Glass and Out

In episode 313 of the Glass and Out Podcast we visited the University of St. Thomas campus in Minnesota to chat with Tommies Head Coach Rico Blasi. Blasi's coaching career dates back to 1994 with the Wexford Raiders. He would take over the University of Miami (Ohio) program, his alma matter, at the ripe old age of 27 - and would eventually turn them into a perennial contender. Now in his fifth season at St. Thomas, he has the Tommies on a similar track to success in the brand new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. As you'll hear, Blasi's story is a reminder that while we're all on our respective coaching journeys, life is happening all around us. Listen as he shares his approach to getting players to play free, why the human need for connection is a vital part of coaching, and why his favourite day of the week is "Battle Tuesdays."

For episode 312 of the Glass and Out Podcast we had the chance to sit down with Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin at September's TCS Live Minnesota. Bill is of course a two-time Stanley Cup winner as a player and represented the United States at three Olympics. Following his playing career, he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins organziation, eventually landing in the Assistant GM role. He would then be named GM of the Wild in 2019 and would add President of Hockey Operations to his resume in 2023. In addition to his role with the Wild, he led Team USA at the Four Nations Faceoff and will also be the General Manager for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan. Needles to say, he's got a lot on his plate and he was extremly generous with his time to join us on the show. Listen as he shares his philosphy behind team building, why winning is the standard for Team USA, and the importance of preserving the Minnesota community hockey model.

For episode 311 of the Glass and Out Podcast we welcome Meghan Duggan, Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Devils. While most fans may know her best as the Captain of Team USA, you may soon know her as a possible candidate to become the first woman General Manager in NHL history. Duggan attended the University of Wisconsin, where she would help the Badgers capture three National titles and captain the program in her senior season. In total, she represented the United States at three Olympics and eight World Championships, capturing eight Gold Medals. Following retirement, she joined the Devils as their Manager of Player Development in 2021 before being promoted to her current role a year later. Listen as she shares how she approaches developing hockey sense, the power of being a vulnerable leader and her aspirations to advance as an executive in hockey.

For episode 310 of the Glass and Out Podcast we were down in St. Paul for TCS Live Minnesota and had the chance to sit down with Wild Head Coach John Hynes. The coaching conference was in support of the Minnesota Wild Foundation's Skate It Forward initiative. The Wild have a goal to cover the registration fee for every first year player in the state and provide families who benefit from the program the opportunity to pay it forward by making a donation that in turn gets another youngster on the ice. Click here for more information and to donate. Hynes is entering his third season in Minnesota and will also serve as an Assistant Coach for the U.S. Men's Team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He started out his coaching career as an Assistant Coach at his alma mater, Boston University, and has rounded all the bases in his nearly 30 year coaching journey to eventually lead three National Hockey League teams. Listen as he shares tips on designing and executing a practice plan, why performance starts with relationship building, and the importance of betting on yourself.

In episode 309 of the Glass and Out Podcast we have the pleasure of being joined by Penn State University Head Coach Guy Gadowsky. One could argue that outside of the NHL, no hockey team in the world will receive as much attention as the Nittany Lions this upcoming season. Led by Gadowsky since 2011, the program is coming off its first trip to the Frozen Four and this offseason, recruited a ton of talent to an already loaded roster, including the consensus #1 pick in the upcoming NHL draft, Gavin McKenna. Ranked in the top 5 preseason college polls, Gadowsky had Penn State primed to make a lot of noise this season. Listen as he shares the importance of a well defined team structure, the keys to finding chemistry with high-end talent, and overcoming adversity on the way to a Frozen Four appearance.

In episode 308 of the Glass and Out Podcast we welcome Alan Letang, the Head Coach of the OHL's Sarnia Sting. Letang is still in the front 9 of his coaching career, and as you'll hear, when he decided that coaching was his chosen career post retirement, he immersed himself in all facets of the job. And it's paid off. After 2.5 seasons as an Assistant Coach in Owen Sound, he was promoted to the role of Head Coach. This would eventually lead him home to Sarnia, where he is getting set to lead the Sting for a 5th season, and one in which the expectations are high. Internationally, he has represented Canada multiple times, beginning as an Assistant Coach at the 2020 and 2023 World Junior Championships, as the Head Coach of Canada's entry at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and finally as the Head Coach of Team Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championships. Listen as he shares his philosophy on setting players up for success after a mistake, finding the fine line between physicality and discipline, and how he's approaching the changing landscape of junior hockey.

In episode 307 of the Glass and Out Podcast we're joined by Head Coach of the Henderson Silver Knights Ryan Craig. Craig has had a great run with the Golden Knights organization, including being a member of the coaching staff during their inaugural season that saw them go on a Cinderella run and reach the Stanley Cup Finals. He remained on the staff for six seasons, culminating in the organization capturing the Stanley Cup in 2023. During that time he received what can only be described as a Masters Degree in Coaching as he had the opportunity to work under Gerrard Gallant, Pete DeBoer, and most recently, Bruce Cassidy. Now heading into his third season with the Silver Knights he joins us to offer a fresh and modern perspective on leading today's player and creating winning culture. Listen as he shares why players see everything that happens with a coaching staff, how to maxmize your practice time, and why competition drives performance.

Welcome back! We kick off Season 9 of the Glass and Out Podcast with episode 306, featuring Seattle Kraken Assistant Coach Jessica Campbell. Campbell is of course getting set for her second season behind an NHL bench, after having the distinction of being the first female to be hired as a full-time NHL coach. The native of Moosomin, Saskatchewan parlayed her skating business and the experience of training NHL players in the off-season in Kelowna into the opportunity to coach professionally in Europe. It was then that Dan Bylsma, then recently hired as the Head Coach of the Kraken's AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, reached out to interview her for the opportunity to join his staff. Two seasons and consecutive trips to the Calder Cup finals later, Bylsma was hired as Seattle's Head Coach and Campbell got the call to join him. You can check out her IIHF Coaching Symposium presentation on Feeding the Attack by Breaking Down the PK now on The Coaches Site. Listen as she shares her keys to creating a cohesive power play, how to help players out of scoring slumps, and how breaking barriers has influenced her coaching philosophy.

In episode #305 and finale for season 8, we had the pleasure of being joined by Calgary Flames assistant coach Brad Larsen for a live interview at our TCS Live coaching conference. As a player, the Vernon, BC native won a gold medal with Canada's U18 team, along with back to back golds at the World Junior Championships. He turned pro with the Colorado Avalanche organization, was named Captain of the Hershey Bears in just his second pro season, and would go on to play over 300 NHL games with the Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers, and Anaheim Ducks. He jumped right into the coach arena following his retirement. First in the AHL with the Springfield Falcons before being promoted to the Columbus Blue Jackets and eventually, being named the club's Head Coach in 2021. Today, he is on Ryan Huska's staff with the Calgary Flames. There are so many take-aways from this final episode of the 2024-2025 season of Glass and Out. Listen as he shares how he's learned to lean on his faith, why the standard needs to be the standard, and the importance of blooming where you're planted.

In episode #304, we revisit our conversation from 2022 with Dan Muse, freshly named new Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. At the time of this interview, Muse was Head Coach of with the US National Development Program and prior to that he spent three seasons as an Assistant with the Nashville Predators. He most recently spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach with the New York Rangers. Muse has rounded all the bases in his career and is a self-described OG member of The Coaches Site. He also presented for us back in 2022 on The Importance of the Second Player in Puck Support. Listen as he shares his philosphy of TNT, why his playing career has never deterred him from his coaching aspirations, and the important of creating chaos in practice. And go Penguins!