Glass and Out

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.

In episode #300, we celebrate the milestone with a very special guest: LA Kings Director of Goaltending Bill Ranford. Not only was Ranford one of the original presenters at our TCS Live coaching conference back in 2012, he'll be returning to the stage in June for this year's edition of hockey's premier coaching conference. And top it off, he is the childhood hero of our host Aaron Wilbur. Ranford has spent the last 19 seasons with the Kings, 17 as the goaltending coach and the last two as Director.  As a goalie, he led the 1990 Edmonton Oilers to a Stanley Cup with a Con Smythe performance. He also led Canada to the 1991 Canada Cup and helped his country capture its first Gold Medal in over 30 years at the World Hockey Championships 1994.  Listen he shares why detail and work ethic have to be the foundation of every player's game, giving new tools over change, and why goalie's need to have their own unique identity.

In episode #299, we welcome upcoming presenter at this June's TCS Live, Grizzlys Wolfsburg Head Coach Mike Stewart. At the time of this recording, he is currently preparing for his fifth season leading the Grizzlys. He has a unique origin story as a player that includes his mother discovering a loophole that would enable him to enroll at Michigan State University, without a high school diploma, and leading to being drafted in the first round by the New York Rangers. Following his retirement due to injury, he would immediately jump behind the bench as an Assistant Coach with Villacher SV of the Austrian ICE Hockey League. Now 15 seasons later, Mike has spent the bulk of his coaching career in the DEL. He remains a student of the game, and is engaged with the challenge of leading the Grizzlys, a smaller market club in a league with no salary cap, to DEL title. Listen he shares why the best coaches are the best thieves, why passing is a lost art, and why North America should adopt Olympic-sized rinks

Bethany Brausen, Head Coach of the University of St. Thomas Women's Hockey program, shares her journey from playing at the University of Minnesota to coaching. She discusses the importance of fostering a self-governing culture and dispels common myths about leadership. Bethany highlights how individual stories shape team dynamics and emphasizes empathy in coaching. She also addresses the challenges within modern college athletics, including the transfer portal and NIL, while advocating for building trust and a strong team identity for future success.

In episode #297, we welcome former NHL Goalie Coach Mike Valley and Founder of The Goalie Guild Justin Goldman. The two are good friends who collaborated on the books The Power Within, which includes 3 volumes, and Embracing the Grind. Each book shares personal interviews and stories from the best goaltenders on the planet and provide a guide for aspiring goalies looking to navigate what has generally been an undefined path to the top of the profession. While the books focus on goaltending, they also provide real world solutions for dealing with the tough stuff that comes with reaching any noteworthy goal or achievement. Valley played professionally as a goaltender and had the role of Goalie Coach for the Dallas Stars from 2009-2017. He is also a former presenter at TCS Live. Goldman is a former goaltender, writer for NHL.com and Founder of The Goalie Guild, the world’s only non-profit organization dedicated to developing goalies and goalie coaches of all levels. Listen as they share how the position of goaltending has evolved, why we need to redefine what "winning" is, and how to find your power within.

In episode #296, we welcome Head Coach of the Minnesota High School State Champion Moorhead Spuds, Jon Ammerman. Our team at The Coaches Site had the chance to take in the State Championships in person and boy, did it ever live up to the hype. The Spuds defeated the Stillwater Ponies 7-6 in the culmination of an incredible run by Moorhead. As a born and bred Moorhead-native, Ammerman has witnessed the magic of the State Championship as a fan, player and coach. In addition to his role as Head Coach, he is also a teacher at Moorhead High School. As a result of this year's success, he was named Minnesota State Class AA Coach of the Year. Listen as he shares the roller coaster journey that led to the championship, how Moorhead and Minnesota have built success through community-based hockey, and why coaching isn't about the destination but the journey.