Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast

“I always say that leadership is an action, not a position.” Tyler McGregor wants to make sure that hockey is in a better place when he's done with the game. Guest Bio: Tyler McGregor is the captain of Team Canada's Para Hockey (formerly Sledge Hockey) team, where he has competed internationally since 2012 and is now a three-time World Champion and three-time Paralympic medalist. Learn more: https://www.omha.net/news_article/show/1319369

“Not everyone is built the same way so not everyone skates the same way.” That's the philosophy of Corey McNabb, the Director, NextGen Development with Hockey Canada. He's worked with teams and players of all ages and levels, and has come to understand that players show their skills in ways that work for them. “It comes down to giving the kids the tools. As they go through the system, to me, your job as a coach is to teach them the when, the how and the why,” said McNabb. Learn more: https://www.omha.net/news_article/show/1310068

Coaches can come up with all of the Xs and Os or pour over video, but a large part of what it means to be a leader on a minor hockey team is creating those valuable connections with your players. Warning: This episode contains strong language. Guest Bio: Dr. Jody Carrington is a child psychologist and published author. Learn more: https://www.omha.net/news_article/show/1304895

Practice time can be some of the most valuable in minor hockey. It gives your team the chance to work on skills, understand new concepts and put in the effort that will show during games. It's more than just drills - those are part of the environment you are looking to create. Practice is about coming to the rink prepared to be in an atmosphere for learning. Guest Bio: TJ Manastersky is the head coach of the Brock University men's hockey team that finished at the top of the OUA West division in U-Sports this season. Learn more: https://www.omha.net/news_article/show/1302300

With playoff season here, parents and players are well established in their routines and hockey schedules. However, no matter how much time before heading to the rink, busy hockey families always need to find time to have the right pre-game meal to be able to fuel performance on the ice. Guest Bio: Seanna Thomas is a Nutrition Consultant, Mom to 3 active kids, and founder of Hockey Snacks Inc., where she provides nutrition information for young athletes, sports teams, families, and organizations. Seanna regularly appears on CP24 Breakfast, & is a contributor to Triathlon Magazine Canada, as well as multiple other publications. Seanna focuses on whole foods with a spotlight on creating realistic healthy habits. She can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and seannathomas.com. In her downtime, she enjoys being outdoors with her family and relaxing at home with her husband and a well-deserved glass of wine (and maybe watching a hockey game). Learn more: https://www.omha.net/news_article/show/1299997

There is more that comes with coaching than the Xs and Os. And coaches shouldn't feel the pressure to take on building their toolbox all on their own. Coaches can constantly be learning from each other, not just within their own sport, but from around the coaching community.   Guest Bio: Wayne Parro is the Director of International Programs with the Coaching Association of Canada. He is a Graduate of the National Coaching Institute (NCI), a Coach Mentor to coaches in the Advanced Coaching Diploma (ACD) Program and the CAC liaison for various multi-sport organizations in Canada. He developed and executed coach support roles with Canadian Major Games Organizations and was the Lead Instructor with the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy, and coached both the Senior and Junior Baseball Canada's Women's Team and was an Assistant Coach with the York University Men's hockey program.

Hockey parents want their child to be safe when they are on the ice having fun, and know the amount of equipment that comes with participating in the sport. Unfortunately, there can be a tragic incident that reminds us all how important it is wear all of the proper equipment while playing our great game. These can serve as a valuable message to all hockey participants about the importance of wearing the mandated equipment.

The number one reason why kids play sports is not to win – it's because it is fun. It's our job as leaders in minor hockey to create a safe, welcoming and positive experience for all participants, both kids and adults alike. The OMHA's longstanding partnership with Respect Group aims to educate everyone involved in the game on the proper behaviours that are expected as well as promoting the life skills and positive benefits of minor hockey.   Guest Bio: Sheldon Kennedy won a Memorial Cup, World Junior Gold Medal and skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career. He is best known for his courageous decision to charge his Major Junior Hockey league coach with sexual assault for the abuse he suffered over a five year period while a teenager under his care. He has been instrumental in bringing governments, public and private sector partners together to work collaboratively to influence policy change and improve the way child abuse is handled. He is also the Co-Founder of Respect Group, which provides empowering online abuse, bullying and harassment prevention education to sport organizations, schools and the workplace. Respect Group has currently certified over 2 million Canadians.

It is often assumed that playing in an older age group means that your child will become even more advanced in their skill development. However, that well-meaning thought can actually have negative side effects.

We take a look at all of the programs and initiatives being delivered this season to help our hockey families and associations.   Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager of Hockey Development with the OMHA

BONUS EPISODE! As first generation Canadians who grew up in households where academics were the first priority, Vinay and Parul Intwala refer to their family as “the Accidental Hockey Family”. This is their story.

In the season's final episode, we look back on the closing weeks on Championships and upcoming Evaluations.   Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager of Hockey Development with the OMHA

Growing the game of hockey to reach new families will only benefit the sport. That's the sentiment of hockey bodies around the world. When it was realized that it was no longer automatic that all kids play hockey in the winter, Andresen knew Minnesota Hockey had to do something to attract those new players. Guest Bio: Glen Andresen is the Executive Director of Minnesota Hockey.

Guest Bio: Nick Buonocore is a parent, volunteer coach, and former collegiate athlete with a unique, first-hand perspective on the changing culture of today's youth sports industry. He established The Reformed Sports Project to promote a healthy and holistic approach in all areas of sport, through education and advocacy. Today, he is a leading voice in youth sports reform.

Teams are in the thick of Qualifiers for OMHA Championships presented by Egg Farmers of Ontario. Between those new weekends, pilot projects and engaging with our Associatons, parents and players, let's check in on where we are at right now in the regular season.   Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager of Hockey Development with the OMHA

Why do we talk to ourselves, how can we talk to ourselves better, and how can we use this science to help ourselves, players and teams? Guest Bio: Ethan Kross founded the Emotion and Self Control Laboratory at the University of Michigan, and his research has been published in Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other peer-reviewed journals. He has participated in policy discussion at the White House and has been interviewed on CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper Full Circle, and NPR's Morning Edition.

Hockey Factories is a unique look behind the curtain of some of the globe's top hockey development programs. The series travels to Minnesota, British Columbia, Germany, Finland and Sweden to see how these programs are doing it right. Guest Bio: Matt Dumochelle is the Assistant General Manager of the Leamington Flyers of the GOJHL and the author of Hockey Factories for The Coaches Site.

Ray Ferraro shares his philosophy on player development and how to handle the sometimes-tricky parent-coach relationship. Guest Bio: Ray Ferraro is a former player and current hockey analyst for the NHL and World Juniors.

In this special excerpt from The Coaches Site's TCS Live conference, Cara Morey discusses grit, why it matters, and how to develop it in your athletes. Guest Bio: Cara Morey is in her sixth year leading the Princeton women's hockey program. Since the Ontario product was announced as head coach in June of 2017, the program has won its first ECAC tournament title, won an Ivy League championship, qualified for two NCAA quarterfinals, set the program wins record, and established itself as a weekly inclusion in the national top-10 rankings.

The goaltending position has evolved not just positionally but how coaches utilize them in practice and also how the netminders can approach training and preparation. Guest Bio: Ryan Daniels is an OMHA grad out of Ajax-Pickering and the current goaltender development coach of the AHL's Texas Stars. He spent three years as the goaltending coach for the Guelph Storm and three with the Mississauga Steelheads. As a player, Daniels spent time in the ECHL, OHL, Central Hockey League and OJHL.

With a few weeks under every team's belt, let's check in on where they should be at this point of the year and what the rest of the season should look like. Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager of Hockey Development at the OMHA

Hockey is for anybody and everybody. How we open the door to new fans is important for any community. Guest Bio: Rico Phillips grew up in Flint, Michigan and is the Ontario Hockey League's Director of Cultural Diversity and Inclusion.

You are what you eat. Eat good, feel good. We know now more than ever about how to maximize our nutrition to fuel our performance. Let's dive deeper into what to focus on before and after your games. Guest Bio: Seanna Thomas is a Nutrition Consultant, Mom to 3 active kids, and founder of Hockey Snacks Inc., where she provides nutrition information for young athletes, sports teams, families, and organizations.

Players can begin to build their hockey skills on a modified, age-approrpiate ice size - the benefits of U9 and Below programming. Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager of Hockey Development at the OMHA

As players and coaches are in the heart of the Evaluations process, we walk through the timeline of what to expect from the first ice session through to naming the roster. Guest Bio: Michael Dundas is the Manager of Hockey Development at the OMHA

Host Aaron Wilbur of The Coaches Site and Ian Taylor, the Executive Director of the OMHA, catch up after the off-season and chat about the Player Pathways as skaters return to the ice for another year of minor hockey.

While all parents get involved with coaching their kid's team for all the right reasons, there are times when their hearts may get in the way of doing what's best for the team as a whole, or even doing what's best for their child. How do you figure out that balance? Guest Bio: Jay McClement is a retired NHL veteran of 10+ seasons and a Kingston native who returned home to coach his son's U9 AAA Kingston Jr. Gaels team

Skating has evolved over the years from just a  focus on strides to now involving edges, angling, crossovers and so much more. What's the best way for coaches to work with their players to teach this important skill? Guest Bio: Viktor Kraatz is a former ice dancer who competed in three Olympics

Coaches know the value of practice time. Coming in prepared and with a plan of what you will be teaching can save precious minutes. Practices are where players can learn how to best be effective on the ice. Guest Bio: Tom Ward is the Head Coach of the Shattuck-St. Mary's Boys Prep Team in Minnesota. 

As players get older, situational awareness becomes more important as part of their Hockey IQ. How can players build this over the years and what can they look for in skill development? Guest Bio: Brendan Taylor is an Assistant Coach with the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads.

It's a tradition every holiday season for TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Every year he puts his annual callout for submissions to his Twitter account of backyard hockey rinks from across the country. They come in all shapes and sizes, each with their own personal touch. As the weather gets consistently cold enough for outdoor rink season, Dreger shares how he turned backyard rinks into a passion. Guest Bio: Darren Dreger, TSN Hockey Insider Note: This is a re-broadcast of an episode published in March 2021.

Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy says we need to continue to learn important lessons and do better after former Chicago Blackhawk Kyle Beach recently shared his story about how he had been sexually assaulted by a former video coach with the team more than a decade ago. Guest Bio: Sheldon Kennedy, Respect Group

Over the last decade, how has the modern NHL player changed? That's the first question moderator Scott Wheeler, a national reporter with The Athletic covering the NHL Draft and prospects, posed to his elite panel during the Virtual Hockey Summit. Three unique answers were given from three unique panelists, namely Chris Abbott, GM of Rogle BK in the SHL, Trevor Georgie, president & GM of the QMJHL's Saint John Sea Dogs, and Pat Malloy, director at the Peak Centre for Human Performance. Guest Bio: Scott Wheeler, The Athletic national reporter

Coaches are always looking for the best ways to get the most out of their players during practice. Over the course of the season players will use this time to improve on their skills and understand different concepts. One of the ways this is done is through small area games. Adding competition to skill development and practices keeps these drills fresh and players engaged. Guest Bio: Derek Miller, Ottawa 67's Director of Player Development and Performance

Team fundraising is a crucial part of minor hockey to help offset some of the costs that come up during the season. From tournament fees to registration, the tried and tested methods of car washes and bottle drives have lasted for years. Over the last two seasons we've had to come up with new ways to raise money safely and lots of teams have turned to online platforms like FlipGive that make the process even easier. Guest Bio: Mark Bachman, Founder and CEO of FlipGive

Tryouts and evaluations can be stressful for everyone involved. For players, there is pressure to perform well in a short amount of time in your first time back on the ice after the summer. Coaches need to evaluate a large number of players at the same while parents are hoping for a positive experience for their children. Is there any way to make this easier for everyone? Guest Bio: Chris Knutson, CEO of TeamGenius

We've finally hit the day on the calendar we've had circled for months - hockey is back! We're excited as ever to come back to the rink and get back to the game we love. While we are still taking precautions off the ice such as masking as physical distancing in the dressing room, on the ice we are returning to traditional five on five gameplay. Guest Bio: Ian Taylor is the OMHA Executive Director

Hosts Aaron Wilbur and OMHA Executive Director Ian Taylor take a look back at some of their favourite guests and topics from the 2020-2021 season of Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast.

The U7, U9 and U11 Player Pathways create consistency in all programming across the country and a seamless transition for players based on the Long Term Player Development model. The Pathways provide local minor hockey associations a framework of age appropriate development guidelines which includes an optimal seasonal structure. Guest Bio: Corey McNabb, Manager of Player Development at Hockey Canada

Skill development takes time and creating good habits. Focusing on specific areas of improvement and seeking feedback are two of the top ways to have purposeful improvement. How can players use this time away from the rink to make sure they are practicing the right way? Guest Bio: Scott Jones, Player Development with Vegas Golden Knights

It's a tradition every holiday season for TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Every year he puts his annual callout for submissions to his Twitter account of backyard hockey rinks from across the country. They come in all shapes and sizes, each with their own personal touch. As we try to squeeze in the last few days of winter and outdoor rink season Dreger shares how he turned backyard rinks into a passion. Guest Bio: Darren Dreger, TSN Hockey Insider

It’s a tradition every holiday season for TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Every year he puts his annual callout for submissions to his Twitter account of backyard hockey rinks from across the country. They come in all shapes and sizes, each with their own personal touch. As we try to squeeze in the last few days of winter and outdoor rink season Dreger shares how he turned backyard rinks into a passion. Guest Bio: Darren Dreger, TSN Hockey Insider

We’ve been spending the last few weeks in our basements, garages, driveways and backyards working on our stickhandling and shooting as we await a safe return to the rink. As we improve our skills at home the question remains - how can we turn all of this hard work on our backyard rinks back into success in practices and games? Guest Bio: Tim Turk has been an NHL Shooting and Scoring coach for over 25 years

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