E99: Rob Haberbusch of the 2026 Men's National Champion Hamilton College Men's Hockey Join's The Show!

Hello and welcome to the D3Hockey News Podcast, where we feature weekly guests from all across Division 3 hockey, including coaches, players, and media members. Today we're joined by head coach of the 2026 Men's Division 3 hockey national champions, Hamilton College's Rob Hauerbush. We discussed their season in the journey of Hamilton hockey while getting to know a little bit more about Coach Hauerbush off the ice. This is a great episode, I'm sure you'll enjoy it, give it a listen. So now we're joined with Head Coach Rob Hauerbush, the 2026 national champion, Hamilton College of Men's hockey coach. We had our full 60 interviews, so we haven't had you on the pod yet, so it's great to finally have Jan, however, if things have been since the big day. Pretty good, pretty good, it's been a lot of fun. Just trying to catch up on some work that we neglected for that month, but that's a good problem to have, we'll take it. No, for sure, and before we get into everything, like I do with everybody else, if we could just get quick background on yourself, your career hometown, anything else that you would like to add, that would be great. Sure, yeah, so I grew up in a town called Montclair, New Jersey. It's a small town just outside of New York City. I'm 54, so that's 70s, early 80s when I'm growing up. He wasn't big there at that time, it is now, but then it was just kind of pockets. My parents were in New York City and wanted to get out of the city and just happened to buy a house in Montclair, and there was a rank. A ton of kids, my age, that were playing hockey, we really had a huge youth hockey system, so I grew up there playing, and then we had a great high school program there. We had tons of ice and two really great coaches. That was a really amazing experience for all of us, and a life-changing event to be a part of that for all of us. That's when hockey really became more than just something that you did, like an extracurricular activity. It really became something special. Amazing experience there, and then I got to go on and play four years in college. I went to Fairfield University in Connecticut. They had a division three program at the time, which was a huge bonus for me. Nothing was guaranteed for me beyond high school, so I was really fortunate to be able to do that. That was the end of the line for me. I wasn't going to be playing after that. I moved back home. I started coaching college or high school hockey. I did that for four years. While I was doing that, I met a guy named Craig Barnett, who was running a rank in New Jersey. He had been coaching college hockey, and then he left to go start the program at the University of Finley and asked me to go with him. I did that. I was at Finley for five years. That's how I started. I got into college coaching. I left there as an Iona College for one year. I was there when they dropped the hockey program. I was lucky enough to get hired at Army. I was there for eight years. Then got the job here at Hamilton. I've been here for 15 years now. Yeah. Actually, before we hop over to that question, I do have family in Morristown. I'm quite familiar with the Northern New Jersey. I've been through my clear here and there. Just a fun fact. With Army, it's one of those unique things. Chris McElvy over at Bethel has his connections and won that with Army. For somebody on the outside of it, is it different as a coach? Obviously, as a student, it's different. It's kind of in the name. But as a coach, is it like with the Neskack, your recruiting is different in a sense because there's only a certain pool of players that you're going to go after doing those, the academic requirements. Is it similar in the sense with Army work? Again, you're going after a specific pool of guys. It's pretty similar to the Neskack, honestly, like the approaches. That's a really good school as well. It's hard to get into. That's just really where you start, at least when I was there. We were just targeting anybody with good grades. We would talk to them and just introduce them to the Army. At that point, you'd have a small percentage of guys that would say, "Yep, that's something I really want to do." Or you'd have a small percentage saying, "I really can see myself doing that." Most everybody else was kind in the middle. It was just like you had to recruit them at the end. They became comfortable with it or not. But I think grades was really the biggest limiting factor there. I thought that was a good training for me to come here. I was just curious on that because that's another one of those unique situations. Going to happen to your team and obviously your championship, which congratulations, is I'm sure you've been told about 87,000 times before at this point, but congratulations there. Again, I'm sure you've been asked a thousands of questions. We'll try to keep a lot of these original and then do a bigger portion of the beginning to know your side of things and your team. To start off, how long did it take for you for everything to really set in where you can just kind of set on the couch and say, "Yeah, that just happened." Yeah, it was about two weeks. I told some other people. For me, I just kind of had this feeling like we weren't done and we had to play another game. When you're in the playoffs for that long, you're just kind of getting that rhythm. You win, "Okay, we need to move on." Whether it's travel, you're definitely going to need to game plan and practice and the game's probably bigger. It's a better team. You just keep moving on. I just kind of had that hanging over me. I'd wake up like, "Okay, what's next?" I kind of had to stop myself like, "Doh, okay, it's over now." But yeah, it took about 10 days for that to kind of wear off. Yeah, and so after you're posting press conference, I remember or during it, I should say you had mentioned after what the questions that you had, like 190 text messages or so when it was within probably 15 minutes or so of the game ending. How long did it take you to eventually, I want to say, have the phone calm down, but really just catch up on the inbox where you're not playing catch up at that point. Not that long. I think in the end, it was like 400 text messages and then I don't know how many emails. But I think on Wednesday, I just said, "Okay, I'm going to clean all this out now." And I finally got, I don't know, maybe it was like Wednesday was the text and Thursday was emails or something like that. But it wasn't too bad. I kind of joked, we had our 15 minutes of fame, but it life went back to normal pretty quickly. Yeah, you know, and it's tough of those because obviously you respond to one person and they get back to you and that pushes everything down. So I was just curious how long that took you to get your phone back into normal gear, I should say. And so my friend John, he's been super busy, but he's going to get the full 60 videos done. Locke was into that. So don't worry about that. But sure. The cinematic video that he caught of the the overtime winning goal, the one kind of semi-viral, then I had showed it to you after when you're walking out. And I'm sure you've probably seen it since then. What was your, if you watch that goal back, you don't end that shot and just kind of, not necessarily seen it go in, but just that moment because I always think it's cool that those moments are captured the way they are. Like we got a shot of the Trinity goalie when they had wanted. You could just see the emotion of it of the goal tender, the fans in the background. And now we get it with you guys with an actual goal. What was your, just what are your thoughts on that video? Because I thought I've probably watched it be good 500 times. Yeah, I think it's awesome. Me too. It was an amazing shot. I mean, credit to John for capturing that. It was cool. I mean, some thoughts I had like during the game, I just remember I couldn't see how that puck got out of the zone, but I remember Luke's getting by our bench. And then he kind of disappeared, passed the boards. And I didn't, I didn't think I realized it was a two on one. And he got that puck across really quickly. I remember in the game thinking there's a lot of net over there. I think this is going in because it was a really great pass. And it ended up like the, you know, Kurdist version, basically how the whole net to shoot at. You know, watching it back, He goes bar down which he didn't do every time I watch him like man one inch off and then we're probably still playing that game. But I mean it was an incredible shot, you know like I said credit to you guys. I mean the thing that I always think about is it's great that it was just it was such a great goal to end it. You know it's always a shame when those go off somebody's ankle or if it's just a scrum around the crease and you know was their goal interference did it go in you know and there's kind of controversy around it it was just it was a clean play in a really nice goal so you know those were kind of the things that I've thought of about it. Yeah even from like just a viewing perspective it was almost kind of weird in a sense that it's at the yours everybody at least Scott that were we're watching it wasn't the we're surprised that have to you know won the title was it's just you had it seen Hobart loose that point and just you didn't it always just seemed in those games that we've made the savor found a way. It just it finally didn't and so it was one of those were took a little bit the process where you're like yeah that just did happen just because you've been so used to again in those big moments finding a way you know whether it's get a stick hand on a puck you know in the same Norbert game or something and then you guys got the clean look and finish it away and I speaking on your team I do want to ask because it seemed like you guys really at the end of the season. It was just I think a lot of people forget it at times you didn't really go into the tournament you know thriving in terms of your wins and losses of course you know your plan the ice might have been okay and just didn't go your way but up until that point we hadn't really seen you guys in the season really hit a bump in the road and you dropped your last three or four all of them being at home which was the I think the bigger surprise from just again the viewing perspective always your thought on the team. Just as a whole sort of going into the tournament when you might have been playing pretty good hockey it's just things work going your way and you were dropping games. I mean we yeah you're right that was really the first you know the first bump we had hit all season and that's not when you want it's not when you want to be hitting a bump. And we yeah we weren't playing well we didn't play well at the end of the regular season and and into the NASCAQ playoffs and we ran you know full credit to the teams teams that we ran into we're playing well and when that happens you're not going to win so. Yeah I mean I just have to give the guys full credit because like I said that's not the time that you want things to be going south you want that to happen to the beginning of the year we can correct and kind of get into that rhythm and. I think we're a little bit down like our confidence was down and you know it was a real determination from our guys to you know to pick themselves up and you don't get a fresh start going into the NCAA tournament that's easier said than done but they made it happen so full credit to them. Yeah I remember that we can't have talked about it a little bit and you did seem as though you felt your team was just playing you know one and three hockey but was it a sense of just kind of. Were you happy with with the plan just wasn't you know the puck just wasn't bouncing your ways it might have early on in the season or were you potentially concerned with like all right if we keep doing you know XYZ this isn't going to go very well in a couple of weeks. I was more the latter I mean we weren't you know we weren't. We weren't playing as well defensively and you know we weren't scoring as much you know so again when that happens you're not going to win. You know we were more concerned on the defensive end I felt like the offense was going to kind of turn itself around it maybe we were just in a little bit of a cycle but I didn't think we were playing as well defensively and you know I you know Steven Castro and I kind of talk like we just felt like we had gotten away from our identity. You know the as a coach you have to decide what you're going to do you know what you're what you're going to work on there's only 24 hours and day right there's only so much time that you can practice and. I felt like we kind of gotten this. Stretch where we were. Kind of concerned with fixing everything if that makes any sense we were we were we'd kind of got away from from driving home our identity and maybe got lost a little bit you know and then that you know that's where I felt like we as coaches. You know that had distracted the team maybe and and that was part of it but like I said you know credit to the guys they they picked themselves off the mat above the mat and we got going in the NCAA tournament. Yeah I know many you and many other coaches will say this but do you think it was you guys were trying to play you're getting what you weren't playing your game you're almost trying to play other teams game or just beat them playing their game and you had to get back to your identity of our I just play our game will be fine instead of maybe being ultra concerned about the other team. No I think just from a coaching standpoint like with us in practice we were kind of concerned with like fixing some small details in our game and you know well intention like we need to kind of fine tune this stuff going into into the playoffs and and we just got away from. You know more just kind of driving home our identity this is how we play this is who we are and inevitably anyway play there's going to be a downside and you just have to live with that and I felt like we were kind of concerned with too much with what are we giving up who aren't we let's fix this and. You know that it was more that that we were we just weren't spending our time on who we wanted to be. You know that that was kind of our take on that's that really what happened I don't know we were giving up too many goals maybe it was just as simple as that and like I said we weren't we weren't scoring as much toward the end of the regular season. Yeah and I asked you this is well sort of during the I believe the full 60 interviews but do you think in this could apply to you and then also other teams in a sense as well but with when you're going up against a team that they've won the last three titles they're undefeated this year you'd be ending the streak you know they're playing for history of course you are as well do you think like I'm not saying necessarily you did maybe you did I'm not sure but do you think that a team. Maybe to concern down the the mental battle just seen when you're about to drop the puck opening face off you see the whole bar jersey and you know what that's written you just go through your mind what that represents over the past again you know three four years do you think that's almost more of the mental battle to get your legs kind of under you and then. Then you really get to start playing your game once you initially get over that hump in a sense. Yeah I'm sure it is you know honestly I didn't feel that and I don't know if our players did and you have asked me this in that full 60 and I think you were spot on I think it helped that we had we hadn't played them since 2012 we were never to league with them obviously so. We were kind of naive going in like we didn't know how good they were and you know that was probably good for us and we were the underdog and obviously and I didn't really feel any pressure going into the game it was you know the first couple rounds is like hey you're at home you're supposed to win you know that's that's when you feel pressure and. You know I it's kind of felt hey that's for them to worry about now there's a three time defending champ they're supposed to beat us and they they can they can feel that pressure now whether they did or not I have no idea they certainly didn't play like they felt a lot of pressure they they were an awesome team. But that you know we were kind of loose going into that game and you know actually I you know we I had a good feeling I was loose going into that game and I think we were to and actually I read one of your articles Chris we just talked about their team and kind of like how they had won all these OT games and close games you know I was I thought back to that curry game I remember watching that game. Online I think that was in 2024 yes you know I don't know how many periods that went the 98 saves from shame yeah and then the owner wall yeah host it was insane. I mean I thought about that game I was at the game in Utica the year before. when they were in overtime and you know the Utica player had that puck on the back door if you hit the post or but it linearly ended it. You know I thought about St. Norbert you know was a huge a very close game in the quarter final. You know and I just thought you know what maybe maybe their number is going to be up and we're just in the right place when it does so you know we were you know we were ready to go. Like our you know one thing with our team I just said to another reporter in that game was they don't get nervous for these opportunities they really they get up for it and also we you know we had a lot of things going for us. Yeah and I was curious would the the mental battle question not from a sense of like I know kind of the running joke a little bit some we're saying like the David and Goliath just because you know if you like I'm paper you could make that argument but just in in reality that wouldn't be the case and you know that you never know with a coach okay. It de-assents your team. Nothing you're not going to get up for the game but not playing that team you don't really know because a lot will say oh it's an advantage. Some will say no it's not because of familiarity but you know they also know you if they've played you so it was yeah. Curious on that and just because the past couple seasons there's been some familiarity and now we got to see with the mixed bracket in a sense I want to say mixed but it appears to be mixed just because for so many years it was that you know geographically aligned which to get into that now that I brought that up what are your thoughts because I don't believe I asked you anything would the the bracket is it is it kind of it's just a breath of fresh air getting to see the past couple years of course you want a title from it so I'm sure it is but you know getting to see a true bracket that are the matchups that we should be seen like again the aurora's playing you which normally it might happen in the frozen four but you want it see an aurora going to an end of cut you want it see a stout playing uh Utica you wanted to see a st- you potentially would see a stout playing a whole bar in a frozen four but just all those matchups that we want to get to see like the St. Norbert in the quarter final what are your thoughts on and the the way how far we've come now with the bracket yeah I thought it was awesome I mean you know there's not a lot of crossover in division three as you know so you know to finally get that in the tournament it was great to kind of see how these teams match up I thought the frozen four was it was just great that it worked out the way that it did they had two teams from the east and two teams from the west you know and uh it it worked out yeah at Nys West game in both semi finals and it was exciting it was kind of like you know uh uh I've heard about aurora and watched them on film for scouting reports and things like that in the past but you know we had never met it was kind of like wow you know how good are these guys going to be you know and and I'm sure you know when the whole bar stout game was being played you know I was like wow yeah is this going to be interesting to see like what how does stout play you know what how is this matchup gonna look you know who's gonna win this game you know like I I think a lot of people took for granted that it was going to be whole bar in the final I was kind of like I don't know what's gonna happen anything can happen here I thought that was great yeah and especially too because you know of course you and whole bar aren't far away but you really haven't played again we have seen you play since I believe we said 2012 and you know you got to see whole bar especially you get to see the variety of them you play you know St. Norbert stout St. Norbert they hadn't played for many years stout they'd never played then they play you guys same thing with you guys you just get we get to see with with a roar and whole bar so just seeing the variety it was just a breath of fresh air especially in those earlier rounds too and on both the bands and the women said we have to see great matchups that again it's it's you know of course is it is a perfect system no but at least now there's just some variety instead of okay we know who it's gonna be because so and so is 520 miles away and so and so is 350 we know who's gonna play so I it's just always good to hear the perspective of coaches and in that sense with the bracket now but to move into the I know you are I know I'm just gonna say our women yeah our women made the tournament uh twice in a row and and it was their their first round matchup was Nazareth each time you know it's kind of like you know because there are two hours down the road and uh yeah it I don't know how the seeds were for that but it's just nice to get a lot of variety yeah I think the on the women's side the main issue was always the Gustavus River Falls during those years at least like it was a 1v3 in the quarters um I forget what the seeding was with Hamilton and Nazareth but it that what those matchups were due to the geography I'm just not sure I don't think it was anything egregious but I do believe one of those teams would have in theory you would have probably I believe you would have flown one of them to a river falls you're a Gustavus yeah when how it should have been um so into the just to get to know your questions and not necessarily hot or eccentric but what part of you for you what part of your personality do you think your team sees the most and what part do they never see if there's a part yes uh I mean I like I try to be consistent you know what them and that that's kind of who I am I'm not real uh you know it's not a lot of eyes or lows just kind of try to be consistent and be the same person every day I mean that's my goal I never want him to think like you know who all right what what what mood is habit gonna be in today you know I don't I never want to be that guy um you know but uh so that's that's who I try to be every day you know with my friends around you know I I like to have a good time and joke around and probably not they don't see a ton of that but um you know that's kind of who I am away from the rank did they see a lot of it after your game in the title yeah definitely definitely you know Pratt a little bit in that game too like like I said I just kind of that was probably the looser's that I had been was was in the championship game if your players had to describe you with one word off the record what do you think that word would be that sucks oh I have no idea I have no idea there's probably a wide array they could choose from probably yeah you'd have to ask them in the nskak of course there's there's some time I forget the one trip specifically depending where you're with the overnight in the short game turnaround but are there any road trips that say it's a non-conference opponent that you play frequently or it's or an nskak opponent that you're normally gonna play what are the road trips that you like the most and you dislike the most and I'm not you we're not saying you dislike them because you dislike the team but just in general whether it be logistics of it a short turnaround or just how to get there yeah um yeah we kind you know Hamilton's uh it's a little tough on us geographically with the travel because we're a little bit further away from some of those teams but the the the con toughs contuffs are travel partners that's kind of a tough trip for us you know when you because we we have to leave on Friday that's a league rule we can't leave the night before so it's on Friday uh you know we're trying to stay in class as long as possible and then you're either trying to get into the city of Boston or through the city of Boston to get the tuffs or you know con cons kind of sneaky long you gotta you get you know you gotta get through the city of Hartford and then you know another hour after that so those are those are kind of tough uh just with traffic and stuff like that but you know the travel other than that it isn't too bad um and everybody's gotta do that come in the other way um the only trip you get to leave the day before is is the kinetic you call or the Colby Bowden trip um so that one yeah that I mean that's seven hours to Colby's Lila you do that but um yeah that's that's probably the one that that's kind of sneaky hard you could have any three-course meal appetizer or main and then it desert what's your lineup gonna look like uh yeah uh I'm a big fish guy so I'll probably I'll see food I'll usually go salmon I usually skip dessert uh I had two desserts that dinner over the uh over the uh NCAA tournament though some alums bought some nice meals for us so I'll go tear them a sue shout out to Josh now there I'll go tear them a sue Josh now there's a goalie on our team he's a big tear a sue guy so I'll go that for the dessert and uh appetizer - Yeah, I'm sure you had pretty good seafood as well. - Now, you don't want to eat that fish out of the Hudson, I don't think, but. - Yeah, I just mean like the coast. - You're the coast. - Yeah, the downstates usually more, I feel like available. - Yeah, you could get to it quickly. - Yeah, I think that's a good thing. - What's a typical game day for you where I. Again, I'm forgetting where I'm getting a couple things confused, but I remember you had said it was weird for you because either you were eating with the guys or you weren't, just because it was a normal game day for you, but the game wasn't at home. Like, what's a typical game day for you? And do you have anything you do out of superstition or particular song? You like to listen to or just genre, going to the rink or anything? - Yeah, so what I was joking at the rink there, when we played at. When we played in the NCAA tournament, it was kind of like we were in the twilight zone. Like, we weren't home, but we weren't away. You know, we were. It was weird because we were sleeping in our bed, eating in our cafeteria, and then getting on the bus and driving 10 miles to the rink. So, it kind of felt like you were home, but you weren't. And, you know, I've been in the Utica Aud, probably a million times, so it was just a strange feeling. But yeah, I was joking that, you know, I showed up on Fert for this. the Aurora game, and I was hungry. And I was, well, I'll just go over the pre-game meal. They're eating in the cafeteria, and then I said, "Well, I never show up." I never show up for pre-game meals at home. Am I going to spook somebody? So, you know, so I didn't. I ended up like, "Well, I'm just going to eat something in my office here." So, that was kind of that. But, game days. You know, the day of the game, there's not much to do, honestly. I always like to joke with the assistance that Hayes and the Barn, you know, after Thursday night, after practice, you're kind of done, and Friday leading up to the game is. there's not a whole lot to do. Just kind of show up to the game. And then for us, the real. the work comes that night, and the next morning, you know, watching video, trying to get ready for the next opponent. And then we hit play a three o'clock game, and nescax, so it's a really quick turnaround. So, that's when the real work occurs. I mean, it's funny that you mentioned superstitions. I had given up all my superstitions this year. For the last couple years, I've kind of just given up. And that's been a little bit freeing. But the one that I had clung to, this is kind of a funny story. I had this pen that I thought it was like my lucky pen. And it goes back to the last season. We played. when we played the 24/25 season, we went up to Norwich, and we went to their Christmas tournament. And I was so sick. You know, one of those times in your adult life, when you're just like, "Yeah, I remember." That's the sickest I've ever been. So, I didn't want to go into the ring, because I had a fever, and I was freezing cold. So, I just sat on the bus, and I was just going to walk on to the bench. I was so sick. So, I was sitting in my seat with a driver, a dirt-garbos driver, and he was just keeping the bus running. But I needed to fill up my line-up card. So, I said, "Hey, Dirk, yeah, I have a pen." And he handed me this pen. It was a nice pen. I used it, and we won. And then I used it again the next day, and we won. And then we went on this tear. We won like 10 games in a row. And I kept using this pen, and I was like, "This is my lucky pen. This is responsible for everything." And so, I started using it again this year. All year long, I'm using this. And then, as you mentioned, we lost two games at the end of the regular season this year. I lost the pen right around that time. And it just completely rattled me. It's hysterical how much it did. And then, you know, I had to like talk myself out of it. Like, just put it behind your, like, relax. And then we, so we get in the NCAA tournament, and we won those, you know, first three games. But it's like a process for me to figure out which pen am I going to use. What I used last time. And then, it's a funny story. The day we played Hobart, we drove over to the rank, and we stopped for coffee. I was standing next to our driver, Durk, and I reached into my bag into this front pocket. And as soon as I put my hand in there, I felt the pen. I knew instantly it was my lucky pen that I had found it again. And it's amazing how much that calmed me down. But that's really been my only superstition these last two years. A couple things on the pen. One, what type of pen is it, you know, brand wise. It's it. Well, our driver, Durk. So we got this great bus driver, Durk. He's from Canada. He played hockey, growing up. So he knows the game. And he's great to us. He's got him. I don't know why bus drivers have a million pens. I can actually show it to you because we're on Zoom. I know this isn't going to be on Zoom. But it's just this here. It's got his name on it and his phone number. And another funny thing. During when we, when we were on that losing streak, I would ask him for more pens. Not telling him what was going on. And he'd say, yeah, and he'd hand me like five pens at a time. But they weren't the same. And it and it didn't calm you down. And then when I finally found it, I that day that I found it, I pulled it out of the bag. And I just, I was standing next to him, staring at it like this for like 10 seconds. Yeah. And I was in a trance. And he's watching me the whole time. I'm thinking, my God, I found my lucky pen. We're going to win. And Dirk's watching me do this. And he says, what's wrong? Is it out of ink? Do you need another one? Because he's got this whole box. He's ready to hand me more. And, and I told him the story. And, and he said, we're going to win today. And we did. Now I know that, of course, you, you want to keep running with the pen. But when it eventually does, you know, like everybody with mortality, what either runs out of ink, I know you could replace the cartridge. But even before that, are you going to finally lay it to rest and maybe just, you know, kind of frame it or something now? Or are you going to keep rolling with the pen until it goes? I think I'm going to keep rolling with it. And I've been, I've been keeping much better care of it since that time. I've known where it's been every second of the day. So my plan is to keep rolling with it. And I don't use it for anything, but, but the lineup card. So I'm going to let it. I'm going to let it keep it sink as long as possible. Yeah, I imagine it'll last pretty good if that's all you're doing with it. So, though, that's, that's actually, I'm really glad to ask that question. Because I don't think that's, I don't think that's what you talk about every day. The lucky pen that was. Keep it. Yeah. Yeah. For you, what if your variety of athletes, you know, because again, you've been coaching at this for a good time now. What is it taught you about yourself as a leader that you might not have learned otherwise? I think, I think really what coaching for me has done is just. For me personally, and what I try to pass on to the team is just how to reframe adversity, you know, is. When I look back on. You know, adversity is the greatest teacher, I think, you know, and it, it, uh, it doesn't feel like it when you're going through it, but, uh, you know, anytime. I or the team has faced, you know, significant adversity that, you know, we've, we've come out better for it. You know, it, it's, it can be your greatest teacher if you let it. If you, if you're able to look in the mirror and do that. So that's, that's just been a huge lesson for me personally and that I try to pass on to the team and. You know, just let that make you better over the course of the season. In what ways is coaching changed who you are outside the rink, you know, whether maybe be as a friend or family member, just a person in general has it changed. Just the way you are. I don't know, I think it's very demanding. it takes you away from a lot of things, unfortunately, it you really need to be committed to it. So it takes you away from a lot of those things, unfortunately. Like I kind of said before, there's a lot of work and you're constantly leaving. It's serious, right? So you're trying to constantly lead the team and you know, maybe you don't have as much time to joke around and I'm probably a lot more serious than people in college would remember me, I guess. But that's two things that kind of come to mind. When you I like to ask this to coaches that have been throughout their careers and. And that necessarily starting now, what is it that maybe as a young coach, you had either prioritized or the mindset you had. While coaching that now as you've gotten older through your career that you really don't like your perspective has changed a lot on or there are a lot of things that you potentially, you know, the popular thing with younger coaches is is winning. You know, is that throughout your career, of course, that's important. But is that become, you know, in the grand scheme of things less important to you, not because you don't want to win, but just the overall foundation of what you're doing. I think for me, the. You know, what I've learned it's less about. It's less about the X's and O's and it's more about, you know, relationships and culture within the team. Those those are the most important things. Those are the difference makers. I mean, when you look at. Teams. Teams play very similar. I mean, like if you look at the NHL, there's a very, very little difference between how teams play, you know, so it's not it's not the systems that differentiate. Teams, it's, you know, how hard are you going to compete. You know, did your team care about each other? You know, are they going to sacrifice for each other? Are they going to put the team first? And, you know, do you have that special culture that promotes all of that? I think, you know, that's. That's been the eye opener for for for me and I think people my age, you know, you realize how much more important that is and there's a lot more emphasis on that than than when we were players. What gives you the most fulfillment as a coach? I mean, with this team and the last several just the the leadership of the team and. How much they care about the program. You know, I would describe our team as player lead. I think those are the best teams. And, you know, to have to have a group of a team that you really believe in and that that acts like a family and captains that you trust and and a team that you trust that that you can just hand it over to them and you know that they're going to. They're going to represent the team and the school the way that the way that they should. I mean, that's been the most fulfilling thing for me and. Really going through all this for me. I've been here 15 years now and. One of the most fulfilling things for me has been to see. How how everyone has shaped the program to get it to this point. You know, I can. I can remember back to guys in my first year here that we're huge part of. Sorry about that huge part of our of you know, setting the foundation for our culture and then 15 years. You know, they've been a part of winning this national championship so that that's been very fulfilling for me and. I'm just grateful I've been here long enough. You know, now to really see that you know the different generations that have all been a part of this. We'll look at spend been great chat with him glad we could finally make this happen and I've got a couple more for you and then we'll wrap things up again. It's been really really great talking with you and getting to know. Again, more on the the non hockey side of things in the sense, but I have a feeling that I'm going to know the answer to this next question. I'm going to ask it anyway. If you had a free day with no commitments, what hobby are you going to choose to do? Yeah, we did talk about this. Yeah, yeah, I'm going to go on a long bike ride. That's what I'm going to do. And if you could now this one with you might be interesting with the because of how big you're into biking. We might get a different answer, but if you could have any brand deal right now where this isn't team related. This isn't hockey related. It's it's solely your day to day personal life. What brand would you like to utilize their product or service of? You're not being paid, but you're simply utilizing whatever it is they offer. Yeah, I'll go with the free bike. It doesn't matter to me. Anybody wants to send me a free bike. I'll ride it track specialized. Sort of Velo Pinarello anything free bike. I'll ride it. If anybody is listening, I'll send you my address. And be that'd be a first. I have the West New England coach Katie Zimmerman on the women's side after her podcast. She got she'd said that she loved the blue sparkling ice, sparkling water and then magically a case started appearing monthly at her door. That was that was the first. So it maybe you get a bike. I don't know granted the bikes about $25,000 maybe $25,000 next the price of the case of water, but other than that, I think you good odds. Yeah, maybe a $10,000 bike will be my front door. That's right. Have you had any bigger than hockey moments in your career? What I mean by that is you know, it doesn't have to be an unfortunate event, but it could be where things occur. Whether beyond the you know, surrounding your team or your program or you wear hockey, you just you kind of realize in that moment how little hockey means in the grand scheme of things. Yeah, I mean that happened. Unfortunately that that always happens where you have, you know, players, you know, staff part of team lose loved ones. I mean, those are always I mean, for us like I think we've always done a good job of keeping in perspective like you know, family comes first and you know, and everybody's here to get a good education and get a job. Right. And so we've I think we've always done a good job of, you know, letting, you know, letting people leave when they need to for whatever it is, whether that's an interview or, or you know, if there's a death in the family, I think everybody knows that that, you know, all of that needs to come first. So I think we've always kind of kept that in perspective here. And I think for it like the, you know, it's the bigger than hockey moments are just, you know, watching these guys leave here and and get a great job and, you know, start their career and see what, you know, know how valuable that Hamilton degree is and the doors that can open up for them. Afterward, you know, that obviously that happens every year. So that's, you know, that's a big part of that. Just just seeing what, what that degree does for them and everybody moving on in their life. If you could be remembered for one thing by all of your former players, staff and people around you. What's the one thing you'd like them to remember you for? I would hope that they are team would just remember that. That myself and the staff, you know, gave everything that we had, you know, just like we ask of the players, you know, to come into compete, be ready, prepare, you know, that we did the same thing that, you know, we were, we were organized ready to go every day and had a game plan and, you know, we cared as much as they did. Well coach, it's been great, great season, great podcast and glad we've been able to chat, great getting to hear your perspective on things, congratulations once again on your title. To wrap things up here, are there, if there's any last words you have or just anything else you'd like to add the floor's yours, if not, that's totally fine, but if you'd like to have at it. Well, thanks for having me on, I appreciate it. You know, thank you for everything you do for for Division 3 hockey Chris, appreciate you, you know, all the time and work that you put into promoting, promoting our game and specifically Division 3 hockey and, you know, for. For me, the only thing that comes to mind is, you know, I'm grateful to everybody at Hamilton and all of all of our alums. that got us to this point. You know, we, the national championship for me is, it's, you know, we've had a high, I think this is our hundred and eighth season of hockey at Hamilton and, you know, everybody that, that, you know, played for the team over all those years, the former coaches and staff, everybody played a part in getting us to that title game and all of us are grateful for everyone that played a part in getting us to the championship. - Well said coach and just once again, congratulations. Hope your off season goes well and get a lot of biking in. And then the, since you played a lot later than you're used to, the off season might seem a little shorter. I know recruiting's obviously a big deal, but pretty soon things will be back underway in your world. - Yeah, well, we're trying to catch up. So, yeah, that there's a lot of work waiting for us. So we'll get back to it. - Thanks for listening to the D3Hack news podcast. If you haven't yet, check out our new website, D3Hack news.com, diiihack news.com. Along with our normal social media is on extra Twitter, along with Instagram. Check out our new merch shop through Off the Field Sports link down our website. We just crossed a 12.5,000 follower mark on X and on our way to 10,000 and plus on Instagram. Please go like and follow us on our platforms and keep on our website for a weekly blogs, D3Hack, diiihack, and more. That's D-i-i-i, hockey news. Thank you.