prohockeypod

Episode 13. Another goalie joined the prohockeypod this week, Colin Furlong. Colin and I use to train together each summer in Vaughn at the local goalie school. Colin was known for his work ethic on the ice and simply got better each season. An OHL/USports grad, Colin has been working his way up the ranks in Italy the past few seasons. He talked about his unusual path through junior and CIS with a lot of obstacles, but evidently ended up being a blessing in disguise and helped shape him into the goalie he is today. We also chatted about the mental part of the game and what he has learned over the years. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 12. 

Episode 11. This week’s episode was a special one for me. Adler Mannheim’s Sports Manager, Jan-Axel Alavaara took some time out of his busy schedule to join the prohockeypod. Axel shared his journey that included a long professional playing career and how he transitioned to the coaching/management world in Europe. Axel is very passionate about skill development and shared how Sweden/Finland has been developing for years. This would explain why we see so many players from these countries getting drafted to NHL each year. He also shared his philosophy on scouting and what types of players he looks for when building a team. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 10. Another goalie joined the prohockeypod this week. Luka Gracnar’s resume speaks for itself. A Slovenian national team goalie who developed with Redbull Academy in Austria, which allowed him to have tremendous success in top leagues in Europe. Luka is currently preparing for the World Championships and took some time out of his busy schedule to chat with me. Luka and I met each other during the 2021/2022 season with the Eispiraten Crimmitschau in the del2 in Germany. Luka has a championship pedigree and is a true pro. The way he approaches the game, both on the ice and mentally, is a big testament to his character. How he thinks about the game and training, is really eye opening. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 9 is a packed one. The prohockeypod was joined this week by Marian Bazany. Marian is a former player, now coach in Germany who I was fortunate to work with last season in the DEL2. Marian shared his experiences playing in Slovakia and Germany during his playing career and how he made the transition to coaching. We went into detail about player development and what he believes are the key ingredients to creating successful organizations. Marian believes you need to have fun, have a passion for whatever you are doing, and set goals along the way. Everyone has different goals or places they would like to reach, and that is perfectly fine. It is all about creating a culture in your team and organization. At the end of the day, hockey is suppose to be fun and I couldn’t agree more. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 8 is here. This week the prohockeypod was joined by another product of D3 NCAA hockey, Kevin Carr. Kevin and I first met in college when we were battling it out against each other on the ice in college. Kevin is a goaltender who has quite a story. He has always had to prove himself wherever he played and it wasn't always a simple path. Kevin told some stories of how he had to grind through many difficult situations (along with some luck) to get to where he is today. If you want to hear from someone who has never been a "first choice" and has battled to prove people wrong, then this episode is for you. Hope you enjoy!

Marc St. Jean joined the podcast this week for episode 7. Marc is a former player, coach and sports manager in Germany. Marc shared his long journey to Germany and how he persevered through lots of obstacles to achieve his goal of playing pro hockey. He also gave some insight into how he was able to continuously build championship teams in Germany and his philosophies on doing so. Marc was always considered an underdog but didn't let this stop him from proving people wrong. Hope you enjoy!

The prohockeypod was happy to welcome Mark Corbett to the podcast for episode 6. Mark is a good friend of mine who had an interesting hockey path and has now transitioned to coaching. Mark is currently the Head Coach of the U18 Burlington Eagles team. Mark was a product of the Burlington minor hockey system and explained how his experiences helped him reach his hockey goals, as well as shaped how he coaches today. Mark is sharing his journey with young players today to help better prepare them for what lies ahead and take the next step in their hockey careers. Hope you enjoy. 

Episode 5 welcomed current Oswego State Assistant Coach Jon Whitelaw to the podcast. Jon and I played together at Oswego for 2 and a half seasons, as well as one season professionally in France. Jon shared his hockey path, which was full of obstacles and some tough decisions he had to make at a young age, that evidently helped him play NCAA hockey. One quote Jon used that I think is important for all young hockey players to hear is: "you shouldn't chase letters, but chase coaches." Jon referred to him "staying back" to play AA instead of playing AAA, where he got more ice time and development then he might have at the AAA level. We went into the differences between D1/D3 hockey and continued to talk about how important development/ice time is for young players. Jon was also kind enough to share how he got into NCAA coaching, some key tips, and his plans for the future. Hope you enjoy.

The prohockeypod was happy to welcome for Episode 4 fellow goaltender Michael Ouzas. Michael was someone I always looked up to throughout my career and I was very excited to talk to him about his hockey career. Michael is currently a real estate agent in the Toronto area. Before transitioning to real estate, Michael's journey saw him play in the OHL, CIS and 13 years professionally in North America and Europe. Michael was always known for being a student of the game and having a terrific work ethic. He shared how he grew to become this way and his mental approach to the game of hockey. For any young goalies out there, this episode is for you. Hope you enjoy.

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