Glass and Out

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!

In episode #303, we're joined by former NHL Head Coach and upcoming presenter at June's TCS Live coaching conference Greg Cronin. Cronin was recently let go as the Head Coach of the Anaheim Ducks after spending two seasons with the franchise. He has enjoyed a remarkable and nearly 40 year run as a hockey coach, which began at Colby College and includes playing a role in getting the US National Development Team Program off the ground. After eight seasons with the New York Islanders organization, he returned home to Boston as the Head Coach of Northeastern University, the program his father captained. He returned to the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was named Head Coach of the Ducks in 2023 after a successful run with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanches’ AHL affiliate. You can catch Cronin at this June's TCS Live as he dissects individual skills on the forecheck. Listen as he shares the illumination of player development, his guide to creating reliable players, and insights into his forechecking philosphy.

In episode #302, we revisit one of our best talks from last year's TCS Live coaching conference from Cody Royle. Royle is a coach to some of the most accomplished coaches across multiple sports, along with being the author of three books, The Tough Stuff, Where Others Won’t and his latest, Second Set of Eyes. He was a coach himself and has pivoted to providing coaches the sounding board and observations that nudge them towards discovering the best version of themselves. In his talk, “Coaches are Performers, Too,” Royle provides tremendous insight into the importance of coaches not possessing ego, who are willing to be coached themselves. He also provides a system that supports coaches and helps them in situations in which they are experiencing negative mental health symptoms or early burn out.  Listen as he shares why coaches are the greatest source of competitive advantage, how to improve the three primary skills of leadership and why even the best coaches need coaching.

In episode #301, we welcome upcoming presenter at this year's TCS Live and Executive Director of the New Jersey Devils Youth Foundation, Kate Whitman Annis. In her current role with the Devils, she is innovating how professional sports teams engage with their local fan base to raise funds and together, serve those in need in their local community. She has had a wide ranging career including several roles in the political arena, in addition to working with multiple organizations in leading their fundraising efforts. She is also a hockey coach at heart.  In addition to coaching her four boys, Annis was the head girls hockey coach at the Pingry School, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League, and today is behind the bench of the Eastside High School Girls Varsity program. Listen as she shares the power that sports can have on young athletes, philosophy behind team goal setting, and learning to effectively explain a drill.