coach, “Rod the Bod” has found a way to use his experience as a player to connect with his team in a unique way. Brind’Amour shares his opinion on the Bill Peters situation, the Hurricanes unlikely 2019 playoff run, and just how long he e