In January 2023, I was looking for opportunities to grow as a coach.

After searching online, I came across a couple of conferences. I didn’t know much about The Coaches Site or really any personal development opportunities in this niche at that point, but something told me to go all in.

So I bought a ticket to TCS Live… and a plane ticket to Detriot.

I showed up not knowing a single person.

I still remember walking into the Power Center right as registration opened, awkward, unsure, and honestly pretty nervous. I had no idea at the time that this experience would change my life.

On the second day, I was sitting just off to the side of the stage when I heard a familiar name: Derek Jory.

It stuck with me, but I couldn’t place it.

A quick Google search later and I was thrown back in my chair. Attendee of Brandon University. I sent a picture to my brother, who mentioned to me his brother was Kurt, who I had grown up playing hockey with. He passed the photo along… and somehow it made its way to Derek before he went back on stage to introduce the next presentator.

Next thing I know, Derek is standing on stage holding up his phone saying: “Who’s texting my mom?”

Instant butterflies, like i did something wrong.

Later that day at Yost Arena, out of all the people there, who sits down beside me for lunch?

Derek Jory himself.

We got talking and the rest is history.

But for me, TCS Live wasn’t just about that moment.

It changed how I coach.

More importantly, it showed me the power of connection.

I still remember the first night. I was sitting in my hotel room on the phone with my wife, fully ready to stay in. She basically told me, “Get out of your room and go meet people.”

For someone like me, outgoing in small doses, that was way outside my comfort zone.

But I went.

That night, I met Dr. Jody Carrington, ran into DJ again, and shared a drink with Katie Jo West. I didn’t just shake hands and take pictures, I had real conversations.

And those conversations changed me.

Going into Year 2, I was actually on the fence about returning to TCS Live.

Looking back, I’m not even sure why. I think when you start making changes in your life, it requires consistency and that can feel uncomfortable. Sometimes we hesitate, not because we don’t believe in it, but because we know how much it’s going to demand from us.

Then I saw that a former teammate of mine, Tyler Dittmer, was going to be an on-ice presenter.

That was enough.

Last-minute decision made, I was going back.

On the first night, I found myself at Buffalo Wild Wings, sitting with Tyler Dittmer and Tim Turk.

And I remember thinking, here we go again.

One day in, and I’m already surrounded by people I look up to.

But the real moment came at the end of the event.

On the third day, as we were leaving the Power Center, Tyler and I crossed paths with Derek Jory.

I walked over to say goodbye.

Instead, he looked at me and said: “Why didn’t you respond to my email?”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

He told me he had reached out two months earlier about contributing content to The Coaches Site.

I grabbed my phone, searched his name…

And there it was.

An unread email.

That moment hit me.

An opportunity had been sitting right in front of me and I completely missed it.

But instead of letting it pass again, I responded right there: “Give me a week. I’ll get something out.”

Year 2 taught me something different than Year 1.

Opportunities don’t just come from showing up.

They come from paying attention… and taking action when they do.

By Year 3, everything had changed.

In 2023, I walked into TCSlive not knowing a single person.

In 2025, I walked in, and people knew me.

I remember stepping up to registration, giving my name, and the staff member just smiled and said: “Love your work.”

I didn’t really know how to respond.

All I could think was, I hope my rambling about hockey is actually decent.

I said thank you and walked into the main lobby, still feeling a bit like that same guy from Year 1, just trying to find my place.

But this year was different.

After sitting in on Mike Stewart’s 2v1 presentation and watching the best on the ice presentatin to date, (my opinion) something started to click.

Not all at once. Not during the sessions.

But later.

Because once again, the biggest moment didn’t happen in the lecture theatre.

It happened outside of it.

I forced myself out of my hotel room yet again and went to one of the evening events.

On the way, I ran into Mike Stewart, who happened to be heading to the same place. We started talking, which led to dinner, and before long, Dan Ceman joined us.

And just like that, I found myself sitting at a table with two coaches I had being learning from over the past two days.

A couple hours in, the conversations shifted.

We started talking hockey, really talking hockey.

That’s where the magic happens.

Not in the notes you take during presentations, but in the back-and-forth. The questions. The shared experiences. The calibration with other coaches.

And I remember sitting there at that table, looking around, and thinking to myself: I belong here.

That moment changed something for me.

It wasn’t just about learning anymore, it was about confidence. About realizing that I wasn’t just consuming information, I was contributing to the conversation.

And that realization started to show up in my coaching.

I became more intentional. More confident in my approach. I stopped trying to have all the answers, and instead focused on creating environments where players could think, communicate, and solve problems on their own.

The questions. The shared experiences. The calibration with other coaches.

That’s where real growth lives.

Each year built on the last.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned over these three years is this: growth doesn’t happen when you stay comfortable, it happens when you walk into rooms where you don’t think you belong.

In 2023, I walked into TCSlive alone, unsure, and out of place.

In 2025, I walked in and realized I wasn’t anymore.

And that didn’t happen by accident, it happened by showing up, stepping outside my comfort zone, and choosing to engage every single time.

TCS Live didn’t just make me a better coach.

It showed me what’s possible when you bet on yourself.