Every summer, the Utah Mammoth’s development camp is focused on improving players on the ice and building a strong culture off the ice. However, it’s not just the players who are learning at these camps.
As they have done in the past, the Mammoth invited two members of the NHL Coaches Association’s internship program to participate in this year’s development camp as guest coaches. This opportunity shows these coaches how organizations like the Mammoth are run. This year, Tara Connolly, an assistant coach for Dartmouth’s women’s hockey team, and Greg May, the head coach of the University of Minnesota’s women’s hockey team, joined Utah’s coaching staff.
Connolly and May were busy throughout the camp, whether it was on the ice running drills or off the ice attending seminars. This experience allowed both to take away plenty of knowledge that will help each with their respective teams. Seeing how Utah’s prospects are taught to be pro athletes in every aspect of their lives is one thing that Connolly intends to bring back to New Hampshire.
“We always talk about being a pro with our team,” Connolly explained. “I think to really have a definition of what that means and what that looks like from this camp is going to be incredible. It’s going to help our program grow and help them understand what it looks like.”
There were several things that May will bring back to Minnesota, including the on-ice instruction from the Mammoth’s development staff throughout the camp.
“I learned a lot of technical applications,” May shared. “From the development camp staff, they’re just such good teachers, which is why they have the jobs that they do. So, a lot of technical applications, I would say. I actually learned a lot from the speakers which was awesome just from a leadership standpoint to bring back as well … the culture stuff (as well). The people here are unbelievable … I was actually blown away with the relationships they have with one another.”
Both coaches were struck by the culture throughout the organization and how the Mammoth have built a brotherhood with its players.
“The culture stuff here,” Connolly shared. “It’s amazing to see on a pro team how much they care about how the guys are treating their bodies away from the rink, and even more the culture and teammate investment. I think there were a lot of activities and things we’re going to bring back for sure.”
Utah’s dedication to growth and culture aligns with the NHLCA’s internship program’s goals. This program was created to give women and BIPOC coaches an opportunity to be involved in spaces they may not have had access to before. For May, that’s a sign of respect.
“I think it shows a level of respect for what we do, not only our level, but what we do as coaches on the women’s side as well,” May said. “Access, growth of the game. Being able to access the best people in the world that are coaching and working in the best league in the world. So, to be able to give us access to that and then the goal is for us to bring it back and be able to grow the game in our home state and our home organizations too.”
Through this program and with more women involved in coaching, Connolly has seen a shift within hockey. This shift makes hockey more inclusive and brings even more talent to the sport.
“I think women’s hockey is a bit siloed and I think having the opportunity to build these connections and gain knowledge from them, but also show them our capabilities,” Connolly shared. “I joked, my goal is to be out here and not mess up drills and stay out of the way but also, there’s plenty of guys that were engaging and asking for stuff, and we could actually talk hockey too.
“A lot of the guys assume I coach the men’s team,” Connolly continued. “So, it’s cool to see those tides changing and a lot of those barriers coming down. I think having that opportunity to show competency is a real benefit too.”
Both coaches left development camp with plenty of knowledge and new colleagues they can reach out to in the future for advice. This opportunity is what coaching is all about, learning and improving. It also gave Connolly and May the ability to learn more from the NHL’s newest team that has created plenty of buzz throughout the hockey community.
“It’s an organization that you hear a lot about,” May explained. “I’m up in Minnesota and obviously the NHL is a big deal in the ‘State of Hockey.’ But you hear a lot about Utah and just the excitement around the organization from the top down, from management, all the way to the coaching staff, to the fun prospects that they have, that I was able to be with this week. The youthfulness on their team as well right now.”
