TCS Live 2025 had an incredibly inspiring ending as Founder and CEO of The Coaches Site, Aaron Wilbur, sat down with Calgary Flames Assistant Coach Brad Larsen. Larsen came forward with stories of his experience, resilience, and humility from his role behind the bench. Someone who is deep in faith and routine, Larsen begins each day at the rink at 5 am, preparing himself for whatever challenges come forward. His coaching style is rooted in his life experiences, as he shared inspiring messages about his battles with cancer in 2007 and 2010. Rather than speaking of hockey purely through systems, Larsen emphasized appreciation, intensity, and having a will to win. His love for hockey is evident through how he balances being a fan and a coach, often stepping back to enjoy the sport's imperfections. Having grown up as a Canadian kid obsessed with hockey, he is able to bring passion to helping others thrive.
Larsen’s leadership style was created early in his career when he became an assistant captain at the age of 17 and later captained Canada’s World Junior team. His understanding of leadership comes from the actions of others, as his father taught him that “leadership is about what you do, not what you say.” When he encountered captains in the NHL, they were welcoming and held everyone accountable. This is the style that Larsen values; he wants building relationships and supportive environments at the top of everyone's list. He believes that there are no unimportant roles due to constant opportunities to grow through adversity and pressure.
Rather than having a culture-first mindset, Larsen thinks that defining and enforcing a clear standard is important. This is a mindset he gained from former head coach John Tortorella. “Once you’ve set the standard, there’s no wiggle room,” Larsen says. This standard is held by talented players and gained through accountability, which drives performance and team identity. In his experience, if players are not willing to go outside of their comfort zones, the team will hit its ceiling. Larsen stressed the importance of selflessness and execution over perfection. He told the story of Columbus’s sweep of Tampa Bay in the 2019 playoffs and how the team’s competitiveness and ill to win carried them to victory. For Larsen, identity does not come from a playbook but instead from how players respond under pressure and commit on and off the ice.
Through his interview, Larsen returned to discussions of his faith and identity. He has a strong spiritual foundation that has given him the purpose of helping others. He sees coaching as an opportunity to support everyone who steps into the facility. Larsen highlighted the sacrifices of working in the NHL and how it affects families and mental resilience. His message is clear and extremely human: success is built on care and connection. As he said, “listening is a numbers game: two ears, one mouth,” which contributes to his mindset grounded in humility and belief that guides everything he does as a coach and mentor.
Story written by TCS Live intern Carly Ryder.
