Glass and Out – Details, episodes & analysis

In episode 314 of the Glass and Out Podcast we chat with Hockey Hall of Famer Jayna Hefford, who currently works as the Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations for the PWHL. 

As the person who has largely been the face of the league since it's inception in August of 2023, she has played a key role in the growth of female hockey.

Her unique background prior to becoming a sports executive includes a playing career as a star on Canada's National Team, playing in five Olympics, capturing four gold medals, and 12 World Championships, where she collected another seven gold medals. 

Throughout her career she has gravitated towards leadership roles and demonstrated a knack for bringing people together to achieve a common goal. Nowhere has that skill-set been more valuable than her time with the PWHL.

Listen as she shares the origins of the PWHL, why female hockey is rooted in passion and why the league's upwards trajectory has created an exciting time for women's sports.

In episode 313 of the Glass and Out Podcast we visited the University of St. Thomas campus in Minnesota to chat with Tommies Head Coach Rico Blasi.

Blasi's coaching career dates back to 1994 with the Wexford Raiders. He would take over the University of Miami (Ohio) program, his alma matter, at the ripe old age of 27 - and would eventually turn them into a perennial contender. 

Now in his fifth season at St. Thomas, he has the Tommies on a similar track to success in the brand new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.

As you'll hear, Blasi's story is a reminder that while we're all on our respective coaching journeys, life is happening all around us. 

Listen as he shares his approach to getting players to play free, why the human need for connection is a vital part of coaching, and why his favourite day of the week is "Battle Tuesdays."

In episode #304, we revisit our conversation from 2022 with Dan Muse, freshly named new Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

At the time of this interview, Muse was Head Coach of with the US National Development Program and prior to that he spent three seasons as an Assistant with the Nashville Predators. He most recently spent two seasons as an Assistant Coach with the New York Rangers.

Muse has rounded all the bases in his career and is a self-described OG member of The Coaches Site. He also presented for us back in 2022 on The Importance of the Second Player in Puck Support.

Listen as he shares his philosphy of TNT, why his playing career has never deterred him from his coaching aspirations, and the important of creating chaos in practice.

And go Penguins!

Head Coach of St. Cloud State women's hockey team, Brian Idalski, joins us for episode #217.

Idalski is coming off his first season leading the Huskies' program and was named the US College Hockey Online National Coach of the Year, as his team made significant strides in virtually every defensive and offensive area of the game.

Listen as he shares why pattern recognition is key to helping players process the game, coaching Team China in the Olympics, and how to get your team to buy into blocking shots.

In episode #216, we welcome Performance Coach and Founder of Deviate, Ryan Blanck.

To date, Blanck has worked with over half of the team's in the NFL, including the league itself, the iconic entertainment industry agency, the William Morris Endeavor, professional athletes, leading universities such as Penn State, Clemson, Vanderbilt and Stanford, along with executives from major corporations to start-ups.

He will also be presenting at TCS Live, taking place June 22-24 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Hear him discuss why empathy is the number one skill needed by leaders, what erodes culture and what it takes to be a leader worth following.

In episode #215, we we're joined by Detroit Red Wings Assistant Coach Jay Varady.

Varady has had a remarkable trajectory since his early coaching days with the WHL's expansion Everett Silvertips, and yet there is much more to be written in his story.

Today, we discuss the origin of analytics in hockey, implementing process & structure into a program, and how to navigate when to make the jump in one's coaching career.

In episode #214, we welcome former NHLer and current Cognitive Performance Coach Aaron Volpatti.

He is also the author of the book FIGHTER: Defying the NHL Odds, an autobiography on how he turned tragedy into triumph on his unlikely journey to playing in the National Hockey League.

Listen as we discuss how he learned to leverage his mind to make an unlikely return to the ice following his severe burns that almost took his life, how that experience became a skill later in his career, and how coaches can offer support in their athletes visualizing their own peak performance.

In episode #213, USA Hockey's National Coach-in-Chief Mike MacMillan joins the show.

MacMillan's role, along with the regional coach-in-chiefs, is to make decisions on how to best educate hockey coaches, and ultimately have a direct influence on the development opportunity afforded to young players in the US.

Listen as he discusses the pageantry that is the Minnesota High School Championships, how tech is evolving coach education, and the positive role the game plays in supporting the overall development young boys and girls.

In episode #212, Erie Otters Head Coach Stan Butler stops by.

Butler recently returned behind the bench after a two year break and is currently in his 26th season coaching in the CHL. He's coached in over 1,600 OHL games and won 742 of them, ranking him in the top 5 in league history in both categories.

Hear him discuss the influence his teaching career has had on his coaching career, the decision to stay in Junior hockey, and why he still has the juice to chase that elusive OHL crown with the Erie Otters.

In episode #211, we welcome Skating Coach Katy Jo West to the show.

She is the founder of Katy Jo Power Skating, based just outside of Denver, Colorado, where she works with everyone from two and three year-old's stepping onto the ice for the first time, right up to NHL players.

West is also a presenter at this year's Global Skills Showcase, hosted by The Coaches Site.

Listen as she discusses the fundamentals of becoming a great skater, getting comfortable with being unconventional, and hacks to running a business that requires you to be on the ice 40+ hours per week.