Coachella Valley Firebirds Head Coach Derek Laxdal: Improving the skill of defending, handling a tough loss and staying optimistic
Release Date: 02/06/2025
HC Davos Head Coach Josh Holden: Skills-skills vs game-skills, passing habits in practice and the Spengler Cup bench incident
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
EV Zug Head Coach Dan Tangnes: Keys to playing a possession game, creating offence through risk management and integrity always comes first
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
The Mental Game Academy's Larissa Mills: Phone usage affecting confidence, the gambling/porn problem and solutions for coaches
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
Former NHL Head Coach Don Granato: Experimenting in practice, coaching less is the goal and switching from goalie to player
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
Coachella Valley Firebirds Head Coach Derek Laxdal: Improving the skill of defending, handling a tough loss and staying optimistic
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
Former NHL and NBA Executive John Weisbrod: Running the Orlando Magic, key lessons from Lamoriello and Hughes family hockey sense
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
Windsor Spitfires Head Coach Greg Walters: Applying internal psychology, starting with your breakout and a culture of quality
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
USA Hockey Manager of Goalie Development Steve Thompson: Youth Hockey retention, learning from every goal and goalie practice planning
Glass and Out
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...
info_outline
University of Minnesota-Duluth Head Coach Laura Schuler: Hockey teaches life lessons, prescouting for tendencies and creating predictable structure
Glass and Out
For episode #283, we welcome former TCS contributor and current Head Coach of the University of Minnesota-Duluth women's program, Laura Schuler. Schuler has enjoyed a remarkable and diverse career that has seen her be on the forefront of the evolution of the Women's game as both a player and coach, including leading some of the most talented teams, both internationally and at the NCAA level. That includes being named the Head Coach Canada’s National Team in 2015 and leading the program to a Silver medal at the 2018 Olympics. Make sure to check out her TCS series, for a break down of...
info_outline
The Coaches Site Year-in-Review 2024: Content Top 5s, TCS Live Highlights and Spicy Wings
Glass and Out
Happy New Years! For episode #282, we thought we’d kick off the second half of the season by going back and looking at our most popular content on The Coaches Site from this past year. And to help us reflect on our biggest year yet, we've recruited our Director of Content, Derek Jory. You know how great teams have “Glue Guys” or teammates that ensure everyone feels important and that the rink is a destination? Well, Derek is that person on our TCS team. He has a unique background in that he spent 13 years with the Vancouver Canucks as their lead content writer for their website and...
info_outlineIn 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.