"Inside the Game" Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Chris Riley takes you on a journey that examines the inner workings of coaching and player development from youth sports to professional sports - learn from the leaders of sports, past and present!
We finish with Denis Potvin here on "Inside the Game", brought to you by flexxCOACH. Denis discusses the success on the Islanders team in the Stanley Cup years. There is one word Denis said is important in life and sports. "Courage" you have to have it to be successful. Never back down and always have "Courage" will take you to where you want to go in life. Great advice from a hockey legend.
We continue with Denis Potvin, and he talks about the management of the New York Islanders and how Bill Torrey and Al Arbour built the team for the Stanley Cup runs when they won four in a row.
We continue with Denis Potvin and this is a great listen to leadership and the Islanders during their Four Stanley Cups. Denis gives great insights to the leadership on the team and why they had such great success.
We catch up with four time Stanley Cup Champion, Hockey Hall of Famer, and Captain of the New York Islanders.
Denis takes us back to his beginnings is Canada a young man and the fun he had growing up with his brother Jean and playing hockey and other sports.
As 12 years of age he was asked to play on a travel all star team in Ottawa made up the best 12 year old's in the area. It was the start of his hockey journey. At 14 years of age he made the transition to the Ottawa 67's. Was a jump at 14 years old but he was bigger than most kids. He received great coaching with the 67's, which really was important in his development as a young man and hockey player. One thing he was not when he played in juniors was a "dreamer", he never dreamed of playing in the NHL. He was more about being a good hockey player and winning. Winning was very important to him. Success is what he wanted in his game. His coach Bill Long was old school and great mentor. In his last year of junior which was his 5th year. Leo Bovine entered his life. He was great influence on teaching Denis, patience on the ice and how to execute a "hip check". One thing Leo taught him "there is no out of bounds in hockey due the boards, Denis said he will find you at some point"
Denis finishes the first segment with being drafted by the New York Islanders and learning the responsibilities of what it takes to play in the NHL. Ed Westfall was huge help to him and the other young players on the Islanders. He also talks about Al Arbour and how he got the team to play defense and how the beginnings of the Islanders success.
Enjoy listening to Denis here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game".
We finish with John Flaherty from the YES Network here on "Inside the Game".
John talks about when it was time to retire and how he transitioned to broadcasting and George Steinbrenner had something to do with John winding up at the YES Network. Jim Kaat also helped John in the being of his career in broadcasting in how to approach a game.
We transition to youth sports discussion and John's thoughts on what kids should get out of a sports program. He makes a point to talk about how you should gain more life skills out of playing sports, than more about wins and losses.
Great guest and great stories about John's career.
We continue with John Flaherty from the YES Network.
John discusses playing catcher and the different things that are needed for success in the position. He breaks down what are things he learned about the position and how important your focus is in being a catcher.
We also touch on the different people with his time at the Yankees and how they were important to the success of the team and how they were able to maintain the levels they reached. He talks about Joe Torre, Mel Stottlemeyer, Derek Jeter, and why they were able to compete and win with the Yankees.
John also, tells a great story about working with Mike Mussina and getting ready for a game against the Red Sox, and how they prepared to face the line up.
It is a great listen to learn about what it is like to play in the "show".
We continue with John Flaherty of the YES Network.
His playing days at George Washington University was going to change. John tells of how he was going to be drafted in the 3 or 6th round of the MLB Draft. He went in the 25th round of the draft and was very upset by where he was drafted. The Red Sox had taken him in the draft and now the climb to the majors was about to begin for him.
It is great to hear the story of how he started his career and the ups and downs that go with trying to make it to the majors or the "show".
We catch up with John Flaherty of the YES Network.
John, talks about his early days of playing sports in New York and going to St. Joseph school in Montvale, NJ and how it changed his life and gave him the foundation for success.
He also, talks about his time at George Washington University in Washington DC and how he really learned about what it took to be a baseball player at the division one level.
One great part of the segment is when talks about his introduction to the Cape Cod Baseball League and he realized he could play at very high level.
Great start to the show.
We finish with Craig Patrick and talk about him being the Commissioner of the new and exciting 3 ICE Concept which is starting on June 18th 2022.
It a great overview of what the new league will be offering this summer for hockey.
We continue here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with Craig Patrick.
In this segment we discuss in depth the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team and what went into the success of the team with Herb Brooks. Craig talks of how Herb Brooks coached the team and was very prepared for how he coached the team. There was a mission for Herb, he had a plan from May 1979 when Craig was brought in as an assistant coach for the team and how he put that plan into action. They were prepared mentally and physical for the Pre Olympic tour as well the games themselves. Everything Herb did was part of bigger picture in what was to come.
Craig even showed us his gold medal from the games. It is towards the end of the interview.
We transition at the end of the interview with his time in the NHL and being the General Manager of the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins and winning the Stanley Cup twice in Pittsburgh.
It is a great segment on a very historic moment in the sport of hockey and how it changed the fortunes of the game in the United States.
We continue here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with Craig Patrick. His family has been involved in the game of hockey for 100 years with his grandfather, Lester, his dad Lynn, and his uncle, Murray.
We talk about growing up in a hockey family and how his dad tried to talk him out of going into the family business. However, he followed him into the family business.
When he was 13 years of age he played a game at Boston Garden between periods and Frank Selke with the Montreal Canadiens spotted him and told his dad they had a space for him to play hockey in Canada. His dad said it is a great opportunity for him to play.
Craig went to University of Denver and won two national championships. It was according to the best decision he made going to school. Gave him a great base to work with for life.
A great first segment with Craig and how his beginnings in hockey set him up for success.
We continue here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with EJ Johnston.
In this segment we talk about his 3 ICE concept which is happening this summer. We discuss how the league will work, what are the coaches going to have to do when coaching. It is going to be a different look at the game of hockey.
The puck drops on June 18th which is 39 days away. So get ready for a new and exciting look at the game of hockey.
We catch up with EJ Johnston of the new 3 ICE concept for hockey. It is 53 days to June 18th and the puck drop on the first season of 3 ICE.
In this segment we talk to EJ about his love of hockey and how his Dad Eddie Johnston had a great influence on him from the sport of hockey. His dad played in the NHL and was also a coach and GM.
EJ discusses with us how being around professional athletes he really saw what it took to be a success at the highest level of play. The time and commitment that players, coaches, and GM's put into the sport for success.
He was able to take the skills he was learning growing up and put them into his own success in business and entertainment in his career.
Very good listen on how sports and business can help in one's development.
We finish with Bob Costas here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game".
Bob talks about the best parts of his position and how he is able to connect with and share experiences with people in covering games and events.
One thing he mentions is when David Letterman was leaving NBC for CBS he was offered by Letterman the hour slot after the Late Show to host his own show and be part of 60 minutes. He felt it was not something for him. He liked where he was at that time in his career and wanted to continue working sports and hosting the Olympics.
Bob also talks about the people who helped him and mentored him along the way.
We also take a look back at some moments in his career which really opened him up to opportunities.
Some of the highlights:
1988 World Series and the "tease" for the opening of game two of the World Series after Kirk Gibson had hit the homerun. Great story on how that moment came together.
Calling the elevator races and dog sled races on "Late Night with David Letterman".
Ahmad Rashad proposal on TV during "NFL Live".
Being in the movie Cars as Bob Cutlass.
It is a great segment to listen to the back stories.
We continue here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with Bob Costas.
We breakdown in this segment the differences in calling a game and working as a host in the studio for Olympics and other events.
Bob has hosted 12 Olympic games and has gives great background in how it all comes together and how you have to be a traffic cop in a way to host the games
He stresses one thing is really important knowing the history of the games and the city that is hosting. You have to make look very easy but there is a lot going on behind the scenes and producers talking in his ear as the show is moving along. You have to keep the flow going for the broadcast.
Bob also talks about his favorite moments that he has called during his career.
We also touch on the 1980 Olympics hockey call of Al Michaels and the importance of that moment in sports broadcasting history.
Very good segment on what goes into working in sports from Bob's perspective.
We continue here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with Bob Costas from MLB Network.
He tells of how he wound up the radio voice of the Sprits of St. Louis in the ABA. Everything about the league was wild and fun. Bob said looking back on his career his first two jobs, EHL and the ABA were some of the best times in sports he ever had.
We also talk about preparing for a broadcast and how Bob gets ready to call a game on television. History of the game and sport are vital to being a successful broadcaster. Also, seasonal story lines are very important, he keep files on every team in baseball even if he won't see some teams. Information is the key to success. When he prepares for game he usually starts about 48 hours from the start of the game to get ready.
Bob also stresses don't over use information. If you use about 20 percent of what you prepared during a broadcast you are in good with preparation. Always, however prepare for the unexpected. Don't get caught without knowing about something during the broadcast.
This is a great segment for the young broadcasters to hear from Bob.
We catch up with Bob Costas here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game".
Bob discusses his early days of playing sports as a kid in New York. Just having fun with his friends. He was cut from his high school teams but knew his future was in broadcasting.
He tells of how he would listen to Red Barber, Mel Allen, and Phil Rizzuto called the games for the Yankees. Vin Scully would call the games for the Dodgers, Marty Glickman was the voice of the New York Giants. One voice really caught his attention, Marv Albert was the voice of the New York Knicks and he was only 27 years old. Bob thought wow he is so young and has this amazing job.
Bob wound up at Syracuse because of the broadcasting department and in his senior year became the voice of the Syracuse Blazers in the EHL. The same league that the movie "Slap Shot" was based off of. Bob has great stories of starting out as the radio play by play voice of the team. He tells the story of Bill "Harpo" Goldthorpe on the team bus with him.
It is a great listen to the beginnings of Bob's career.
This is a special segment with Mike Hartman talking about Clark Gillies and how he helped him early in his career when he played in Buffalo. Clark was a mentor to all the players on the team and really helped them make the adjustments to the NHL as a person and player. Great listen on what it takes to help the younger guys.
This is a segment that is important for all parents and young athletes should listen to.
We continue with Mike Hartman from the Stanley Cup, New York Rangers in 1994.
Mike, continues with what are the keys to success for sports and life. We breakdown what are the things you should look for into a youth sports program for your child. Tells a great story of his time of the USA Hockey development program and team building skills.
Mike feels that you should know the person first and the athlete second. Get to know what the person and what they want out of experience of playing on the team.
This is a very good listen to what it takes to set goals, what to expect out of the experience. How this will help in life development and have each person reach their goals and have success.
We catch up with Mike Hartman who played in the NHL for 13 years and won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.
He talks about his time playing hockey in Michigan as a youngster and going to Red Wings games with his dad. Was fun and good times with his friends.
As Mike was moving along he played with Jimmy Carson who starred in the NHL as well played for the Compuware hockey teams in Michigan.
He decided at 16 to put all his eggs in his basket and go to the OHL. He felt it would be the quickest way to the NHL. Was very tough being an American and going to play in Canada. Mike had been recruited by Michigan State but decided to chase his dream.
Jimmy Dellavano of the Red Wings called him one day and helped him in his development as a player. Told him all the things he needed to do to improve his game and make him a better player.
Don Luce of the Buffalo Sabres drafted him and he made the team out of training camp. Scotty Bowman was the coach at the time and had a way of doing things when coaching.
It is a great listen to how Mike climbed his way to the NHL.
We finish with Kenny Albert here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game", show.
Kenny discusses the influence his father Marv Albert had on his career in broadcasting. He went to work with his dad to all kinds of games and saw how the business of broadcasting worked. He did stats for his dad on games and learned how to prepare for games as an announcer.
It is a great listen to Kenny and the highlights of his career.
We continue with Kenny Albert here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game". In segment two of three we discuss how Kenny prepares for a game.
He explains how he studies leading up to the games he will be working and the important details he takes time to put together. Kenny says he "over prepares" for the games because it is better to have tons of information than not enough.
We also discuss working with a partner in the booth and creating chemistry between him and the analyst. Kenny said he had worked with over 225 different analysts in his career.
It is a great listen to how things come together for him when working on games.
We begin a new season here on flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with Kenny Albert of Fox Sports, MSG Rangers Radio, and the voice of hockey on TNT Sports.
Kenny tells us of his passion at a very young age for wanting to be a broadcaster and getting a tape recorder for his 5th birthday. He played all sports growing up on Long Island, hockey was his favorite.
He tells us why he chose NYU for his college and how it really helped him in his career path. Kenny also had a head start in high school with broadcasting all kinds of games and getting "reps" announcing games.
One great piece of trivia for Kenny, he holds the distinction of scoring the first goal in the history of the NYU club hockey team.
Kenny goes on to tell about his time in Baltimore with the Skip jacks in the AHL. It was a great two years in the AHL for him and learning how to really call games.
Kenny tells a great Barry Trotz story on a road trip with the team.
It is a great start to season two of flexxCOACH's "Inside the Game" with Kenny Albert.
We finish with Kurt in segment five and we discuss youth hockey and coaching.
Kurt talks about what is happening with the college game and the junior game and how it has changed the game in ways college coaches have to like.
He also talks about what he looks for in a player when putting team together. One thing he stressed is that someone is watching you and how you interact with your teammates, coaches, parents, referees, and the competition. He looks for character in a person. Good people he can coach and work with.
One other area is travel hockey. Kurt feels that if you son or daughter is going to play fourth line on a triple "A" team you better to drop down to double "A" to get more ice time, more special teams play. It will be a positive experience for you player and their development will be enhanced and the next year or two years later will be ready for the triple "A" level of play.
We close with Kurt suggesting that USA Hockey should really have a program for coaches on how to be a better coach. More of seasonal program than a weekend somewhere to get your different level of coaching certification. Teach coaches how to work with all the kids and not just the top players but building a team from the lesser players to the top ones.
Kurt has great insights to building a team concept.
In segment four with Kurt Kleinendorst we talk about the aspect of how to coach. How you plan for a season what are the keys you need to have ready for your season.
He breaks out how they coach systems in the NHL and AHL for the players so they have an understanding of how things work. In other leagues you are coaching to the strength of your team. In the college level it is more about the development and how things operate. The youth level is tough because kids are playing on two teams and sometimes you may not have all the players for a practice so you have to make adjustments.
Kurt touches on his time as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils and working with Larry Robinson and Slava Fetisov. He learned a great deal from them while there. It was his first time being an assistant coach so there was a learning curve for him.
One thing that was amazing to him was between periods in the NHL you only have 18 minutes before you have to go back out for the next period. The coaches only have about 8 to 9 minutes to make adjustments. Not a great deal of time. Also, during the game action you are picking up on things and you are really focused on what is going on. It is a grind to coach at the top levels of hockey and sports.
It is a great listen as to the inner workings of coaching.
We continue with Kurt Kleinendorst here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH and flexxCOACH VR.
Kurt leaves Providence College after four years and heads to pursue one of dreams to play in the Olympics for USA Hockey. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker award and felt he had a good chance to make the team. Things didn't go well and he gave up on the dream. Looking back he felt he should have stayed on the team and worked harder. It is one of his biggest regrets to this day.
He wound up signing with the New York Rangers and going to Tulsa in the CHL. Great back story with that team. After his time in Tulsa he headed to Europe to play and liked the larger ice surface and the experience.
He retired from the game and went into coaching in Raleigh in the ECHL and started off 1-11. Thought he was going to be fired but he talked to the team and they turned it around and had a good season. He learned a great deal that year about himself and coaching.
Kurt talks about coaching and connecting with your team and players. A very good part to the segment and how you have to work with the players.
We continue with Kurt Kleinendorst here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
In this segment Kurt discusses his time at Providence College and how by going to school for four years Lou Lamoriello helped shape Kurt and others for the rest of their lives.
He breaks down how Lou was able to build a successful program at Providence and the environment for the team. One thing he stressed was attention to the little details and how they add up and bring you success. You have to learn those details as you grow. It comes from experience.
It is a great listen for young players to hear how there is a way to do things to be successful.
We are back with a new show and we talk with Kurt Kleinendorst who has been a coach for over 30 in the NHL, AHL, as well internationally,
He tells of his beginnings in Grand Rapids Minnesota and playing youth hockey with his brother Scott. They played in the winters in his home town and other sports throughout the year. Just a fun time to grow up and be with his friends and enjoying the good times.
Kurt didn't play travel hockey until he was in Pee Wee's. So he was really able to develop at his pace playing hockey. He had great coaches who really cared about the players and how they got the most of playing hockey.
When he was in Bantams he looked up to the high school players in his town. He wanted to make the high school team and play hockey. The used to follow the teams in the WCHA and CCHA but it was the high school guys in his eyes who were the ones he wanted to be.
One thing that was instilled in him was a strong work ethic from his mom and dad. If you worked hard you would benefit from the hard work. It would pay off.
His senior year of high school was when he really came into his own and started really draw interest from University of Wisconsin and Providence College. He chose Providence because his older brother Scott was there and felt it was the right fit for him.
How his brother wound up there at PC was due to Lou Vario calling Lou Lamoriello and telling him about these two brothers in Minnesota who were getting looks but not many offers to play college hockey. It is a great story in segment one.
Enjoy the interview.
We head to the tennis courts with Brian Garber, former captain of the Boston College men's tennis team.
He tells us of his beginnings in youth sports in Rhode Island and all he got out playing all different sports early in his life.
When he moved to Columbus Georgia he was playing tennis and found out he was pretty good and decided to enter a tournament. He enjoyed it and that he really wanted to play tennis.
When got to 8th grade it was a big year for him and an eye opener to the competitive world of tennis. His time in high school was special he learned a great deal about the game. Was the captain of his high school team all four years. One interesting fact about Brian's high school career he only lost 3 matches.
As he moved along in high school, colleges started to notice him and he started to pursue schools. He was looking at schools down south and really wanted Stanford in California. One school he never thought of came to him in Boston College. Brian wanted a well rounded experience and he felt that BC could offer what he wanted in a college.
The transition to college was very difficult and having to learn all different things about being a varsity athlete in college.
Good start to the interview with Brian Garber.
In segment three we go into what it takes in college and other levels of tennis.
You always want to be working on areas that need improvement in the game. One concept that Brian uses for players is the 70-30 rule. 70 percent of your game is solid and 30 percent need improvement. You always work on all aspects but keep the 70 percent strong and improve on the 30 percent. Play to your strengthens mentally and physically.
He also goes into what it is like to play on tour in tennis. How difficult it is to compete on tour, it is an 11 month grind to play. One the big issues is cost for tennis.
A very good look into how the game of tennis is operated.
During the podcast I always ask two questions of the guests.
The first question is the best piece of advice that was given to you, who gave it to you, and do you still use it today.
The second question is:
What does failure teach you.
Brian gave great answers to both of these questions.
In segment four we discuss with Brian, his grandfather and father and their influence in sports.
Brian's grandfather was the trainer to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1970's and he father was an assistant coach for Lou Lamoriello and a professional hockey coach in the ECHL.
One thing that he learned from them is little details vital to success and add up to what needs to be done for success.
Brian said he inherited his "chip" on his shoulder from his grandfather. He said he always played with an edge when competing in tennis and sports.
Brian also had others influence him. One person who gave him a great piece of advice, "Treat everyone fairly but not equally" when coaching. This comes from Kurt Kleinendorst who coached Brians dad and played for his dad at Providence College.
He also touches on meeting and talking to Ivan Lendl about how approached his time on the tour and how he coaches players today.
Brian had the pleasure of working for Chris Evert and one thing that separated her from others was her mind set. Her compete level was very different than most. She was competitive in everything. That is what made her a champion.
We continue in segment two with Brian Garber and he discusses his time at Boston College playing tennis.
He talks about how it is more of a game plan and how you approach the match. Having to know everything about the opponents. The margin for error is small every point is vital to the success of the team.
Brian's junior and senior years in school he had an injury and helped the team with the players, almost like a coach in a way.
He liked the coaching aspect of the game and became a volunteer coach at Boston College, was a great eye opener to him on how to coach.
We finish with Peter Taglianetti and talk youth sports and his kids playing sports and college football.
We also, discuss when Peter was the coach at a small school in Pittsburgh, called Washington and Jefferson and how he took lessons and skills from the coaches he played for in his career.
He breaks down what he did with his kids and how it was all about fun with them. Never an end game of schools and scholarships. More about them developing as people and how what they were doing would make them better in life.
One thing he stresses is the parents need to be removed from the situation and let the coaches handle the team. If you want to get into the mix, coach the team and come off the sidelines.
Great insights from a guy who was a champion in the NHL.
We continue with Peter's NHL career and getting traded to the Minnesota North Stars and then to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It felt like old home week with the Penguins. Knew a lot of the players and it felt great to come to a team that had a great deal of talent.
He was paired with Paul Coffey on defense and was out there with Mario Lemieux. Roster was filled with great guys and amazing talent. Bob Johnson was the head coach and was a great leader for the team. Peter talks about how Badger Bob had a game plan and how everyone was to fit into the plan. He said was great about him you got to know him away from hockey. Loved talking about westerns in the movies and John Wayne.
Great stories about playing with Mario and how sometimes you were in awe of what he did in practice and games.
It is a great segment of what Peter was part of with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
We continue with Peter Taglianetti here on "Inside the Game" in segment three.
As his career was winding down at Providence College, John Ferguson who was the GM of the Winnipeg Jets came to watch him play and Lou brought him down to the locker room at the end of the game. He told him at the end of the college season he was going to go pro. Peter really didn't grasp what was happening.
When the season ended he went back to campus and he got a call from Lou Lamoriello and he told him that he just took care of his contract with John Ferguson and he was headed to the Winnipeg Jets. Lou gave him some great advice he said it was very fatherly in the way he told him.
His first roommate was Randy Carlyle and he was great. A really great hockey mind and good mentor to him.
Peter has a great story of his first game in the NHL as well his first shift in the playoffs versus the Edmonton Oilers.
Another great segment to listen to.
In segment two we transition to Peter headed to Providence College and playing for Lou Lamoriello.
He found the guys were bigger and stronger and everyone was a good player. As we have talked in the past the talent pool shrank and everyone could play at high level. Had to learn to balance classes and playing hockey in school. Freshman year he did not play much but got into games in the second half of the season. One tough thing was Peter's dad was sick and died during his freshman season. Lou protected him and kept him at school even though his dad was sick back home.
Things he learned about Lou in his freshman year and stuck with him, he could anticipate what you were going to ask when it came to the team. One thing he stressed with the team, "don't think" just anticipate what is going to happen. Learn to react to each play as it unfolds.
Peter tells a great story about Lou involving him and how it helped with team chemistry. It is a great listen to Peter's time with Lou Lamoriello at Providence College.
We catch up with Peter Taglianetti, a two time Stanley Cup Champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Peter talks about starting his sports career in Framingham Massachuetts. His mom wanted him to play sports so he would have something to do. He was six years old when he began to play hockey and it was just for fun with his friends. Peter also played baseball which he feels was a good break for him from the game of hockey and helped in ways to think differently in sports.
He mentions today how hockey has become to robotic and not enough of flow game. The over use of video at young age has hurt the development of players. Just letting them play and figuring out things helps a player grow more.
His sophomore year of high school was when things started to work for him in hockey. In his junior year his coach set up a plan to keep him on the ice for the whole game and not come off. He thought was great to play the whole game but it did not help in his development because he had to save energy to play the whole game.
What changed the course of his young career was playing the "Hockey Night in Boston" tournament. Back when he played only 80 players were selected to play. Mike Addessa who was the head coach at the time of RPI was his coach and saw things in his game.
Steve O'Neill who was the captain of the Providence College hockey team at the time from his his hometown told Lou Lamoriello about him and said you should see him play. Lou came to meet Peter and he felt Providence was the right fit for him. Small school with small classes. He felt a big school would be too difficult to adjust.
We end with Bret Hedican by talking about youth sports and his daughters and how he has guided them in their lives. He also talks about the importance of not specializing in one sport or activity be well rounded and do different things to have positive experiences and see what you enjoy. Learning life skills from things is vital to development and success in life.
It is a great segment to end and Bret really gives some positive things to thinks about.
As we continue with Bret Hedican we discuss how Pat Quinn coached the Vancouver Canucks in 1994 and the environment for success.
Bret tells how Pat Quinn created a team that looked out for each other and the "teams" success was more important than the individuals. It made them very close and when things got difficult each player knew that their was a teammate who had their back. Made for a positive system. They almost upset the New York Rangers in 1994 in the Stanley Cup Finals because of it.
Bret also talks of the same thing happening when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes. He talks of how at one practice during the 2005-06 season everything was working perfectly. The coach Peter Laviolette stopped practice and said "If we continue to practice like this and play like this, we will win the Stanley Cup". It did happen as Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
As Bret said and environment where it is set up for success positive outcomes will happen.
We continue with Bret Hedican here on "Inside the Game' brought to you by flexxCOACH and flexxCOACH VR.
March 27th, 1992 Bret played his first game in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues. It is a great story on how he got to the NHL.
He goes into how it is mentally tough to play in professional sports. It takes tremendous skill and mindset to be successful. It is a grind and you are surviving everyday you are a professional athlete, very few really get the chance to stand on top of the mountain peak.
When he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in the 1994 season. It changed his career in ways he never thought. Legendary Pat Quinn had a huge impact on his life and career. He showed him how to be a professional athlete and how to play defense in the NHL. The one thing Pat Quinn stressed was accountability for the team. Bret gives a great example of it during our talk.
He also, says there are three things in his mind to be a great defenseman in the NHL.
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Be unbeatable one on one. Dump the puck in my corner and I'm going to beat you. You won't get around me.
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Be a great passer. Make great "first" pass to the forwards on the breakout. Make a great pass to lead the forwards up ice.
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Change this one up. Maybe in a game you decide that your going to hit the net on every shot. Your going make plays that game to help the team. Your going to work hard in practice on something you need work on. Whatever it is figure it out.
We continue with Bret Hedican here in segment two.
In this segment we discuss with Bret his time with the Olympic hockey team in 1992. Was a very tough leap to play on this team and he was the only player from Minnesota to make the team. He said it was very "cut throat" with the competition. It was grind mentally everyday and you had to stay focused on what needed to be done. One of the big adjustments was the travel to play. In college you didn't have to travel except for the weekends, here on the Olympic team you were traveling internationally as well around the country to play games. You really had to learn to rest, eat right, and stay focused.
When they got to the Olympics it was every Bret thought it would be. Was a great experience and Bret realized he had accomplished a goal.
It is a great segment on setting a goal and working towards making it happen.
We catch up with Bret Hedican, two time USA Hockey Olympian and Stanley Cup winner, currently part of the San Jose Sharks television broadcast team.
He tells of his beginnings in sports as an undersized kid but very competitive athlete. Worked harder than all the other kids when he was growing up. Played football, hockey, and baseball. Loved all the sports he played. When he got to high school he played soccer for two seasons and then went back to football because he finally grew to compete with the other kids. Bret says one of the big things that helped him was he played all different sports and it helped with his mental side of things and the physical side for muscle growth.
When he was ten years old the 1980 Olympics happened in hockey and he was determined to be an Olympic hockey player. He didn't know how he was going to do it but he set a goal and vision to make it happen. Things came together for him in his senior year of high school. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 10th round of the draft and was headed to St. Cloud State to play hockey. He did not receive a full scholarship but he took it knowing that it was the right path for him.
The transition to college from high school was a huge step up and he was in and out of the line up in his freshman season. He thought he may be cut from the team at the end of his freshman year. He came back his sophomore year and switched from a forward to defensemen and things clicked better. All the hard work paid off. Bret said he had to learn what it took to be a college athlete and student.
It is a great listen to hear how sometimes hard work pays off when you put in the time.
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We continue with Bruce Garber here in segment five and discuss his time as a head coach in hockey. HIs first job as a head coach was at Rhode Island Junior College. The job did not pay much but it was fun time with young hockey players. He really enjoyed operating his own program and working with players.
We move along with Bruce and his time in Birmingham in the ECHL for the Bulls which was the New Jersey Devils minor league team in the "Coast". Great story on how he got the job and coaches he faced when he was coaching there.
Great times and funny stories of being in the minors.
We continue with Pete on his transition from playing to coaching hockey at the youth level in New Jersey.
He discusses his kids playing hockey and the commitment that some are willing to make. Pete feels that kids sometimes need to play other sports and do other things to prevent burnout from playing all the time. Cross training in other sports helps by using other muscles and using your brain to think differently.
Pete breaks down how he operates a practice and what he does during the season. He touches on during covid what he had to do to get creative when it came to practice with the kids.
We finish with Pete talking about coaching his kids with the positives and negatives.
We catch up with my buddy Pete LaMonica about his early days in hockey and how he really didn't play travel hockey and really got into the game during his junior and senior year of high school. He only played one year of travel hockey at the Junior "C" level.
He played at Paramus Catholic because he felt it gave him more opportunities to play the game of hockey at a decent level. Pete also felt his education would be better at PC.
Pete decided to play at IONA College and felt it was a good fit for him from academics to athletics. The jump in play was very good. Lot's of players who could play at the division one level but thought they would be better at the division three level of play. One thing that his coach at IONA college was ahead of his time in the mid-80's was dry land training. Frank Effinger really had the guys on the team work on conditioning and working off the ice.
When Pete finished at IONA, his coach got him a tryout with the New York Rangers free agent camp. The one thing he said that he learned from these guys is how to play without the puck. He got cut but wound up in the minors playing for John Tortorella. Great stories of playing for him and how he coached his players.
It is a great listen.
We finish with Bruce Garber here on 'Inside the Game". Bruce and I discuss youth sports and what is happening today. One thing that is lost today is the "reality" of what kids can do in sports. Bruce feels parents are out of touch with "reality".
There are right ways to set up a program and when I coached with him we worked very hard to set up the program so all kids could develop and succeed.
One thing Bruce mentioned was the fact don't force your kid to play. If you have tell them to go they really don't want to be there. If they come home after a practice or a game and keep playing you see the passion and desire to get better, so guide them in what they are doing.
One great piece of advice Bruce talks about is when you have a few good players on a team and some of other players have not developed. The question is how do you get the players who are not there yet to come up in play. Bruce suggests to pair them with the better players and they will work harder to keep up with the better players. It will build a better team, the kids will bond, plus the kids who struggled will get better and feel better about themselves and won't quit.
We end with Bruce talking about Lou Lamoriello gave him the best piece of advice in how to be successful.
In segment four Bruce talks about his dad and what he learned from him. His dad was the athletic trainer for the Milwaukee Bucks when Oscar Robinson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were part of the team. He said he learned a lot from watching these guys all the time in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. They used to come to his football, hockey, and baseball games to watch him play.
What Bruce learned from the Bucks players is do the little things to get ready and it adds up to the big thing to win. Create positive habits and you will be successful.
We close the segment on what separates the superstars from the rest of the team. Bruce feels it is work ethic. It never stops. Great players are always working on something to become better. Learn to master your craft and learn to be a professional.
We continue with Bruce Garber here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
Bruce talks more about Lou Lamoriello, President and GM of the New York Islanders. He tells of how Lou recruited multi-sport athletes to Providence College he felt they were better well rounded people. Quality people with great character.
Bruce outlines how Lou had a plan in his life to be successful. He knew what he doing. At some point he said to himself I may not be good enough to play in the NHL but I will get there. He was beyond driven. He always told Bruce in the NHL "it is all about winning". It is that simple.
Bruce says how Dave Gavitt the original commissioner of the BIG EAST, had a great influence on Lou. Mentored him in how the sports business worked from all angles. Almost like an MBA degree in sports before anyone thought of it. There were others at Providence like Mike Tranghese who also were part of the team.
We end the segment with how Lou knows where people belong and how they will succeed because of Lou's guidance. He mentors without having to tell you a lot. One thing you have to be on Lou's team is "confidence" in your abilities and drive to succeed. He as Bruce said an awesome eye for talent and character.
We continue with Bruce Garber here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
Bruce talks about his time at Providence College as a player for Lou Lamoriello. How the program was so ahead it's time in the late 1970's and early 1980's. It was operated like an NHL team. Everything you needed to be successful in the classroom and on the rink was provided for you.
After his time at PC Bruce discusses playing professionally in Belgium and then playing in Johnstown PA where the movie "Slap Shot" was filmed. Great stories of his early days in pro hockey.
He never thought of coaching but Lou Lamoriello saw something in him from working at the PC Hockey Camp and talking hockey with him away from the team. Lou always was testing him on different things to see how he would handle things. Bruce said "I must have passed because I kept getting more responsibilities". He had played with the Seniors and Juniors on the team and they gave him tons of respect which he appreciated. One thing he always was impressed with Lou was his ability to find top talent.
One of the biggest things in his time with Lou was when they were able to recruit and get commitments from the following players. Tom Barrasso, Bobby Carpenter, and Brian Lawton. All first round draft picks in the NHL. Bruce said Lou was able to present the program to them and they liked what they saw. The "Ace" was Lou build a relationship with Bobby Orr and Bobby was so impressed how Lou build the rink and program at Providence College. Bruce said that Lou had a plan. He was way ahead of times when it came to building the Friars. It was like an NHL team. It was modeled after the Montreal Canadians and Philadelphia Flyers.
Enjoy Segment Two.
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We catch up with Rob Zettler, assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lighting.
Rob tells about growing up in Sault Ste. Marie in Canada and just playing hockey outside on the ponds and in the streets with his friends and the fun they had.
He did play travel hockey because there were not enough teams near him to play so once a month they would make a trip for a weekend to play games.
At 15 years of age he started to notice his game improved and things came a little easier. At 16 years old he started playing for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL. He was paired with Jeff Beukeboom on defense. Jeff told him as a 16 year old he had his back the first year for the Greyhounds. Said he was a huge help in his career and his development overall. Some things that he was amazed at was the skill level increased, physical game, mental toughness you needed to play at that level. Terry Crisp was his coach and was very tough on him but it helped him in the development of his game.
Rob was drafted by the North Stars in the 3 round in the 1986 NHL draft. His first training camp Herb Brooks was the coach of the North Stars at the time and he only had one interaction with him which was a very funny story. He played in the IHL and it was a learning experience for him.
He tells a great story of when he got called up to the North Stars. Rob also tells us what it was like to play with the San Jose Sharks when they were an expansion team.
Another great guest here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
We continue with Rob Zettler from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He transitions to coaching from being a player. Rob attended a coaching clinic with Roger Nielsen and met up with Ron Wilson who became the head coach of the San Jose Sharks. So Rob went from the radio booth to the bench coaching.
We get into the player - coaching relationship and what goes into being a good coach.
Rob also talks skill sets for the NHL for coaches.
He also goes into working for Brian Burke and Ron Wilson in Toronto. Great stories about their time with Lou Lamoriello at Providence College.
Rob really breaksdown what it is like to be a head coach in the professional ranks.
In this segment with Rob Zettler, assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, we discuss youth sports and what to look for in a program for your children's development. Very good discussion on what are keys you should look for.
We continue with Rob Zettler assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Rob discusses being traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Flyers. The roster was stacked with talent Eric Lindros, Mark Recchi, John LeClair. He mentions how Eric played at whole different level. Things that were tough for him were easier for Eric.
Rob talks of playing in Toronto and the daily pressures of being a Maple Leaf.
He also talks about the daily grind of playing in NHL and how hard it is to be at the professional level.
We finish with Tom Glavine and talk about youth sports and coaching his kids. He started coaching his kids in hockey and then he went to baseball. Tom really enjoyed his time with kids. For him it was more about getting to spend extra time with them coaching them. Parents would ask him for advice for their kids and he would tell them certain things. When a parent would ask him about playing at the next level he would know what they meant but he would ask back, what if high school is the next level, are you okay with that.
When he was coaching hockey he would tell them the odds were against the kids coming from the southeast. They would go to play in Chicago and Boston in tournaments and parents could not believe how good some of the 11 and 12 year olds were.
One thing he stresses is get the FUN back in playing sports. It is not a job. It is to be enjoyed.
Tom also tells how practice is more important than games. Kids get tired of the travel during a season and they get bored with games. Sometimes they just want to go to the field and play and practice.
We get into the discussion of his son Payton and how he wound up at Auburn. He did not want to pitch in high school but Tom saw something in him when he was 13 years old and would have a catch with him. Told him he could pitch and he just wanted to play the outfield. Payton's junior year of high school he made varsity as a pitcher. It is a great story to listen to how it all came together for his son.
Enjoy this segment and really listen to what Tom talks about. He gives great insights to working with kids in youth sports and how parents need to find reality for their kid.
We close with great advice and some other fun moments.
We continue to talk pitching with Tom Glavine here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH and flexxCOACH VR.
Tom tells of how he and Greg Maddox would talk about certain pitchers and how to use them for certain batters. The one thing that impressed Tom about Greg was how consistent he was on the mound. It was amazing to watch from the dugout how he had control over his pitchers and he never got off track. He would as Tom said "Tunnel" his pitches during a game. It was something that became key to the success of the pitching staff.
When Leo Mazzone, became the pitching coach for the Braves, he told the staff about fastball command. They worked on it all the time. It worked very well for them. They also would throw two bullpen sessions in between starts. Tom also tells of how by accident he created his own second pitch with the change up by the way he held the ball.
It is a great listen as to how pitching works in the majors. The things you need to do to be successful on the mound. All the things you work on in a bullpen session will help you in a game. You learn a great deal on how to pitch and to stay focused and take care of your body.
One key Tom talks about is how young pitchers need to learn to slow the game down in their minds when they get in trouble in a game. Remember your pitches and try to relax your thoughts. Don't let the mind start to race out of control, trust yourself.
In segment two Tom discusses getting signed and heading off to the minors for the Braves. It was culture shock for him. First time being away from home and it wasn't college but professional baseball and it was his job. Mark Lemke was his roommate in Bradenton, Florida and it was an eye opener for him being a professional athlete. Lot's of adjustments and huge learning curve.
He had to learn new pitching mechanics and how to throw certain pitches. The work load was different in learning all these new things. One big thing was the "grind" as it were being a baseball player in the minors. Had to learn to keep busy between starts as he was not an everyday player. Had to learn focus on his job.
As we continue with Tom talking minor leagues he highlights his call up to the Braves on August 17, 1987. He was in Toledo and had lost a game and his manager called him to tell him he was called up by the Braves and headed to Houston to meet up with the team. Great story of how he was getting ready for his first start in the majors. All the emotions he was feeling at the time.
As he was with the Braves he had a turning point with manager Russ Nixon. Tom had been struggling a bit and he was called into the office in Wrigley Field by Russ. He told him they believed in him and he was there because there was no one in the minors who take his place, so figure out what you have to do to be successful here in the "Majors".
One thing Tom highlights is in the majors you are going to have about 35 starts. 1/3 of time your are going to be on, 1/3 your going to be terrible. 1/3 your in the middle, that is where you have to figure things out and how to win those games.
Tom also, highlights how he and Greg Maddox, Steve Avery, and John Smoltz would talk pitching all the time. How to set guys up. Certain pitches to throw. What is working and not working. One guy early in his career who was great for him was Ted Simmons. He was Tom's catcher and used to talk him about all different things in between innings.
It is a great listen into what is going on during a season and games.
We head back to the baseball diamond and head to the "Bump" with Hall of Fame Pitcher, Tom Glavine here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
In segment one Tom discusses playing hockey and baseball in his hometown of Billerica, Massachusettes. His loved playing both sports as a kid. He noticed early on that he was always playing with the older kids but never really thought much of it. Just thought it was normal even though he had a late birthday for sign ups.
As he entered high school he made the varsity teams for hockey and baseball. As he moved up each year in both sports he had to earn his place on the teams. Nothing was given to him. He started to draw interest in hockey and baseball from colleges in sophomore year. In his junior he really drew interest from MLB scouts, he said he knew something was up when you would have 30 radar guns behind home plate tracking your pitches during a game.
He really wanted to go to college and play both hockey and baseball. He was an honor roll student in school but did not test well and his SAT scores were holding him back from his dream of attending Harvard. He really wanted to go to school there and play both sports but Coach Cleary from the hockey team called him and said that his test scores would not get him in. So he was deciding on going to University of Lowell instead to play both sports.
Fate would enter when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings and Atlanta Braves. One side note he was taken before Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille in the 1984 draft. Tom had to make a decision in his life at an early age. He talked to his parents and decided to go the baseball route.
His mom and dad helped in making the decision to go the Atlanta Braves with certain conditions. It is a great story to listen on how things worked out for him.
Enjoy segment one with Tom Glavine.
We catch up an old friend from my playing and coaching days Bruce Garber. He has a great career in the game of hockey.
Bruce starts off telling how he played hockey and other sports outside of Boston in Chelsea. His first organized hockey was at the age of six in Pee Wee hockey in Revere with Mike Eruzione from Olympic Hockey Fame.
When Bruce was starting high school his dad became the trainer to the Milwaukee Bucks in the days of Oscar Robinson and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar). Great stories about his time with dad and the Bucks.
He played high school in Wisconsin and set the state record for scoring which was broken a year later by Mark Johnson who was on the 1980 Olympic Team and then Lane McDonald from Harvard broke the record and still holds it.
Bruce started out at the University of Wisconsin playing hockey and baseball. A week before the hockey season started Bruce found out he could not play his freshman season because of rule in the WCHA and USHL. So he left school and went to Canada in Laval and played on a team with Mike Bossy and Ray Bourque. Ray was his defensive partner and said you could see Ray's talent at 15 years of age and Bruce was 19. After the season he was able to get to Providence College with Lou Lamoriello and his life in hockey was going to change without his knowledge.
It is a great start to a fun interview with my buddy Bruce Garber.
We continue with Pierre McGuire from NBC Sports on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH and flexxCOACH VR.
Pierre tells of how he got into broadcasting. He had the opportunity to work the english side of radio for the Montreal Canadiens hockey club. He was able to build on the radio side and wound up on TSN in Canada for broadcasting games. We discuss how he prepares for a broadcast on television. How he breaks things down and studies the teams and players. He gave a great example for a game he had coming up with Taylor Hall and how he changed the Boston Bruins. Pierre said you really need to study hard and smart.
We get into youth sports and his children and how they have been working towards their goals and what it takes. He highlights his son Ryan and how he has been building towards playing for Colgate. He also breaks down why Colgate is the right fit for his son and how important academics is to him.
Pierre wraps up the skills needed for hockey and skating and puck control are two skills which are vital to the success of players at all levels. Make it fun for the kids and they will want to play and have good time with their friends.
We head back to the rink and catch up with Pierre McGuire from NBC Sports SN.
Pierre discusses his beginnings in hockey in Montreal and how he and his brothers developed their passion for the game of hockey. He moved to New Jersey and went to Bergen Catholic and played hockey for Tony Karcich and hockey for John DeCarlo. He said Tony Karcich had a huge influence in his life with sports. He helped developed his ethos for hard work in football, he made you "tough". Pierre said he was great motivator for all the players. He also credits the McGovern family with his development. Jack McGovern who played football at Holy Cross was another person helped him.
When it came time to attend college it came down to St. Lawerence and Hobart. Pierre chose Hobart because he could play football and hockey. He even played baseball at one point. Hobart was the perfect fit for him on all aspects of development as a young man.
In 1984 after playing one year of professional hockey in Europe he was offered an invite to the New Jersey Devils training camp. The team had only been here two years and was still struggling to find an identity. Was a very tough training camp. They had players in camp who would help build the team for the future, Ken Daneyko, Kirk Muller, John MacLean were some of the young talent in camp that year. Pierre said he asked Marshall Johnston who was he GM at the time where did they see him in the plans for the team. He told him that they saw him as a call up player. He felt it was time to give up playing and go into coaching.
Pierre headed back to Hobart and was the assistant coach of the hockey team and loved it. He learned a lot and then wound up headed to Babson College. He spent three years at Babson with Steve Sterling and then got the opportunity to head to St. Lawrence with Joe Marsh. His life would change there when he was running practice one day and a legend entered his office. Standing before him was Scotty Bowman. He introduced himself and Scotty told him he loved his practice. They talked and Scotty said if I ever go back to the NHL would like to take you with me.
Pierre would head to Pittsburgh with Scotty and win two Stanley Cups and he learned a great deal from Scotty and others in Pittsburgh. The one thing Scotty stressed was preparation in life. Every aspect. Leave nothing to chance. Cover everything. He talked about Mario Lemieux and how you don't coach him. You maintain him. Give him information that he can use in the games. He will process it and raise his game on what you gave him. Bryan Trottier was another player who was like a coach. The way he saw the game and what needed to be done was amazing. He knew the players and league and what needed to be done in the game.
We end segment one with Pierre's time in Hartford and how he ended up becoming the head coach of the Whalers.
One thing we did talk about was mentoring younger players and coaches and how that is a lost art in today's world.
We wrap up with Rob Haberbusch in segment four and talk about youth sports and the things you should be aware of for your athlete.
He mentions Mike Boyle a strengthen and conditioning coach who talks about the deveiopment model and how it really is upside down. You have some squirt teams in hockey playing 90 games in a season and high school and prep teams playing about 25 games. That should be reversed and more practice and skills for the younger kids and not so much travel and games.
Rob also talks about letting players talk to coaches as they get older. In high school you should let your player speak for themselves. He goes on to say that you should talk to them before the request a meeting with a coach. Outline what they want to talk about and how the conversation should go.
We end the segment with him talking about what you can learn from failure in life and sports. Rob gives an example of how he had a bunch of players who only won five games in their freshman year and in their senior season they won the league. It was great example of how to learn from your failure and turn it around and have goals and work toward them to attain success.
In segment three Rob makes the transition from assistant coach at West Point to head coach at Hamilton College. He says it was like drinking from a fire hose when he became the head coach.
He had to learn about the school, the environment, the culture, how things were done on campus. His first year was tough and he learned a great deal.
We discuss the difference between coaching at a division one school as opposed to a division three school. Rob says coming from West Point to Hamilton there is not much difference. If you came from the Big Ten you would see a huge difference.
Rob breaks down what they look for in a student - athlete at Hamilton College for the hockey team. He stressed grades are number one, followed by compete level in the classroom and on the ice. Learning your role on the team as a freshman when you come to school. Being a good classmate and teammate is important as well. These thing may sound like you have heard them over and over but he says coaches don't have time to waste on someone who does not have these life skills.
We end by discussing what parents should look for in a college for their athlete and how those four years on campus will help their student succeed in life.
In segment two with Rob Haberbusch from Hamilton College, in this segment we discuss how he got into coaching and his path to his current position.
He went from Findlay College, to Iona College, to West Point. Along the way he had to learn how to recruit players and how a college program worked from the coaching side.
We take a close look at what is like to coach at West Point and how special of a place it is. The history and legacy of the whole school comes into play when coaching there. Rob also tells of the type of player and person they look for at West Point. It is a great insight into what is like on "Post".
We stop off at Hamilton College with Rob Haberbusch the Head Coach of Men's Ice Hockey.
Rob discusses with us his beginnings in hockey and sports in Montclair, New Jersey. He felt playing all sports helped him in his development but one sport outside of hockey helped the most. Lacrosse. Rob felt it was the closest to hockey without ice and really developed his game and other teammates.
Rob then goes into playing high school hockey and how Bruce Parker who had been the head coach at Merrimack College for men's ice hockey, really brought the Montclair hockey program to new levels of success. They only had one saying, "We don't do that here". Then they would show how they would do certain things for success. The program was fortunate because they had a rink in town and lot's time on the ice to work on all kinds of things for their game and build a solid program.
Rob finishes the first segment with why he chose Fairfield University for hockey and school and how that set the table and built the foundation for his success as a coach in college.
We wrap up Dan Tischler, Associate Head Coach of Baseball at Columbia University. In this segment Dan outlines what it is like to play baseball at Columbia and what is to be expected from each player and coaches.
We break down the philosophy of coaching college baseball and all the skills that are required for success at the college of baseball. The difference between fall training, spring training, and during the season of play.
Dan also discusses how he works with the infielders and all the different situations which arise. One thing he breaks down is turning a double play and all the keys that are involved.
We also touch on pitching and all the different aspects of what it takes to be a pitcher.
This is a great segment for all young high school players to listen to and take away key talking points for success.
In this segment Dan outlines the skills kids should be working on in youth sports with a focus on baseball. One thing they look for is someone who plays with passion and heart. That does the little things which add up and help the team.
He also says that you should watch a lot of baseball or the sports you play to learn about the game. See what other players are doing. How are they handling situations in the games.
In a youth sports program their should be a development plan for success. What do the coaches do to make things fun and good environment for all who are part of the program.
Learn how to win and what goes into how you win. What do you have to do get that mindset for all the players. How do coaches make the team better and reaching goals.
In segment three Dan discusses how they work on skills during the off season. How they learn from their mistakes and how to correct them.
He also touches on the mental aspects of working with guys and getting them in the right frame of mind.
We breakdown finding the right school for your student-athlete and the importance of looking at schools in person. Taking a trip to the school to see if it is the right fit for you. Does the campus feel right, do you connect with the coaches, do you like the classes, is your major offered at the school. These are all keys to picking the right school.
Dan did mention that most of the players that come to play at Columbia are type "A" personalities. They are overachievers in all aspects of their lives.
In segment two with Dan Tischler, Associate Head Coach of Baseball at Columbia University, we talk about his transition from player to coach.
He did have thoughts of playing professional baseball but he had surgery on his arm and was injured most of senior season of college.
Dan wound up coaching at Swathmore College and then moving on to Cornell and then to Columbia University. He assent to his current position was a process and it took time but he put in the work to get to where he is now.
He breaks down what is to be expected of a ballplayer when they come to a division one school and the work ethic of the players and commitment they make at this level. At this level you have to put in the work in order to see results. Everyone is good at the division one level for sports. The hardest thing that a player has to learn about is failure at this level. How to you have to learn from it and move on to get better.
Dan really offers a great look into what it takes to become a success in baseball at Columbia.
We leave the ice and head to the baseball diamond and catch up with, Associate Head Coach of Baseball at Columbia University, Dan Tischler.
Dan breaks out his early days of playing baseball with his older brother and the fun he had playing with him.
His game took hold at Horace Mann School in the Bronx and played with Pedro Alvarez who was drafted in the second round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Dan tells of how he had to be proactive when it came to getting college coaches to notice him. He laughs and tells the story of how he had to send out VHS tapes of him pitching to schools. He decided on attending Franklin and Marshall. I asked him why that was a good fit for him for college and he said he connected with the coach.
We talk about the adjustments he had to make as a college player and what the "step up" was like from high school baseball to college baseball.
We catch up with my classmate from Northeastern University, Rob Cowie, here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH and flexxCOACH VR.
Rob takes us back to his days of playing sports in Toronto, Canada. He was six years old and it all started for him on an outside rink with him and friends. One thing that he stressed was he played other sports and it was all about having fun.
When he turned 16 years of age things started to click for him. He said he was a late bloomer in hockey but he never really cared because he was just having fun.
Rob was at St. Mike's School in Toronto, a very good school for academics and hockey. Rick Tocchet and Tony Tanti were notables who went to school there. Rob started to draw interest from colleges in the United States. He felt along with his parents that would be the best path for him.
He chose Northeastern University in Boston. Felt that the school was the best fit for him from hockey standpoint and academically. Rob also, felt the team gave him the best chance to play as a freshman. His defensive partner was Will Averill. Will's family had a history with Northeastern and it helped for Rob's transition to Northeastern.
Rob discusses his time at Northeastern and what it did for him in his life and why he stayed for the four years of school and being the captain his senior season.
We continue with the "Cowboy", Rob Cowie here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
Rob tells of his time in Europe for eight seasons. He talks about the differences between the NHL and playing in Europe. He said you have to think the game more in Europe because the rink is larger and the skill level is different. He really enjoyed his time over seas and how it gave him different perspective of the game.
We transition to when Rob became a scout for the New York Islanders and his learning curve. Rob then discusses working for Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He said he got a masters degree in hockey with the Maple Leafs.
We breakdown what a scout looks for in player and how you have to study the game. One thing he stresses is the human aspect of scouting. Very important part of the game.
We end with Rob talking about what a typical year is like for team and scouts.
We continue with Rob Cowie here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
In this segment we discuss the college recruitment process he went through with his daughter. Helping her make the right choice when it comes to picking a school. It is a great segment for parents to listen to about the steps involved.
We continue with Rob Cowie in the segment two of four here on "Inside the Game", brought to you by flexxCOACH.
Rob discusses graduating from school and signing with the Winnipeg Jets and his first training camp. "Cowboy" says that you learn fast that it is a business. That this is how guys make a living and it is tough. He looked around the room and you see guys like Phil Housley in the room. You have to learn how to be a professional hockey player.
Rob got sent to Moncton in the AHL and played two years and then wound up in Springfield and had a breakout season. Was named to the AHL All-Star team and yet did not get called up to the parent club the Hartford Whalers. Joel Quennville was his coach in Springfield and he learned a lot from on defense.
1994-95 he winds up in Phoenix playing for the Los Angeles Kings minor league team. The lockout happened that fall of 1994 and the coaches and management from the Kings came to Phoenix. He met Barry Melrose and he was impressed with Rob's play as a defenseman.
Rob's story about getting called up to the Kings with Sean O"Donnell getting injured. Was a very special moment in his hockey career.
He tells about playing with Wayne Gretzky and how Gretzky set him up for his first goal in the NHL.
Enjoy this segment great story about his NHL career.
We end with Darren Pang and he tells the story of letting the John MacLean goal in when the New Jersey Devils needed to win to get into the playoffs. All Devils fans remember April 3rd, 1988 in the history of the team and how it changed the fortunes of the team that spring. Enjoy the story of "goal" which changed the course of history for the Devils.
We continue with Darren and his NHL journey. He discusses the struggles he faced in trying to get to the NHL as goalie. At one point he even called Bob Pulford who was the head coach of the Blackhawks at home to ask him about coming up from the minors. Darren felt he needed to take action for himself to get to the NHL and the Blackhawks.
He also talks about the pressure of being a goalie in the NHL and how tough it is mentally.
As he played in the NHL he said that game days were tough for him and it was not fun to be around him on a game day for his wife, family, and friends.
He breaks down how as a goalie you need to stay focused and sharp all the time while in the net. Also, being a back up goalie and how you have to stay positive and work hard for the team to be successful,
We transition to him discussing becoming a broadcaster and how it was not easy but he made the move and did the things he needed to do to be successful.
We continue with Darren Pang in episode two on his climb to the NHL and struggle to become a goalie in the league.
Darren was playing in the minors in Milwaukee and got the call to the Blackhawks. He said it was an amazing to get the call up. Great story of the call up and facing the Montreal Canadians and being in the Old Chicago Stadium. He describes walking up the stairs to the playing surface in the building.
It is a quick great segment about making it to the NHL.
Enjoy Darren Pang.
We catch up with Darren Pang former NHL goalie and now broadcaster for the St. Louis Blues.
We start off with his early days in Ottawa and Nepean Raiders hockey club. Darren played goal in hockey right from the start. Loved the position and could stop the puck with ease. He learned to win with the Raiders and played with guys who would go to the NHL, Steve Yzerman and Dan Quinn were two of the stars on his teams growing up.
Darren was thinking of going to college but decided to go the Junior "A" route after being drafted by the Belleville Bulls in the OHL. Had a very tough first year and felt he lost his confidence. He went home to Ottawa and worked hard over the summer to gain back his game and headed back to Belleville. Over that summer Wayne Gretzky had bought the team and was practicing with them in training camp. Darren regained more of his confidence in that training camp. As the season moved forward luck would enter his world and he was traded home to Ottawa and the 67's. He felt it was the best thing for his young career. Legendary coach Brian Kilrea was his coach and built up his confidence as a player and changed his game.
Darren ended up winning the Memorial Cup that year in Junior hockey and it changed his fortunes in the game of hockey.
We continue with Tom and discuss the 1994 hockey season and the playoff series with the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals.
He felt that they had the Rangers backs to the wall and Mark Messier guaranteed a win in game six and then the Devils took the Rangers to overtime in game seven and lost in overtime.
Tom said after the loss and the delay of the next season the Devils felt there was unfinished business with the team. They had really "gelled" in the playoffs against the Rangers. They struggled in the shorten regular season but in the playoffs is where they stepped up their game and really went on a mission to win.
We breakout the trap system they played and discuss how it was all about positioning and reading the play of the other team. How to force turnovers in the center ice area and capitalize on the mistakes of the other team. They also rolled four lines and everyone knew their job and responsibilities.
When they got to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1995 no one took them as much of a threat and the Red Wings were thinking they were going to win. When they headed back to New Jersey after games one and two with a two game to none lead in the series. Marty Brodeur told Tom that they were going to win the Cup. He saw that is was going to happen. Was the highlight of his career.
The next season he was waved to be picked up by the Ottawa Senators. Felt he still had work to do in New Jersey but was time to move on. On the last day of the regular season in 1996, he faced the Devils and scored two goals and knocked the Devils out of the playoffs.
We finish the episode talking about his retirement and Herb Brooks. He tells the story of when his dad died, Herb came to the funeral to play his respects to his dad. Meant the world to him that Herb would come to pay his respects to his dad.
We end with Tom Chorske in segment five here on "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
In this segment we discuss with Tom his involvement with the St. Cloud Norseman junior hockey team in the NAHL. Cory Millen who played in the NHL is the GM and Head Coach of the team and Tom handles more of the operations side of the team. He breaks down the culture they have created for hockey players at this level and how they develop players.
We also touch on what parents and players should look for in a hockey program. You have to find the right situation in order to have success.
Tom talks about what to look for in a college sports program and the things that could happen to you.
He also discusses his children and how he guided them in sports and the college process. His daughter will be attending Harvard to play hockey.
We continue in segment three with Tom Chorske and getting traded to the New Jersey Devils. He was having a tough time playing for Pat Burns in Montreal and a fresh start is what he felt would help him.
He arrived in New Jersey when the fortunes of the team were changing. Scott Stevens came to the team and the building process was started for the Devils. Tommy McVie was his coach and told him "we are going to teach you how to play the game at the NHL level".
He noticed how Lou Lamoriello who was the President and GM of the Devils operated and he learned the system and style that was presented. The culture and environment of the team grew and the team got close. Once that happened success started to gel for the Devils.
Tom learned his role with the Devils on being a Penalty Killer and learning about how to battle for the puck along the boards. He was on the top group for penalty killing and played against Lemieux, Messier, Sakic. Learning the system was vital to success. Also, learning where you fit in on the team. He was on the top group
We also discuss Patrick Roy and Marty Brodeur. Tom had the pleasure of playing with both of them in his NHL career. One thing that always stuck out to him was they never let pucks stay in their nets during drills in practice. Felt it would show they gave up goals and they wanted a clean net.
Here is part three of five with Tom Chorske....
We continue with Tom Chorske here on "Inside the Game" brought you by flexxCOACH and flexxCOACH VR.
Tom faced his biggest set back in his career in 1988. He had played two years of hockey at the University of Minnesota and was asked to play for the United States Olympic Team. Was a dream of his to play on the Olympic Team after what happened in 1980 and being from Herb Brooks home state of Minnesota. Things were going well on the pre Olympic tour but just before the games he was last player cut from the team. Was a huge set back and being a first round draft choice his confidence took a hit. Had to figure out what was wrong with his game and how to get back on track.
He went back to the University of Minnesota and had a great season before getting injured but worked through the difficulties and at the end of the season signed with the Montreal Canadians who had drafted him two years earlier.
He made the team out of training camp and then got sent down to Sherbrooke in the AHL. Had to learn how to adjust to being a professional player in the NHL and how the little things you do add up to big things. There is a huge learning curve in NHL and it takes time to understand.
We talk about wearing the Montreal Canadians sweater and scoring his first NHL in the legendary Montreal Forum.
Enjoy segment two of five with Tom Chorske.
With five schools in Minnesota making into the NCAA tournament for ice hockey (UMD, University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, Bemidji State) it is truly "The State of Hockey". Herb Brooks envisioned this to happen one day. All five division one schools making the NCAA tournament for ice hockey. With that we head to Minnesota to interview the first winner of the Mr. Hockey Award from 1985, Tom Chorske here on "inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCOACH.
In the first of five episodes we discuss with Tom his beginnings in the game of hockey from the local outdoor rink and how it was fun. Very basic hockey development. He also played football and baseball growing up and helped in sports development.
Tom discusses unstructured play for hockey and how him and friends just played and have fun. He only played about 20 games a season with about 30 practices. It was just enough to build a passion for hockey.
As he moved along in hockey we discuss the adjustment to high school hockey and the step from Bantam hockey, was another step up in the play for him. He has a great senior season in high school makes the decision to stay home and attend the University of Minnesota, he wanted to play for the Gophers.
We breakdown getting drafted in 1985 by the Montreal Canadians, 16th overall in the first round and winning the first "Mr. Hockey" in Minnesota High School Hockey history.
Here is segment one of five with Tom Chorske.
In segment six Lou continues the discussion about the Devils and Dr. McMullen and Yogi Berra. Great stories. Lou said was impressed with all the people he met in New Jersey with the Devils. He was also very impressed with Max McNab who was the GM of the Devils.
We move the conversation to youth sports and how it has gotten to be a job and less about playing a sport for kids. Lou feels it needs to go back to being fun for kids and should not be so pressure filled. Feels that kids just need to play. Stop with all the specialization and extra coaching. You get better by playing with your friends. Too much coaching clogs the mind. Need to be able to think when you play.
In Lou's opinion there are three things he looks for in a hockey player:
- Heart and compete level, has to be 24/7 to be successful.
- Hockey sense, how you react in practice and games.
- Hands, how you handle the puck on your stick. Speed, quickness, speed of hands, mind, legs.
These basic things are need to be successful in hockey.
We end segment six with Lou Vairo, with his great moments in the game of hockey.
In segment five Lou talks about his getting the head coaching job for the 1984 Olympic Hockey Team. The one thing he breaks down is how 1980 hurt 1984 because it opened the gates for American hockey players to play in the NHL. He discusses about the players who should have been on the team but went to the NHL. He had players on the team who could have played in the World Juniors but played in the Olympics and were only 17 years of age. The team did not do well and felt he let USA Hockey down with the showing at the games.
After the Olympics Lou took the assistant coaching position with the New Jersey Devils for two years. Was a great experience and he said it was great to take his knowledge and see what NHL level players could do with it.
In segment four Lou, talks about Herb Brooks and how they became friends. He also talks about being an advance scout for the 1980 team in Lake Placid and how Herb thought the game of hockey with that team. Said Herb was way ahead of his time when it came to learning and using methods with his team. In Lou's opinion the 1980 Olympic team was the best he had ever seen in hockey. Every player had role and knew it. They were so smart and had great hockey sense. Herb had picked the right players. The greatest moment for hockey.
In 2002 Herb brought him back for the Salt Lake Games with the United States team and it was amazing to watch NHL level players at the games.
One funny note, he said that Herb could have been President of the United States.
Segment three, Lou returns from the Soviet Union to coach and teach everything he learned to the youth teams he was coaching in New York. Lou was tough on the players and pushed them but they bought into the system and worked hard. They only had one hour of ice a week and the rest of week he did dry land training with the team. At that time no one was even thinking of conditioning and working away from the ice in the United States.
After five years in the New York Metropolitan League. Lou had an offer to coach in Austin Minnesota and his life would change when he met Herb Brooks who at the time was the head coach of Men's Ice Hockey Team at the University of Minnesota. Herb was impressed the way Lou's team practiced and played games. Herb offered Lou tickets to University Minnesota games and he wanted Lou's team to play the JV team. They became friends and Lou always loved to talk hockey with Herb.
In this segment Lou discussed his time with Antoly Tarasov and learning from him about the game of hockey from the Soviet style of working with players. He tells wonderful stories about taking what he learned overseas and from Emile Francis from the New York Rangers and how he would use the knowledge to coach kids back in New York.
Antoly said to him after meeting him in Russia, "You have come steal my coaching methods" with a smile. Lou said yes I'm here to steal your methods to coach kids. He had a different way of looking at how to coach and trust your players.
Lou's passion for hockey began on streets of Brooklyn, NY. He began playing on roller skates because there were no ice rinks in the borough of Brooklyn. Was fun to just play with his friends. Very little coaching. More about just playing.
As Lou continued in hockey he goes into how Emile Francis influence in hockey in New York when he was the GM/Coach of the Rangers. He was the one who felt they needed to start leagues around the city to help with the development of the game.
We go into the first coaching job Lou had coaching. He knew nothing about coaching, so he got a book on coaching from Lloyd Percival. One thing he stressed when he coached every kids plays and you play for teammates. Emile Francis allowed Lou to watch the New York Rangers practice so he could have a better understanding of the game of hockey. He felt that helped him better prepare his practices and in games.
In 1969 he was at Sunday dinner and he asked if he could go watch TV for awhile and he tuned into ABC Sports "Wide World of Sports". The Soviet Union was playing Sweden in the World Championships. He became fascinated with the style of play. It was so much different from the NHL. The speed, the passing, skating, everything was interesting. So he decided to contact Anatoly Tarazov the Head Coach of the Soviets. He knew nothing of how to contact him and he just wrote a letter to him and got a response which lead to a life long friendship with the coach and many trips to the Soviet Union to learn about hockey and coaching.
In segment two with Keith Allain, we discuss becoming the head coach of Yale after being the goalie coach to the Washington Capitals. How he had to build the program and what he had to change for the dynamic of the program to be successful. What type of player and person he looks for to be a player at Yale. His success in changing the culture at Yale lead to winning the National Championship in 2013.
We talk to Keith about growing up in Worchester, MA and playing hockey with his brothers at St. Peters high school. His dad was big influence on his hockey development growing up, since he was from Canada. Was spotted by the coaches from Yale and they showed interest in him playing at the school. Bart Giamatti former Commissioner of Major League Baseball was his Freshman English teacher at Yale and helped him become successful at writing.
He also discussed about going to Sweden to play professional hockey. He breaks down the difference playing in a different country and how they coach their players.
Keith discusses about coming back to Yale as an assistant coach to Tim Taylor and other great stories about coaching in the NHL as well going back to Sweden to coach at the professional level.
We talk about Jim coming back to the coaching bench at Northeastern after an 18 year absence. Building the program in the way he felt it should be. Defining what hockey should look like at Northeastern. How he made the changes and the setbacks he faced in the beginning and the players who helped make the positive changes to the hockey program. As he said it is all about a culture of winning and building on success.
What is like for a player at Northeastern on a daily basis. What is to be expected of player at the school from the classroom, to the ice hockey, how they are to act and carry themselves as a representative of the school.
We also go into what to look for in a school when you are looking to play sports in college. How to build a relationship with the coaches to help you and guide you in your decisions that will affect your life.
Jim lays out why he left coaching and became a scout for the NY Islanders and what it takes to scout for an NHL team. He was also scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins and he discusses the influence of Ray Shero on his career of being a scout with them and the Stanley Cup Championship in 2009.
We head to Northeastern University and Matthews Arena on St. Botolph's Street and speak with Jim Madigan the head coach of the NU Huskies.
We start with Jim, discussing growing up in Canada and playing hockey and other sports as young man. He tells of how it was about having fun with his friends and building lasting relationships.
We take a line change and he talks about how he got to Northeastern and the changes he had to make as a freshman at the school. He has a great four years and gets into coaching hockey because he knew he could not play at the next level.
Jim talks about the changes he had to make as an assistant coach for Fern Flaman and working with Don McKenny who had played for at his time as a player at Northeastern.
In part four with Bill we look at sports from how it can help you in life. Bill talks about his family and the journey they have been on with sports. Feels kids are way over coached in sports and parents have to let them grow up and learn from failure and take responsibility for the way that their lives are going.
Sports teaches you a great deal about life and how to handle situations. Both positive and negative. Makes you a stronger person when you can learn to approach tough times and learn from them. You learn more from tough times than good times.
Enjoy part four of Bill Guerin.
In episode three we discuss, when Bill decided to retire from the NHL, he called Ray Shero who at the time was the GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He asked him what he thought of going into the management side of hockey. Bill became a player development coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He learned how the other side of the team works. Was an eye opening experience for him in the management roll.
Bill also breaks down how a trade works in the NHL and what he learned from Lou Lameriello about the GM side of the business and how hockey is more of a business than a sport.
In part two with Bill Guerin, he talks about playing for Herb Brooks in Utica for the Devils minor league team. Was great having Herb Brooks as his coach. Shared the same situation being last cut from the Olympic Team. Herb protected him and worked with him about what it takes to play at the professional level.
Talks about playing in his first NHL game. Took a penalty on his first shift in the game. Had to learn what it takes to play in the NHL. He had respect for the guys on the New Jersey Devils when he got called up. Good veterans who helped understand about the NHL. Discusses about creating opportunities which will lead to success.
Bill also talks about the 1994 ECF Finals against the Rangers and how that set the Devils up for success for ten years.
Talks about Ken Danekyo and how he is a great teammate on and off the ice. He helps guys and talks to the team to keep them motivated.
Discusses Martin Brodeur and how he handles pressure in every situation.
Bill talks about playing in the NHL and how it is survival everyday. There are no easy days in the league. Have to bring your best every time and everyday. The NHL is unique and it is hard to make the NHL but harder to stay.
In segment one we visit with Bill Guerin and his beginnings in hockey in Springfield MA. His mom was looking for some activity to get him involved with since he was very active. He was only three years old and his passion was instant when he started skating. Fell in love with playing hockey in the house leagues when he was six years old. Bill developed great friendships when he was playing on his first travel team at 10 years old.
As he moved up in hockey he made the Springfield Olympics and the coach Gary Dineen changed his life. He played four years for the "Pic's" and it changed his life and his hockey life. They played prep schools and JV teams in colleges. Was getting a lot of interested from schools. He was even drafted by the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL. Gary Dineen told him the best route for him was college because he needed a back up plan if hockey didn't work and that is why he chose Boston College.
He was also drafted 5th overall in the NHL by the New Jersey Devils.
The first major disappointment in his career is when he cut from the 1992 Olympic Hockey Team.
In the second segment we talk about Jim's involvement in youth hockey and coaching his two boys, Jimmy and Anthony in hockey for the past 11 years. Jim also, discusses having a passion for the game of hockey and how that helps in one's development for the sport.
Jim Dowd, 17 year NHL Veteran, Stanley Cup winner in 1995.
Part One:
In the first part of the "Inside the Game" Podcast we talk to Jim about his development of becoming a hockey player. How it all started for him back in NJ in youth hockey in Brick New Jersey. We then discuss how he worked and developed his time in the game from Lake Superior State in Michigan to the AHL and playing for Herb Brooks to his 17 year career in the NHL.
In segment two with Nick Carpenito from we discuss the following:
We breakdown what a athlete should expect when in college playing a sport at any level. Also, what should a student - athlete look for in school. Nick also talks about the enjoyment he gets out of coaching in college hockey.
Nick talks about his start in hockey and how he coached the Women's Club Team at Northeastern and he also played for the Men's Club Team at the same time. He also, discusses his time at Elmira and winning the Division Three National Championship for women's ice hockey. We also discuss coming back to Northeastern to be part of the women's ice hockey team.
As we close out Mike Sullivan the Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. We discuss the following:
Mike breaks down what you should look for in a college for your student -athlete. Is it the right fit for them? What do you value in your college experience? How is the coaching staff going to affect your time at the school? Do you feel a connect as it were to the coaching staff?
Students usually look at a school for four years. The question the parents should be asking how does your school develop students for the next 40 years of life? How do you make sure that the students are prepared for their lives when they graduate from the school.
We also touch on Jack Parker's influence on coaching with him, David Quinn, with the New York Rangers, John Hynes with the Nashville Predators. Three NHL head coaches coming from Boston University.
We end on a fun note with Mike and discuss with him about his wife's, seafood specialties and his piano playing and his love of Irish music. Hope you have enjoyed out first guest on "Inside the Game".
In this episode with Mike Sullivan, head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike goes into his philosophy of coaching. He breaks down and explains how to coach youth players and how you develop them. He also tells of how there are different ways to coach at the NHL level and a youth team. Brain development is vital to how you approach working with players.
Three things for coaching and teaching;
- Psychology of working with kids
- Skills sets
- Tactical approach
Youth sports is about teaching life lessons and the take away's that kids can use in life. Self-esteem is vital in develop of players. Also, the environment you create for kids is important for success.
Trying to treat kids as mini adults does not work with brain development in kids. There is only so much they can learn at young age. Need to make practice age appropriate. Skills and basics are vital to the success of having kids learn in sports and life.
Teaching them to problem solve is what you need to be teaching kids. Learning to recognize a problem and how to solve it using methods that you have taught them.
Mike also recommends two books if you want to take your game to the next level for coaching kids. "The Playmakers Advantage", by Leonard Zaichkowsky, PhD and Daniel Peterson. "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle
Part Three:
Mike talks about fast tracking to the NHL as a head coach and then had to take step back and become an assistant coach in the NHL. Felt he needed to learn from a coach who had had success and that coach was John Tortorella. He worked with and learned from "Torts" and what he needed to do to be ready for when the next head coaching job presented itself. In 2015 took the head coaching position with the Wilkes Barre Penguins in the AHL, felt it was a good place to get back as a head coach. Was only there for 1/2 season and came up to coach the Penguins and win back to back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.
Enjoy the episode.
Welcome to segment two of Inside the Game.
In this episode we talk to Mike Sullivan about his time in the NHL as a player and then becoming a coach.
He tells us about his first NHL game at the NY Islanders with the San Jose Sharks. Had to learn to adjust his role in the NHL. Talks about his time in the NHL and how he was learning all the time. At the end of his career went into coaching and became the head coach of the Providence Bruins. Discussed having a very successful season and getting the job as the head coach of the Boston Bruins. Getting fired after two seasons and having to do soul searching and finding a new level for coaching.
Mike Sullivan talks about his beginnings in hockey outside of Boston and all the fun he had with his dad and friends playing hockey. He talks of playing other sports with his friends and how that helped him in his development as an athlete and person.
The discussion moves to his time at Boston College high school and how it prepared him for Boston University and playing for Jack Parker. He learned a great deal from Coach Parker and what it takes to play at the highest levels of the game.
One interesting thing in the discussion he was drafted by the New York Rangers in 1987, 69th overall, after his freshman year but decided to stay in school for four years and how it helped him to preparing him for the NHL and life. Great story on how he found out he was drafted by the Rangers.
Hope you enjoy the first episode of "Inside the Game" brought to you by flexxCoach and flexxCoach VR.