Dennis Kubat: Welcome back to episode 18 of the Mindset Pathways Podcast. I am your host, Dennis Kubat. Today we're sitting down with a guy who knows the game Knows the bombers, and has lived just about every side of the hockey world, Cole McKegg. From playing 123 games with the Flim Flon Bombers to coaching, recruiting, player development, and now stepping into the role of the head coach and general manager, Cole has built his career one relationship at a time. After spending seven seasons with the Bombers organization, Cole took his coaching journey to the Brooks Bandits before making his way back to Flynn Flon. This time with the keys to the organization. And this conversation goes beyond the X's and O's. Cole opens up about the lessons he's learned from Mike Reagan, what it really means to be an authentic leader, and how resilience and strong relationships can shape player's development both on and off the ice. We get into leadership, mental performance, player development, accountability, and building a winning culture. And what it takes to get a group of young athletes to believe in themselves, believe in each other, and ultimately believe they can win. There are some great stories, some honest lessons, and a lot of insight in what goes into building a successful hockey program. So whether you're a coach, player, parent, fan, or just someone who loves the game, there's plenty to take away from this one. So with that being said, I hope you enjoy my interview with Cole McKegg. Let's go! when you get offered that job to be the head coach of the Flin Flon Bombers, what's your first reaction?
Cole McCaig: I think just disbelief to be honest with you. Obviously working with Mike Reagan for seven years, there was kind of towards the end of that time, I I guess, you know, there we had a lot of conversations about me, you know, potentially taking over down the road and and everything like that. And I I think, you know, Mike had been in Flynn Flawn for seventeen, eighteen years. You know, from Mike.
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: That he had, you know, got offered and accepted a position with the Klona Rockets, which was obviously going to open up a potential return for me. it was disbelief, to be honest with you. I think it was that it was disbelief for everyone that Mike was going to be leaving. But yeah, I was extremely excited. I mean, there was no hesitation on my end. This was a job that I that I wanted for for quite some time now. I I felt like I had you know paid my dues as an assistant. I I felt like I was ready for this challenge and opportunity. And yeah, just I mean, I think the first feeling was disbelief, and then I was I was extremely thrilled to to get offered this position and come back here.
Dennis Kubat: being Mike Reagan's assistant coach for seven years, what would be a couple valuable lessons that you learned from him?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I I mean I I owe I owe a lot to to Mike. Obviously he's the one that gave me this opportunity, you know, to not just be the head coach here, but he he offered me my first, you know, coaching job in in in general, right? And I I think with with Mike I I learned a lot about being patient with the process and not rushing things and whether it was putting together a weekly plan or being patient with the the player selection process too. Like I I I don't think it's good to rush through things and And if you know maybe a player has a bad week of practice, not not writing them off, giving them time, working with your players and and trying to get the best out of them. you know, I think another thing that I learned through Rags was just, you know, how you know you need to have thick skin in in this position. There's there's no question about it. You you have you know people that are trying to tear you down. you know, there's a lot of pressure that comes with coaching influen flaw, and there's no question about it. I think if you're someone that doesn't have thick skin, you you definitely won't last, you know, working for the bombers and everything like that. So I I think those are two things that I learned from from Mike was just being patient with the process and and I think just having, you know, ignoring the noise outside, the outside noise and and having thick skin. Because again if if you let those things bother you that that you can't control then you won't last very long in in this industry.
Dennis Kubat: let's just go three sixty here and let's talk about like who Cole McKeg is. So if I just asked the simple question, how would you answer it? Who is Cole McKegg?
Cole McCaig: Hard working, detailed, very driven. there's two versions of me for sure. Like most people, I I think when it comes to things that I'm passionate about, I I'm very intense, I'm I'm very dialed. But I think if you ask my teammates that I played with and and some of my best friends, there's definitely you know, a little bit of a goofiness to me too for sure. I I know when to keep things light and and when to turn on that that that switch to you know dial dial it in and everything like that. I'm someone that you know, things that I care about I'm always gonna give a hundred and ten percent. I I I think I you know I know that I have weaknesses, there's no question about it. And and I think I have good self awareness skills where you know you know the things that I need to work on. It's it's something that I I try to attack every day. I'm definitely gore you know, I'm big on the process, trying to trying to get better every day. But yeah, I think just two versions of me, I I can be very dialed in, very intense, and then I I know when to turn that switch off and and and show that lighter side to me that I think a lot of my my best friends and teammates have seen, you know, numerous times.
Dennis Kubat: do you think Cole McKegg the player is similar to Cole McKegg the coach or is there quite a few differences?
Cole McCaig: I would say it's very very similar. You know, it's again, when I was a player, you know Again, I picked my spots as a teammate when to be goofy and when to keep the room light and everything like that. But I that was usually something after practice. Like I'm I I was someone that, you know, when I showed up to the rank, you know, for practice or workouts or games, like I was I was really dialed in. I wanted to get better. I you know, I I wanted to push for more minutes and a bigger, you know, bigger job in the lineup and everything like that. And you know, after practice that was kinda when you could, you know, let loose a little bit and that That's how I am as a coach too. It's you know, before practice, it's let's focus here, let's let's attack the the task at hand, and then when practice is done or it's you know near the end of practice and we're playing the small area game, then you know you you kind of show that lighter side for sure. But I I think that's important as a coach too, is just be authentic, be who you are. I think if you're you know trying to be someone you're not the entire time, people, players, they they see right through that, and I think you lose you lose some credibility right away if you're not true to who you are. So
Dennis Kubat: looking at your whole life, has there been a time in your life where your mindset was really challenged and how did you get through that?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think to be honest with you, last year in Brooks, my my mindset was was challenged a lot. You know, I'd been in Flynn Fuan as an assistant coach with Mike for seven years. I was stepping into unfamiliar territory, working with different people, working in a different organization. There was a lot of pressure in Brooks, you know, obviously with you know them winning a ch you know, they they haven't lost the last game of the season since 2018, right? So with Ryan Papuano, the the longtime head coach, you know, he moved on mid-August. There there was definitely a lot of pressure on on Coaches to uphold those standards and expectations that Ryan that Ryan built in Brooks. And there trust me, there were there were moments in Brooks where I, you know, what I was responsible for as a coach, we we weren't, you know, we weren't performing well. You know, we weren't getting the job done. And that that that was on me. You know, I was responsible for that area of the team, and and there was moments where I really questioned myself as a coach. coach there was a lot of self doubt creeping in. and yeah, I had some I had some tough moments as a coach. There was no question about it. And you gotta put a brave face on. You gotta show up to the rink thinking, you know, that you're you're fine, you know, and you gotta you gotta talk to yourself that you're fine and everything like that. But I'm a firm believer that you just gotta and I tell our guys this here, you know, you gotta outwork your problems. You you really do. So for me it was just put my head down and and go to work. and and I probably had to put in a lot more work than than other people did to solve these problems and and everything like that. But I think last year, you know, that was probably
Dennis Kubat: Mm.
Cole McCaig: a big moment in my career where I I was real my mindset was really challenged. And I think for us to kind of, you know, win a championship at the end of the day, that was a huge relief for for for myself and our group that just going through the add that adversity was was so big for all of us and myself.
Dennis Kubat: you won a championship in Brooks. Take me back to that moment. What did that feeling actually feel like? Why I say this is just working with previous coaches, obviously you work your whole life to be a champion and You have your party, maybe you have your parade, and then two days later it's it's back to work. And it's almost like it's wasn't there. would you say the process of winning the championship was a way better feeling, or just that moment when you were raising the trophy up?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think I think both. Like I think I think when you win the championship, in the moment, I mean it's again when I was in Flintflan, we got to three league finals in a row
Dennis Kubat: Yes.
Cole McCaig: and we lost every one of them, right? So you do get to the point where you feel like maybe you're a little bit cursed and you don't know if it's
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: gonna happen for you like we did. We did lose game one in the league final at home, against Nanaimo. So those those thoughts definitely creeped in a little bit, right? But you know, I think when that when that moment happens, I think for for us too, we we won on home ice, we won in overtime in game five to win the championship, which which was you know, a very unique experience. it it's hard to explain. It it really is when
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: when you do win, you you feel a wave of of different emotions. you know, you like like I mentioned on the last question there, just y you you put in so much work. You're you're with the guys all the time. you you you go through a lot of adversity together as a group and and to see us get through that adversity and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was it was such a good feeling and yeah, I mean Again, going through the process and everything like that. Once once the party's done and you have a few days, you know, to yourself, I mean you're you're you're pretty busy at those next two, three days being with the group and everything, but it didn't really sink in until maybe three or four days after that, you know, we had won. And you said, you know, personally for me, finally being able to get the job done, it was it was really cool. you definitely I feel like when you do win a championship, you do change. you know, I one of my good buddies that I played with in Flynn Fuan, Brett Bain, he won a national championship with York in in two thousand fourteen, I believe it was. And I remember I asked him like maybe a year after that or two years, and he's like, Man, your life changes. Like you just you feel so different after winning a championship and and everything like that. And and yeah, I mean it was it was obviously a really, really special moment for for us to be able to get the job done. And then obviously for Flynn Fuan to get the job done too in the same year
Dennis Kubat: Yes.
Cole McCaig: was was a really was a really cool experience too, I think.
Dennis Kubat: we'll start back where you were a young assistant coach with the Flynn Flon Bombers. When you were there, did you ever struggle with like your self talk or confidence or just that fear of failure and and believing in yourself as you're starting your first job as assistant coach with not a ton of experience? Did any of those thoughts ever creep in your head?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think so. I I think especially the first the first c you know, first year, first couple of years. I mean, I stepped in as a twenty five year old, fresh out of playing college hockey. I mean, I'm only at the time I was only five years older than guys that I was coaching and I know how how it works sometimes with players. They they look at your elite prospects page and you're like, Okay, this
Dennis Kubat: Mm-hmm.
Cole McCaig: guy was a a fourth line junior A player and, you know, his freshman year of college hockey had zero points in nineteen games. So what what does this guy know, right?
Dennis Kubat: Okay.
Cole McCaig: So you You definitely have a little bit of insecurities a little bit too, and maybe lack some confidence for sure. But again, just you know, you gotta be like I mentioned earlier, you gotta be true to yourself. I'm someone that I'll never admit that I know everything, and and when I do make a mistake, I'll I'll be the first one to admit that. And yeah, I mean, like like you like you said, earlier earlier years of my coaching career, I I definitely struggled with. With the the self-talk and and the confidence side of things for sure, but I think just I think when you when you put in the work for me, I I just tried to be the hardest worker on the team or with the group and and I think players respect that. I think when players would show up to the rink and they would see that I was the first p person at the rank putting in the work, you know, I was trying to lead by example that way too. I I think I gained a lot of respect from our players in that sense. Which which helped, you know, me being being able to coach them and and everything like that too. But yeah, I mean I it's definitely a lot different now, or it was definitely a lot different later on as an assistant coach compared to my first year or two. I think later on I was obviously a little bit more established. I think us having the success that we did in Flint One, I think that helped with my credibility a little bit too, just being a part of those teams and everything like that. But like like most people, I mean earlier. Early on in your career it's just all about establishing yourself and and I'm sure I'm sure everyone at the beginning of their career struggled with, you know, their confidence and and everything like that.
Dennis Kubat: Cole, love your answer. Two really big things that have shown up is when you talked about just being authentic before. I think that is so valuable for your players to see the ups and the downs and know that you don't know everything and you're there for them. And then just that hard work aspect. Like you said, if you're the first one at the rink and you can greet your players and they know you're putting in the work, I think that is such a bonus when it comes to coaching. now you've had the first. First two months as the head coach of the Flynn Flam Bombers, what have you learned in those first two months?
Cole McCaig: I mean, one thing is I can't do everything. That's that's a big one too. I think sometimes you know, when you go from being an assistant coach to the head coach, there's there's certain responsibilities and duties that you love doing as an assistant coach and you don't want to get rid of those, right? You wanna keep those to yourself and I've learned that I need to I need to delegate here. it's not just me. I I you know, I I need to surround myself with with really good people that are similar minded as well and I gotta do a good job of, you know, working with those people and and having them make me a better coach and hopefully I'm making them a better coach too. But yeah, I think that's probably one of the biggest things that I've learned is just that I can't I can't do everything. I need to prioritize and and execute. you know, I I think another thing that I've that I've learned as well is just the importance of having conversations with players. it's it's amazing. Like you right now, I mean obviously start Starting this job pretty late. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day to to get, you know, everything done that I want to get done. But I do think the the conversations with the players and and everything like that, whether it's you know, group meetings, leadership meetings, one-on-one meetings, trying to get as much information from them as I can to make our program better. And then at the same time too, just building those relationships with them as well. Like I think that's super important too. Like I can't just be a coach that you know I have my door closed the entire time and then we go out for practice. I run practice and then I'm hiding in my office. Like I need to be out in the dressing room interacting with players and and getting to know them and and and checking in on them and and everything like that. So I mean again can do everything and then just the importance of you know building those relationships and and communicating with guys you know every day basically
Dennis Kubat: are you big on having like that player led dressing room or are you more of a coach led you tell them dressing room? And what would that balance look like?
Cole McCaig: I I think at the end of the day you know, you you definitely don't wanna let the players make the decisions. I I think that that can lead to disaster later on, potentially for sure. But I do think it's extremely important to have conversations with the players and I'm big on empowering my my twenty year olds and my leadership group to help us coaches make decisions. you know, like whether it's team building stuff, whether it's what practice looks like. I mean there's gonna be right now everything's Good, the weather's good. We've only played one game. We're one and right now, but the dog days are gonna be ahead of us. You know, the weather's gonna get a little bit, you know, you know, it's not gonna be great up here in in December,
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: then we're gonna go through adversity as a group, and and I might have things planned for the group, and and I'm big on having the leadership group come in. And if they tell me, hey, we're guy a lot of guys are sick, a lot of guys are really banged up and tired, like I don't know what you had planned for today, but maybe. Maybe we do this, you know, like I'm all for that. Like I it's not my way or the highway. It's you know, I I'm big on empowering my players to help us coaches make decisions and then it's up to us coaches to to make that make that decision and everything like that, you know. So and I think the players respect that too. I think it gives them a little bit of ownership on them as well and and then it's kind of one of those things where, you know, if if it works, well it's we all played a part in that and that's great. And then if we if we make a decision and it doesn't work out, well then it kinda falls on all of us as a group. You know, it falls on me for sure as the primary leader, but I think giving the players the ownership and and to make those help make those decisions, I I think that's really important.
Dennis Kubat: Yeah, I agree totally with you. Just having the players have that ownership. I think that provides such a better like culture and such a better environment for your program. I also think as a coach, you gotta be that person that's bringing that energy every day to the rink. So are there certain things that you do, coach? Do you have any certain routines that you have to do in the morning before you go to the rink so that when you're there, all right, it's Cole McKegg the coach, but I gotta make sure I am being the leader, I am bringing energy, I'm bringing positivity. How do you get yourself ready to perform at your best?
Cole McCaig: I'm a big routine guy. There's there's no question about it. Again, my teammates would they probably have some good stories of my routine before games and and everything like that. But right now it is tough. I mean it's a busy time of the year at night. I'm I'm constantly working at night, but once things slow down, I do like to read before bed to just kind of shut my brain off from hockey. it allows me to, you know, fall asleep at a decent time too. I I I am a morning person. person I like to get up early. I think just, you know, a as crazy as it sounds, I mean having a shower is it's amazing the difference. You know what I mean? It wakes yourself up. you know, I'm a big big coffee guy, big in the you know, I'm probably a caffeine addict for sure, but
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: I like to be I like to be the first person at the rink every day. I I do like to have a little bit of quiet time for about, you know, twenty, twenty-five minutes until the rest of the staff shows up. Just allows me to kind of collect my thoughts and and get ready for practice and everything like that. But yeah, like, you know, I try to greet every player when they when they arrive at the rink. It was something that we didn't Where if we had it was a mandatory rule. Like the players had to they walk by the coach's office going into the dressing room. Like we have to we have to greet each other. We have to say morning to each other. And I think just even those slight, those small interactions, they they wake you up in the day, I find. Whereas like if you're just, you know, doors closed, you're not talking to anyone, and then your first interaction with people is on the ice running practice. I feel like you're not going to be as prepared for that. I think I think having a balanced lifestyle definitely helps with your energy level at the rank too. I think if you're just if it's just hockey, hockey, hockey the entire time, then I think by the time you arrive at the rank, you can feel maybe a little bit burnt out. So I I do think it is important to have other hobbies. You know, like I said, reading before bri bed. I I really do enjoy working out. I think that helps with, you know, my mental health and everything like that too. But yeah, I think you just you need balance balance in life in in your life so then when you show up to the rank you're you're excited to be there. You know, so that's kind of how I attack my day and and make sure that I have that that energy that that our guys need, you know
Dennis Kubat: you said your players have some funny stories about your pregame routine. Can you tell us a couple of the things that you used to do in your pregame?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, well like I used to yeah, like I was I was a character for sure. Like I used to I used to drink like an endless amount of water. So I would be going to the bathroom probably like ten to twelve times. you know, before warm ups, you know, in between warm ups, everything like that. you know, I I napped at the same time, I I ate at the same time. you know, I had a r like a stretching routine that I know I that I would always do at the exact same time. in college, me and one buddy, we would always go grab a football and we would go and just run routes and and we did this at the exact same time before the game and and everything like that. And and yeah, like I would you know, I would go to the bathroom at the same time before games and everything like that. And yeah, like just again, very I I was an interesting guy for Sure. When it came to preparing for games and everything like that.
Dennis Kubat: we know hockey is a mindset, mental performance game. I probably personally seventy five, eighty percent of the game is the mental side. with your program this year, how do you plan on implementing mindset into the Flim Flont bombers?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, so one thing that we're gonna be doing differently this year is we actually we're we're putting together individual development plans for for each player and and so how these individual development plans look is you know we're gonna be you know we're gonna be meeting with each player once a month. We're gonna go through what their, you know, physical tool strengths, weaknesses are and then what are their mental tool strengths and weaknesses are and then we we put together you know a a plan, you know, three areas of focus that, you know, that player and and the staff wants that individual to work on and you know, not all three are gonna be, you know, mental based, but I think, you know, one or two will be for sure. And I think that allows us coaches to again, we're gonna be able to give players feedback on a frequent basis. There's not gonna be gray area. And then also I I think too just I think meeting with your players one on one once a month. It's it g it allows us coaches to get to know the player a as a human being and and you know what do your parents do? What are you, you know, do you any siblings? It also allows us to check in on their mental health and see
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: how things are going, right? Are they are they enjoying their time here? How do they like it at their billets? You know, like a lot of players that come here, they come here from pretty far away. You know, we have a kid here from you know Anaheim. We have a kid, a couple kids from, you know, BC that are here, kids from Quebec. We, you know, we've had kids from Newfoundland here. They they come pretty far away from home at a young age. And and so I think it's a Important for us staff to be able to check in on their mental health and and everything like that. So that's something that we're going to be doing a little bit differently here in Flynn Fuan is just, you know, working with our guys, you know, when it comes to the mental side of things and and and checking in on them and and everything like that. you know, obviously it's it's a really big year in Flynn Fuan. It's it's the hundredth year. It's a very unique experience for for all of us. You know, the not everyone can say that they were a part of an organization's a hundredth year. year with that comes a lot of pressure. There's there's no question about it. And and we've had a couple conversations as a group about that pressure and and how big of a year this is and and I just kind of you know I I stress to them that it's just you know we gotta we gotta do our best job that we can to you know block out the noise. You know there's gonna be a lot of outside noise. people are gonna put a lot of pressure on us but all that matters is just you know the the 25 26 players in the dressing room, you know, staff like this is kind of all that we we want to focus on is just us 30, the the 30 people that are in this in this dressing room and and try not to make the situation bigger than it needs to be, I think. The situation's big there's no question about it. But I think if you try to make the situation bigger than what it is, I think that can that can you know hinder your performance on the ice and and everything like that. So it it's a little bit
Dennis Kubat: Process over outcome. I know we were both players and everyone loves scoring goals, getting points. How do you have those conversations with your players on just trusting that process? If you're doing A, B, and C, it's going to give you the best chance to produce that outcome. I know we're in such an outcome-based society where it's so easy to go on social media or go on the internet and look, like you said, at your elite prospect. how do we really focus and get our guys to focus on that process?
Cole McCaig: I think just again having a a day to day approach to it, attacking each day. I I think if you if I think if you're so focused on Friday nights if if it's Monday and you're so focused on Friday night's game and you're not putting in the work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, then you're not gonna give yourself the the best chance to have success, you know, come Friday night. So I really stress to the guys about how, you know, you you you play how you practice. If you're gonna practice poorly throughout the week, then you're not gonna put yourself in in the best situation to have success and Again, like you said, I mean, process over outcome. If you're not if you're not taking care of the process, then, you know, the outcome's not gonna be what you want it to be, you know? And and we kind of we control the process in a way, right? With our work ethic and our attitude and and the things that we can control and and everything like that. And and like I said at the beginning, I mean, you know, you just gotta outwork your problems. You really do. You're there's gonna be some days
Dennis Kubat: Yes.
Cole McCaig: where maybe you're not feeling at your best or maybe you're practicing a little bit banged up, but if you outwork your problems, that's gonna that's gonna help you, you know, immensely. And and I think that's gonna help your mental game too, where it's just like, hey, I I got through I you know, I was still able to have an impact today in practice while I wasn't feeling my best and and then come playoff time you can kind of rely on on that experience. But yeah, I I think just again trying to attack each day, not worrying about tomorrow until until it's the next day. But yeah like I said, I I think if you worry too much about the outcome and worry too much about things that are too far ahead in advance, then you're gonna you're gonna forget about what what it takes to put yourself in that best position to have success, you know, come Friday or come playoff time.
Dennis Kubat: And the best thing about hard work, Cole, is you got 100% control over it. So
Cole McCaig: percent yeah.
Dennis Kubat: what are your thoughts on when I say athletes have changed over time or over the years? What are your thoughts when I say that?
Cole McCaig: it's spot on, you know, I I think athletes these days they definitely invest way more time in in the development side of things and and you know the off season training is is way more intense now than it was, probably back when when I played and you played. I think players these days they invest a lot of their time in the skill development side of things. That's something that's kind of newer in the last, you know, ten, twelve years. A lot of players these days have, mental performance coaches too, which, again, back in the day that wasn't really a thing, right? So I think athletes these days i have changed, I think for the better. I I really do. I think they they invest more time and and getting better as hockey players and and as human beings too. yeah, i it's definitely different. There's no question about it. There's pros and cons, I think, with how things have changed. but I think when it comes to the you know, the development side of things, again, I think players these days definitely put in more work to to get better on and off the ice for sure.
Dennis Kubat: Do you think you've had to change as a coach over your eight, nine years of coaching?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I think so. I I think I think probably my first couple of years, like I think COVID when COVID happened, I think I think the world changed in a lot of different ways. Right. And I think I think my first couple of years coaching, it was you know, it was I mean again, we're still we're big on accountability here. We're we're still demanding and everything like that. But I do think that a lot of people's mental health really hindered during the whole COVID thing. And so I I think as coaches now you definitely, you know, like I said earlier on, you know, we have to invest our time and in the one-on-one meetings with our players and communicating with them and building relationships with them and and checking in on them and and seeing if they're if they're good. You know, if if they're not good, then we gotta make sure that we're giving them the resources and tools to to get better. And I I think I think now it's as a coach, you just you need to be more patient with your players and more understanding of certain situations. Whereas I think before, I I think maybe just, you know, the term or you know, guys would get labeled soft, right? And
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: I I don't think that's the case anymore. I think I think a lot of players these days they go through some mental health things and and I think it's valid for sure. And and I think as us coaches it's it's important for us to to make sure that we're you know we we we have a a really good relationship with our players where they feel comfortable enough to be Able to, you know, come chat with us about things, whether it's hockey related or non-hockey related. So I think the whole intimidation thing and and players not being comfortable, you know, going into the coach's office to to speak with them. I I think those days should I mean I'm st I'm sure there's still coaches out there that have that same approach, but I do think that those days should be behind us. I I think players need to be comfortable talking with their coaches about everything.
Dennis Kubat: one of my favorite sayings is you have to model the behavior you want from your players. So how would you fill in this coach? if I want my players to be blank, I need to b be blank. What is one word that you would use?
Cole McCaig: resilient, I think. Just again, as coaches we go through adversity throughout the season. Our our players are gonna go through adversity throughout the season. We're gonna go through adversity as a group. I think it's extremely important that, you know, when I when I go through adversity myself, I'm you know, I I'm I still have a great attitude, my body language is still really good. I'm not moping around like I as the primary leader, like I I kinda set the tone of how the day's gonna look. If I show up and I'm moping around and I have bad body length And I don't have any energy, well, the players are gonna feed off of that and they're gonna have no energy for practice, right? So for our guys, it's again, we're gonna go through adversity as a group. We gotta be resilient. That's the number one thing. and if we aren't resilient, then it's gonna be, you know, that's kind of when the train, you know, goes off the tracks pretty quick, right? So I think just resil being being resilient is is my my approach, I guess.
Dennis Kubat: I love that. we're gonna just do a little rapid fire here. Okay, so your first thoughts that come to mind. So favorite NHL team,
Cole McCaig: Montreal.
Dennis Kubat: NHL player.
Cole McCaig: Alex Ovachkin.
Dennis Kubat: your best quote.
Cole McCaig: Best quote. that's a good that's a tough one, Dennis. Yeah, best best quote. I think just like when you know, we have one in the dressing room, it's like hard work beats talent when when talent doesn't work.
Dennis Kubat: I know you said you're a big reader. Do you have a couple of books that you would recommend?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, there's one called the franchise. it I forget who wrote it, but it's this author, this he's a journalist, sorry. He he interviewed, you know, about eight or nine different general managers around the NHL and and you know, like Kyle Dubis and Breeze Wall and Jim Nill and and I'm blanking here. He's with Vegas. He's not the GM anymore.
Dennis Kubat: Cram it.
Cole McCaig: Not McCrimen, it was the guy McPhee, George
Dennis Kubat: Brew.
Cole McCaig: McPhee. And yeah, i it's a really good book. They talk about, you know, different certain different situations and stuff like that, about you know, managing NHL teams and and you know, the Kyle Dubas one when he was with the Leafs. It was really, really interesting, just some of the f his comments and and you know, handling those young players, NHL contracts, you know, and and with George McPhee, you know, talked a lot about in Washington. and and you know when they weren't able to get the job done and and then Bri I think it was Brian McCullough and ended up coming in and they had to they had some dilemmas there. I think that there was talks of them maybe potentially you know trading Ovechkin away and Nicholas Baxstrom had actually asked for a trade out of Washington and it was like a quiet trade request like no one knew about it.
Dennis Kubat: Mm-hmm.
Cole McCaig: It was I think it was when they lost out to Pittsburgh in the second round for probably like the fifth time.
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: And I guess Baxstrom went in and, you know, during his exit meeting and just said, like, something needs to change. Like I think like I should go and you know, Brian ended up just kind of sticking with the same group and trusting the process and staying patient and and then it was the next year they ended up winning the Stanley Cup finally, right? So I love that book. That's a really good read. you know, I I'm big on Phil Jackson's book. I think it's called Eleven Rings. Like that's a really good book. Talks
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: a lot about, you know, the the dynasty that they had in Chicago and then Phil going over to A and creating That dynasty there as well. those are two two good books that I like. I mean, Steve Kerr's book. yeah, I'm big on like the, reading like Brian Burke, that book's really good too. Anything coach related or GM related's really good. I do like to mix in the odd book where it's more so maybe a little bit more of a a personality like like a Sean Avery or
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: like a Jeremy Roanick. Mix in something like that. Just so that my mind isn't always just completely dialed into to coaching and stuff. But those would be those would be some of my favorite books for sure.
Dennis Kubat: Do you have a favorite podcast?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think I really like the the glass and out one. You know, that that's a really good one. They they always have some really good guests on it at at all different levels. They've had junior A guys, they've had N CAA guys, NHL guys. I I learn a ton through those podcasts a lot too. Sometimes like when I'm at the gym I'll throw them on or, you know, the the eight hour drive from Brandon to Flynn Fon, I can get through about, you know, four or five episodes. But yeah, glass and out's a really good one.
Dennis Kubat: I know you said you're a big routine guy. Is there something in your morning routine that you can't miss?
Cole McCaig: XL coffee right here. Yeah,
Dennis Kubat: Ha ha ha.
Cole McCaig: no one I need my coffee for sure. once once I have my coffee then then I'm then I'm good to go.
Dennis Kubat: If you weren't coaching, what would you be doing?
Cole McCaig: Definitely something in hockey. I you know, I I'd probably be I mean a a scout or i I think an an advisor. I think I think I would be pretty good at both of those. I've never to be honest with you, I've never really thought about not being in the game. I I think if it was something non-hockey related, I think I think being a phys ed teacher, a high school phys ed teacher would be a lot of fun. that would be something that I guess non hockey related that I would do, I guess.
Dennis Kubat: how can my audience best support the Flim Flam bombers?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I think just, you know, obviously we got social media channels, you know, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. we we post a lot of our footage on YouTube as well. I I think that's That's a great way to stay connected with with our organization. I mean, you look up the Flynn Flon Bombers on YouTube and you're gonna find a a lot of unique videos, a lot of really cool, you know, recruitment videos from the past. You're gonna see probably some line brawls. You're probably gonna see you know, Weyburn taking the you know, the moose leg at center ice and causing
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: a huge, you know, brawl around you know, in their own end and everything like that. But yeah, I I think just any any audience members that are in Saskatchewan around, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina, if you ever want to check out a game. I mean we're we're always playing, you know, in surrounding communities. I I think if anyone has the chance to go to a a playoff game in in Flintflan, it's it's a different beast. I mean the atmosphere, it's it's electric in there. It and Anytime someone talks about going to a playoff game in Flint Floan, it's it's different. You know, it's just it's electric, the fans are are loud and it's it's just it's hard to explain until you until you experience a a playoff game here in Flin Fuan
Dennis Kubat: Personally I'm I wish you nothing but the best going forward. Both number thirty nines, both routine focused. I don't think there's anyone better to take over this job than you for Mike Greg and so I wish you nothing but the best. You got a fan in me, man, and
Cole McCaig: Yeah.
Dennis Kubat: continued success.
Cole McCaig: Yeah, thanks Dennis.
Cole McCaig: I think just disbelief to be honest with you. Obviously working with Mike Reagan for seven years, there was kind of towards the end of that time, I I guess, you know, there we had a lot of conversations about me, you know, potentially taking over down the road and and everything like that. And I I think, you know, Mike had been in Flynn Flawn for seventeen, eighteen years. You know, from Mike.
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: That he had, you know, got offered and accepted a position with the Klona Rockets, which was obviously going to open up a potential return for me. it was disbelief, to be honest with you. I think it was that it was disbelief for everyone that Mike was going to be leaving. But yeah, I was extremely excited. I mean, there was no hesitation on my end. This was a job that I that I wanted for for quite some time now. I I felt like I had you know paid my dues as an assistant. I I felt like I was ready for this challenge and opportunity. And yeah, just I mean, I think the first feeling was disbelief, and then I was I was extremely thrilled to to get offered this position and come back here.
Dennis Kubat: being Mike Reagan's assistant coach for seven years, what would be a couple valuable lessons that you learned from him?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I I mean I I owe I owe a lot to to Mike. Obviously he's the one that gave me this opportunity, you know, to not just be the head coach here, but he he offered me my first, you know, coaching job in in in general, right? And I I think with with Mike I I learned a lot about being patient with the process and not rushing things and whether it was putting together a weekly plan or being patient with the the player selection process too. Like I I I don't think it's good to rush through things and And if you know maybe a player has a bad week of practice, not not writing them off, giving them time, working with your players and and trying to get the best out of them. you know, I think another thing that I learned through Rags was just, you know, how you know you need to have thick skin in in this position. There's there's no question about it. You you have you know people that are trying to tear you down. you know, there's a lot of pressure that comes with coaching influen flaw, and there's no question about it. I think if you're someone that doesn't have thick skin, you you definitely won't last, you know, working for the bombers and everything like that. So I I think those are two things that I learned from from Mike was just being patient with the process and and I think just having, you know, ignoring the noise outside, the outside noise and and having thick skin. Because again if if you let those things bother you that that you can't control then you won't last very long in in this industry.
Dennis Kubat: let's just go three sixty here and let's talk about like who Cole McKeg is. So if I just asked the simple question, how would you answer it? Who is Cole McKegg?
Cole McCaig: Hard working, detailed, very driven. there's two versions of me for sure. Like most people, I I think when it comes to things that I'm passionate about, I I'm very intense, I'm I'm very dialed. But I think if you ask my teammates that I played with and and some of my best friends, there's definitely you know, a little bit of a goofiness to me too for sure. I I know when to keep things light and and when to turn on that that that switch to you know dial dial it in and everything like that. I'm someone that you know, things that I care about I'm always gonna give a hundred and ten percent. I I I think I you know I know that I have weaknesses, there's no question about it. And and I think I have good self awareness skills where you know you know the things that I need to work on. It's it's something that I I try to attack every day. I'm definitely gore you know, I'm big on the process, trying to trying to get better every day. But yeah, I think just two versions of me, I I can be very dialed in, very intense, and then I I know when to turn that switch off and and and show that lighter side to me that I think a lot of my my best friends and teammates have seen, you know, numerous times.
Dennis Kubat: do you think Cole McKegg the player is similar to Cole McKegg the coach or is there quite a few differences?
Cole McCaig: I would say it's very very similar. You know, it's again, when I was a player, you know Again, I picked my spots as a teammate when to be goofy and when to keep the room light and everything like that. But I that was usually something after practice. Like I'm I I was someone that, you know, when I showed up to the rank, you know, for practice or workouts or games, like I was I was really dialed in. I wanted to get better. I you know, I I wanted to push for more minutes and a bigger, you know, bigger job in the lineup and everything like that. And you know, after practice that was kinda when you could, you know, let loose a little bit and that That's how I am as a coach too. It's you know, before practice, it's let's focus here, let's let's attack the the task at hand, and then when practice is done or it's you know near the end of practice and we're playing the small area game, then you know you you kind of show that lighter side for sure. But I I think that's important as a coach too, is just be authentic, be who you are. I think if you're you know trying to be someone you're not the entire time, people, players, they they see right through that, and I think you lose you lose some credibility right away if you're not true to who you are. So
Dennis Kubat: looking at your whole life, has there been a time in your life where your mindset was really challenged and how did you get through that?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think to be honest with you, last year in Brooks, my my mindset was was challenged a lot. You know, I'd been in Flynn Fuan as an assistant coach with Mike for seven years. I was stepping into unfamiliar territory, working with different people, working in a different organization. There was a lot of pressure in Brooks, you know, obviously with you know them winning a ch you know, they they haven't lost the last game of the season since 2018, right? So with Ryan Papuano, the the longtime head coach, you know, he moved on mid-August. There there was definitely a lot of pressure on on Coaches to uphold those standards and expectations that Ryan that Ryan built in Brooks. And there trust me, there were there were moments in Brooks where I, you know, what I was responsible for as a coach, we we weren't, you know, we weren't performing well. You know, we weren't getting the job done. And that that that was on me. You know, I was responsible for that area of the team, and and there was moments where I really questioned myself as a coach. coach there was a lot of self doubt creeping in. and yeah, I had some I had some tough moments as a coach. There was no question about it. And you gotta put a brave face on. You gotta show up to the rink thinking, you know, that you're you're fine, you know, and you gotta you gotta talk to yourself that you're fine and everything like that. But I'm a firm believer that you just gotta and I tell our guys this here, you know, you gotta outwork your problems. You you really do. So for me it was just put my head down and and go to work. and and I probably had to put in a lot more work than than other people did to solve these problems and and everything like that. But I think last year, you know, that was probably
Dennis Kubat: Mm.
Cole McCaig: a big moment in my career where I I was real my mindset was really challenged. And I think for us to kind of, you know, win a championship at the end of the day, that was a huge relief for for for myself and our group that just going through the add that adversity was was so big for all of us and myself.
Dennis Kubat: you won a championship in Brooks. Take me back to that moment. What did that feeling actually feel like? Why I say this is just working with previous coaches, obviously you work your whole life to be a champion and You have your party, maybe you have your parade, and then two days later it's it's back to work. And it's almost like it's wasn't there. would you say the process of winning the championship was a way better feeling, or just that moment when you were raising the trophy up?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think I think both. Like I think I think when you win the championship, in the moment, I mean it's again when I was in Flintflan, we got to three league finals in a row
Dennis Kubat: Yes.
Cole McCaig: and we lost every one of them, right? So you do get to the point where you feel like maybe you're a little bit cursed and you don't know if it's
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: gonna happen for you like we did. We did lose game one in the league final at home, against Nanaimo. So those those thoughts definitely creeped in a little bit, right? But you know, I think when that when that moment happens, I think for for us too, we we won on home ice, we won in overtime in game five to win the championship, which which was you know, a very unique experience. it it's hard to explain. It it really is when
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: when you do win, you you feel a wave of of different emotions. you know, you like like I mentioned on the last question there, just y you you put in so much work. You're you're with the guys all the time. you you you go through a lot of adversity together as a group and and to see us get through that adversity and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was it was such a good feeling and yeah, I mean Again, going through the process and everything like that. Once once the party's done and you have a few days, you know, to yourself, I mean you're you're you're pretty busy at those next two, three days being with the group and everything, but it didn't really sink in until maybe three or four days after that, you know, we had won. And you said, you know, personally for me, finally being able to get the job done, it was it was really cool. you definitely I feel like when you do win a championship, you do change. you know, I one of my good buddies that I played with in Flynn Fuan, Brett Bain, he won a national championship with York in in two thousand fourteen, I believe it was. And I remember I asked him like maybe a year after that or two years, and he's like, Man, your life changes. Like you just you feel so different after winning a championship and and everything like that. And and yeah, I mean it was it was obviously a really, really special moment for for us to be able to get the job done. And then obviously for Flynn Fuan to get the job done too in the same year
Dennis Kubat: Yes.
Cole McCaig: was was a really was a really cool experience too, I think.
Dennis Kubat: we'll start back where you were a young assistant coach with the Flynn Flon Bombers. When you were there, did you ever struggle with like your self talk or confidence or just that fear of failure and and believing in yourself as you're starting your first job as assistant coach with not a ton of experience? Did any of those thoughts ever creep in your head?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think so. I I think especially the first the first c you know, first year, first couple of years. I mean, I stepped in as a twenty five year old, fresh out of playing college hockey. I mean, I'm only at the time I was only five years older than guys that I was coaching and I know how how it works sometimes with players. They they look at your elite prospects page and you're like, Okay, this
Dennis Kubat: Mm-hmm.
Cole McCaig: guy was a a fourth line junior A player and, you know, his freshman year of college hockey had zero points in nineteen games. So what what does this guy know, right?
Dennis Kubat: Okay.
Cole McCaig: So you You definitely have a little bit of insecurities a little bit too, and maybe lack some confidence for sure. But again, just you know, you gotta be like I mentioned earlier, you gotta be true to yourself. I'm someone that I'll never admit that I know everything, and and when I do make a mistake, I'll I'll be the first one to admit that. And yeah, I mean, like like you like you said, earlier earlier years of my coaching career, I I definitely struggled with. With the the self-talk and and the confidence side of things for sure, but I think just I think when you when you put in the work for me, I I just tried to be the hardest worker on the team or with the group and and I think players respect that. I think when players would show up to the rink and they would see that I was the first p person at the rank putting in the work, you know, I was trying to lead by example that way too. I I think I gained a lot of respect from our players in that sense. Which which helped, you know, me being being able to coach them and and everything like that too. But yeah, I mean I it's definitely a lot different now, or it was definitely a lot different later on as an assistant coach compared to my first year or two. I think later on I was obviously a little bit more established. I think us having the success that we did in Flint One, I think that helped with my credibility a little bit too, just being a part of those teams and everything like that. But like like most people, I mean earlier. Early on in your career it's just all about establishing yourself and and I'm sure I'm sure everyone at the beginning of their career struggled with, you know, their confidence and and everything like that.
Dennis Kubat: Cole, love your answer. Two really big things that have shown up is when you talked about just being authentic before. I think that is so valuable for your players to see the ups and the downs and know that you don't know everything and you're there for them. And then just that hard work aspect. Like you said, if you're the first one at the rink and you can greet your players and they know you're putting in the work, I think that is such a bonus when it comes to coaching. now you've had the first. First two months as the head coach of the Flynn Flam Bombers, what have you learned in those first two months?
Cole McCaig: I mean, one thing is I can't do everything. That's that's a big one too. I think sometimes you know, when you go from being an assistant coach to the head coach, there's there's certain responsibilities and duties that you love doing as an assistant coach and you don't want to get rid of those, right? You wanna keep those to yourself and I've learned that I need to I need to delegate here. it's not just me. I I you know, I I need to surround myself with with really good people that are similar minded as well and I gotta do a good job of, you know, working with those people and and having them make me a better coach and hopefully I'm making them a better coach too. But yeah, I think that's probably one of the biggest things that I've learned is just that I can't I can't do everything. I need to prioritize and and execute. you know, I I think another thing that I've that I've learned as well is just the importance of having conversations with players. it's it's amazing. Like you right now, I mean obviously start Starting this job pretty late. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day to to get, you know, everything done that I want to get done. But I do think the the conversations with the players and and everything like that, whether it's you know, group meetings, leadership meetings, one-on-one meetings, trying to get as much information from them as I can to make our program better. And then at the same time too, just building those relationships with them as well. Like I think that's super important too. Like I can't just be a coach that you know I have my door closed the entire time and then we go out for practice. I run practice and then I'm hiding in my office. Like I need to be out in the dressing room interacting with players and and getting to know them and and and checking in on them and and everything like that. So I mean again can do everything and then just the importance of you know building those relationships and and communicating with guys you know every day basically
Dennis Kubat: are you big on having like that player led dressing room or are you more of a coach led you tell them dressing room? And what would that balance look like?
Cole McCaig: I I think at the end of the day you know, you you definitely don't wanna let the players make the decisions. I I think that that can lead to disaster later on, potentially for sure. But I do think it's extremely important to have conversations with the players and I'm big on empowering my my twenty year olds and my leadership group to help us coaches make decisions. you know, like whether it's team building stuff, whether it's what practice looks like. I mean there's gonna be right now everything's Good, the weather's good. We've only played one game. We're one and right now, but the dog days are gonna be ahead of us. You know, the weather's gonna get a little bit, you know, you know, it's not gonna be great up here in in December,
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: then we're gonna go through adversity as a group, and and I might have things planned for the group, and and I'm big on having the leadership group come in. And if they tell me, hey, we're guy a lot of guys are sick, a lot of guys are really banged up and tired, like I don't know what you had planned for today, but maybe. Maybe we do this, you know, like I'm all for that. Like I it's not my way or the highway. It's you know, I I'm big on empowering my players to help us coaches make decisions and then it's up to us coaches to to make that make that decision and everything like that, you know. So and I think the players respect that too. I think it gives them a little bit of ownership on them as well and and then it's kind of one of those things where, you know, if if it works, well it's we all played a part in that and that's great. And then if we if we make a decision and it doesn't work out, well then it kinda falls on all of us as a group. You know, it falls on me for sure as the primary leader, but I think giving the players the ownership and and to make those help make those decisions, I I think that's really important.
Dennis Kubat: Yeah, I agree totally with you. Just having the players have that ownership. I think that provides such a better like culture and such a better environment for your program. I also think as a coach, you gotta be that person that's bringing that energy every day to the rink. So are there certain things that you do, coach? Do you have any certain routines that you have to do in the morning before you go to the rink so that when you're there, all right, it's Cole McKegg the coach, but I gotta make sure I am being the leader, I am bringing energy, I'm bringing positivity. How do you get yourself ready to perform at your best?
Cole McCaig: I'm a big routine guy. There's there's no question about it. Again, my teammates would they probably have some good stories of my routine before games and and everything like that. But right now it is tough. I mean it's a busy time of the year at night. I'm I'm constantly working at night, but once things slow down, I do like to read before bed to just kind of shut my brain off from hockey. it allows me to, you know, fall asleep at a decent time too. I I I am a morning person. person I like to get up early. I think just, you know, a as crazy as it sounds, I mean having a shower is it's amazing the difference. You know what I mean? It wakes yourself up. you know, I'm a big big coffee guy, big in the you know, I'm probably a caffeine addict for sure, but
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: I like to be I like to be the first person at the rink every day. I I do like to have a little bit of quiet time for about, you know, twenty, twenty-five minutes until the rest of the staff shows up. Just allows me to kind of collect my thoughts and and get ready for practice and everything like that. But yeah, like, you know, I try to greet every player when they when they arrive at the rink. It was something that we didn't Where if we had it was a mandatory rule. Like the players had to they walk by the coach's office going into the dressing room. Like we have to we have to greet each other. We have to say morning to each other. And I think just even those slight, those small interactions, they they wake you up in the day, I find. Whereas like if you're just, you know, doors closed, you're not talking to anyone, and then your first interaction with people is on the ice running practice. I feel like you're not going to be as prepared for that. I think I think having a balanced lifestyle definitely helps with your energy level at the rank too. I think if you're just if it's just hockey, hockey, hockey the entire time, then I think by the time you arrive at the rank, you can feel maybe a little bit burnt out. So I I do think it is important to have other hobbies. You know, like I said, reading before bri bed. I I really do enjoy working out. I think that helps with, you know, my mental health and everything like that too. But yeah, I think you just you need balance balance in life in in your life so then when you show up to the rank you're you're excited to be there. You know, so that's kind of how I attack my day and and make sure that I have that that energy that that our guys need, you know
Dennis Kubat: you said your players have some funny stories about your pregame routine. Can you tell us a couple of the things that you used to do in your pregame?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, well like I used to yeah, like I was I was a character for sure. Like I used to I used to drink like an endless amount of water. So I would be going to the bathroom probably like ten to twelve times. you know, before warm ups, you know, in between warm ups, everything like that. you know, I I napped at the same time, I I ate at the same time. you know, I had a r like a stretching routine that I know I that I would always do at the exact same time. in college, me and one buddy, we would always go grab a football and we would go and just run routes and and we did this at the exact same time before the game and and everything like that. And and yeah, like I would you know, I would go to the bathroom at the same time before games and everything like that. And yeah, like just again, very I I was an interesting guy for Sure. When it came to preparing for games and everything like that.
Dennis Kubat: we know hockey is a mindset, mental performance game. I probably personally seventy five, eighty percent of the game is the mental side. with your program this year, how do you plan on implementing mindset into the Flim Flont bombers?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, so one thing that we're gonna be doing differently this year is we actually we're we're putting together individual development plans for for each player and and so how these individual development plans look is you know we're gonna be you know we're gonna be meeting with each player once a month. We're gonna go through what their, you know, physical tool strengths, weaknesses are and then what are their mental tool strengths and weaknesses are and then we we put together you know a a plan, you know, three areas of focus that, you know, that player and and the staff wants that individual to work on and you know, not all three are gonna be, you know, mental based, but I think, you know, one or two will be for sure. And I think that allows us coaches to again, we're gonna be able to give players feedback on a frequent basis. There's not gonna be gray area. And then also I I think too just I think meeting with your players one on one once a month. It's it g it allows us coaches to get to know the player a as a human being and and you know what do your parents do? What are you, you know, do you any siblings? It also allows us to check in on their mental health and see
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: how things are going, right? Are they are they enjoying their time here? How do they like it at their billets? You know, like a lot of players that come here, they come here from pretty far away. You know, we have a kid here from you know Anaheim. We have a kid, a couple kids from, you know, BC that are here, kids from Quebec. We, you know, we've had kids from Newfoundland here. They they come pretty far away from home at a young age. And and so I think it's a Important for us staff to be able to check in on their mental health and and everything like that. So that's something that we're going to be doing a little bit differently here in Flynn Fuan is just, you know, working with our guys, you know, when it comes to the mental side of things and and and checking in on them and and everything like that. you know, obviously it's it's a really big year in Flynn Fuan. It's it's the hundredth year. It's a very unique experience for for all of us. You know, the not everyone can say that they were a part of an organization's a hundredth year. year with that comes a lot of pressure. There's there's no question about it. And and we've had a couple conversations as a group about that pressure and and how big of a year this is and and I just kind of you know I I stress to them that it's just you know we gotta we gotta do our best job that we can to you know block out the noise. You know there's gonna be a lot of outside noise. people are gonna put a lot of pressure on us but all that matters is just you know the the 25 26 players in the dressing room, you know, staff like this is kind of all that we we want to focus on is just us 30, the the 30 people that are in this in this dressing room and and try not to make the situation bigger than it needs to be, I think. The situation's big there's no question about it. But I think if you try to make the situation bigger than what it is, I think that can that can you know hinder your performance on the ice and and everything like that. So it it's a little bit
Dennis Kubat: Process over outcome. I know we were both players and everyone loves scoring goals, getting points. How do you have those conversations with your players on just trusting that process? If you're doing A, B, and C, it's going to give you the best chance to produce that outcome. I know we're in such an outcome-based society where it's so easy to go on social media or go on the internet and look, like you said, at your elite prospect. how do we really focus and get our guys to focus on that process?
Cole McCaig: I think just again having a a day to day approach to it, attacking each day. I I think if you if I think if you're so focused on Friday nights if if it's Monday and you're so focused on Friday night's game and you're not putting in the work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, then you're not gonna give yourself the the best chance to have success, you know, come Friday night. So I really stress to the guys about how, you know, you you you play how you practice. If you're gonna practice poorly throughout the week, then you're not gonna put yourself in in the best situation to have success and Again, like you said, I mean, process over outcome. If you're not if you're not taking care of the process, then, you know, the outcome's not gonna be what you want it to be, you know? And and we kind of we control the process in a way, right? With our work ethic and our attitude and and the things that we can control and and everything like that. And and like I said at the beginning, I mean, you know, you just gotta outwork your problems. You really do. You're there's gonna be some days
Dennis Kubat: Yes.
Cole McCaig: where maybe you're not feeling at your best or maybe you're practicing a little bit banged up, but if you outwork your problems, that's gonna that's gonna help you, you know, immensely. And and I think that's gonna help your mental game too, where it's just like, hey, I I got through I you know, I was still able to have an impact today in practice while I wasn't feeling my best and and then come playoff time you can kind of rely on on that experience. But yeah, I I think just again trying to attack each day, not worrying about tomorrow until until it's the next day. But yeah like I said, I I think if you worry too much about the outcome and worry too much about things that are too far ahead in advance, then you're gonna you're gonna forget about what what it takes to put yourself in that best position to have success, you know, come Friday or come playoff time.
Dennis Kubat: And the best thing about hard work, Cole, is you got 100% control over it. So
Cole McCaig: percent yeah.
Dennis Kubat: what are your thoughts on when I say athletes have changed over time or over the years? What are your thoughts when I say that?
Cole McCaig: it's spot on, you know, I I think athletes these days they definitely invest way more time in in the development side of things and and you know the off season training is is way more intense now than it was, probably back when when I played and you played. I think players these days they invest a lot of their time in the skill development side of things. That's something that's kind of newer in the last, you know, ten, twelve years. A lot of players these days have, mental performance coaches too, which, again, back in the day that wasn't really a thing, right? So I think athletes these days i have changed, I think for the better. I I really do. I think they they invest more time and and getting better as hockey players and and as human beings too. yeah, i it's definitely different. There's no question about it. There's pros and cons, I think, with how things have changed. but I think when it comes to the you know, the development side of things, again, I think players these days definitely put in more work to to get better on and off the ice for sure.
Dennis Kubat: Do you think you've had to change as a coach over your eight, nine years of coaching?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I think so. I I think I think probably my first couple of years, like I think COVID when COVID happened, I think I think the world changed in a lot of different ways. Right. And I think I think my first couple of years coaching, it was you know, it was I mean again, we're still we're big on accountability here. We're we're still demanding and everything like that. But I do think that a lot of people's mental health really hindered during the whole COVID thing. And so I I think as coaches now you definitely, you know, like I said earlier on, you know, we have to invest our time and in the one-on-one meetings with our players and communicating with them and building relationships with them and and checking in on them and and seeing if they're if they're good. You know, if if they're not good, then we gotta make sure that we're giving them the resources and tools to to get better. And I I think I think now it's as a coach, you just you need to be more patient with your players and more understanding of certain situations. Whereas I think before, I I think maybe just, you know, the term or you know, guys would get labeled soft, right? And
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: I I don't think that's the case anymore. I think I think a lot of players these days they go through some mental health things and and I think it's valid for sure. And and I think as us coaches it's it's important for us to to make sure that we're you know we we we have a a really good relationship with our players where they feel comfortable enough to be Able to, you know, come chat with us about things, whether it's hockey related or non-hockey related. So I think the whole intimidation thing and and players not being comfortable, you know, going into the coach's office to to speak with them. I I think those days should I mean I'm st I'm sure there's still coaches out there that have that same approach, but I do think that those days should be behind us. I I think players need to be comfortable talking with their coaches about everything.
Dennis Kubat: one of my favorite sayings is you have to model the behavior you want from your players. So how would you fill in this coach? if I want my players to be blank, I need to b be blank. What is one word that you would use?
Cole McCaig: resilient, I think. Just again, as coaches we go through adversity throughout the season. Our our players are gonna go through adversity throughout the season. We're gonna go through adversity as a group. I think it's extremely important that, you know, when I when I go through adversity myself, I'm you know, I I'm I still have a great attitude, my body language is still really good. I'm not moping around like I as the primary leader, like I I kinda set the tone of how the day's gonna look. If I show up and I'm moping around and I have bad body length And I don't have any energy, well, the players are gonna feed off of that and they're gonna have no energy for practice, right? So for our guys, it's again, we're gonna go through adversity as a group. We gotta be resilient. That's the number one thing. and if we aren't resilient, then it's gonna be, you know, that's kind of when the train, you know, goes off the tracks pretty quick, right? So I think just resil being being resilient is is my my approach, I guess.
Dennis Kubat: I love that. we're gonna just do a little rapid fire here. Okay, so your first thoughts that come to mind. So favorite NHL team,
Cole McCaig: Montreal.
Dennis Kubat: NHL player.
Cole McCaig: Alex Ovachkin.
Dennis Kubat: your best quote.
Cole McCaig: Best quote. that's a good that's a tough one, Dennis. Yeah, best best quote. I think just like when you know, we have one in the dressing room, it's like hard work beats talent when when talent doesn't work.
Dennis Kubat: I know you said you're a big reader. Do you have a couple of books that you would recommend?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, there's one called the franchise. it I forget who wrote it, but it's this author, this he's a journalist, sorry. He he interviewed, you know, about eight or nine different general managers around the NHL and and you know, like Kyle Dubis and Breeze Wall and Jim Nill and and I'm blanking here. He's with Vegas. He's not the GM anymore.
Dennis Kubat: Cram it.
Cole McCaig: Not McCrimen, it was the guy McPhee, George
Dennis Kubat: Brew.
Cole McCaig: McPhee. And yeah, i it's a really good book. They talk about, you know, different certain different situations and stuff like that, about you know, managing NHL teams and and you know, the Kyle Dubas one when he was with the Leafs. It was really, really interesting, just some of the f his comments and and you know, handling those young players, NHL contracts, you know, and and with George McPhee, you know, talked a lot about in Washington. and and you know when they weren't able to get the job done and and then Bri I think it was Brian McCullough and ended up coming in and they had to they had some dilemmas there. I think that there was talks of them maybe potentially you know trading Ovechkin away and Nicholas Baxstrom had actually asked for a trade out of Washington and it was like a quiet trade request like no one knew about it.
Dennis Kubat: Mm-hmm.
Cole McCaig: It was I think it was when they lost out to Pittsburgh in the second round for probably like the fifth time.
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: And I guess Baxstrom went in and, you know, during his exit meeting and just said, like, something needs to change. Like I think like I should go and you know, Brian ended up just kind of sticking with the same group and trusting the process and staying patient and and then it was the next year they ended up winning the Stanley Cup finally, right? So I love that book. That's a really good read. you know, I I'm big on Phil Jackson's book. I think it's called Eleven Rings. Like that's a really good book. Talks
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: a lot about, you know, the the dynasty that they had in Chicago and then Phil going over to A and creating That dynasty there as well. those are two two good books that I like. I mean, Steve Kerr's book. yeah, I'm big on like the, reading like Brian Burke, that book's really good too. Anything coach related or GM related's really good. I do like to mix in the odd book where it's more so maybe a little bit more of a a personality like like a Sean Avery or
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: like a Jeremy Roanick. Mix in something like that. Just so that my mind isn't always just completely dialed into to coaching and stuff. But those would be those would be some of my favorite books for sure.
Dennis Kubat: Do you have a favorite podcast?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I I think I really like the the glass and out one. You know, that that's a really good one. They they always have some really good guests on it at at all different levels. They've had junior A guys, they've had N CAA guys, NHL guys. I I learn a ton through those podcasts a lot too. Sometimes like when I'm at the gym I'll throw them on or, you know, the the eight hour drive from Brandon to Flynn Fon, I can get through about, you know, four or five episodes. But yeah, glass and out's a really good one.
Dennis Kubat: I know you said you're a big routine guy. Is there something in your morning routine that you can't miss?
Cole McCaig: XL coffee right here. Yeah,
Dennis Kubat: Ha ha ha.
Cole McCaig: no one I need my coffee for sure. once once I have my coffee then then I'm then I'm good to go.
Dennis Kubat: If you weren't coaching, what would you be doing?
Cole McCaig: Definitely something in hockey. I you know, I I'd probably be I mean a a scout or i I think an an advisor. I think I think I would be pretty good at both of those. I've never to be honest with you, I've never really thought about not being in the game. I I think if it was something non-hockey related, I think I think being a phys ed teacher, a high school phys ed teacher would be a lot of fun. that would be something that I guess non hockey related that I would do, I guess.
Dennis Kubat: how can my audience best support the Flim Flam bombers?
Cole McCaig: Yeah, I think just, you know, obviously we got social media channels, you know, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. we we post a lot of our footage on YouTube as well. I I think that's That's a great way to stay connected with with our organization. I mean, you look up the Flynn Flon Bombers on YouTube and you're gonna find a a lot of unique videos, a lot of really cool, you know, recruitment videos from the past. You're gonna see probably some line brawls. You're probably gonna see you know, Weyburn taking the you know, the moose leg at center ice and causing
Dennis Kubat: Yeah.
Cole McCaig: a huge, you know, brawl around you know, in their own end and everything like that. But yeah, I I think just any any audience members that are in Saskatchewan around, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina, if you ever want to check out a game. I mean we're we're always playing, you know, in surrounding communities. I I think if anyone has the chance to go to a a playoff game in in Flintflan, it's it's a different beast. I mean the atmosphere, it's it's electric in there. It and Anytime someone talks about going to a playoff game in Flint Floan, it's it's different. You know, it's just it's electric, the fans are are loud and it's it's just it's hard to explain until you until you experience a a playoff game here in Flin Fuan
Dennis Kubat: Personally I'm I wish you nothing but the best going forward. Both number thirty nines, both routine focused. I don't think there's anyone better to take over this job than you for Mike Greg and so I wish you nothing but the best. You got a fan in me, man, and
Cole McCaig: Yeah.
Dennis Kubat: continued success.
Cole McCaig: Yeah, thanks Dennis.
