Join Todd Woodcroft as he prepares for a practice day at the University of Vermont.

At 5:45 am, Todd Woodcroft is ready to start his day.

Let’s rephrase that. By 5:45 am, Woodcroft, head coach of the University of Vermont men’s hockey team, is already showered, shaved, dressed and picking up coffee on his way to the rink. In other words, the 49-year-old from Toronto, Ontario, is firing on all cylinders before most have even rubbed the sleep out of their eyes.

That’s what it takes to make it as a college hockey coach, as Woodcroft demonstrated when we followed him for a day in the life segment as part of our Virtual Coaching Clinic. For anyone with aspirations of becoming a bench boss of any sport, this exclusive behind the scenes look at what the daily grind looks like is eye opening.

Woodcroft, who has been the Catamounts bench boss since April 2020, has an extensive hockey resume that includes four seasons as assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets, plus time with the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, and Washington Capitals in various roles. He also coached six IIHF World Championships, winning gold with Team Canada in 2004 and Team Sweden in 2017.

Woodcroft offers up an incredible amount of insights during his day in the life segment.