Advertise on podcast: Behind The Glass

Darryl Noren began playing in the ECHL as a rookie in 1990-91 with Greensboro and played 10 seasons including his final six with the Charlotte Checkers. He ranks third in ECHL history with 685 points, tied for third with 390 assists, eighth with 295 goals and 24th with 549 games. He finished his career in 1999-2000 as the ECHL all-time leader in games, assists and points. Noren scored 30-or-more goals five times including a career-high 46 in 1994-95. He tied the ECHL record with three consecutive three-or-more goal games in December of 1994 and had seven games with three-or-more goals in 1994-95. He helped the Checkers capture the Riley Cup Championship in 1996 and had 41 points (18g-23a) in 48 postseason games. He was selected to the 15th Anniversary All-ECHL Team in voting by coaches, players, front office personnel and media from the first 15 years of the ECHL and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Charlotte Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008. He was chosen to play in the ECHL All-Star Game in 1995, 1997 and 1998. Darryl has since coached in the pros, been a GM/HC of an inaugural USPHL Premier league junior team, and now coaches Midget AAA.

Co-founder and player agent Patrick Bedell of 1Vision Sports and Entertainment (1VSE.com) is an NHLPA-certified player agent. He describes his unique journey to becoming an agent, realizing at age 8 that he was never going to be an NHL player, but found a path to stay in the game and do what he loves. Patrick takes us Behind the Glass on his representation of Pro Player Josh Ho-Sang and representing him through the NHL Salary Arbitration process and, most importantly, on Josh successfully re-inventing himself personally and professionally. Finally, Pat shares some advice for all players as they approach this time of the season when it becomes time to start figuring out next season's plans.

The fellas are joined by the veteran pro defenseman who takes us Behind the Glass on his unique journey from AAA midget, to prep, and to division 1 hockey. After a coaching change and 1 year at Providence, Wiz left for Canadian Junior A and then landed back in Hockey East at Merrimack. Wiz then pulls the curtain back on making the jump to the Pros and what the locker room was like in the AHL with a mix of players like long-time NHLer Matt Moulson and 20 year old rookies. After the pandemic prematurely ended what he thought was going to be the end of his career, he shares a unique call up for one more go.

Joey and Joe give us a behind the glass look at their experience starting, owning, and operating two USPHL junior teams, the Columbus Mavericks and Buffalo Stampede, and the gaps they’re trying to fill for players in these markets. They give an in-depth description of the paths that junior hockey can take players, the types of people and players they’re interested in, and how candidate players can get noticed by prospective junior teams.

The fellas take us Behind the Glass on the use of Advanced Analytics at the pro, college, and junior level, and also discuss how more generic analytics are used at the youth levels through myhockeyrankings.com and eliteprospects.com. Then they discuss the state of Officiating in the NHL along with some of the surprises as the NHL season hits the quarter mark.

Mike Watson takes us Behind the Glass of his unique journey through hockey: Growing up just minutes away from the Islanders during their heyday, but not really getting into hockey until his oldest son Spence needed an activity close to home to burn some energy. Since then, Mike has served as President of the CIHC, which is supported by the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone Program.” Mike shares his experience as a Hockey Parent, Billet Parent, Program Administrator, Executive Board member, Coach, and Mentor on the many different paths of the youth hockey journey, from how to get started through different advanced pathways including AAA, prep school, junior, college and pro and everywhere in between, mostly notably on the efforts made, and the further steps needed to make hockey truly for everyone.

On episode three we welcome Kirstin Watts and Bob McElheney from our partner/sponsor, The Center Ice Foundation of Central Ohio. We started the episode with a quick nod to Adam's recent referee award. Then on to much more important news, something we consider the biggest sports news east of 71 in Columbus, OH! Aside from the big announcement, Kirstin and Bob discuss how they both got in to hockey as well as what inspired Kirstin to start this amazing project in the first place. We also touch on some of the trials and tribulations that led to where the project is today, including a few shoutouts to the people that have made this all possible.

Atlantic District Coach-in-Chief Mike Lichtenberger, Vinny’s mentor, goes Behind the Glass to describe coaching development, the USA Hockey Coach Education Program and the certification process changes, along with some best practices for adapting to the new rules and coaching today’s youth hockey player.

Introduction to each of your hosts and the sponsors: The Center Ice Foundation of Central Ohio and their mission to bring a Regional Sports and Entertainment Complex to Central Ohio, and Never Made it Pro Stock, a family owned and operated company providing high end equipment at a fraction of the cost. Later, Kieffer catches us up on some of the key (some say controversial) USA Hockey rule changes, the largest and most significant rule changes to date, and their impact on the game.