Resilience

The Erie Otters’ 2017 OHL Championship run was the culmination of years of careful team building, strong coaching, and player...

Hockey has been a huge part of your life for as long as you can remember. The early mornings, the road trips, the practices, and the games—it's all been part of your routine. But now, for whatever reason, you feel it’s time to step away. Maybe your passion has faded, injuries have taken a toll, or you simply want to explore other interests. No matter the reason, telling your parents that you want to quit hockey can be incredibly difficult, especially if they’ve invested a lot

Hockey is a game of speed, skill, and strategy, but it's also a game of opportunity. For junior hockey players, coaches, and parents, one of the harshest realities is that not all players are created equal. Some players have natural talent, elite-level skill, or simply a knack for making an impact in games. Others may work tirelessly in practice, be great teammates, and bring character to a team—but still find themselves sitting on the bench when the game is on the line.

In 2011, the Owen Sound Attack made history by capturing their first-ever Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Championship, securing the J. Ross...

Curtis Sanford’s journey to professional hockey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and a relentless work ethic. Unlike...

Alexandre Daigle’s hockey career is one of the most well-known cautionary tales in NHL history. Once the first overall pick in the 1993...

Navigating the junior hockey team selection process can feel overwhelming for young athletes and their families. With tryouts, skills assessments, and understanding what coaches want, it’s easy to feel lost. This guide aims to clarify the selection pathway, providing practical information that aspiring players need to position themselves for success.

There’s a long list of things you might expect to happen during a hockey game—too many men penalties, line brawls, maybe even a fire...

When I was 17 years old, I made a decision I’ve spent years trying to make sense of—and, sometimes, wishing I could get in a time machine to go back in time and redo.

When I look back on my minor hockey days, a few moments stand out vividly—but one above all: the night I scored four goals against my former team—the same team that had cut me from their rep roster just a year earlier. That single game taught me lessons that have stayed with me for life: perseverance, redemption, and the pure satisfaction of proving something to myself when it mattered most.

There are moments in life that never leave you. Not because they’re glorious or triumphant—but because they hit you like a punch to the gut. They mark you. And no matter how far you’ve come since, they still echo.

I started writing this article in February 2025. In March 2025, an underdog in the League I've been involved in for 13 years beat a very...

This past weekend, standing up in the stands rather than in my usual spot alone down on the glass in the corner (partly to sit with my...

There’s a sentence that’s been rolling around in my head for a while now: “One of my former teammates coaches in the NHL, one of my...

This is a story I’ve told countless times, and while I can laugh about it now with friends and colleagues, it still speaks volumes about a coach’s approach to hockey—and, more importantly, to life.

Youth hockey is not just a pastime; it's a vital platform for developing essential life skills. Coaches play a crucial role in shaping both the technical abilities of young athletes and their character. In this post, we will look at how coaches impact youth hockey players and highlight the importance of character development alongside athletic training.

In hockey coaching, philosophical differences are inevitable. As a coach, you might have a vision for player development, team structure, or game strategy that differs from those above you—whether it’s the General Manager, President, or an Executive Board. The challenge is navigating these differences professionally while maintaining credibility, influence, and, most importantly, your job.

In junior and professional hockey, trades are an inevitable part of the game. Whether it's about improving team chemistry, filling a positional need, or developing players in a different environment, trades happen. However, for the player being moved, a trade is a deeply personal and often emotional experience.

In the fast-paced, high-pressure world of hockey coaching, disagreements are inevitable. Whether you're an assistant coach questioning the head coach’s systems, a head coach at odds with the general manager over roster decisions, or a development coach who believes in a different training methodology than the organization’s leadership, philosophical differences can—and will—arise.

One of the hardest parts of being a hockey coach is delivering bad news—especially to a player who has put in the effort, showed up with enthusiasm, and given their best shot during tryouts. Telling a player they didn’t make the team can be an emotional moment for both the player and the coach, and how you handle this conversation can have a lasting impact on the player's confidence, development, and love for the game.