As a proud partner with BC Hockey, The Coaches Site was thrilled to welcome Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green last month for a special presentation for minor hockey players and coaches in British Columbia.

After leading a young Canucks team to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2020, the native of Castlegar, BC is entering his fourth season as an NHL head coach. The insightful bench boss has a wealth of knowledge from his time as a coach, as well as 970 games of experience during his 14-year NHL playing career.

One of the issues Green spoke about was dealing with uncertainty during the pandemic, with games and practices getting postponed and schedules shifting all the time.

“There’s lots of uncertainty. And it’s okay to be down at times with it, and frustrated. I think that’s a little bit common right now. Don’t be afraid to talk about it,” said Green.

“I think right now as a player, have a schedule. Try to schedule what you need to do… because sometimes it can seem a little bit overwhelming — there’s so many things that are on your mind. If you can schedule your week, ‘this is what I need to do and this is what I want to do,’ most importantly so you enjoy it. And then be committed to it, be committed to getting better.

“What some people will call ‘hard work,’ you’ll call ‘fun’ if you if you really love doing what you’re doing. And I think having that schedule, having that commitment, having that passion, is going to help you to not only get better but to make the task of what you’re working on seem easier and flow more naturally.”

Check out the 31-minute interview with The Coaches Site founder and CEO Aaron Wilbur below, which includes several questions directly from minor hockey players, and even one from a Canucks player, near the end.