It was another informative season on Breakaway, the Minor Hockey Podcast presented by CoachThem as we dove deep into discussions with some of hockey's biggest names and leaders. Covering everything from practice planning to supporting mental health each episode provided informative talks about everything on and off the ice.

Below are five of my favourite episodes from the season and I encourage everyone to subscribe if they haven't already.

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It’s the dream of any hockey player around the world: to win the Stanley Cup. Few are lucky enough to call themselves champions and it’s always a special moment when someone from your own backyard gets the honour of raising the trophy above their heads. That’s the case for Aurora native and OMHA grad Barclay Goodrow, capturing Lord Stanley’s mug with the Tampa Bay Lightning a few short weeks ago. Still on the high of winning the Cup, the forward took some time to reflect on his years playing in the OMHA.

When coaches talk about working hard and playing the game the right way, what exactly do they mean? Working hard isn’t just skating around the ice at full speed all game. It is a skill just like stickhandling and shooting. Determining the purpose and focus for your players is what it comes down to.

We’ve been spending the last few weeks in our basements, garages, driveways and backyards working on our stickhandling and shooting as we await a safe return to the rink. As we improve our skills at home the question remains - how can we turn all of this hard work on our backyard rinks back into success in practices and games?

Willie O’Ree changed hockey forever on January 18, 1958 as the first black player in the NHL. His journey of resilience and determination was showcased in the documentary Willie. Now, you can facilitate a meaningful lesson around social justice and racism through Willie’s experience using the Classroom Champions, the NHL and the Willie Doc Team's educator’s guide, a tool for parents, teachers, clubs and coaches.

Let’s talk about the mental side of sports. If there’s one thing we’ve realized during the last few months is that mental health is so important for our players. Often when we think of the mental aspects of hockey it involves grit, mental toughness and an old school mindset. What happens when the helmets and skates are back in the bag and players are back at home during the current pandemic? The impact of missing sports as we do right now can go far beyond the actual goals and scoreboards. It’s the interacting with teammates, the physical engagement and developing the friendships.