Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast

All players, parents and coaches can agree that setting achievable goals is important to the overall success of the season. Often times those goals focus on winning a certain amount of games or making it to a certain round of the playoffs but at the minor hockey level, the focus should always be on player development and celebrating skill achievement. Having a method of measuring success beyond wi...

Hockey sense can be described as a group of cognitive skills like situational awareness, decision making and anticipation that players can execute while on the ice. It's the mental side of the game that can be overlooked when thinking about skill improvement. Guest Bio: Chris Wilson, Hockey Intelligym

The goal of Respect Group is to educate participants on where to draw the line. It provides definition and shows how subtle examples can evolve into problems. They work to identify BAHD Behaviour - Bullying, Abuse, Harassment, Discrimination – with education and tools on how to see it and properly intervene. Guest Bio: Wayne McNeil, co-founder of Respect Group

Over his near 25 years as an NHL head coach, Ken Hitchcock has seen firsthand how every generation of players brings a new set of challenges to a staff. What players want from coaches, how they respond and how best to connect with them has all changed. Guest Bio: Ken Hitchcock, Stanley Cup winning coach

Like all sports, hockey provides an environment where children can be active in a safe, positive environment. Using athletics to build on basic movement skills is crucial for later in life. Understanding what to do, doing it correctly and when the best time for it is can help players avoid injury. It provides a foundation for what can be strengthened as players grow older. Guest Bio: Mark Fitzgera...

We all love the sport of hockey. There is no doubt about it. That's why when a new idea is introduced the process of change can be a challenge. The first step in any change is determining its value and benefits. It needs to start with the purpose or intended advancement. Guest Bio: Scott Smith - President and COO of Hockey Canada

The impact a coach can make on a child's hockey experience can be life-changing. It is also constantly evolving. It's not necessarily the rules of the game that have changed but how athletes learn and how we coach has grown over time. Guest Bio: Wayne Parro – Senior Coaching Consultant, Coaching Association of Canada

Over his time as founder of Changing the Game Project, John O'Sullivan has spoken sports scientists and researchers, youth and professional coaches. In his new book Every Moment Matters he explains the common theme of what makes a great coach. Here's a hint: it's more than the wins and losses. Guest Bio: John O'Sullivan, Changing the Game Project

Bob McKenzie has seen and done it all in the hockey world. Now a respected TSN Hockey Insider with over 35 years of experience, McKenzie rewound the clock and took a look back at how the game has changed since he was a minor hockey parent and coach in the OMHA. Guest Bio: Bob McKenzie, TSN Hockey Insider

Youth sports should be a source of positive education and physical activity in a fun, safe environment. Keeping players healthy is a top priority for all officials and associations. Learning more about concussions and brain injuries through Rowan's Law creates awareness for players, parents game officials and team officials to recognize the signs and understand the importance of what's needed to r...

There are so many factors in getting someone on the ice. It takes a commitment from players, coaches and administrators to be willing to dedicate the time and effort necessary to ensure everyone has a positive experience. However, none of that is possible without the most key decision maker – the parents. They impact the choice of registration, making sure their kids get to the rink, and have a vo...

A minor hockey coach spends almost as much with the players as their parents do. They hold the keys for unlocking their skill development and teaching them important life lessons. The core of the player-coach relationship is a mutual respect and the knowledge that the coach has the player's back. Guest Bio: Ray Ferraro, TSN Hockey Analyst

Any time you add a simple tweak to a standard drill it gives the opportunity to teach both the offensive and defensive side of the game. On offence, whether you're working on hands or moves or creativity, kids learn where they have to put the puck so someone can't take it away. On the other side of the puck, if you don't have the puck and you're actually chasing someone, you have to learn how to p...

Every goal counts the same on the scoreboard. When the puck finds its way into the back of the net, there's no reason not to celebrate. Coaches and players are always looking for the most efficient ways to score, and working on the most effective methods in practice can help lead to more success on the ice. Guest Bio: Dave Manning is the Head Coach of St. Andrew's College in Aurora.

Change can be tough to go through. There's a comfort in what's always been done. You need patience to see the results. It's been 10 years since USA Hockey unveiled it's American Development Model for the betterment of the sport to keep kids in the game. It worked - and here's how. Guest Bio: Dave Starman is a pro scout with the Montreal Canadiens, Tier 1 Coaching Development Director for PAL Jr Is...

What makes physical literacy unique is the emphasis on developing not only kids' fundamental movement skills, but also their confidence and joy of moving. The recipe of skills, confidence, and joy is the secret to giving children what they need to be active for life. If your purpose as a minor hockey coach is to help develop "hockey players for life," you need to develop these three pillars throug...

As an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets, Todd Woodcroft is very familiar with the high-level talent from across the hockey universe. He's worked in a variety of roles including Assistant Coach with the Swedish, Belarus, Swiss and Canadian Men's National Teams. Over the years he's been able to pick up and learn how countries are developing players from a grassroots level. Guest: Todd Woodcroft...

Today's players consume more information through a screen than ever before. With video being such a prominent resource there is a fine line for minor hockey coaches in terms of using it as a teaching and feedback tool. While different tactics are key to success, it's all about developing strong instincts. Guest: Aaron Wilbur, The Coaches Site Founder

The past few years Hockey Canada has been changing the look of minor hockey across the country. These Player Pathways aren't a significant change but rather just a different way of looking at age-appropriate skill development. Guest: Paul Carson, Vice-President - Hockey Development with Hockey Canada

Every team wants to win. To win you have to score goals. For players to succeed, they have to be challenged and they have to be continually developing and refining their skill set as they move up through the ranks in youth hockey. Finding the purpose into why a team plays the way they do can lead to more focused development and gameplanning.

One of the challenges facing hockey at the grassroots level is how to attract new families to the game. Sean Fitz Gerald, Managing Editor of The Athletic Toronto is working on a project that explores the status of the game today across the country. Hockey is woven into the sporting fabric of what it means to be Canadian and his work looks at what associations are doing to grow the game and let peo...

It's the name of the game, scoring goals… and at the end of the day, more goals are the payoff we are all looking for. Goals don't only help team success, they instill confidence in players, they fuel a fun environment and keep kids coming back to the rink. Guest: Guy Gadowsky, a former National Team Member and 20 year NCAA Division One Head Coach. Current Head Coach of Penn State's Hockey Program...

Dave Poulin has done it all in the hockey world. He's been an NHL player, general manager and a college coach while never losing his love for the game. This is his story.

It's the most important line on the ice and you've likely never heard of it. What is the Royal Road? Chris Boyle and Steve Valliquette have identified what they believe is the most important line on the ice, the line he believes supports the existence of shot quality. This is a rebroadcast of Episode 25, one of Breakaway's most popular episode.

What do you remember about a coach you had in minor hockey? All coaches hope to make a positive impact on their players. Coaches are going to leave a memory by the end of the season. Similar to teachers, coaches have the ability to make an imprint on players, whether positive or negative, simply based on the amount of time spent together. Guest: Mike Bara, Manager, Coaching Development with Hockey...