Glass & Out

In episode #274, we sat down with Bert Gilling, Head Coach of Mount Royal University, at Hockey Calgary’s Leadership Day. The event brings together hundreds of coaches from across Calgary to kick off the season, break bread over dinner, hear technical presentations, a keynote speaker, and of course the Glass and Out Podcast.  In 2014, Gilling was named the Head Coach of Mount Royal University, a program he has turned into a perennial contender in Canadian University Hockey or USports. Currently, the Cougars are tied for first place in the Canada West Conference and off to a 7-1 start. Listen as he shares how to design an optimal practice environment, building two-way relationships with your players, and the need for more mentorship in youth hockey.

In episode #273, we're honored to welcome Army West Point Head Coach Brian Riley. At the end of this season, Riley, who has been the Head Coach at Army since 2004, and prior to that an Assistant Coach for the program for an additional 12 seasons, is retiring.  Combined with his father, who coached at Army for 36 seasons, and brother Rob, who coached 19 seasons, the Riley family has spent for over 75 consecutive seasons in charge of the Black Knights program. To say that the Riley family is a part of the DNA of the United States Military Academy would be an understatement. Listen as he shares what makes West Point the preeminent leadership insitution in the world, carrying the responsibility of honoring every player's legacy, and why creating the power of of one is the key to overcoming any obstacle.

In episode #272, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Iowa Wild GM Matt Hendricks at the Minnesota High School Hockey Coaches Association’s Fall Clinic for a live interview. Prior to being named the GM, Hendricks spent five seasons as the Wild’s Assistant Director of Player Development. Of course, prior to that he suited up for over 600 NHL games, spending time with the Avalanche, Capitals, Oilers, Jets and Wild. Growing up, he captained Blaine High School to a Minnesota State Championship and if you’ve never spent time in Minnesota, that is a HUGE deal in that part of the world. Listen as he shares what makes hockey in Minnesota so special, why there's no forward button on player development, and why small area games are key, even at the NHL level.

In episode #271, we welcome Vegas Golden Knights Player Development Consultant Scott Jones. Jones works primarily with the Golden Knights prospects and the Henderson Golden Knights, their American League affiliate. He got his start in pro hockey with the Hershey Bears and since 2017 has been the Director of Player Development with the OHL's Sarnia Sting. Jones has twice been been featured at a TCS event, including his 2021 Global Skills Showcase presentation and his on-ice presentation at this September's TCS Live at St. Andrew's College, which will be available on TCS later this season. Listen as he shares why good skill development is about knowing when to slow things down, why hockey is just a series of patterns, and what core skills kids are missing out on in the current state of player development.

In episode #270, we're joined by Assistant Coach of the Calgary Flames, Cail MacLean. Between his time cutting his teeth near the beaches of Charleston, South Carolina with the ECHL's Stingrays, and standing behind an NHL bench in Calgary for three seasons, MacLean has touched each rung of the coaching ladder. He joined us as a presenter at TCS Live this past June at the University of Michigan, showcasing how coaches can drive more play through the middle of the ice, and his polish and delivery stood out. Stay tuned for that presentation coming soon on TCS! Listen as he shares why he prioritizes principles over systems, the importance of creating game-like practices, and looking outside hockey to grow as a coach.

In episode #269, we're excited to have Rachel Flanagan, Assistant Coach of the newly named Toronto Sceptres of the PWHL, stop by. Now heading into her second season with Toronto, she previously spent 16 seasons building the University of Guelph into a perennial contender, including a National Championship in 2019 Rachel presented at our inaugural TCS Live at St. Andrew's College in September and showed how you can manipulate your opponents forecheck by owning and breaking out through the middle of the ice. Stay tuned for that coming soon on The Coaches Site! Listen as she shares the importance of constantly evolving your team, tips on building confidence to take risks, and why leading with a question is always the key to learning and growth.

In episode #268, we're joined by Ben Barr, who is entering his 4th season as the Head Coach of the University of Maine Black Bears. Maine hockey was a wagon through 90’s capturing two National Championships under the legendary Shawn Walsh, and would remain in contention up until 2007 under Tim Whitehead. But since then, the program had made only one tournament appearance, in 2012, until last spring when they were again recognized in the National rankings and returned to the big dance under Barr's leadership. Listen as he shares how he's helped revive the Black Bears program, dealing with the challenge of a losing season, and why it's important to find the value in players other than goals and assists.

In episode #267, we welcome back former Glass and Out guest and presenter at last June's TCS Live, Mitch Love. Mitch is heading into his second season as an Assistant Coach with the Washington Capitals.  When he last joined the show, he was coming off his first season as the Head Coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades in 2019. Since then, he spent two seasons as the Head Coach of the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate, winning back to back coach of the year Awards. Needless to say, at 40 years old, Mitch is one of the top young coaches in the game. Listen as he shares how the Capitals are preparing heading into training camp, why you have to stay on top of your players when it comes to details, and why breaking out the puck is an underrated skill that every defencemen needs to have.

We're back for season 8! To kick things off, we share our exclusive sit down with Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving which took place at our inaugral minor hockey masterclass, TCS Live at St. Andrew's College. The best part was that we got the privilege of donating $5,000 dollars to HEROS on Brad’s behalf. Hockey Education Reaching Out Society aka HEROS is a volunteer driven charity that teaches life skills and empowers marginalised youth through hockey. They provide free programs to youth of all backgrounds from grade four through post-secondary, and his donation is going to put 10 kids through their program this season.  Listen as he shares how player development as evolved during his time in the game, how his management career started with a hockey league in Texas, and why mental health of players needs to be priority for everyone involved in hockey.

The Hockey Factories Podcast is back for Season 2! TCS Contributor Matt Dumouchelle gives you an exclusive listen to the coaches, managers and players from some of the top hockey development program's in the world. Check out this exclusive listen of episode 1, where we take a look at how science has crept into the sports world, maybe nowhere as clearly as Zug in Switzerland. Dumouchelle gets to fan-girl a bit and we'll talk about skills that are becoming more prevalent like read and react and another that we seem to be losing because of the overwhelming increase of individual skills training. Subscribe on now on Apple and Spotfiy to hear every episode from Season 1 and 2.

In episode #265 and the season finale, we welcome Lee Moffie, Co-Founder of State & Liberty Clothing Company. As you likely know, State & Liberty is the presenting sponsor of Glass and Out. Their line of performance clothing designed for athletic men is worn by athletes in the NHL, NFL, MLB, NCAA, UFC and almost every other professional league. During our recent trip to Ann Arbor for TCS Live, Moffie and his teamn were gracious enough to host a VIP event for our community at their flagship store the night before the conference. That included a sit down with Moffie, who also happens to be a former University of Michigan hockey alumni. Listen as he shares the story of founding a clothing company with no past experience in the idustry, leadership lessons he's taken from his career in hockey, and tips on creating a culture for high functioning teams.

In episode #264, we had the honor of being joined by Gardiner MacDougall, live and in person at last week's TCS Live coaching conference. MacDougall presented on "Creating the "WOW" Factor from Your First Team Meeting" and also stopped by our Overtime event at the Circ Bar in downtown Ann Arbor. He is coming off an unprecedented 3 year run, which saw him capture back to back USports National Championships with the UNB Varsity Reds, the second of which included an undefeated 43-0 season, a Gold Medal leading Canada at the U18 Championships, a Gold Medal at the FISU World University Games and a Memorial Cup Championship with the Saint John Sea Dogs.  After 24 seasons leading the University of New Brunswick, which included 9 National Championships, Gardiner is moving on to coach the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. He'll be working alongside his son Taylor, who will be the club’s General Manager. Listen as he shares why losing can be necessary for overall team success, how to build a players confidence, and why simplic

In episode #263, we're joined by Steve Sullivan, who currently holds the position of Head Coach with the the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 18U AAA. Following a playing career of over 1,000 NHL games, Sullivan joined the Arizona Coyotes as a Development Coach and would eventually work his way into management and become the club’s General Manager in 2019. Following a change in ownership, he remained in Phoenix and began coaching in the Jr Coyotes program.  Sullivan is an open book when it comes to how he develops players, runs practice and prepares players for the next stage of their career. Guaranteed you’re going to steal a thing or two.  Listen as he shares how to improve a player's goal scoring ability, why stubbornness played a key role in his hockey journey, and why team success is about being predictable within but unpredictable to your opponent.

In episode #262, we welcome Dan Watson, Head Coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins. Watson is coming off his first season with the Detroit Red Wings AHL affiliate. Previous to that, he spent 14 consecutive seasons with the ECHL's Toledo Walleyes. In his first season, he was awarded the Jack Brophy Trophy as the ECHL’s Coach of the Year and would go on to guide the Walleye to two regular season Championships and two Kelly Cup Finals appearances. Listen as he shares why sleeping in the arena is a right of passage for coaches, his three keys to building a strong team culture, and why it's quality over quantity when it comes to drills.

In episode #261, we're joined by Head Coach of the ZSC Lions, Marc Crawford. Crawford's list of accolades are almost too long to list, but here are a few anyways. NHL Head Coach at the age of 33, youngest winner of the Jack Adams Award, Stanley Cup championship in just his second season in the NHL, and Head Coach of Team Canada at the 1998 Olympic Games. Currently, he’s enjoying his second tenure as the Head Coach of the Zurich Lions of the NLA, who he just led to a Swiss League Championship. Listen as he shares why he decided to leave Gretzky on the bench, what he learned from working with a young Auston Matthews, and what all championship teams have in common.

In episode #260, Assistant Coach for the San Jose Sharks and presenter at the upcoming TCS Live, Ryan Warsofsky stops by. At just 36 years-old, Warsofsky just completed his first season behind an NHL bench after climbing the coaching ladder at a rapid pace. That includes time as a Head Coach in the ECHL and AHL, two Calder Cup championships and an ECHL record for fewest goals against in a season during his first season leading the South Carolina Stingrays. He’s one of the top up and coming coaches in the game and is highly regarded by his peers in the industry. It will be fun to follow his coaching journey from here. Listen as he shares why coaches need to find releases to deal with anxiety, importance of creating a process to avoid negativity, and why practice habits become game reality.

In episode #259, we welcome Ben Syer, who was recently named Head Coach of Princeton University's men's program. Previously, he spent eight seasons as an assistant with Quinnipiac University and 13 with Cornell University. During that time, Cornell won an ECAC Championship and made 6 trips to the NCAA tournament. Based on the outpouring of support he's received from his peers, there is no doubt that Syer is deserving of this new position and is set up to have success leading the Tigers. Listen as he shares why positive peer pressure is the key to creating a competitive environment, finding the "wow" factor in a player's game, and the importance of improving the situation you're in, rather than jumping ship.

In episode #258, we're joined by newly named Head Coach of the USHL's Omaha Lancers, Lennie Childs. This comes following a two year run at Union College where he worked under Josh Hauge. Previously, he spent time with the  NAHL's Janesville Jets and the USHL's Des Moine Buccaneers. As you'll find out, Childs's energy is infectious and is clearly riding a wave of momentum right now. The USHL has a long and impressive list of coaching alumni and it wouldn’t surprise us in the least if down the road, he joins that club.  Listen as he shares why you always need to bring the juice, the importance of standing with your players through the good and bad, and coaching in the generation of "me."

In episode #257, we come full circle and welcome back the original co-host of the Glass and Out Podcast, Kelvin Cech. We're proud to announce that Cech has rejoined The Coaches Site as our new Manager of Content Collaboration! This comes after he spent four seasons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The first two were spent as the Head Coach and Gm of the Winkler Flyers, where he was awarded Coach of the Year in his first season. From there, he was appointed the Head Coach and GM of the expansion Niverville Nighthawks. Listen as he shares why a growth mindset is integral for coaches, what he learned form coaching in hockey-mad small town, and what to expect from his new role with TCS.

In episode #256 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we revisit PWHL Ottawa and Czech Women's National Team Head Coach Carla MacLeod’s presentation on creating authentic connections, which she delivered at last year’s TCS Live coaching conference. As you know, our flagship event, TCS Live, is coming up June 20-22 at the University of Michigan. Every year, the best presentations to come out of the event are linked to the presenters or coaches lived experience. The information is somehow linked to a challenge, adversity they’ve faced or a triumph. In her presentation, MacLeod uses her experience of leading the Czech Team as the backdrop for how coaches create authentic connections with their players to drive performance on the ice. Listen as she shares the four ingredients for team success, strategies for getting to know players, and why coaching is a privilege.