Richard Hechter is an educator and hockey coach based in Winnipeg. He grew up playing in the APHA community system and continues to coach within community hockey, while also serving as co-founder and head coach of Wheatland Hockey, a skills and player development program.

In the past 16 months, through Wheatland, he has worked on the ice with over 1,900 youth players and designed and led more than 150 skill development clinics across a wide range of ages and abilities.

He comes to coaching through a background in education rather than elite playing experience, and his work focuses on the intersection of learning science and hockey practice design. Richard is particularly interested in how concepts such as cognitive load theory and ecological dynamics can help coaches create environments where players not only participate in the game, but actually learn from it.

Through both coaching and writing, he explores how coaches can design clearer, more intentional learning environments that help players think, adapt, and grow with confidence.