Glass and Out

In episode #208, we're joined by Head Coach of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, Matt O'Dette. Coming off a season where he led the TBirds on an epic run to the WHL Finals, O'Dette has Seattle back in contention, currently sitting atop the Western Conference and ranked #4 in the CHL rankings with a roster full of talent. Hear him share why every team needs its own library, being neighbours with your goalie and how the secret to keeping the fire burning in your players is to actually start a fire.

In episode #207, we welcome a returning guest to the podcast, Brooks Bandits GM and Head Coach Ryan Papaioannou. He is currently in his 14th season behind the bench for the Bandits, a program that he's led to six AJHL Championships and three National CHampionships. Listen as he shares his offensive principles, the three qualities he looks for in players, and what it was like coaching a young Cale Makar.

In episode #206, we're joined by Tri-City Americans Owner and Head Coach Stu Barnes. Prior to coaching, Stu enjoyed a long NHL career as a player and has a long list of coaches that he either played for or has coached with, including the likes of Dave King, Roger Neilson, Lindy Ruff, Ken Hitchcock, Marc Crawford, and Dave Tippett. In today’s conversation, we discuss the type of relationship players value from their coach, how he collaborates with his coaching staff, and what he’s picked up from so many coaching greats.

In episode #205, we welcome Joel Martin, Head Coach of the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings. Martin is in his first season as the Head Coach of he K-Wings, is currently one of only two black head coaches in North American professional hockey. Martin has spent a total of 14 seasons with the ECHL franchise, including nine as a goalie and four as a coach. He was named to the 14th ECHL Hall of Fame class January of 2022. Listen as he touches on why former goaltenders make great coaches, the power of postive affirmation and keeping things fun, and the principles to shutting teams down in your defensive zone.

We've got a special edition of the Glass and Out Podcast for you this week. During the holiday break, Breakaway, the Minor Hockey Podcast, was joined by one of the most influential voices in hockey, ESPN Hockey Analyst Ray Ferraro. In addition to his work on hockey broadcasts, Ferraro is also a sports parent, with four kids who played everything from hockey to soccer. Ferraro has seen first hand how the game and the parent-coach relationship have changed over time and he shared his coaching philosophy with Breakaway hosts Aaron Wilbur and Ian Taylor. There were more than a few gems dropped by Ferraro on how to improve today's game. Hear this must-listen conversation on the Glass and Out Podcast!

In episode #203, we're joined by Ken Martel, USA Hockey's Senior Director of Player & Coach Development. In his newly appointed role, he is charged with developing a framework for associations in the US to follow that leads to an enhanced player and coach development pathways. Listen as he shares his thoughts on what’s next in the evolution of player and coach development, how he approaches developing hockey in non-traditional markets, and the experience of growing up playing hockey in a pre-Gretzky California.

In episode 202 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we're pleased to be joined by Pyry Lukkarila, Head of Coach Development for the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Lukkarila has played a key role in re-shaping Finland’s coach education system and his unique role in the hockey industry has him in a constant state of uncovering what’s next by researching the top programs and coaches in and outside of hockey. If you look at the recent string of international success by a country of just under 67,000 hockey players, it's clear that his work is paying off. In the past three World Championships, the Finns have captured two Golds and one Silver. The previous eight World Junior Championships have resulted in three Golds, one Silver and one Bronze. And in the past six U18 World Championships, they have brought home two Golds, a Silver and a Bronze. Listen as he shares why coach education must always precede player development, why nothing is accomplished without good player-coach communication, and why alignment is critical to an affective development process.

The Glass and Out Pod wants to wish everyone a Happy Holidays! To celebrate the start of this year's World Junior Championships, we're revisiting one of our favourite conversations from 2020 featuring two former Gold Medal winning coaches, Brent Sutter and Phil Housley. Brent Sutter led Canada to back-to-back gold medals in 2005 and 2006, going an incredible 12-0 in the process. The 2005 team is widely considered the best Canadian team of all-time, featuring a star-studded lineup of NHL All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. He would also return to coach in the 2014 tournament, where Canada finished fourth. Phil Housley was twice an assistant coach with Team USA in 2007 and 2011, capturing bronze medals both years. He would then return as the program’s Head Coach in 2013, leading them to the fourth gold medal in the country’s history. We hope you enjoy this very special talk, as the two share their experience leading their respective countries to Gold.

Nick Oliver, Head Coach of USHL's Fargo Force, stops in for episode 200 of the Glass and Out Podcast. At the time of this recording, Oliver had the Force sitting atop the USHL standings, but what is most impressive about his story is the rapid rise he’s made up the coaching ladder since completing his collegiate career at St. Cloud State University. Despite no prior experience, the Wannaska, Minnesota native got his coaching career started when he was invited to join the Sioux Falls Stampede's staff as an Assistant Coach and Director of Scouting. Three seasons later, he returned to St Cloud, where he was captain his senior season, to join the staff of current Head Coach Brett Larson. During his three seasons at St. Cloud, Oliver assisted the program in reaching three straight NCAA tournament berths and one NCHC regular season Conference Championship. He then returned to another of his former teams, the Fargo Force, where he has been the Head Coach since May of 2022. It’s worth noting that throughout his career, Oliver has been surrounded by accomplished coaches. It goes without saying that young coaches can do themselves a great service by focusing on aligning themselves with coaches who have a broad range of experiences. Hear Oliver discuss how is father (a former coach) helped guide his career, the various mentors who have influenced him, and how he's used the Christmas break to prepare his team for the upcoming playoffs.

We're joined by member of the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation, Tobias Johansson, for episode 199 of the Glass and Out Podcast. He has quietly become of one the most influential coaches in our sport and as you’ll soon hear, he isn’t afraid to think outside the box. Johansson, who hails from Sweden, has served as the country's Director of Player Development since 2021 and will be leading the Men's National Team as Head Coach at the upcoming World Championships being hosted this May in Finland and Latvia. Prior to crossing the border to Norway, he spent nine seasons with the legendary Swedish program, Frölunda HC, beginning as the programs U16 coach before being promoted to Director of Player Development. Frölunda is of course considered one of the top development programs in the world, and boasts an alumni list that includes Lucas Raymond, Rasmus Dahlin, Robin Lehner, John Klingberg, Henrik Lundqvist, and Daniel Alfredsson. Listen as he explains why your players should try beat the defender 1v1 at the offensive blueline, how changing a countries hockey fortunes begins at the initiation levels, and what he’s leaned consulting with National Teams coaches form other sports.