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In episode 324 of the Glass and Out Podcast we're heading over to Kassel, Germany to catch up with Todd Woodcroft, Head Coach of the Huskies. 

Currently in his second season in the DEL2, Germany’s second division, Woodcroft has his squad competing for a second consecutive regular season Championship.

Woodcroft is no stranger to members of The Coaches Site, as he is a five-time presenter at TCS Live and one of the best pure teachers of the game. His attention to detail and ability to break big challenges down into small, actionable steps is remarkable.

You can follow him on The Coaches Site and check out his presentations here.

The native of Toronto got his start as the video coach for the Minnesota Wild. Since then he’s enjoyed a wide-ranging career, which has included scouting roles with the Wild, Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, and Calgary Flames. From 2017-2020 Todd was on Paul Maurice’s staff with the Winnipeg Jets before making the move to Burlington to lead the University of Vermont’s men's hockey program.

Internationally he’s been on the staff of Belarus, Switzerland and Sweden at various events, including the World Juniors, World Championships, and World Cup.

Listen as he shares why coaches need to prioritize principles over tactics, managing the game by managing the puck, and the gratitude he has for being a hockey coach.

Video Timestamps:

• 0:00 Christmas/Life in Germany
• 4:50 Youth hockey in Germany
• 9:10 Building trust
• 11:50 Adapting to hockey in Europe/Team principles
• 15:45 Risk and puck management
• 20:30 Tactic inspiration from Europe
• 23:10 Being organized and concise
• 25:20 Adjusting a season plan
• 30:25 Providing info through clips
• 32:55 Communicating the same message differently
• 35:35 How Germany prepares their teams
• 39:00 DEL league structure
• 42:35 Team building in Europe
• 47:30 Daily routine and preparation
• 53:10 Storytelling and communicating efficiently
• 58:40 Jacques Lemaire
• 1:03:05 Organizing ideas
• 1:11:15 Practice feedback from players