I feel extremely fortunate and privileged to have attended my second TCS conference this past weekend in St. Paul, MN. Being just a six-hour drive from Bismarck, the decision to make the trip was much easier this time around than back in June. I came into the weekend more prepared, more focused, and ready to absorb every crumb of wisdom from this incredible coaching community.
As someone originally from Vanderhoof, BC and now living in Bismarck for the past three years, learning more about Minnesota’s hockey culture was such a fun and educating experience.. I’m proud that North Dakota models its community-based hockey after Minnesota’s approach, and I hope what I learned this weekend helps me contribute to keeping our players local and thriving.
Top 3 Takeaways from TCS MN
1. Thank Your Spouse.
Troy Ward opened his incredible talk on practice development with a request to us coaches and something I have never heard before from a coach: “Thank your spouse.” It hit home. John Hynes shared how his wife encouraged him to take an AHL coaching job while raising a young family and renovating a house. Personally, my wife Mary is my biggest supporter. With five kids, she still encourages me to pursue my coaching goals and take on as much as I can. Makes me extremely thankful to have an amazing wife.
2. The Spud Pin Is the Real Deal.
If you’re not from the Midwest, you might not know about the massive Squirt (11U) tournament in Fargo each February. It’s not just great hockey—it’s pin trading central. Everyone wants the Moorhead Spuds pin. Moorhead Highschool Coach Jon Ammerman shared how Moorhead is innovating to retain top talent despite the rise of Tier 1 AAA hockey. Their training volume rivals Tier 1 programs, and their commitment to high school hockey is inspiring. To have the opportunity for your kid to stay home and play for their school is so neat and something that I just do admire being from Canada where high school hockey does not exist. I want to be apart of helping keep high school healthy in ND.
3. Bill Guerin Is Hilarious, and John Hynes Is a High Performer.
Both are elite, but Bill Guerin’s locker-room humor had the whole room laughing. He made us feel like teammates. John Hynes reminded us that coaching is a relationship business. He even hosts team grill-outs to build trust. It made me wonder—are other sports doing this? Maybe. But it makes me proud to be part of a game where relationships matter. Shoutout to Aaron Wilbur for asking some phenomenal questions to these two gentlemen.
Final Thought: Invest in Yourself
If you haven’t yet invested in yourself this season, take time to reflect and If you are able, take action to invest in yourself. Whether it’s The Coaches Site or another platform, dig into something that challenges and inspires you. It doesn’t even have to be hockey-specific—Jocko Willink changed how I see life and led me to resources like TCS with a new mindset. Podcasts, YouTube, books—we have so many free tools to become the best version of ourselves in today’s day and age so have fun with it. I promise you wont regret it.
Thank you to all the staff at The Coaches Site, the presenters, and the demo players. Another remarkable event indeed.
David Simoes - DS3 Hockey Development
