Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast

Willie O’Ree changed hockey forever on January 18, 1958 as the first black player in the NHL. His journey of resilience and determination was showcased in the documentary Willie. Now, you can facilitate a meaningful lesson around social justice and racism through Willie’s experience using the Classroom Champions, the NHL and the Willie Doc Team's educator’s guide, a tool for parents, teachers, clubs and coaches. Guest Bio: Bryant McBride, Executive Producer of 'Willie' documentary

Let’s talk about the mental side of sports. If there’s one thing we’ve realized during the last few months is that mental health is so important for our players. Often when we think of the mental aspects of hockey it involves grit, mental toughness and an old school mindset. What happens when the helmets and skates are back in the bag and players are back at home during the current pandemic? The impact of missing sports as we do right now can go far beyond the actual goals and scoreboards. It’s the interacting with teammates, the physical engagement and developing the friendships. Guest Bio: Jessica Renney and Paula McQuaid are certified Canadian psychotherapists and the co-founders MindfulAthletics

When coaches talk about working hard and playing the game the right way, what exactly do they mean? Working hard isn’t just skating around the ice at full speed all game. It is a skill just like stickhandling and shooting. Determining the purpose and focus for your players is what it comes down to. Guest Bio: Andre Tourigny - Ottawa 67's Head Coach, Team Canada World Juniors Head Coach

For a career that has spanned multiple World Junior Championships and countless seasons behind the desk during TSN Tradecentre, Duthie’s experiences have given him a different viewpoint of the minor hockey experience. Duthie’s son played in the OMHA throughout his youth and he can relate to the ups and downs of being a minor hockey parent. Guest Bio: James Duthie, TSN Hockey Host

Mike Weaver never stopped working. At 5’8” and 185 lbs, many touted him as being undersized, especially for a defenceman. Weaver learned what he excelled at what he knew his skillset offered and turned it into 11 NHL seasons manning the blueline. Now retired, the Brampton native has taken on his next challenge as co-founder and CEO of CoachThem. Guest Bio: Mike Weaver, former NHL d-man and now co-founder and CEO of CoachThem

Kids don’t improve based on the outcome of games. They grow in an environment where emphasis is placed on deliberate skill development and hard work. Jamie Storr isn’t afraid to think outside the box when it comes to minor hockey. Guest Bio: Jamie Storr - former NHL goalie and now the co-owner, President and General Manager and Head Coach of the Oakville Blades

It’s the dream of any hockey player around the world: to win the Stanley Cup. Few are lucky enough to call themselves champions and it’s always a special moment when someone from your own backyard gets the honour of raising the trophy above their heads. That’s the case for Aurora native and OMHA grad Barclay Goodrow, capturing Lord Stanley’s mug with the Tampa Bay Lightning a few short weeks ago. Still on the high of winning the Cup, the forward took some time to reflect on his years playing in the OMHA. Guest Bio: Barclay Goodrow, Tampa Bay Lightning forward

Social media has become an everyday part of our lives, even more than that, it’s something that we check every few hours. With the ability to connect with all of our friends and teammates across multiple platforms, sharing pictures, notes and messages has never been easier. However, there is also a negative side to constantly being aware of what is being said about you. Guest Bio: Mike McKenzie, GM and Head Coach of the Kitchener Rangers

All players, parents and coaches can agree that setting achievable goals is important to the overall success of the season. Often times those goals focus on winning a certain amount of games or making it to a certain round of the playoffs but at the minor hockey level, the focus should always be on player development and celebrating skill achievement. Having a method of measuring success beyond wins and losses is an important tool for each team. Guest Bio: Aaron Wilbur, Founder of The Coaches Site

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Youth sports should be a source of positive education and physical activity in a fun, safe environment. Keeping players healthy is a top priority for all officials and associations. Learning more about concussions and brain injuries through Rowan's Law creates awareness for players, parents game officials and team officials to recognize the signs and understand the importance of what's needed to return to play safely. Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager, Hockey Development at the Ontario Minor Hockey Association

There are so many factors in getting someone on the ice. It takes a commitment from players, coaches and administrators to be willing to dedicate the time and effort necessary to ensure everyone has a positive experience. However, none of that is possible without the most key decision maker – the parents. They impact the choice of registration, making sure their kids get to the rink, and have a voice in all of the major decisions. Parents want to know if their kids are going to be safe and have fun while learning new skills in our great sport. Guest Bio: Aaron Wilbur, Founder of The Coaches Site

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