He knows firsthand the power that hockey can have on a child's life.

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

And just like that, we’ve arrived at our last Glass and Out episode for the season. We want to thank everyone for tuning in and we hope you were able to take at least a few things away from our lineup of amazing guests.

To close things out, we welcome recent recipient of the NHL’s Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award, Kevin Hodgson, a friend of The Coaches Site and one of the truly good people in hockey.

Hodgson is the Executive Director of HEROS hockey (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society), which empowers at-risk youth and introduces them to the game of hockey, and its offshoot organization SuperHEROS, which provides boys and girls living with physical and cognitive challenges an inclusive and safe hockey environment,

Under the guidance of Hodgson, Founder and President Norm Fylnn, and 300 volunteers, the organization has grown to 28 programs in 12 cities across Canada. One in three participants are girls, and almost half the participants are new Canadians; about 10,000 kids have participated in the program since 2000.

Based out of Calgary, Hodgson has a background in social work and in addition to operating HEROS, he is also a consulting trainer at the Centre for Suicide Prevention.

In the season finale, find out what winning this year’s Willie O’Ree Award meant to him, how hockey has the power to change lives, and what can be done to create a more inclusive game.