Ross Olsson

Jay Pandolfo on Jack Eichel speaking with the team: "Jack's message was to enjoy where you're at. Don't think too far ahead, what the future's going to look like. I think it really hit home with some guys, because nowadays, everyone's in a rush to get to the next spot."

"If you're body physically has never experienced what it feels like to play at 100% capacity for 30 seconds...how would you know?" In her #TCSLive talk, @TerrierWHockey's Tara Watchorn explains how to prepare young players for effective shift lengths. WATCH: hubs.la/Q033RDWv0

Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington was asked about assistant coaches today … and that led him to talk about coffee beans. (cc: @JonGordon11)

Elite habits: (1) Middle entry (2) Dish and drive (3) Stick pick the D on way through (4) Stop at the net Those will get you paid.

PLAYERS: The playing time you want during your season is often earned by what you do in the off-season.

@russbites Landon Resendes 👀 Hillside School graduate!

USHL Regular Season Rookie scoring leaders: #2024NHLDraft #2025NHLDraft

Dayzer!!! One of my favorites. But what a great story about playing against the odds. D1 - never played. Transferred d1 didn’t play. 2x all American endicott NHL contract Edmonton - broken hand Hershey bears Calder cup winner This “D3” player has never played a game under the AHL. It’s not where you play it’s how good you can get when playing the most.

@OrlandoHockey @ECHL No teeth no problem

Bird with the bardown beauty! 😍 @ECHL

🚨 SOLAR BEARS GOAL! 🚨 Bird starts us off strong!

@joeybattaino Let him drop it! #freemazza

A tough blow for Jimmy Mazza, who was going to drop the ceremonial Faceoff tonight on First Responders Appreciation Night. Six members of his family are FDNY or NYPD.

@joeybattaino @ALuchuk91 One of his had a larger distance than all mine combined. Atta boy looch keep that playoff race going in the right direction

This power play goal from @ALuchuk91 was his 14th as a Solar Bear, passing Joe Perry for second all-time and tying @rolsson17 for the franchise mark.

"Being on the bench is growth time NOT garbage time. When they're on the bench, they're trying to grow & learn what's going on in the game." Don't wait for your opportunity in a game to prove yourself. Prove yourself in practice daily, and you will get an opportunity in the game.

Deliberate practice in Invasion Games vs. Target Games: 🏒Invasion Games: “Kucherov starts by taking 60 rimmed pucks off the boards, often on his backhand. He’ll make 100 passes. Then comes 40 zone entries. Rinse. Repeat.” - on NHL leading scorer, Nikita Kucherov

“Your contribution doesn’t have to be 25 points, but it has to be something. Your number one contribution is the energy that you bring to what we’re doing.” — Geno Auriemma

COACHES: This is another HUGE pet peeve of mine. Players trying to do it all themselves and making a potential rush opportunity into a 1v1. The higher the level you play, the less likely a player will beat a defender 1v1. Especially on the rush. I see so many kids try to do it themselves - and if the kid is talented enough at the younger ages it potentially may work out. But as players advance to higher and higher levels, you rarely see anybody try to beat a defender 1v1. And even more rarely do you see anybody actually beat a defender 1v1. I see so many coaches rewarding kids at the younger ages for taking the puck from one end of the ice to the other and scoring. While it's great that a number goes on the scoreboard, you are doing a disservice to the kid's development. Because if that kid doesn't learn the value of passing and using their teammates, at some point this clip is going to happen to them. A LOT. And that player will eventually get passed by the kids that learned to play the right way with their teammates. On this clip the ANA player tries to do it all himself and the puck goes the other way and eventually ends up in the back of his net. It's hard enough to beat one person 1v1 in high level hockey, let alone skating the puck through multiple defenders. So coaches, please emphasize the value of using your teammates. I see this type of play SO OFTEN in youth hockey. Passing, hockey sense, playing with your head up, using your teammates...these skills translate to the next levels. Doing it yourself, even if it works as a young player, does not.

Shout this from the rooftops…couldn’t agree more.

This should be required viewing for every kid playing sports.

GET THE RIGHT GUYS ON THE BUS! "Mediocre people don’t like high achievers and high achievers don’t like mediocre people ... Get the right guys on the bus, get them in the right seats, and get the wrong guys off the bus." ~ Nick Saban video from @TheCrimsonWhite

Being a Head Coach is HARD Work. I have talked to MANY coaches over my long career. Here are 9 Things Coaches Want Parents to Understand. 1: We CARE about your Child Even if your child doesn’t get much varsity playing time, we care about them. Nothing is ever personal. We love your child. Everyone has a Role. They are all different. But they are all important. Help us celebrate their role. 2: TIME There are only two people who understand the time commitment of a coach. The Coach and their Spouse. We are always “on,” constantly thinking about our team. We sacrifice our Family time to be with your child. We don’t need a pat on the back. Just respect this fact. 3: We LOVE this job. But it is a hard job. Please don’t steal our Joy. Our Passion. Our Commitment. We are losing too many coaches. Help Support us. 4: Coaches want to WIN more than you do. We are very competitive. We put our heart and soul into this job. We are not perfect. Either are you. No one is. Strategy or X’s and O’s matter much less than you think. We are at practice every day. Trust what we see and do. 5: Everything is EARNED. You get what you earn. Don’t blame the coach. Encourage your child to be committed. It is your child’s job to get in the weight room, shoot in the driveway, go to the gym or field, etc. Encourage them to do this. You get what you earn. 6: Trust the PROCESS Team Sports are the ultimate lab setting for life. There will be bumps in the road. It is guaranteed. It is part of the process. Accept this fact. Trust the Process. The life lessons learned will last a lifetime. 7: Winning is HARD Other teams want to win too. Other teams put time in too. Other teams compete too. The season is a grind, and the process is more important than the prize. Learning how to win…and how to lose…is an important part of this process. 8: Your child GETS it. Your child understands. They are at every practice. They know their strengths. They know their weaknesses. They know their role. Don’t feed their youthful insecurities by questioning the coach. This will hurt their experience and the team. 9: Finally, and Most Importantly, this is your child’s experience, not yours. This is important. Let them enjoy the experience with your support. Don’t judge them. Don’t be critical. Just be there. Tell them you LOVE watching them play. Be a fan of the TEAM. ----- Follow me @gregberge for Actionable Ideas on Coaching, Leadership, Culture, and Teams. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, Great Teams - Better Leaders 123. Link is in my profile.

“Don’t be a blame guy. That’s the first sign of loser mentality when you blame someone else for a mistake,” Kirby Smart A winners response to adversity inspires others to seek greatness.