Coach Eric and Coach Andy respond to an email from a U9 coach planning a development-first season: rotating players through centre, wing and defence, using balanced lines, and encouraging kids to communicate directly with coaches. On the Built From Steel Podcast, they discuss the mixed parent response, including concerns about preparing for AAA next year.

They also talk about the approach and feel behind coaching young players, managing a bench with 10 forwards, and learning what interests each player. The conversation considers the learning curve created by new drills and why a coach may need to adapt roles and plans as the season progresses.

Key Moments

• 0:00 – Intro

• 15:30 – A U9 coach's development-first season plan

• 19:41 – The coaching approach behind player development

• 24:30 – Developing a feel for what players need

• 27:30 – Managing 10 forwards on a youth hockey bench

• 32:10 – The case for changing positions

• 38:00 – Player preferences for playing centre

• 48:00 – Avoiding doing too much as a coach

• 51:00 – The learning curve for new drills

• 1:01:10 – Learning player interests and getting them to speak

• 1:03:00 – Adapting as the season progresses

  
  

  Key Themes

• Player development at U9 can include communication, accountability and self-advocacy.

• Changing positions and playing with different teammates can build a broader understanding of the game.

• Coaches need a feel for individual players, including what interests them and how to get them talking.

• New drills and season plans come with a learning curve and may need adaptation.

• Parent expectations about early AAA preparation can clash with a development-first plan.

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Coach Eric and Coach Andy were invited to speak with the Grey Bruce Highlanders organization about getting noticed and choosing a hockey path. This Built From Steel Podcast episode shares their full conversation on what development means, why love of the game matters, and how practice, roles, identity and intent fit into a player’s growth.

They also cover evaluating games beyond goals, the balance of skill and hockey IQ, what scouts care about, the urge to move away from home, and what can get a player noticed. The conversation includes guidance for parents as they help their kids manage disappointment and make sense of the development process.

Key Moments

17:00 – Managing disappointment

19:00 – What player development actually means

20:00 – Why love of the game matters

24:20 – Evaluating games beyond goals

26:00 – Helping kids assess whether they played well

28:00 – Skill development and hockey IQ

29:00 – Practice players

31:50 – When player roles begin to matter

33:00 – Developing a player identity

34:45 – What scouts care about

38:00 – The urge to move away from home

41:00 – Playing with intent

43:00 – What actually gets a player noticed

47:30 – Supporting kids as a hockey parent

Key Themes

• Development is about more than goals

• Love of the game matters alongside skill and hockey IQ

• Roles, identity, practice and intent shape a player’s growth

• Scouts look beyond obvious production

• Parents can help kids reflect on games and manage disappointment

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In the third episode of this Built From Steel Podcast mini-series, Coach Eric covers positional play for centermen, from acting as a third defenceman in the defensive zone to protecting middle ice, supporting battles, and sorting out coverage when the puck changes sides.

He also breaks down getting underneath the puck on breakouts, creating short passing options and speed, staying connected through the neutral zone, and shifting into F1, F2, or F3 in the offensive zone. The episode closes with faceoffs and the responsibility that starts as soon as the puck drops.

Key Moments

4:30 – Third-defenceman responsibilities in the defensive zone

7:00 – Protecting the middle of the ice

11:00 – Supporting a defensive-zone corner battle

15:30 – Moving through the middle when the puck switches sides

19:00 – Reading the play as the defensive-zone quarterback

23:20 – Common defensive-zone mistakes for centermen

26:15 – Getting underneath the puck on breakouts

29:00 – Creating short passing lanes and support

33:00 – Questions to ask when supporting a breakout

35:00 – Staying low and connected in the neutral zone

40:00 – Forechecking inside-out in the neutral zone

44:00 – Forward roles on entries: F1, F2, and F3

48:00 – Faceoff responsibilities after the puck drops

Key Themes

• Centers protect middle ice and stay defensive-side rather than chase the puck.

• Patience below battles helps centermen cover loose pucks and dangerous ice.

• Getting underneath the puck creates short passing options and speed.

• Offensively, a centerman’s role shifts to F1, F2, or F3 as play becomes fluid.

• Faceoff responsibility continues with the read after the puck drops.

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In Episode 2 of this Built From Steel Podcast Mini-Series, Coach Eric continues on the white board with transferable foundations for defencemen, from defending the rush to making decisions with the puck. He focuses on protecting the middle, controlling the gap, defending inside-out, and recognizing that good defence starts with managing time and space rather than chasing every play.

He also breaks down defensive-zone responsibilities, puck retrievals, partner support in the neutral zone, and when a defenceman has earned the chance to join the rush. The conversation closes with offensive-zone habits, pinching decisions, and a defence-first approach to faceoffs.

Key Moments

3:00 – Defending the rush

9:10 – Gap control and managing attacking space

16:28 – Defending a 2-on-1

19:00 – Defensive-zone coverage responsibilities

23:00 – Defending out of the corners

27:00 – Protecting the front of the net

31:00 – Communicating switches in coverage

34:30 – Puck retrievals

37:00 – Puck management under pressure

40:00 – Neutral-zone responsibilities

40:30 – Using the D-to-D hinge for partner support

45:00 – When to join the rush

47:00 – Offensive-zone positioning

52:00 – Pinching and understanding the risk

55:00 – Defence-first faceoff responsibilities

Key Themes

• Protecting inside ice gives attackers fewer dangerous options.

• Gap control is about matching speed without surrendering space.

• Scanning before puck retrievals helps defencemen solve pressure earlier.

• Good puck movement gives teammates usable options instead of passing along pressure.

• Defencemen can join the offence when possession and support are in place.

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

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In the first Built From Steel Podcast Mini-Series episode, Coach Eric lays out the foundations of playing wing, using a right winger’s responsibilities to explain key terms and reads across the ice. This solo episode starts in the defensive zone with coverage areas, weak-side support, strong-side positioning, switches, and common mistakes that can open dangerous ice.

Coach Eric then moves into breakouts from both sides, options along the wall, and neutral-zone responsibilities after a change of possession. He also explains why players shift from C, LW, or RW into F1, F2, and F3 as play becomes fluid, before closing with basic winger responsibilities on faceoffs.

Key Moments

4:00 – Defensive-zone coverage areas for wingers

5:00 – Weak-side defensive-zone coverage

10:45 – Strong-side defensive-zone coverage

13:35 – Coverage responsibilities near the boards

15:00 – Adjusting when defencemen switch

22:00 – Common defensive-zone mistakes

24:00 – Dot lanes and protecting middle ice

28:50 – Defending the point and angling lanes

31:30 – Defensive-zone coverage summary

32:20 – Strong-side breakout transitions

36:10 – Weak-side breakout options

38:00 – Keys to successful breakouts

40:00 – Breakout options along the wall

44:00 – Strong-side neutral-zone responsibilities

49:30 – Changing from position labels to F1, F2, and F3

Key Themes

• Wingers need to recognize when to protect middle ice and when to pressure.

• Strong-side and weak-side responsibilities require different reads.

• Defensive positioning affects how quickly a winger can become useful on a breakout.

• As play becomes fluid, forward roles matter more than fixed position labels.

• Faceoff responsibilities begin with knowing the immediate threat.

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

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In this Q&A episode of the Built From Steel Podcast, Eric and Andy answer listener questions across some of the decisions and conversations that shape youth hockey. They talk about earning a role on a stronger team versus being the go-to player elsewhere, how parents can handle the car ride home, and how coaches can communicate without turning every decision into a negotiation.

They also get into helping young athletes build steadier confidence, phones and comparison, when promotion or advisors may be useful, moving from smaller markets, getting cut, and how their opinions on NCAA/OHL pathways are changing.

Key Moments

3:30 – Question 1: Go to a strong team or be the go-to player?

8:00 – Making limited minutes count

13:50 – Question 2: What should parents say on the car ride home?

14:45 – Helping a player understand what made a good game

22:30 – Question 3: How to find the right balance in coach-parent communication?

28:00 – Communicating with players versus parents

30:30 – Question 4: How to help players become more emotionally steady?

34:00 – Building confidence as a young athlete

40:20 – Question 5: Are phones that bad?

43:00 – Managing phone use on a team

49:30 – Question 6: When do youth players need promotion from an advisor/agent?

50:30 – Why a player's performance is the best promotion

58:30 – Question 7: Do small market players need to move to bigger centers?

1:05:10 – Question 8: How do you help a player work through getting cut?

1:08:00 – Question 9: How have your opinions on NCAA/OHL pathways changed?

Key Themes

• A stronger team can still be a good development setting when players make their opportunities count.

• Parents can support players by listening and helping them process games rather than taking over the conversation.

• Clear communication matters, but coaches need boundaries around decisions and roles.

• Confidence needs to hold up when a young athlete makes mistakes or faces disappointment.

• Performance and patience matter amid phones, promotion, movement, and changing pathways.

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

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The best coaches are not always the loudest, most intense, or most tactical.

In this episode of the Built From Steel Podcast, Eric and Andy break down the undervalued qualities that make coaches truly effective, especially in youth hockey.

From clarity and emotional control to confidence in your identity, patience with development, and relationship building, this conversation focuses on the coaching traits that often separate the adults who simply run a bench from the ones who actually impact players.

A lot of coaching problems are not system problems. They are communication problems, emotional problems, or relationship problems.

Players do not need perfect coaches; they need clear, steady, intentional coaches who actually care.

Key Moments

0:00 – Intro

5:20 – Clarity as a coach: expectations, roles, standards, and feedback

6:20 – Aligning vocabulary and keeping coaching language simple

9:00 – What coaches need to be clear about with players

12:00 – How confusion from coaches affects player performance

17:00 – Emotional control behind the bench

17:10 – The danger of being proud of “snapshow” coaching

24:05 – Berating refs and losing control of the bench

28:00 – How the coach sets the emotional tone

32:00 – A key lesson for every coach

34:00 – Confidence in your identity as a coach

37:00 – Putting players in positions to succeed

39:30 – Understanding your priorities as a coach

44:00 – Knowing your coaching identity

45:00 – Having confidence without becoming stubborn

50:00 – Patience with development

50:50 – Writing players off too early

51:55 – Why you shouldn’t fall in love with players too early either

54:30 – Finding ways for different players to contribute

58:00 – Building relationships with players

1:01:00 – Why relationship building may be the most important coaching skill

1:05:00 – The impact coaches can have on people beyond the game

Key Themes

• Players cannot meet standards they do not understand

• Clear roles, simple language, and consistent feedback matter

• The bench often takes on the emotional state of the coach

• Emotional control is a coaching skill, not just a personality trait

• Coaches need an identity, but they also need the humility to grow

• Knowing the game and teaching the game are not the same thing

• Development requires patience from adults who usually want immediate proof

• Relationship building creates the trust needed for accountability

• Players do not need a best friend, but they need to know the coach cares

Stay Connected

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

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Some of the most important qualities in hockey don’t always show up on the scoresheet.

In this episode of the Built From Steel Podcast, Eric and Andy break down the undervalued traits that separate players over time, the things coaches notice, teammates appreciate, and winning teams rely on.

From second and third effort to being easy to play with, handling imperfect hockey, buying into a team-first role, and developing vision and creativity, this conversation focuses on the details that help players earn trust.

Talent may get you noticed, but the habits underneath your game determine whether coaches can actually use you when it matters.

Key Moments

0:00 – Intro: learning from champions and what winning players do differently

20:00 – Second and third effort: where grit actually shows up

27:30 – Being easy to play with and making the game better for teammates

30:20 – Handling imperfect hockey: bad passes, broken plays, bad ice, and chaos

37:30 – Team-first buy-in and accepting a winning role

44:00 – Coaches notice the underrated players who do things the right way

48:25 – Vision, creativity, and why multi-sport development matters

57:00 – Communication as an undervalued player quality

 Key Themes

• The first effort is expected - second and third effort build trust

• Great players make the game easier for the people around them

• Hockey is messy, and good players solve problems in imperfect situations

• Everyone wants to win until they have to sacrifice for a winning role

• Coaches notice players who contribute beyond points and highlights

• Creativity matters, but players need the maturity to know when and how to use it

• Communication, support, and predictability are major parts of being trusted

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

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What’s the point of playing hockey?

In this episode of the Built From Steel Podcast, Eric and Andy zoom out from the day-to-day pressure of drafts, teams, rosters, and development to talk about the bigger lessons the game can teach.

From NHL Draft realities and changing player profiles to timing, confidence, social development, culture, networking, and resilience, this episode is about why hockey matters beyond the scoreboard.

The goal of playing hockey should not be to avoid hard things. It should be to become better equipped to deal with them.

At its core, this episode comes down to one simple idea:

Hockey should help build people who are stronger, more confident, more resilient, and better prepared for life.

Key Themes

• The hockey journey is rarely linear

• Draft results are only one part of a much bigger development story

• Timing, opportunity, and environment all matter

• Hockey can teach confidence, resilience, communication, and social awareness

• The network and relationships built through the game can last far beyond playing

• Players need to learn how to handle adversity, not avoid it

• The real value of hockey is often found outside the game itself

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

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In this episode of the Built From Steel Podcast, Eric and Andy break down The Coaches Site report on The State of Coaching Youth Hockey in 2026 and discuss what the findings reveal about the modern coaching experience.

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You Can Download the FULL REPORT for free HERE

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From organizational support and development expectations to parent pressure, player challenges, communication, and the growing complexity of youth hockey, this episode takes a real look at what coaches are dealing with behind the bench.

The conversation also explores where the game is improving, where coaches still feel unsupported, and what organizations can do to create stronger development environments for players, parents, and coaches.

At its core, this episode comes down to one simple idea:

Youth hockey development only works when coaches, parents, players, and organizations are aligned.

Key Moments

0:00 – Intro: injuries, getting older, and trying to stay fit

8:00 – Introducing The Coaches Site report on youth coaching in 2026

12:20 – Who responded to the coaching survey?

15:00 – Do youth coaches feel supported by their organizations?

17:15 – Do organizations set clear development expectations?

20:20 – Common struggles inside youth hockey organizations

21:30 – What real development actually means

27:00 – Creating a true development standard as an organization

29:30 – What resources coaches use to improve

32:00 – Building a more holistic development model

35:00 – Where coaches feel they need more help and resources

40:00 – Are we overcomplicating youth hockey with video and analytics?

45:20 – How much pressure do coaches feel to win?

52:00 – How coaches see their relationships with parents

53:24 – The truth about “crazy hockey parents”

56:00 – Optics between parents and coaches

1:00:30 – Having players lead dialogue while keeping parents informed

1:02:40 – The biggest challenges coaches face with today’s players

1:14:00 – Positive changes coaches are seeing in youth hockey

Key Themes

• Coaches need more support, structure, and clear development expectations

• Development must be defined by organizations, not left up to every individual coach

• Parents are often a major source of pressure, but most parent-coach relationships are still positive

• Winning pressure can quietly change decisions at the youth level

• Video, analytics, and systems are useful only when they serve player development

• Today’s coaches are dealing with more than tactics — they are managing attention, confidence, communication, habits, and culture

• Youth hockey improves when adults create alignment around development, fun, accountability, and long-term growth

Stay Connected

Watch the Academy docu-series Built From Steel on YouTube.

Follow on socials:

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The Built From Steel Podcast is a division of BioSteel Sports.

Learn more at www.biosteel.com