Episode 91: Todd Hlushko. Todd Hlushko is a scout for the Adler Mannheim in the DEL and has been a very big asset for the team. He grew up in southern Ontario and played his junior hockey in the OHL. He was drafted as a 20 year old to the Washington Capitals (one of many funny stories) and began his pro career. Todd played games in the NHL and AHL but also played for Team Canada for 2 seasons, as well as the 1994 Olympics. Canada would go on to surprise a lot of teams at these Olympics and win the Silver Medal. I talked to Todd about this experience and just allowed him to take me through the tournament. Todd would eventually make his way to Germany where he played for 3 teams, one of them being the Adler Mannheim where he won a DEL Championship and has worked for them since as a scout. His ability to scout/engage with players, sell the Mannheim program to them and their agents/families is a very important talent. We dove deep into Todd’s philosophy behind it and how he has grown these skills. I have a lot of respect for Todd and the work he does for Mannheim. Very happy to call him a friend and be able to join him on some scouting trips. Hope you enjoy!

Episode 89: Adam Dennis. Fellow goalie and current president of the North Bay Battalion Adam Dennis stopped by the pro

hockeypod this week to share his story and his rise in Major Junior Hockey. I was fortunate enough to train many summers with Adam at a local goalie school and followed his career with great interest. Adam was a 14th round draft pick to the Guelph Storm of the OHL but he didn’t let that stop him from achieving his goals. A couple years later Adam was a starting goalie in the OHL appearing in back to back Memorial Cups , where in his second season, he would hoist the trophy with the London Knights and in doing so Adam was drafted to the NHL by the Buffalo Sabres, soon beginning his pro journey. This included three years in the AHL before heading over to Europe to play in Italy and Germany. He was also fortunate to represent the Italian National team in multiple tournaments during his career. Once he was done playing, Adam received a job with the OHL player development for three years before joining the North Bay Battalion as a assistant coach, assistant, general manager, and goalie coach. We talked about all his responsibilities and what he learned along the way. He was then promoted to General Manager of North Bay, where they appeared in three straight conference finals in the OHL. Adam has since then been promoted to President of the hockey club. It was great to catch up with an old training partner who I looked up to and hear how he has worked his way up the ranks. We still had lots to talk about so could be a follow up episode coming. Hope you enjoy!