Glass & Out

In episode #153 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Cam Abbott, head coach of Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League. Along with his twin brother Chris, who is currently the GM of Rögle, the pair has been able to revive a franchise on the brink of relegation, to one of the top team's in the SHL - in just four seasons. Cam and his brother have spent majority of their lives navigating careers in hockey together. That includes playing careers at Cornell University, a season spent time in the Central and East Coast Hockey Leagues, and seven seasons in Norway and Sweden. Then, without any prior coaching experience, Cam was hired as head coach of the Vaxjo Lakers U20 squad and in one season, completely turned around the program. The success would result in him and his brother being recruited to Rögle. Listen as Cam shares the incredible story of how he and his brother embarked on their pro hockey career together (which includes getting an offer to work at a canary), how they've been able to turnaround things a

In episode #152 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Cara Morey, head coach of the Princeton University's Women's Hockey team. After a playing career that included a stop at Brown University and time with Canada’s National Team program, the Hensall, Ontario, native joined Princeton, spending six seasons as the program's assistant coach before taking over as coach prior to the 2017-2018 season. Under her leadership, the program has established itself as one of the top programs in the NCAA, which includes a ECAC championship in the 2019-20 season. Find out why she feels humility is critical to team success, her unique experience as a coach at the Philadelphia Flyers Development Camp, and how the hockey community can continue to help support the growth of the women's game.

In episode #151 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Ontario Reign assistant coach Chris Hajt. Hajt is entering his sixth season with the LA Kings AHL affiliate, which includes a Calder Cup championship in 2015 while the team was located in Manchester, New Hampshire. During that time, Hajt has played a key role in the development of many of the Kings' top prospects and has faced the challenge that many AHL coaches deal with: how do you balance the development of young players with team success. Find out how he approaches the challenge, what he learned during his two years as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres, and why it's critical to be in-tune with your players in terms of listening to them and providing them a voice in their own development.

For this week's episode of the Glass and Out podcast, we've decided to flip the script. Sitting in the guest chair will be none other than Glass and Out host, and The Coaches Site founder, Aaron Wilbur. Taking over hosting duties will be Matt Dumouchelle, a new writer for The Coaches Site and Assistant GM for the GOJHL's Leamington Flyers. Now into its 10th year as a company, the 'why' of The Coaches Site has always been a simple one: to provide the game's top coaches a platform to share their ideas, and ultimately help coaches provide a better development experience for their players. In this week's podcast, find out about the origins of The Coaches Site, Wilbur's own personal coaching journey, and what he sees for the future of the hockey coaching industry.

Welcome back for season four of the Glass and Out Podcast! We have an amazing guest to kick things off, as we welcome Tom Ward, Head Coach of the Shattuck-St. Mary's Boys Prep Team. Shattuck is the prep school hockey powerhouse based out of Faribault, Minnesota, that has produced the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, Jack Johnson, Drew Stafford, and many more. But while the list of elite talent and number of championships is impressive, what really stands out about the program is a culture grounded in hard work, sweat and a philosophy that every player, regardless of their pedigree or resume, has to earn their spot. In this week's podcast, we find out about Ward's coaching journey, that includes a stop in the NHL, the importance of developing the person before the player, and his role in creating one of the top prep programs in all of hockey.

We're back with a very special bonus episode of the Glass and Out Podcast! Now that the NHL playoffs are officially over and the Cup has been handed out, we get to the fun stretch of the off-season. That which includes the Entry Draft, Free Agency, and of course the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft, where the NHL's 32nd franchise will officially announce their inaugural roster. To celebrate, we thought we'd jump into Ron Francis' GM chair and conduct our own mock expansion draft. And to help us out, we invited the COO of InStat North America, Mark Yates, to discuss what goes into creating a successful team. Yates' position with InStat connects him with coaches and managers of all levels in hockey, so he has a bit of a birds eye view in terms of what makes the top organizations tick. In addition, Yates spent six seasons as a junior hockey scout with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads, the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads and the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks. We hope you enjoy this bonus episode of the Glass and Out Podca

And just like that, we've arrived at our last Glass and Out episode for the season. We want to thank everyone for tuning in and we hope you were able to take at least a few things away from our lineup of amazing guests. To close things out, we welcome recent recipient of the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award, Kevin Hodgson, a friend of The Coaches Site and one of the truly good people in hockey. Hodgson is the Executive Director of HEROS hockey (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society), which empowers at-risk youth and introduces them to the game of hockey, and its offshoot organization SuperHEROS, which provides boys and girls living with physical and cognitive challenges an inclusive and safe hockey environment, Under the guidance of Hodgson, Founder and President Norm Fylnn, and 300 volunteers, the organization has grown to 28 programs in 12 cities across Canada. One in three participants are girls, and almost half the participants are new Canadians; about 10,000 kids have participated in the program s

In this week's Glass and Out episode, we welcome one of the top, young coaches in hockey. At just 35-years old, Matt McIlvane has quickly worked his way up the coaching ladder. Some of the accomplishments in his young career include becoming the head coach of EC Red Bull Salzburg, an Olympic Silver medal, and three DEL league titles. While you may not be too familiar with the name now, it likely won't be long before you we see him behind an NHL bench. Following a playing career in the minors, McIlvane began his coaching career at just 26-years old with the Danville Dashers of the now defunct Federal Hockey League. The following season, he would join Drake Berehowsky's staff in Orlando of the ECHL for one season. His first opportunity with EC Red Bull would come when his former coach, Don Jackson, invited him to Salzburg. After one season, both coaches would move to Red Bull’s sister franchise in Munich of the DEL, where they built a dynasty that would capture 3 consecutive league titles.. Then in 2019, at the

On this week's edition of the Glass and Out Podcast, we're joined by Boston Bruins skating and skills coach Kim Brandvold. At just 39-years old and only two seasons of experience in the NHL, Brandvold has already become one of the most well-respected skills coaches in hockey, with a bright future still ahead of him. Following a playing career that saw him represent Norway's U20 men's national team and play four seasons for the Umass-Lowell River Hawks, the Oslo native decided to get into coaching. Under the mentorship of coaching legend Paul Vincent, Brandvold gained experience at his Massachusetts Hockey Development Camps. He would then join Central Catholic High School as an associate head coach, and would later take over the program in 2016. He also got involved with Boston’s minor hockey scene, running development clinics, and helping out local teams. It's during this time that Brandvold began to refine his craft and acquire the details needed to work with younger players, that would eventually lead to hi

In this week's edition of Glass and Out, we welcome one the most experienced coaches in today's game. With over 40 years of coaching experience, Perry Pearn's remarkable resume spans the globe and includes just about every level of hockey . He began his coaching career with a 16-year run at the Norther Alberta Institute of Technology. Under his direction, the school became one of the top University programs in Canada. NAIT would collect five CCAA Championships, have an overall record of 457-177-24, and complete an undefeated season in 1984-85. Pearn, himself, captured seven Alberta College Coach of the Year Awards. After his time at NAIT, Pearn would spend one season in the Swiss Leagues  and the next in Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League. Next would be the start of a 20-year run in the NHL as an assistant coach with Winnipeg, Ottawa, the Rangers, Montreal, and Vancouver. Internationally, he has led Canada on three occasions at the World Junior Championships, capturing gold as head coach in 1993. He al

We've got another big episode for you this week, as we welcome Alex Kovalev. The former NHL star just wrapped up his first season as the head coach of the Kunlun Red Star, the Beijing-based entry into the KHL. He spent the previous two seasons as the club's assistant coach. In addition to the many challenges caused by COVID-19, including relocating the team to Mystishchi, Russia due to travel restrictions in China, Kunlun presents the unique challenge in that the roster is largely in place to support the development of players with Chinese heritage to compete for China in the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Beijing. In other words, not exactly the ideal situation to begin a coaching career. After a playing career that saw him capture a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, and record 1,029 points in just over 1,300 games as arguably one of the most skilled players of his generation, Kovalev's venture into coaching could be seen as a somewhat surprising move. But with his passion for the game and wealth

While this week's guest to the Glass and Out Podcast may not have the most obvious ties to the game of hockey, you could argue that he has had one of the most significant influences on the shift that has seen coaches prioritize creating a positive and inclusive team culture. James Kerr is a high performance consultant to some of the world’s top organizations, but is most often recognized as the author of the bestselling book Legacy. The book details the culture and behaviour that has resulted in the New Zealand All Blacks, his country's national rugby team, becoming arguably the most successful professional sports team of all time. Ask a professional or aspiring coach what book they would recommend when it comes to culture and leadership and you'll often hear Legacy referenced. It has become a bit of a handbook for many high level hockey coaches. It's a must-read for for any coach looking to become a better leader. The book provides clearly defined objectives that coaches of all levels can implement if they a

In this week's podcast, we welcome two of the most distinguished and well-respected men in hockey. They're also two current members of one of the more unique coaching staffs in hockey with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. First, you have vice president, general manager and head coach Mike Johnston, who has almost 40 years of coaching experience at just about every level of hockey. Johnston has coached 10 seasons in the NHL, including two years as head coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Johnston took over the Winterhawks part way through the 2008-09 season and has turned it into one of the model franchises in junior hockey, producing for NHL talent such as Seth Jones, Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter, and Cody Glass. Next, you have assistant coach Don Hay, who just finished his third season with Portland. Hay is of course the WHL’s all-time winningest coach, setting the record with 743 victories, and has won three Memorial Cup championships (two with the Kamloops Blazers and one with the Vancouver Giants). Con

In episode 140 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Scott Wheeler, who covers the NHL Draft and prospects nationally for The Athletic. Wheeler is widely considered one of the top authorities in the hockey prospect community and is known for his dedication to player evaluation. He does a ton of research through both video and live viewings, and makes it a priority to speak with coaches and those people who have participated in a player’s development. See also: In-season skills session with Flames development coach Darren Rommerdahl (VIDEO) Need an opinion on a player eligible for this years draft? Make sure to follow him on Twitter. His in-depth articles offer video evidence and analytical analysis about what makes a player special, or what a player may need to improve on. He also produces some amazing human interest stories on people within our game, that details their journey or experience through hockey. For example, one of his latest pieces of work saw him move in with Minnesota Wild 2020 first round p

In episode 139 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Stanley Cup champ and NHL coach Kirk Muller. Ask anyone who has had a chance to meet or be coached by Muller, and they'd likely tell you that he fits the profile of a "modern coach" to a tee. With the shift from a dictatorship style of leadership, to one where the leader seeks to connect with their team, he has made relationship building a priority in every stop he's made throughout his career. Muller had a remarkable NHL playing career of 19 seasons and nearly 1500 games, highlighted by scoring the Stanley Cup clinching goal for Montreal in Game 5 of the 1993 Final. Following retirement, he would get his first shot at coaching with Queen's University in 2005. After just one season, he'd make the jump to the NHL and join his former club in Montreal as an assistant coach. In total, Muller has spent 10 of 15 seasons behind an NHL bench as an assistant with the Canadiens. His lone head coaching gig came with the Carolina Hurricanes for three seasons (2011-2

As a country of just 5.5 million people, Finland’s success in hockey at the global and professional level has been impressive to say the least. Just how have they been able to do it while competing with larger countries? We welcome today’s guest, Finnish National Men’s Team head coach Jukka Jalonen to shed some light on the topic. Few coaches have been more instrumental in the growth of Finnish hockey. A big shift can be traced back to 2009, when Jalonen and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association held a summit, recognizing that they were not putting enough of an emphasis on skill development at the grassroots levels. Specifically, they recognized the value of having all clubs following the same program and hired coaches to oversee and deliver it on a regional basis. The key to doing it was to provide all young players an equal development opportunity and to take the focus away from wins and losses. With over three decades of coaching experience, Jalonen’s resume includes two World Championship gold medals (2011,

Fresh off his appearance at last month’s Global Skills Showcase, Philadelphia Flyers Player development coach John Riley joins us this week for a new episode. Riley presented on the topic of creating options, where he broke down how to teach the mechanics of deception. It was definitely a highlight of the week. If you didn’t get a chance to watch it, the full presentation will be available to members of The Coaches Site later this spring. Now in his 13th season with the Flyers, Riley has been able to work his way up the coaching ladder without the pedigree of a professional playing career. Through a true dedication to his craft and studying what goes into creating an elite player, he’s been able to ensure that he brings the most value to each organization he’s worked for, and most importantly, the players he’s helped develop. Riley got his coaching career started at some of the most prestigious prep schools in the United States, including Kingswood Oxford School in Connecticut. After eight seasons, he would t

This week, we welcome to the podcast HC Lokomotiv Director of Player Development Ted Suihkonen, who will be one of the presenters at the Global Skills Showcase. Suihkonen, who is one of the most well-respected leaders in our game when it comes to player development, will be presenting on the importance of cognition and variability in hockey. The Duluth, Minnesota native has seen his career in hockey provide him the opportunity to travel the globe. Following a professional playing career that saw him spend time in the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, and Germany, he would settle in Halden, Norway. There, he would climb the ladder from head coach of the program's U17 team, to the head coach of the pro team. He'd also get the opportunity to serve as an assistant coach with Norway’s U20 National Team in 2015. During this time, Suihkonen began to gain notoriety on social media, which allowed him to the chance to travel to work with other clubs and run skills camps in many different countries. This eventually led to his

As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, we welcome Paul Jerrard, an assistant coach with the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks, to the podcast. One of the few minority coaches to ever stand behind an NHL bench, Jerrard is hoping to help change that moving forward. Through the programs like the NHLCA’s BIPOC coaching program, Jerrard has taken a leadership role in trying to create more opportunity for people for colour in hockey. With people like him leading the charge, we should expect more coaches of colour to be represented in the NHL in the not too distant future. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has a total of 24 years of coaching experience, which includes five seasons as an assistant in the NHL. The most recent stint saw him spend two seasons on Glen Gulutzan’s staff with the Calgary Flames between 2016 and 2018. Prior to that, Jerrard spent two seasons with the Dallas Stars and one with the Colorado Avalanche. Jerrard got his coaching career started with his alma mater at Lake Superior State

In honour of Black History Month, we're revisiting one of our favourite episodes in Glass and Out history, featuring the legendary Willie O'Ree. Back in 2018, host Aaron Wilbur and former co-host Kelvin Cech were lucky enough to be joined by O'Ree for an in-person interview as he shared some incredible stories about his journey to the NHL, the many challenges he faced along the way, how he feels about the current state of hockey, and what can be done to create a more diverse game. Along with being the first Black player in NHL history, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 in the builder category for all the work he's done on creating a more inclusive game. Also in 2018, the NHL instituted the annual Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award in his honour, to "recognize the individual who has worked to make a positive impact on his or her community, culture or society to make people better through hockey." In addition, we were joined by the first woman President of the NHL Coaches' Association, Lind