Glass and Out

One of the toughest challenges a coach can face is to be named interim head coach of a struggling team that is expected to make the playoffs, midway through a season. There's no exact playbook for turning things around in such a short timespan. That is the exact situation that the Minnesota Wild's Dean Evason faced this season. With the team sitting at 27-23-7 under Bruce Boudreau, Evason was prom...

From his pro career as an undersized enforcer, to his journey through unlikely destinations as a coach, Kevin "Killer" Kaminski has just about seen it all. The former tough guy recently finished his first season with the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, leading them to the playoffs after three consecutive last-place finishes. In fact, the Wolves won more games under Ka...

There are few coaches in the history of hockey as accomplished as Ken Hitchcock. While he may not be officially there yet, it's fair to say that's it's only a matter of time before he receives a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hitchcock has dedicated nearly 50 years of his life to coaching and his list of achievements are endless: - 3rd all-time in NHL wins(849) - 6th all-time in NHL games coac...

When you think of sports and the state of Nebraska, Cornhuskers football and the College World Series are usually the first things that come to mind. But thanks in part to current Omaha Lancers head coach David Wilkie, you can now add growing pipeline for ice hockey players to that list. There are few people as deep rooted in Omaha hockey as Wilkie. Prior to his three seasons with the Lancers in t...

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 s...

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 to...

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...

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...

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 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 s...

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 s...

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 in...

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 he...

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 rec...

Hockey culture. It's a term that has come under fire over the past few weeks. Whatever your opinion is on the subject, one thing is clear: change is coming – and fast. Former NHLer and current Lausanne HC head coach Ville Peltonen has seen his fair share of hockey culture on two different continents. Peltonen played 382 NHL games, with stops in San Jose, Nashville, and Florida. His pro career also...

When people hear "skills coach," toe-drags and saucer passes probably come to mind. But for longtime Vancouver Canucks skills coach Glenn Carnegie, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Carnegie began his coaching career with his own training company in his hometown of Winnipeg, where his list of clients included Jonathan Toews and Travis Zajac. He would then move on to become the strength and cond...

"We, us, and our." Those are the three key words that University of North Dakota head coach Brad Berry tries to instil in every team he leads. It's created a strong culture for UND - on and off the ice. Berry has coached the Fighting Hawks for 14 years and is currently in his fourth season as head coach. In his first season at the helm in 2016, he helped North Dakota capture its first national cha...

Any successful coach will tell you their path faced many obstacles and led them to places they didn't expect to be. Vancouver Giants head coach Michael Dyck is no exception. After 13 seasons in the WHL, which included an appearance in the league finals while the head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2008, Dyck was found jobless one year later. Seen by many as a rising coaching star, he decide...

There are few women in hockey as decorated as Cammi Granato. From becoming one of the first women to be inducted into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, the USA Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Hockey Hall of Fame, to Gold medals and numerous awards with USA Hockey, she's done it all. You can now add the first female Pro Scout in NHL history to her never-ending list of accomplishments. Needles...

We're back for our third season! It's only right that we kick things off with a familiar face to the Glass and Out Podcast: Former GAO Co-Host and The Coaches Site Editor in Chief, Kelvin Cech! Kelvin has moved on to become the Head Coach of the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. As a first time bench boss in hockey-mad, small town Manitoba, he's been experiencing many firsts: Fi...

It's not every day you get a front row seat to learn about the inner workings of hockey's best team.* *Well, best regular season team. The Tampa Lightning had a season for the ages and looked ready to go on a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where only the cup itself would represent true success. But that run was derailed early by a feisty Columbus Blue Jackets squad that wasn't paying attent...

Friend of the Coaches Site and current Winnipeg Jets Associate Coach Jamie Kompon dropped by the Glass & Out podcast to talk defensemen development, his time working in the national hockey league, and the mind-boggling achievement of winning three Stanley Cups behind the bench. Enjoy!

The rise of American skill in the professional hockey ranks is no accident. The fuel for that offensive fire starts long before those players hit the NHL, too.  It starts at the grassroots level. The stickhandling you see from Patrick Kane, the creativity you're going to see from this year's probable first overall pick Jack Hughes, not to mention his older brother Quinn - it's all the product of d...

Fresh off yet another national championship, Brooks Bandits head coach Ryan Papaioannou joined Glass & Out not only to talk about the tactics his squad used en route to victory, but just what this victory means to the players, the staff, and the people of small town Alberta.  Enjoy!

Mike Gillis is a former player agent, lawyer, and most importantly around these parts, General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, but it's what he's learned in his time away from the game that we're interested in these days. Mr. Gillis has spent the past few years touring sports performance powerhouses all over the globe - Switzerland, Spain, here on North American soil - you name it. What impact h...