Hockey IQ Podcast

On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Paul Matheson, expert modern skating coach.

A few areas in this episode we discuss:

• Why breaking his ankle at age 12 was blessing.
• House hockey vs travel hockey
• Finding your identity as a player
• Skating mechanics
• Why everything comes back to posture
• Coaching cues & Technical shooting mechanics
• Messing around with the shooting mechanics and positioning. Exaggerate the fault as a way to learn athletic feel
• When to tell a goalie you are about to shoot.. Stop moving your feet.
• Shooting mechanics - Heel to toe (Spin) vs toe compress (Throw)

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Paul Matheson, expert modern skating coach.

A few areas in this episode we discuss:

• Building blocks of skating
• Posture and balance, "upper body will sabotage your feet"
• Lower body lean > upper body lean
• Fixing the kick
• Body weight during turns
• Training youth vs training professionals
• Doing technique slow instead of fast
• Getting puck involved
• Nuances within phases of skating
• Sprinting theory vs glide theory - launcher vs slider.

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with EliteProspects Head of USA scouting, Whittaker Heart.

A few areas in this episode we discuss:

• Tools vs Playstyle in scouting ice hockey players
• Role sense & Situational sense
• What does it mean to be hard to play against?
• Functional pace
• How to create advantages, mental bias vs physical bias type players
• Secrets of how NCAA Denver Pioneers successful playstyle and concepts
• Scouting practices
• Practice habits of great players and faster learners
• Practicing with intention

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Nick Smallridge to talk about 2 of his newsletters diving deep into how to approach giving instructions to players.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Never telling your players what you think
• Stories of epiphany
• Poor phrases, "You need..." & "You should..."
• How to approach team talks between halves and periods
• Preparing mentally for future potentialities
• Language of coaching
• How to be more effective with coaching cues/yelling during games
• Best feedback for players in possession, close support, far support, and on the bench.
• Practical application of all the above

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with coach Michael Gurska, Assistant coach at Babson College & CSA tracker.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Practice design
• Improvement mindset from Macklin Celebrini + Michael Hage
• Dragging others to excellence
• Difference between getting a sweat and getting better. Going through the motions vs active intent.
• Importance of intention and reflection.
• Process vs outcome feedback
• Player run video sessions
• Playing situations (1) Attacking man-on-man vs zone (2) Finding the 2v1 (3) Defending the rush (4) Defending 2v1s + 3v2s

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with LB-Hockey founder, Louis Boulet.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Rating players beyond the basic box-score stats
• Using calculus to quantify consistency
• What individual skills lead to team success
• Defining physical play in a nuace way that leads to real on-ice advantages
• Line compatibility and thoughts into building great chemistry
• Using the development matrix to drive player development
• Importance of self-awareness

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with CSA co-founder and private ice hockey coach, John Healy.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• How to score more goals... best variable to use
• How to get more scoring chances
• Expected goals
• Best ways to play net front and screens
• Making the goalies miserable
• Beating goalies with good passes not just good shots
• Translating data and analytics to practice design
• Separating factors between playing levels
• Being a more effective coach
• Getting players to take ownership of their development

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Kyle MacLennan, .

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Details within gameplay and situations
• Working from backchecking/tracking to the Offensive Zone
• Using the lines and rulebook to your advantage
• How to watch hockey to play better defense
• Winger roles on the breakout
• Zone entry concepts and drill design
• The importance of mastering creating offense from 2v2s
• How to recover more pucks from shots in the offensive zone

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Paolo Della Bella. Paolo is the goalie coach within HC Lugano and also with Swiss national team(s).

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Goalie development from 9U to Full Professional
• How to select goalies
• Intentional save selection
• Being a tailor rather than a molder (Don't have a picture for the goalie.
• Asking questions
• Box control
• Depth adaptation to threats
• Mental capacity development for ice hockey goalies

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with hockey expert Jack Han to talk his book Hockey Tactics 2026.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

•

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we dive down the rabbit hole of common issues moving up and level of play.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Physical development
• Mental Safety
• Playing in the future vs present
• Receiving and giving heavy passes
• Pivoting for defensemen
• Puck management

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Barry Jones of NRG Hockey. Barry is a hockey coach (inline, street, and ice) out of Perth, Australia.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Finding mentors and resources while being off the traditional hockey scene
• Coaching evolution into Non-Linear methods
• Training design via Gamifying and bringing problems to be solved
• Importance of psychological safety in learning
• Exploratory learning and self-organization
• Being a hockey incubator for all
• Benefits of taking away player's best asset within problem solving

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Val Hannahs, Registered Dietitian with Bachelor in Medical Dietetics... and hockey mom!

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Hydration routines
• 4-2-1 Pre-Game Nutrition
• How to fuel ahead of games
• How to fuel during games
• How to fuel after games to maximize recovery and other goals
• Sweat rates and electrolyte loss rates
• Creating good nutrition habits and environments
• Avoiding cramping

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Kabir Bubna, coaching expert and PhD candidate with research Interests in Skill Acquisition, Coaching Practice, Talent & Coach Development

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Linking science & research to practical application
• Self-Determination Theory (SDT) - Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness
• 4 Pillar of Development (1) Game skills, (2) Life skills, (3) Psychological skills, and (4) Social skills
• Finding the dynamic between driving the bus vs giving away the wheel for players to drive instead of the coach.
• "U-Shaped" amount of variability on the skill continuum
• Attunement within skill acquisition
• Benefits of switching positions or roles
• How to coach coaches how to coach effectively
• Coach communication - amount of questions vs instructions
• Rate limitors to acquisition of talents

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Nick Smallridge to talk advanced coaching topics in a 3 part series.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Why coaches implements systems and concepts... when those are helpful vs harmful
• Player Autonomy in Coaching
• Adaptive Coaching for Player Development
• Common coaching errors
• Forcing learning rather than designing learning
• Questioning players care or focus
• Breaking player's attention rather than guiding attention to relevant information
• Being a good learner to soak up the great learning environments coaches create

• Accureate self-assessment
• Willingness to fail
• Non-Judgemental
• Intentional

• Feedback as a gift

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Nick Smallridge to talk advanced coaching topics in a 3 part series.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Amplifying Error in Coaching... The effects of having players exaggerating their mistakes and poor behavior
• Finding athletic feel
• How to solve your team's bad habits (eg. don't work together well)
• Attuning players to their playing environment
• How to play quick/fast
• Knowledge of the game vs knowledge in the game.
• Holistic coaching cues
• Deliberate learning from other positions and opponenets
• Technical and Tactical Empathy

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with Nick Smallridge to talk advanced coaching topics in a 3 part series.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Reset rituals and mindset visualizations.
• Optimal arousal state
• Falling to standards rather than rising to the occasion
• Creating pressure/stakes at practice
• Giving up control as a coach to enhance player learning environments
• Self-Determination Theory
• What if the coach wants it more than the players?

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with ice hockey coach, Jamieson McVicar.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Creating game transferable practice plans
• How to provide feedback that stick and empowers players
• CLA as an organizational philosophy
• Time under tension & Simplification not decompesition
• Skating away from pressure vs into pressure
• Importance of reflection time
• Many little coaching hacks you can take and use immediately

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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with ice hockey skating expert, Christian Grunnah.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Skating lessons learned from National Champion speed skating father
• Weight distribution and transfer within ice skating
• Gym work for ice skating
• Value in slowing down to work on proper form principles
• Importance of glide
• How to maintain and gain speed through turns

Check out Hockey's Arsenal all over the web:
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On this episode of the Hockey IQ podcast, we sit down with professional hockey player, Alina Muller of Switzerland.

A few areas on this episode we discuss:

• Value of pushing yourself, choosing hard, and seeing what good looks like
• Importance of off-ice work and time away from hockey
• Winning Broze Medal at the Olympics at age 15
• Training shooting by what actually is realistic
• Practice habits
• Preparation for performance... mentally and physically
• Working with mental performance coaches
• Importance of play away from the puck

Check out Hockey's Arsenal all over the web:
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Hockey IQ Podcast Spotifyor Apple Podcasts or on our website
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Newsletter https://hockeysarsenal.substack.com/