HC Lokomotiv Director of Player Development Ted Suihkonen: How to Create Smarter Players

This week, we welcome to the podcast HC Lokomotiv Director of Player Development Ted Suihkonen, who will be one of the presenters at the Global Skills Showcase. Suihkonen, who is one of the most well-respected leaders in our game when it comes to player development, will be presenting on the importance of cognition and variability in hockey. The Duluth, Minnesota native has seen his career in hockey provide him the opportunity to travel the globe. Following a professional playing career that saw him spend time in the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, and Germany, he would settle in Halden, Norway. There, he would climb the ladder from head coach of the program's U17 team, to the head coach of the pro team. He'd also get the opportunity to serve as an assistant coach with Norway’s U20 National Team in 2015. During this time, Suihkonen began to gain notoriety on social media, which allowed him to the chance to travel to work with other clubs and run skills camps in many different countries. This eventually led to his current role with the KHL's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey club, where he oversees the development plan for club players all the way down to the youth level. In addition to his wealth of hockey knowledge, Suihkonen also has his masters in neuroscience. This led to the launch a new venture called Neuro Hockey, which aims to provide coaches knowledge on developing game intelligence and enhancing skill acquisition. Find out how Suihkonen's studies of the brain has influenced his philosophy for player development, the difference between European and North American methods for player development, and what to expect from his Global Skills Showcase presentation.