Sweden National U20 Head Coach Tomas Montén: Utilizing small area games, WJC experiences and preparing for short term competition

In episode #159 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Tomas Montén, head coach of the Swedish National U20 Team.

It’s the holiday season, and that means the start of the World Juniors is fast approaching. Now heading into his eighth tournament with Team Sweden (and sixth as head coach), Montén makes the perfect candidate to discuss what the tournament experience looks like through the lens of a coach.

In total, he’s helped Sweden capture two silver medals, one bronze, and was a part of Sweden’s incredible 54-game unbeaten streak during the round robin portion of the tournament, a streak that was halted by Russia during last year’s event. During his tenure, he’s had the opportunity to work with some of the top young talent in the game, such as Elias Pettersson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Lucas Raymond, to name a few.

At our inaugural Virtual Hockey Summit in 2020, Tomas gave an outstanding presentation on how he prepares Team Sweden for the World Juniors. It offers a ton of strategies in terms of how teach efficiently and to get your players comfortable playing in your system.

In this week's episode, find out why the tournament is so special to him, how small area games have helped Sweden have success internationally, and what goes into building a fast team.