Glass and Out

In episode #293, we welcome good friend of The Coaches Site, Dave Smith.

Two days before we were scheduled to record this podcast he notified us that he had been relieved of his duties as the Head Coach of RPI. Despite that, he agreed to join the pod with his only request being that we focus on the future and the positive experiences he enjoyed during his eight season's leading the RPI program.

Previous to his time with RPI Smith spent 12 seasons as Head Coach at Canisius College. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Coach for seven seasons split between Miami University (Ohio), Bowling Green, and Mercyhurst.

He is now going to start a new chapter in his coaching journey and will again relish in the opportunity to build and lead a team. We hope that this conversation will give other coaches hope and help them navigate the curveballs that the game throws at them.

Listen as he shares the message he left his players with after being let go, why the royal road has changed offensive hockey, and why it all starts with following you passion.

In episode #292, we welcome Tappara Head Coach Rikard Grönborg.

Last time we spoke with Grönborg, he and the Swedish National team were coming off back-to-back Gold medals at the World Championships, while he was also preparing to speak at TCS Live in 2019.

His presentation on the evolution of coaching and player development in Sweden is a must watch. You can check it out at The Coaches Site.

Grönborg was then hired by the Zurich Lions heading into the 2019-2020 season, his first opportunity to coach a club team in professional hockey. He would lead the Lions to first place in the NLA standings prior to his first season being cut short due to the COVID pandemic.

From Zurich, he would head north to Finland, joining Tappara, and in the process, become the first non-Finnish coach to coach in the Liga. In his first season, he would lead Tappara to a league Championship. Now in his second season, he's managing a younger roster, but also an organizational shift focused on sports science and homegrown talent.

Listen as he shares why he's always accepted the challenge of trying something different, how to get players out of their comfort zone, and how to encourage your players to make decisions.

In episode #291, we continue our trip through Europe with a visit from HC Davos Head Coach Josh Holden.

Davos is of course the home of the Spengler Cup, a tournament that Holden and HC Davos won last season (his first with the team), the 16th in the club's history.

After a playing career in North America that saw Holden drafted 12th overall in 1996 by the Vancouver Canucks and spend time with Carolina and Toronto, he would travel overseas and evetually settle in Zug, Switzerland.

Zug would also be where he got his start in coaching, joining Dan Tangnes' staff the season following his retirement. During his five seasons as an Assistant Coach, the club would capture one Swiss Cup and back to back NLA Championships.

Listen as he shares the difference between skills-skills and game-skills, the mentality of being "all in today," and what he learned from the infamous bench incident at the Spengler Cup.

In episode #290, we welcome current Head Coach of EV Zug Dan Tangnes.

He grew up in Norway and represented his country internationally at the U20 level, and eventually made his way to Sweden where he would turn pro.

Tangnes started coaching in the Rogle academy and eventually would work his way up to coaching Linkoping HC in the SHL, Sweden's top league. From there, he would join Zug in 2018 and lead them to a regular season title in his first season. He continued to invest in relationships and along with his players, created a culture that would support Zug capturing back to back NLA Championships in 2021 and 2022.

Next season, he will be returning to Rogle to become their next Head Coach. In the meantime, he's focused on bringing a third Championship to Zug.

Listen as he shares why filtering information down to what matters most is a key skill for coaches, why playing a possession game comes down to the players without the puck, and why integrity needs to come first before wins and titles.

In episode #289, we're joined Cognitive Behavioural Sports Specialist Larissa Mills for a very important conversation.

Whether it's social media, sports betting, pornography or any number of other apps designed to highjack the focus of your players, smart phones have become an opponent we're all grappling with.

Mills holds a BA in Sociology, Psychology, and a Masters of Science in Education, specializing in brain functionality and learning mechanisms. She is the Founder of the Mental Game Academy, an organization committed to empowering athletes, specifically by helping them overcome addiction to their phones.

She also gave a talk last year's at TCS Live on How Phones and Social Media Impact Athlete's Brains and Hockey IQ.

Listen as she shares why confidence is directly linked to phone usage, why gambling and porn have become a major issue for today's youth, and solutions for coaches on handling these many issues.

In episode #288, we welcome former NHL Head Coach Don Granato.

He is of course a member of possibly the most accomplished hockey family to come out of United States.

He got his start coaching in 1993 with the Wisconsin Capitals of the USHL, and since then has been getting his reps in across a multiple of leagues and levels, most recently as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

And as you'll hear, there may not be a better person to have a conversation about player development with. His story of how he positioned himself to enhance world class talent is fascinating. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, and I sense you're going to leave with pages of notes.

Listen as he shares why experimenting in practice is key for team growth, why coaching less should be the objective, and the incredible story of switching from goalie to player.

In episode #287, Head Coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds Derek Laxdal stops by.

His coaching career has seen him climb from the now defunct Western Professional Hockey League, to the Central Hockey League, the East Coast Hockey League, to the Western Hockey League, the American League and finally, to the show.

During that time, he's successfully navigated the ebbs and flows of his coaching journey with his trademark optimism and enthusiam.

Today, Laxdal is the Head Coach of the AHL affiliate to the Seattle Kraken. No different than any other team he's coached, he has the 'Birds in contention as they make their way towards another playoff run.

Listen as he shares why the skill of defending is lacking in today's young player, how to change the narritive after a tough loss, and how to stay optimistic through the challenges of a coaching career.

In episode #286, we're joined by John Weisbrod, former NHL executive, scout and NBA GM. Yes, you read that correctly.

After a playing career that saw Weisbrod win a National Championship at Harvard and attend the San Jose Sharks first training camp, he pivoted to a career in team building at just 25 years-ols.

After getting his start in Albany of the AHL, he would travel to Orlando where his time with the IHL's Solar Bears resulted in him being named the GM of the Magic for one season.

Following that, he would return to hockey, spending time as a scout and Assistant GM with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

You're going to want to hear Weisbrod's story. He might just be the most interesting man in hockey.

Listen as he shares the story behind running an NBA franchise, key lessons while working under Lou Lamoriello and why hockey sense runs throughout the Hughes family.

In episode #285, we welcome Head Coach of the Windsor Spitfires, Greg Walters, someone who has thrived on his ability to be consistent and has never had a losing season.

He is currently in his first season with the Spitfires following a year suspension that involved an inappropriate altercation with another Owen Sound employee. In this episode, he shares what he learned from that experience and we believe it's something that all coaches can benefit from hearing.

Following eight seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Sarnia Sting to begin his coaching journey, Walters took over the Georgetown Raiders of the Ontario Jr A league for eight seasons, guiding them to 295 wins, a league championship and earning himself both coach and executive of the year honors.

He would then return to the OHL as a Head Coach in Oshawa and Owen Sound, before landing in Windsor following the aforementioned suspension.

Listen as he shares what he learned from incident that led to his suspension and the work he's done to overcome it, why good defence starts with breaking out the puck, and creating a culture of quality and self-evaluation.

In episode #284, we're joined by the Manager of Goalie Development for USA Hockey, Steve Thompson.

It's no secret that the US has become a bit of a goaltending factory. For example, last season, of the goalies who played a minimum of 15 games in the NHL, four of the top six, seven of the top 11, and nine of the top 20 in save percentage were American. As Thompson explains it, this surge in goaltending development starts with focusing at the grassroot levels.

The native of Alaska played college hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and immediately jumped into developing the next wave of goalies upon graduation.

As you're about to hear, Thompson's enthusiasm for the position is contagious, and much of what he offers from a development perspective applies to players of all positions.

Listen as he shares why retention should be a youth coaches number one measure of success, why every goal against is an opportunity to learn, and the importance of keeping your goalies in mind during practice planning.