prohockeypod

Episode 83: Stephen Wiedler. Stephen grew up in the New York area and was naturally a New York Rangers fan. We talked about his funny memories of the Stanley Cup run in 1994 and what it was like to witness it. Stephen would eventually find himself at D3 Elmira College before transferring to University of Southern Maine where he would play 3 seasons and even be captain. After college, Stephen would play 2 years of pro in the SPHL before landing a coaching job at Curry College, coached by TJ Manastersky. Stephen and I talked about his grind the first couple years of working hard with little money and not ideal living arrangements while at Curry. I brought up a funny story about a concept called the “rattle jar”, which was essentially a jar that the head coach would have to donate money to when he sent the assistant coaches on a nonsense mission. This funny tradition started at Curry College with TJ. Stephen would then head to D1 American International College (AIC) where he would spend 5 seasons and learning from Eric Lang. Stephen would then switch to University of Vermont, where he has recently finished his 1st season as HC. We also talked about what it means to be a Catamount and the characteristics behind the type of hockey they try to play at UofV. I always enjoy talking to fellow D3 graduates who have made their way up the ranks in the sport of hockey. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 82: Rico Blasi. Rico grew up in the Toronto area in an Italian family that knew nothing of ice hockey. He got his introduction on the outdoor rinks in the GTA and this is where he first got the passion for hockey. He was lucky to be coached at a young age by the famous Stan Butler who taught Rico a lot about the game of hockey and different paths available. Rico would go on to attend D1 Miami of Ohio University on a hockey scholarship for 4 years, which was an up and coming program. After a few brief stops in pro hockey and coaching his old junior team, Rico would get a chance at the University of Denver as an Assistant Coach for 4 seasons. In 1999, Rico’s old university was in search of a new Head Coach and Rico thought he should just put his name in for the sake of it. Turns out it was a great idea as Rico was hired and would spend the next 20 seasons as Head Coach of Miami of Ohio. Over this time he helped shape the program and would help them achieve 2 Frozen Four appearances as well as NCAA Runner Up in 2009. This long run also saw Rico win multiple coaching awards including NCAA Coach of the Year in 2006. During Covid, Nate Leaman from Providence University would reach out to Rico about an opening as the Director of Administration for the college. This was a new challenge for Rico that he knew nothing about but he is happy he did it as he was able to continue to grow his resume and network in NCAA. In 21/22, new D1 school, University of St. Thomas would come knocking with interest in Rico to be their new Head Coach, where he has been ever since. We talked about the process of building a new D1 program, some of the rules I wasn’t aware of, as well as some other interesting facts about the school that not many people would know. It is awesome to see someone from the GTA thriving in college hockey and I am happy Rico was able to share some time with me. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 81: Frank Serratore. We had Army’s HC on in the past so this week it was time for Air Force Academy’s Frank Serratore to join the prohockeypod. The 25/26 season will be Frank’s 29th season at Air Force and we talked about how he has continuously built solid teams over his time there. Frank is from Minnesota, and like me, was a goalie growing up. Our goalie chemistry was instantly there throughout the episode. What can I say, great minds think alike. Frank would go on to play D1 hockey at Western Michigan University for 2 seasons before transferring to Bemidji State. This is where Frank would get a intro to coaching, learning from Coach Bob Peters, which ignited his fire to coach. After school, Frank would be a HC/GM in the USHL for 5 years before becoming an Assistant Coach at the University of North Dakota. A few years passed and Frank was awarded the opportunity to become HC of the University of Denver. We talked about Frank’s quick rise and if he felt he was ready at the time to be a HC. After 4 years at Denver, Frank would get a chance in Pro hockey with the Minnesota/Manitoba Moose of the IHL. After that, Air Force Academy was in need for a coach and Frank’s name came up. After speaking to his wife, he interviewed for the job and it ended up being a great decision, as he has been there ever since. We talked about the academy, the types of players they look to recruit and how they continue to stay competitive, even though they can’t use certain advantages that other NCAA programs have access to (portal, transfers, 5th year). It was really interesting to talk to Frank and his knowledge/love of the game. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 80: Stefan Decosse. Stefan grew up in the Vancouver area, right around the time the Canucks made their 1994 Stanley Cup final run. This was his first introduction to hockey. He would eventually make the jump to the BCHL before heading to D3 SUNY Geneseo. Funny enough, our teams actually played against each other regularly so we went down memory lane with our school battles and fan sections. Stefan would spend 4 years at Geneseo. He then did what your typical coach does, take years off to backpack around the world. What a life experience and something Stefan recommends to anyone out there willing to give it a try. Stefan then ended up at York University working on his thesis and decided he would get into minor hockey as a coach. They ended up being a wagon and winning the championship. This gave Stefan the idea of continuing his work as a coach and he got gull support from his wife. Stefan would sit down with the Women’s HC at Colgate University and immediately showed his love/determination for the game. He would start as a volunteer coach before doing 8 years as an Assistant Coach and now just finished his first season as Head Coach. We talked a lot about Stefan’s passion for Women’s hockey, the types of athletes he looks to recruit at Colgate and the satisfaction he gets from seeing his players move on to the PWHL. Stefan was smiling the whole episode and we had some good laughs. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 79: Chris MacKenzie. UConn Women’s hockey coach Chris MacKenzie joined the prohockeypod this week. Chris grew up in Niagara Falls where he played minor hockey before jumping to Junior C and then Junior B. We talked about how him going level by level was good for his development. Ending his junior career with an Ontario championship, Chris took at chance and committed to a brand new D3 school, Niagara University. This new powerhouse was coached by Blaise MacDonald, who would have a big impact on Chris’s life and career. Niagara would play 2 years at D3, win a championship in year 2 before being promoted to D1, where they didn’t miss a step. They would beat a lot of top teams as a new program and went on an NCAA Tournament run in Chris’s senior season. After graduating, Chris would head to Finland to play a year of pro hockey with TPS. After that season, Chris would get a job as an Assistant Coach at UMass-Lowell, who was coached by Blaise MacDonald. We talked about his 8 seasons there and how he continued to learn from Blaise. After Lowell, Chris would return to Niagara University as a Head Coach, but on the Women’s side. This is where we would cross paths, as I was in my freshman year at Niagara. The Women’s program would be shut down a few years later and Chris ended up at University of Connecticut as the Women’s HC. We talked about the type of athlete’s he looks to recruit at UConn, where he found the program and how much they have progressed over his 12 seasons (and counting), capped off by a division championship and NCAA Tournament bid in 23/24. We also dove into how the women’s game has grown over the years and where Chris sees it continuing to go. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 78: Garrett Raboin. Garrett grew up with hockey in his veins in the state of Minnesota. His dad, Bruce Raboin, was drafted to the NHL and played pro hockey. So naturally Bruce passed his passion down to his son. Garrett would go on to play NCAA D1 at St. Cloud State University, where he also wore a letter for 3 seasons. After school, Garrett jumped on a plane to begin his pro career in Finland. We talked about his experience playing and living in Finland. After Finland and a brief stop in Norway, Garrett went back to St. Cloud State as an Assistant Coach and began learning from Coach Motzko. Garrett would spend 10 seasons working along side Coach Motzko (6 at St. Cloud and 4 at Minnesota), before embarking on his own head coaching venture. Augustana University added D1 hockey to their program and Garrett was the man for the job. He spent the first year recruiting players for the program and has just finished his 2nd season behind the bench, which showed major progress. We dove deep into how the whole process went and the type of people he is looking to bring to Augustana. Keep your eye on this program and their constant progression. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 77: David Urquhart. David had a similar upbringing like myself. He grew up in a small town that had a strong tight knit community which rallied around it’s sports teams. For David, this was the Junior B team, the Thorold Blackhawks. David would go on to play for his home town team, as well as the Welland Cougars before heading off to McGill University. He talked about playing for coach Martin Raymond who taught him a lot about leadership and being a student athlete. After wearing a letter 3 of his 4 years at McGill, David would embark on a 6 year professional career, that included playing in the AHL & ECHL, before heading overseas to Italy for 3 seasons and 1 championship. We talked about his experience living in Italy and shared some funny stories of the differences in Europe. After winning the championship, David would retire and transition to coaching, starting as an Assistant Coach back at McGill. David would then get an opportunity to work in San Diego of the AHL for 3 seasons and his story is very unique. Dallas Eakins (San Diego’s HC at the time) had sent a tweet while being at a coaching symposium in Dallas, Texas about going for an early morning run and all coaches were invited. David showed up, kept up, and was able to share his knowledge with Dallas over the next few days, which landed him a job with San Diego. Crazy story. After his 3 years with SD, David would return to McGill University, this time as Head Coach. We talked about his recruiting process at McGill, the type of student athletes that are required at McGill, as well as the rise of USports hockey with many players signing pro contracts after graduating. If you are looking to hear from someone very knowledgeable and full of insight, then this episode is for you. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 76: Luke Esposito. Luke comes from quite the bloodline of hockey players. His grandfather Doug Messier played in the WHL-Sr, uncle Paul Messier had a long pro career that included 6 seasons here in Mannheim and of course, his other uncle Mark Messier, whose career and Hall of Fame NHL resume speaks for itself. I first saw Luke play last season when he was in Augsburg and I really liked his game. An undersized player with lots of skill, but he also plays the game the right way and isn’t afraid to play hard/with grit. We talked about his upbringing in USA and his journey through high school hockey. Luke would play 1 season in the BCHL before earning the chance to attend D1 Harvard University. Harvard is a prestigious school known for its academics and I was interested to talk to Luke about how he juggled both hockey and academics. We also talked about the strong teams he was apart of at Harvard that included 2 ECAC Championships, multiple players going on to have NHL careers and former prohockeypod guest and Luke’s roommate, Tyler Moy. After graduating Harvard, Luke would begin his NA pro grind where he played 6 seasons in the AHL for Grand Rapids and Bakersfield. Luke went into detail about the things he learned in the AHL and taking on different roles on teams. We discussed how most teams in the AHL have many guys who could play top 6 roles but aren’t giving the chance for multiple reasons, so like Luke, they have to find a way to contribute and help the team each night. After his 6th season in NA, Luke would venture over to Germany and join Augsburg in the DEL. He proved he could put up points in Germany and be an impact player, which earned him a contract here in Mannheim. We also talked a bit about Luke’s love for the sport of golf and why he is so interested in it. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 75: Felix Brückmann. Adler Mannheim goalie Felix Brückmann joined the prohockeypod this week. We talked about Felix growing up with 2 brothers in Freiburg, Germany, who also played hockey, and how he decided to become a goalie. Felix would head to the Jungadler Mannheim program at 16 years old where he would play 2 seasons of U18 and win 1 Championship. After that, his pro career began with 3 seasons for the Heilbronn Falcon in the DEL2 before debuting in the DEL at 21 years old with the Adler Mannheim. We talked about the adjustment for Felix as a young goalie in the pros and he even remembered the story of how he got his first DEL start. Felix has split time in his career between the Adler Mannheim and Grizzlys Wolfsburg. Felix is such a humble person. He comes to the rink everyday and puts in the work. We also talked about how Felix had to overcome an injury in Wolfsburg that required double hip surgery and put him out of action for 12 months. I was curious to find out how he stayed so mentally positive/strong through the recovery process, persevered to come back and continue where he left off in the DEL. Felix has also represented Germany multiple times throughout his career at many different levels (Juniors, World Championship’s and Olympic Games). Felix is currently finishing up his 17th year pro and shows no signs of slowing down. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 74: Ian Herbers. University of Alberta Head Coach Ian Herbers found some time in his busy schedule to jump on the prohockeypod. Ian grew up playing hockey in Alberta before embarking on a 4 year WHL journey. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers but due to an injury, decided to go the USports route. During his years as a player at U of Alberta, Ian was fortunate to win a championship. He talked about that season and the group of guys, as well as mentioning they just had their 25 anniversary a couple years ago. Ian constantly brought up that he didn’t think too much about how is career was going or going up levels. He simply just showed up everyday, put in his work and enjoyed being in the locker room with his teammates. After university, Ian started his pro journey through the AHL and IHL, while playing NHL games with Edmonton, Tampa Bay and New York. Throughout his playing career, he was able to win a USports championship, a Turner Cup in the IHL and a Calder Cup in the AHL. Ian had a couple years as a Player Coach so it was no surprise that when he retired, he would transition to behind the bench. He has coached in many leagues (AHL, OHL, ECHL, NHL and CIS/USports). As mentioned, Ian was able to make it to the NHL as an Assistant Coach with the Edmonton Oilers for a few seasons. I asked him how he handled/coached star players in Edmonton like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He brought up how easy it was to work with them, their incredible work ethic and always trying to improve. Ian is now back at UofA as the Head Coach and has added some more titles to his coaching resume. Great talking to Ian and I was very happy I got the chance to pick his brain. Hope you enjoy!