A practical talk on when moving up helps, and when it may not.
Aaron Wilber and Ian Taylor take up a familiar minor hockey question: if a player is clearly the best in the room, does moving up automatically make sense?
Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast
Ontario Minor Hockey Association
166 episodes listed below
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In their own words
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association's Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast puts you with some of the best and brightest minds in the game today. Each week, Aaron Wilbur sits down with the leaders of hockey to discuss everything from scoring more goals to how to grow the game.
As heard by us
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · June 2026
Breakaway gives minor hockey coaches, parents, and organizers a practical language for development, evaluations, player connection, and healthier rink culture.
Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast sits in the Sports shelf where the scoreboard is only part of the story. The sampled episodes are more interested in the rink ecosystem around minor hockey: how players move through pathways, how practices get designed, how evaluations shape a…
Why you'd press play
You love the rink, but you want the grown-ups to calm down and teach better.
Press play if you want
- coaching advice that gets as practical as four cones, a chaser, and slow progress
- permission to care about development without buying every fear-based hockey upsell
Talks about
Best episodes of Breakaway, The Minor Hockey Podcast
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A practical reminder that hockey-family nutrition is about routines, not perfection.
Breakaway stays centered on balance in minor hockey nutrition, which gives it a steady, lived-in feel instead of a preachy one. It pays attention to the demands busy families actually face: early or late dinners, constant snacking, and the simple fact that an older child who is…
A grounded look at growing hockey through access, coaching, and inclusion.
This episode frames hockey leadership as a practical question: how the game grows, stays accessible, and still pushes for a higher standard. Tyler McGregor adds a grounded perspective, and Aaron and Ian keep the discussion tied to rink-level realities such as access, development…
A rink-side conversation that treats creativity as part of coaching, not decoration.
Ray Ferraro uses this Breakaway conversation to make a simple case: creativity belongs in coaching, not as a gimmick, but as a real part of teaching young players how to read the ice.
A rink-side safety chat that turns old hockey habits into practical sense.
Breakaway spends most of its time in familiar hockey country, moving through travel, coaching, junior leagues, and the kind of minor hockey talk that feels lived in rather than diagrammed.
A season wrap that treats minor hockey like lived work, not theory.
Breakaway ends its season with a ground-level look at what minor hockey asks of the people around it. Aaron Wilber, Ian Taylor, and Michael Dundas move from championship pressure and long arena weeks to the tradeoffs around multi-sport kids, year-round development, and the…
A hockey conversation about the habits the game passes down, and what it takes to change them.
Breakaway keeps its focus on the quieter habits hockey hands down: fear, silence, locker-room language, and the hard part of admitting when coaches need to change.
Cleaner practices start with shorter gaps between drills.
The conversation stays close to a problem every minor-hockey coach knows well: what happens in the minutes between drills. TJ Manastersky, Aaron Wilber, and Michael Dundas treat practice planning as part of player development, with attention to sequencing, organization, and…
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Episodes
- 1
Episode 156 | The Programs We're Excited About For This Season (Michael Dundas)
It definitely was a little smoky at times, but it seems like we've got through t
·50m·3 clips - 2
Episode 153 | Growing the Game to Benefit the Sport (Glen Andresen)
Breakaway opens with playoff-season chatter and a quick update on Squamish U6 hockey.
·1h 18m·3 clips - 3
Episode 151 | Where We're At In The Regular Season (Michael Dundas)
Hidden gemAaron Wilber, Ian Taylor, and Michael Dundas use OMHA’s February season check-in to grade a year that Dundas calls an A from a pure hockey standpoint and Taylor calls better but still in need of improvement.
·49m·3 clips - 4
Episode 164 | Giving Players the Tools they Need to Improve (Corey McNabb)
Hidden gemAaron Wilber and Ian Taylor open with the end of the hockey season and why player pathways still matter.
·1h 21m·5 clips - 5
Episode 159 | Evergreen Equipment Safety Reminders for All Participants
Hidden gemAaron Wilber and Ian Taylor open with a hockey catch-up about travel, a Coach's Site event in Kitchener, and a few rink-side detours.
·59m·3 clips - 6
Episode 158 | Creating a Charter of Respect (Sheldon Kennedy)
Hidden gemAaron Wolper and Ian Taylor open with a rink-side catch-up before bringing Sheldon Kennedy into a conversation about respect, change, and hockey culture.
·1h 9m·4 clips - 7
Episode 162 | Running an Effective Minor Hockey Practice (TJ Manastersky)
Hidden gemAaron Wilber opens with Michael Dundas stepping in as co-host while Ian Taylor is on the IR and not able to join.
·1h 5m·4 clips - 8
Episode 148 | Ray Ferraro Shares His Coaching Philosophy
Hidden gemBreakaway opens in holiday hockey mode.
·1h·4 clips - 9
Episode 155 | Get to Know the 'Accidental Hockey Family'
Aaron and Ian open by joking about a summer hiatus that hockey never really honored.
·59m - 10
Episode 165 | Leadership Lessons from Team Canada's Captain (Tyler McGregor)
Breakaway starts with Aaron and Ian in hockey season mode after the Coaches site coaching day at St.
·1h 1m·3 clips - 11
Episode 152 | Restoring a Healthy Balance in Minor Hockey (Nick Buonocore)
Aaron Wilber opens by talking about coaching his little guy’s U6 program and how it has changed the way he thinks about hockey.
·1h 10m·5 clips - 12
Episode 157 | Is Playing 'Up' Best for My Child?
Aaron Wilber and OMHA executive director Ian Taylor open as the season starts to pick up.
·52m - 13
Episode 160 | What Hockey Coaches Can Learn From Other Sports (Wayne Parro)
Hidden gemAaron Wilber opens with Ian Taylor on the holidays and the halfway point of the season, with both of them already looking toward the World Junior Championships.
·1h 13m·2 clips - 14
Episode 150 | Harnessing the Inner Voice of Your Players (Ethan Kross)
·48m·1 clip - 15
Episode 161 | Creating Good Nutritional Habits in Your Hockey Family (Seanna Thomas)
Aaron Ober and Ian Taylor open with their usual back-and-forth before bringing in a guest to talk about nutrition for hockey families.
·53m·2 clips - 16
Episode 154 | End of Season Wrapup and Upcoming Evaluations
Breakaway closes its season with a wrap-up conversation from the OMHA.
·1h 12m·2 clips - 17
Episode 163 | How Coaches Can Create Connections With Players (Dr. Jody Carrington)
Aaron and Ian open near the end of the season with a rink story from a U7 gala day, where a simple giveaway turns into a reminder of how small moments stick with kids.
·1h 12m·3 clips - 18
Episode 149 | The Three Pillars of a Hockey Factory (Matt Dumochelle)
Aaron Wilber and Ian Taylor discuss minor hockey scheduling shifts and introduce Matt Dumichel, author of Hockey Factories, profiling elite youth development organizations worldwide that prioritize fun, retention, and long-term development over intensity.
·1h 16m·4 clips - 19
Episode 147 | Building Resiliency in your Players (Cara Morey)
Dec 20, 2022·21m - 20
Episode 146 | The Evolution of Incorporating Goalies Into Your Practice (Ryan Daniels)
Dec 1, 2022·1h 4m - 21
Episode 145 | Your Team's Quarter-Season Check-In (Michael Dundas)
Nov 18, 2022·51m - 22
Episode 144 | Opening the Door for New Hockey Fans (Rico Phillips)
Nov 4, 2022·1h 7m - 23
Episode 143 | Eat Smart, Play Well: Best Foods For Pre, Post-Game Meals (Seanna Thomas)
Oct 20, 2022·1h 6m - 24
Episode 142 | Skill Building in Modified Ice (Michael Dundas)
Oct 7, 2022·52m - 25
Episode 141 | Player Evaluations: From the First Session to Naming the Team (Michael Dundas)
Sep 22, 2022·1h 5m - 26
Episode 140 | Player Pathways
Sep 9, 2022·45m - 27
Episode 139 | When Dad is Coach (Jay McClement)
Apr 6, 2022·1h - 28
Episode 138 | Teaching Skating Skills to Players (Viktor Kraatz)
Mar 23, 2022·1h 29m - 29
Episode 137 | What It Means to Practice With a Purpose (Tom Ward)
Mar 9, 2022·1h 29m - 30
Episode 136 | Creating Situational Awareness (Brendan Taylor)
Feb 18, 2022·55m - 31
Episode 135 | Advice for Building the Best Outdoor Rink (Darren Dreger)
Jan 11, 2022·41m - 32
Episode 134 | Kennedy Talks About the Lessons of Beach Case (Sheldon Kennedy)
Dec 3, 2021·1h 7m - 33
Episode 133 | Developing the Modern Player (Scott Wheeler)
Nov 12, 2021·51m - 34
Episode 132 | Teaching Skills Over Drills (Derek Miller)
Oct 29, 2021·50m - 35
Episode 131 | The Secret to Team Fundraising (Mark Bachman)
Oct 14, 2021·40m - 36
Episode 130 | Making Roster Selection More Transparent (Chris Knutson)
Oct 1, 2021·56m - 37
Episode 129 | Welcome Back to a New Season! (Ian Taylor)
Sep 14, 2021·47m - 38
2020-2021 Season Finale
May 4, 2021·27m - 39
Episode 128 | The Benefits of the Player Pathways (Corey McNabb)
Apr 8, 2021·1h 32m - 40
Episode 127 | Building Good Habits in Skill Development (Scott Jones)
Mar 16, 2021·1h 2m - 41
Episode 126 | Advice for Building the Best Outdoor Rink ( Darren Dreger)
Mar 11, 2021·58m - 42
Episode 125 | Turning Off-Ice Training Into On-Ice Success (Tim Turk)
Feb 17, 2021·1h 9m - 43
Episode 124 | Willie O'Ree: Lessons in Social Justice & Racism (Bryant McBride)
Feb 1, 2021·1h 12m - 44
Episode 123 | Supporting Mental Health in Hockey Culture (Jessica Renney and Paula McQuaid)
Jan 21, 2021·1h 8m - 45
Episode 122 | Playing the Game the Right Way (Andre Tourigny)
Dec 15, 2020·59m - 46
Episode 121 | Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories (James Duthie)
Dec 1, 2020·53m - 47
Episode 120 | The Tale of the Undersized Defenceman (Mike Weaver)
Nov 18, 2020·1h 11m - 48
Episode 119 | Position Specialization – What Not to Do (Jamie Storr)
Nov 4, 2020·1h 20m - 49
Episode 118 | A Stanley Cup Champ's Advice for Minor Hockey Players (Barclay Goodrow)
Oct 20, 2020·49m - 50
Episode 117 | Social Media's Impact on Today's Players (Mike McKenzie)
Oct 8, 2020·59m - 51
Episode 116 | Why Player Evaluations Are Important (Aaron Wilbur)
Apr 22, 2020·28m - 52
Episode 115 | How Players Can Be Taught the Intangible Hockey Sense (Chris Wilson)
Apr 7, 2020·21m - 53
Episode 114 | Coaching Beyond the Xs and Os (Wayne McNeil)
Mar 25, 2020·22m - 54
Episode 113 | What It Takes to Lead Today's Players (Ken Hitchcock)
Mar 10, 2020·37m - 55
Episode 112 | What to Look for in an Off-Ice Training Program (Mark Fitzgerald)
Feb 25, 2020·22m - 56
Episode 111 | What The 'New Normal' Means for the Minor Hockey Experience (Scott Smith)
Feb 12, 2020·21m - 57
Episode 110 | How Coaches Can Be Life Long Learners (Wayne Parro)
Jan 28, 2020·22m - 58
Episode 109 | The Common Theme in Great Coaches (John O'Sullivan)
Jan 16, 2020·20m - 59
Episode 108 | What I Loved About Coaching Minor Hockey (Bob McKenzie)
Dec 18, 2019·38m - 60
Episode 107 | Hit. Stop. Sit. (Michael Dundas)
Dec 5, 2019·18m - 61
Episode 106 | How Coaches and the Parent Group Can Work Together (Aaron Wilbur)
Nov 21, 2019·20m - 62
Episode 105 | Improving the Player-Coach Relationship (Ray Ferraro)
Nov 5, 2019·41m - 63
Episode 104 | Adding a Simple Tweak to Your Favourite Drills (Corey McNabb)
Oct 22, 2019·26m - 64
Episode 103 | Creating More Offence in Front of the Net (Dave Manning)
Oct 8, 2019·17m - 65
Episode 102 | No Laps, No Lines, No Lectures (Dave Starman)
Sep 24, 2019·19m - 66
Episode 101 | The Confidence Formula
Apr 30, 2019·18m - 67
Episode 100 | An NHL Assistant Coach Weighs in on Development
Apr 16, 2019·23m - 68
Episode 99 | Effectively Using Video as a Teaching Tool
Apr 2, 2019·18m - 69
Episode 98 | Player Pathways
Mar 19, 2019·23m - 70
Episode 97 | Redefining Modern Hockey Tactics
Mar 6, 2019·23m - 71
Episode 96 | Our Country's Evolving Relationship with Hockey
Feb 19, 2019·26m - 72
Episode 95 | Teaching Good Offensive Habits
Feb 6, 2019·17m - 73
Episode 94 | "The Goal Was to See Where Hockey Could Take Me"
Jan 22, 2019·20m - 74
Episode 93 | The Most Important Line on the Ice You've Never Heard Of
Jan 8, 2019·26m - 75
Episode 92 | Making an Impact as a Coach
Dec 11, 2018·20m - 76
Episode 91 | All Players Can Benefit From Small Area Games
Nov 27, 2018·20m - 77
Episode 90 | The Buzzword of 'Culture'
Nov 13, 2018·22m - 78
Episode 89 | Building a Toolbox of Necessary Skills
Oct 30, 2018·20m - 79
Episode 88 | Establishing a Style of Play Through Practice
Oct 16, 2018·24m - 80
Episode 87 | The Difference Between Success and Winning
Oct 2, 2018·18m - 81
Episode 86 | Maximizing Practice Time
Sep 18, 2018·21m - 82
Episode 85 | Reducing Costs in the Hockey Budget
Apr 24, 2018·18m - 83
Episode 84 | Using Hockey to Build Communities
Apr 10, 2018·16m - 84
Episode 83 | How often should teams scrimmage during practice?
Mar 27, 2018·17m - 85
Episode 82 | The Importance of 'Grit' in Talent Development
Mar 13, 2018·19m - 86
Episode 81 | Do You Need a Captain in Minor Hockey?
Feb 27, 2018·16m - 87
Episode 80 | Grassroots to Gold
Feb 13, 2018·16m - 88
Episode 79 | When Should Players Pick a Position?
Jan 30, 2018·18m - 89
Episode 78 | What Makes a Good Coach?
Jan 16, 2018·15m - 90
Episode 77 | Having Fun in a Scaled Hockey Environment
Dec 12, 2017·16m - 91
Episode 76 | Should we ever shorten the bench in minor hockey?
Nov 28, 2017·16m - 92
Episode 75 | How Mindfulness Can Bring Success on the Ice
Nov 14, 2017·16m - 93
Episode 74 | How do we introduce Body Checking?
Oct 31, 2017·18m - 94
Episode 73 | How I Raised My Hockey Family
Oct 17, 2017·15m - 95
Episode 72 | The Vital Role of Officials
Oct 3, 2017·13m - 96
Episode 71 | The Impact of a 'Win at All Costs' Mentality
Sep 19, 2017·15m - 97
Episode 70 | Wrapping Up Season Two
May 5, 2017·10m - 98
Episode 69 | Why Hockey School Is A Good Idea
Apr 28, 2017·15m - 99
Episode 68 | Monitoring Success: How To Evaluate Minor Hockey Players
Apr 6, 2017·15m - 100
Episode 67 | Why The Dump & Chase Is Killing Skill (Rebroadcast)
Mar 30, 2017·24m - 101
Episode 66 | Shrinking the Playing Surface to Match the Age Group
Mar 23, 2017·16m - 102
Episode 65 | When Dad is Coach
Mar 16, 2017·16m - 103
Episode 64 | Building Hockey Community
Mar 9, 2017·18m - 104
Episode 63 | When In Doubt, Sit Out
Mar 2, 2017·22m - 105
Episode 62 | Where do Goals Come From?
Feb 23, 2017·19m - 106
Episode 61 | Talent VS Potential
Feb 17, 2017·21m - 107
Episode 60 | Tales with the Stanley Cup
Feb 9, 2017·17m - 108
Episode 59 | The Secret Ingredient to Great Coaching
Feb 3, 2017·17m - 109
Episode 58 - Revisiting the Royal Road
Jan 26, 2017·23m - 110
Episode 57 | 99 Stories from the Great One
Jan 19, 2017·11m - 111
Episode 56 | Foundations for Skill Development
Jan 12, 2017·18m - 112
Episode 55 | Why Do The "Best" Coaches Teach The Most Elite?
Jan 5, 2017·16m - 113
Episode 54 | Bob McKenzie: Hockey Confidential
Dec 29, 2016·17m - 114
Episode 53 | Best Holiday Hockey Memories
Dec 22, 2016·15m - 115
EPISODE 52 | The World Juinor Holiday Tradition
Dec 15, 2016·17m - 116
Episode 51 | Life Skills that Hockey Builds
Dec 8, 2016·15m - 117
Episode 50 | How Hockey Creates Community
Dec 1, 2016·18m - 118
Episode 49 | Playing Every Position
Nov 24, 2016·17m - 119
Episode 48 - Shortening the Bench
Nov 17, 2016·16m - 120
EPISODE 47 | The Science of Skill Development
Nov 10, 2016·18m - 121
Episode 46 | Age Appropriate Off-Ice Training
Nov 3, 2016·18m - 122
Episode 45 | Hockey Card Stories
Oct 27, 2016·19m - 123
Episode 44 | Evolving Role of Defencemen
Oct 20, 2016·14m - 124
Episode 43 | The 10,000 Hour Rule
Oct 13, 2016·14m - 125
EPISODE 42 | FUELING 3RD PERIOD PERFORMANCE
Oct 6, 2016·18m - 126
EPISODE 41 | Preparing for Body Contact
Oct 1, 2016·19m - 127
Episode 40 | Making the Most of Practice Time
Sep 22, 2016·14m - 128
EPISODE 39 | What Makes A Great Coach
Sep 15, 2016·22m - 129
EPISODE 38 | The Great Trophy Debate
Sep 8, 2016·22m - 130
EPISODE 37 | Are Our Kids too Tired to Move?
Sep 1, 2016·20m - 131
EPISODE 36 | The final buzzer sounds on season 1 of Breakaway
Apr 29, 2016·9m - 132
EPISODE 35 | Will My Kid Fall Behind Without Playing Summer Hockey
Apr 21, 2016·25m - 133
EPISODE 34 | The Tipping Point in Youth Sports
Apr 14, 2016·25m - 134
EPISODE 33 | Player Evaluation & Tryout Selection
Apr 7, 2016·28m - 135
EPISODE 32 | What Players Need to Succeed At the Next Level
Mar 31, 2016·25m - 136
EPISODE 31 | Coaching your kids team
Mar 24, 2016·25m - 137
EPISODE 30 | Living the Dream Through Your Children
Mar 17, 2016·28m - 138
EPISODE 29 | Measuring Skill in Hockey
Mar 10, 2016·26m - 139
EPISODE 28 | How Sport Psychology Can Help You Succeed
Mar 3, 2016·26m - 140
EPISODE 27 | Is Canada Still the Worldâs Goalie Super Power?
Feb 25, 2016·23m - 141
EPISODE 26 | Does Sport Specialization Hurt Our Young Athletes?
Feb 18, 2016·28m - 142
EPISODE 25 | The Most Important Line of the Ice You've Never Heard of
Feb 11, 2016·25m - 143
EPISODE 24 | Coach Selections
Feb 4, 2016·27m - 144
EPISODE 23 | All About Goalies
Jan 28, 2016·23m - 145
EPISODE 22 | Tech Savy Hockey
Jan 21, 2016·27m - 146
EPISODE 21 | Teaching Systems vs Teaching Skills
Jan 14, 2016·28m - 147
EPISODE 20 | The Art of Stick Handling
Jan 7, 2016·30m - 148
EPISODE 19 | Innovative Ways to Change the Game
Dec 31, 2015·17m - 149
EPISODE 18 | Will Canada Repeat at the 2016 World Junior Championships
Dec 24, 2015·26m - 150
EPISODE 17 | Earning Your Stripes
Dec 17, 2015·26m - 151
EPISODE 16 | Top Holiday Draft Picks
Dec 10, 2015·18m - 152
EPISODE 15 - Not Real Hockey? What are age appropriate sizes for minor hockey nets, ice, and pucks?
Dec 3, 2015·29m - 153
EPISODE 14 | Building An Outdoor Rink
Nov 26, 2015·33m - 154
EPISODE 13 | How do you build skilled hockey players?
Nov 19, 2015·30m - 155
EPISODE 12 | The right way to prepare your body for a game.
Nov 12, 2015·29m - 156
EPISODE 11 | Is dump and chase hockey undermining skill in our players?
Nov 5, 2015·25m - 157
EPISODE 10 | Being A Responsible Sport Parent
Oct 29, 2015·28m - 158
EPISODE 9 | How to Get More Kids Playing Hockey
Oct 22, 2015·24m - 159
EPISODE 8 | The Russian Way
Oct 15, 2015·27m - 160
EPISODE 7 | Planning A Better Practice
Oct 8, 2015·29m - 161
EPISODE 6 | The Changing Role of Defensemen
Oct 1, 2015·29m - 162
Episode 5 | Hockey Stick Technology
Sep 24, 2015·24m - 163
Episode 2 | Fueling Your Body For Gameday
Sep 17, 2015·29m - 164
Episode 3 | The Role of Parents In Player Development
Sep 17, 2015·26m - 165
Episode 4 | Leading the Game: The State of Minor Hockey With Tom Renney
Sep 17, 2015·29m - 166
Episode 1 | The Benefit of Building An Association Curriculum
Sep 9, 2015·35m