Glass and Out

Today marks a special day for the Glass and Out Podcast. We’ve arrived at episode 100! We want to send a special thanks to everyone who’s tuned in over the past few years. Here’s to a 100 more! We are certainly in bizarre times around the world. When it comes to hockey, you’d be hard pressed to find a coach who had a stranger season than Kelowna Rockets bench boss Kris Mallette. The Rockets were struggling under head coach Adam Foote with a record of just 24-26-2-2 in late February. With the 2020 Memorial Cup taking place in Kelowna and things not going according to plan, GM Bruce Hamilton decided to shake things up by replacing Foote with Mallette, who had worked as an assistant for five seasons. Mallette was handed the reigns of a struggling Memorial Cup-bound team with only 14 games remaining in the regular season, all while replacing a well-respected former NHL star, whose son also happened to be the captain of the team and a first-round NHL draft pick. Then, just when the Rockets appeared to be responding to the change with a 3-0-1 record in the first four games, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It truly was a season like no other. In today’s podcast, Mallette discusses his unusual season, climbing the coaching ladder in the Okanagan, and how he is planning to spend his off-season preparing for his first full year as a WHL head coach.

If you had to pick one organization that was extra disappointed by the NHL postponement, the Edmonton Oilers would have to be at the top of the list. Currently sitting in second place in the Pacific Division, the Oilers looked primed to make the playoffs for just the second time in 13 years. And with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sitting 1-2 in league scoring, there’s no doubt they would be tough a out. Oilers assistant coach Brian Wiseman was in the midst of his first season behind an NHL bench, playing a key role in helping Edmonton back into contention as a member of Dave Tippet’s staff. Wiseman’s coaching career began under Tippet as video coach in Dallas during the 2002-03 season. After stops at Princeton University and the AHL’s Houston Aeros, he decided to take a six-year break from coaching. Wiseman’s career would resume with a return to his alma mater, the University of Michigan. He spent eight years as an assistant to legendary NCAA coach Red Berenson, the same coach who recruited him to play for the Wolverines. Brian would spend eight seasons on campus before rejoining Tippet in Edmonton. In this week’s podcast, Wiseman shares how he’s helped the Oilers back into contention, what he learned during his first season behind an NHL bench, and how he developed a close relationship with coach Red.

There’s no playbook for the current pandemic that we are all currently facing. As we continue to work our way through unchartered territory, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe during this difficult time. We’re all in this together. Like many coaches all around the world, Oliver David’s season came to a disappointing end in early March. In the midst of his third season with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, David’s team sat second overall in the league with a record of 33-13-2 and looked primed to make a run at the Clark Cup. That will have to wait for another season. David’s first head coaching gig came with the NAHL’s Kenai River Brown Bears, where he spent four seasons. He would then join Dubuque as an assistant for three seasons. After a brief stop as Mike Johnston’s assistant coach with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, David would make his way back to Dubuque and take over the reigns as bench boss. How has David been dealing with the aftermath of a cancelled season and what does he see in the future for the Fighting Saints in this current time of uncertainty? Find out in this week’s edition of the Glass and Out podcast!

Speed is everything in today's game. From the pace of the play, to how quickly young players are thrust into prominent roles, to how quickly coaches aspire to make their way up to the big leagues. Calgary Flames assistant coach Ryan Huska has approached his career with two key words: patience and loyalty. Throughout his 18 years of coaching, Huska has worked for just two organizations. His career would start as an assistant with the WHL's Kelowna Rockets in 2002, and he was named head coach five years later. During that time, Kelowna captured two WHL championships (2005, 2009) and made two appearances in the Memorial Cup. After 12 years in Kelowna, Huska joined the Flames organization, as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Adirondack. With Calgary's AHL affiliate now in Stockton, Huska remained the team's head coach for four seasons before being promoted to NHL assistant coach in 2018. Another impressive and rare distinction he's accomplished so far in his career? He's never been fired (knock on wood). How has he done it? Find out how patience and loyalty have helped Huska, how he's dealt with a turmoil-filled season in Calgary, and his method for developing talent in this week's episode of the Glass and Out Podcast! *Note: Due to technical difficulties, parts of the interview audio were negatively effected. We apologize in advance.

The St. Louis Blues’ journey to their first Stanley Cup last season was truly one of the most incredible stories in recent sports history. Their unlikely turnaround from last place to champs has been well documented but here’s a quick refresher: On January 2nd, the Blues sat dead last overall in the NHL. After an impressive second half of the season that saw the team go 30-10-5, they finished 3rd in the Central Division. The Blues playoff run saw them take down Winnipeg, Dallas, San Jose and eventually the Boston Bruins in seven games en route to their first Cup in franchise history. A big part of the turnaround? An early season coaching change from Mike Yeo to Craig Berube. Berube, a former enforcer who accumulated over 3000 PIMs in just over 1000 NHL games as an undrafted player, made two Finals appearances with the Fylers in 1987 and the Capitals in 1998. His coaching career would begin with the Philadelphia Phantoms, where he spent four seasons as an assistant and head coach. He would then make the jump to the big club and spend seven seasons with the Flyers. After a year off from coaching, Berube would join St. Louis’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves in 2016. Two years later, he would lead the Blues to their long-awaited first title. And the success has carried into this season. St. Louis currently sits in first place in the Western Conference and Berube represented the Blues as head coach of the Central Division at this year’s NHL All-Star Game. Find out his perspective on the Blues’ Cinderella run, how he’s approached avoiding the dreaded cup hangover, and his thoughts on today’s game as a former enforcer in this week’s edition of the Glass and Out Podcast!

In a time where coaches are hired to be fired, it’s rare that you see longevity and success that Waterloo Black Hawks head coach P.K. O’Handley has been able to find in one league and, for the majority of it, with one team. With the exception of a four-year stop with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, O’Handley has spent nearly the entirety of his 30-year coaching career in the USHL, including seven seasons with the North Iowa Huskies and 17 with Waterloo. He is currently the league’s all-time wins leader with over 700 and counting. His long list of achievements include four USHL Coach of the Year awards, three GM of the Year awards, and the Black Hawks’ lone Clark Cup championship. Internationally, P.K. has represented USA Hockey at the World Junior Challenge as head coach in 2007 and 2017, and served as an assistant coach at the 2009 World Junior Championships. With such a vast junior hockey resume, there’s no doubt that opportunities to move into pro hockey have presented themselves. But for O’Handley, finding the right niche in the USHL has provided him the chance to leave a lasting legacy. Find out what led into his decision to remain in the USHL, his philosophy on balancing team success with player development, and how he’s continued to evolve over the course of his career in this week’s Glass and Out Podcast!

The recent string of NHL coaching firings and hirings are prime examples that a career in coaching isn’t for the faint of heart. There are many that make life changing sacrifices in the long pursuit of a job in the NHL, which as we’ve seen, can offer little to no security. For Victoria Royals head coach Dan Price, the gamble is worth the risk for the game he loves. Equipped with a law degree and steady job at a Calgary firm, Price decided to enter the uncertain world of coaching. His first job would come in 2006 as an assistant with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins (now the Victoria Royals) for three seasons. After a three-year stint as head coach and general manager of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Drumheller Dragons, he would make the jump back to the WHL with the Tri-City Americans for two seasons as an assistant. Price would return to the Royals organization in 2016, taking over the reigns as head coach from Dave Lowry in 2017. Now in his fourth season with Victoria, Price has led the Royals to a winning record each season and has drawn praise for his ability to communicate with his players. Find out what it was like to give up a career in law, his teaching philosophy, and how he’s preparing himself for the next stage of his career in this week’s edition of the Glass and Out Podcast!

The NHL has had a history of former tough guys turned successful coaches, with Craig Berube, Gerard Gallant and Bob Boughner being the most recent examples. It would appear that Chicago Wolves head coach Rocky Thompson could be on his way to joining them. Thompson is a former Alberta Golden Gloves Champion who terrorized the Western Hockey League before embarking on a professional career, which included 25 games in the NHL and over 2,000 PIMs in his professional career. Thompson began his coaching career as an assistant with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings for three seasons. He would then join Dallas Eakins’ staff with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons and, eventually, the Edmonton Oilers. Thompson’s first head coaching opportunity would come with the Windsor Spitfires, where he led them to a Memorial Cup championship in 2017. Currently in his third season with the Wolves and coming off an AHL Finals appearance, Thompson has been able to reinvent himself as a player’s coach that is receiving glowing endorsements from past and current players. He now looks to be apart of the next wave of coaches who are poised to bring a modern approach to coaching in the NHL. Find out his coaching philosophy, strategies for connecting with his players and how he’s preparing for the next step in his coaching career in this week’s edition of the Glass and Out Podcast!

For hockey fans, the holiday season means so much more than just time with friends and family. It means the World Junior Championships are upon us. High quality hockey from young men giving their all for their country in the quest for gold. University of Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko knows first hand the ups and downs that players face in such a stress-filled environment. He’s led Team USA as head coach twice at the World Juniors, capturing gold in 2017 and bronze in 2018. He was also an assistant coach during a disappointing fifth-place finish by the Americans in 2014. The two-time NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year winner has coached NCAA hockey for over 30 years, including 13 years as head coach at the St. Cloud State University. He is currently in his second season with the Golden Gophers. Find out how the long-time NCAA coach managed to find success in the short-term, high pressure tournament in this week’s edition of the Glass and Out Podcast! *Note: Due to technical difficulties, parts of the interview audio were negatively effected. We apologize in advance.

In the climate of today’s game, it’s understandable if a high profile coach or hockey executive decided to dodge something like a podcast appearance. That would definitely apply to Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who has been front and centre in the recent string of NHL coaching controversies. The Canes coach was gracious enough to join the Glass & Out Podcast during his team’s recent stop in Vancouver — and was a complete open book. The former Stanley Cup champ, Olympian, and two-time Selke Trophy winner followed up a successful playing career by becoming an assistant with his former team in Carolina. After seven seasons, he was named head coach and would lead the Hurricanes all the way the Eastern Conference Final in his first season. Known as a players coach, “Rod the Bod” has found a way to use his experience as a player to connect with his team in a unique way. Brind’Amour shares his opinion on the Bill Peters situation, the Hurricanes unlikely 2019 playoff run, and just how long he expects to stay in the coaching game during this week’s edition of the Glass & Out Podcast.