Glass and Out

We're joined by a coaching legend and one of the true gentlemen in hockey for episode #160 of the Glass and Out Podcast. Andy Murray's coaching career has spanned four decades, multiple countries and leagues, and every major international tournament. The Souris, Manitoba native includes representing Canada on multiple occasions, capturing six Gold Medals in six appearances at the Spengler Cup, three Gold Medals at the World Championships, and he was also an assistant coach during the 1998 Olympics. Murray spent 16 seasons in the NHL, highlighted by a 1991 cinderella run Stanley Cup Final with the Minnesota North Stars, coming just short to Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Following his dismissal from St Louis in 2010, he was announced as the head coach of Western Michigan University in 2011, a program he would oversee for 10 seasons. The topic of old school versus new school coaching tactics has long been debated. And if you look at Murray’s bio, it would be easy to assume he’s on the old school side. But as you'll find out in this podcast, he has always leaned into new school coaching methods, long before the shift in leadership practices that we’re experiencing today. Find out about his title as "Mr. Spengler Cup," how his reputation as a tactician helped him throughout his career, and why it's important to coach out of your comfort zone.

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.

We've got a big one for you this week on the Glass and Out Podcast, as we were able to connect with Mike Babcock in person for episode #158. Babcock of course needs no introduction as one of the most decorated hockey coaches of all-time. He is the only coach to have the honour of being in the Triple Gold Club, which he’s earned by winning a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008, leading Team Canada to the 2004 World Hockey Championship title and capturing gold at both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. In total, Babcock has won six distinct national and international championships throughout his career. More recently, he joined the University of Saskatchewan on a one-year term to assist his alma matter with making the transition to a new head coach. This comes after he was relieved of his duties with the Toronto Maple Leafs in November of 2019, amid controversy. It’s no secret that Mike has faced some criticism from former players for coaching decisions he's made, something he has been an open book on and has had no problem addressing. Find out what he's learned during his time away from the NHL, his keys to creating a winning formula, and how he's learned to put an emphasis on the mental health of his players and fellow coaches.

In episode #157 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we're joined by Digit Murphy, President of the Toronto Six, members of the Premiere Hockey Federation (formerly the National Women’s Hockey League). Murphy has a diverse and decorated background in hockey and is one the leading advocates for women's sports. She spent 22 seasons as the head coach of the Brown University women’s program, capturing six ECAC Hockey titles and five Ivy League titles, and was the first female coach to reach 200 wins. She made the jump to the Canadian Women’s Hockey League in 2012, joining the Boston Blades. The Blades won the Clarkson Cup in two out of her three seasons at the helm and she was also the recipient of the league’s Coach of the Year award in 2014. Follow her time in Boston, Murphy was recruited by the Kunlun Red Star, the KHL team located in China, to establish a team to participate in the CWHL and assist in developing their Olympic women’s team in preparation for the 2022 games. In her lone season with the Red Star, Murphy led them to the league final. On top of all that, Murphy is also the co-founder of RUTH, an organization that prepares and connects female athletes with careers in the corporate world. Find out her thoughts on progressing the women's game, the key to keeping her energy and passion high throughout her career, and her philosophy on building a culture with a new franchise.

In episode #156 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome one of the most revered coaches in the history of hockey: Dave King. King began his coaching career in 1972 at his alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan. From there, he went on to coach at every level of hockey, including time in the NHL, Europe, Junior Hockey and Internationally with Team Canada. The list of King's career achievements are extensive to say the least and almost too long to list. They include a Canadian University National Championship, a WJC Gold Medal, and multiple Olympic appearances with Team Canada. On top of that, you can add being a made a member of the Order of Canada, and inductions into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Simply put, there are few coaches in hockey with his experience and knowledge of the game. Don't miss out on this must-listen from one of the legends of the game!

For episode #155, we're changing things up and revisiting one of our favourite presentations from this year's Virtual Hockey Summit. Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill shared valuable tips for planning and executing a successful practice. During the conversation, Blashill gets into the preparation and attention to detail that professional coaches need to invest into making a great practice, a great practice. While the drills you select for a practice certainly matter, he explains that it's how you organize them within the structure of your practice, how you communicate the habits and details you want your players to pull out of each drill, and as a staff, how each coach plays a role in teaching and managing the flow of practice. It’s clear the improvement and evolution of his approach has been rooted in being open minded and curious, in terms of what other coaches are doing, taking the time to watch how practices operate in other sports, and looking at how other industries educate their people and operate more efficiently. Don't miss out on this must-listen for any coach looking to improve their practice habits!

In episode #154 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Toni Söderholm, head coach of German National Team. The Kauniainen, Finland, native has had a unique, yet quick rise to his current role. After retiring from his playing career in 2016, he joined his former team EHC München in the DEL as a player development coach. Within two seasons, Söderholm became an assistant with the German U20 team and head coach of their entry into the World Championships. Now just six seasons into his coaching career, he's preparing Germany for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Under Söderholm's leadership, Germany qualified for these Olympics by finishing in fourth at the 2020 World Championships. With the recent string of international success and a roster that will no doubt feature the most talent they’ve ever had, Söderholm and the Germans have high hopes for the upcoming tournament. Find out how he overcame a lack of coaching experience, how his well-travelled playing career helped shape him as a leader, and what goes into preparing a team for the biggest international tournament in hockey.

In episode #153 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Cam Abbott, head coach of Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League. Along with his twin brother Chris, who is currently the GM of Rögle, the pair has been able to revive a franchise on the brink of relegation, to one of the top team's in the SHL - in just four seasons. Cam and his brother have spent majority of their lives navigating careers in hockey together. That includes playing careers at Cornell University, a season spent time in the Central and East Coast Hockey Leagues, and seven seasons in Norway and Sweden. Then, without any prior coaching experience, Cam was hired as head coach of the Vaxjo Lakers U20 squad and in one season, completely turned around the program. The success would result in him and his brother being recruited to Rögle. Listen as Cam shares the incredible story of how he and his brother embarked on their pro hockey career together (which includes getting an offer to work at a canary), how they've been able to turnaround things around in Rögle, and thoughts on becoming a YouTube star.

In episode #152 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Cara Morey, head coach of the Princeton University's Women's Hockey team. After a playing career that included a stop at Brown University and time with Canada’s National Team program, the Hensall, Ontario, native joined Princeton, spending six seasons as the program's assistant coach before taking over as coach prior to the 2017-2018 season. Under her leadership, the program has established itself as one of the top programs in the NCAA, which includes a ECAC championship in the 2019-20 season. Find out why she feels humility is critical to team success, her unique experience as a coach at the Philadelphia Flyers Development Camp, and how the hockey community can continue to help support the growth of the women's game.

In episode #151 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we welcome Ontario Reign assistant coach Chris Hajt. Hajt is entering his sixth season with the LA Kings AHL affiliate, which includes a Calder Cup championship in 2015 while the team was located in Manchester, New Hampshire. During that time, Hajt has played a key role in the development of many of the Kings' top prospects and has faced the challenge that many AHL coaches deal with: how do you balance the development of young players with team success. Find out how he approaches the challenge, what he learned during his two years as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres, and why it's critical to be in-tune with your players in terms of listening to them and providing them a voice in their own development.