The Game: Life, Lessons and Legacy with Matt Nichol

The High Performance Hockey Podcast

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The responsibilities and lessons during the early days as Toronto Maple Leaf strength & conditioning coach.
• Global training systems in the high performance world.
• What it’s like working in the private sector.

Resources + Links:

Check out Anthony’s Masterclass -

The High Performance Hockey Masterclass

Follow Anthony on Instagram | @anthonydonskov

Follow Anthony on Twitter | Anthony Donskov, PhD

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel | The HPH Podcast with Anthony Donskov

Follow HPH Podcast on Instagram | @hph_podcast

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Learn more on our Website | https://www.donskovsc.com/

Check out Anthony’s Books

Physical Preparations for Ice Hockey: Biological Principles and Practical Solutions

The Gain, Go, and Grow Manual: Programming for High Performance Hockey Players

Show Notes:

How do you leave a lasting impact on the game? Our guest for today’s episode is Matt Nichol, a strength and conditioning coach and performance specialist based in Toronto! Join us as we delve into an incredible conversation about the game from a seasoned strength and conditioning perspective. We’ll explore Matt’s early days with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his responsibilities and duties as head strength and conditioning coach, the influences and lessons he gained working with high performance coaches and athletes, and finally his experiences in the private sector. As we go, we’ll learn more about his approaches to working with hockey coaches and players for maximum optimization on and off the ice. Come and pick the brain of a veteran strength and conditioning coach who’s optimizing the world of high performance hockey!

00:00 Welcome Matt Nichol, business owner, performance specialist, and veteran strength & conditioning coach who has been in the game for decades!

02:05 How did you get your position with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

07:55 How did you establish trust in the hockey world after coming from the football world?

10:25 What were your duties and responsibilities with the Leafs?

16:30 Gaining context from the inside out.

18:15 What are some of your best memories of working with Mats Sundin?

25:55 What important lessons did you learn from Pat Quinn?

30:20 What were your responsibilities when you won the World Cup of Hockey 2004 gold medal?

33:35 Why is it important to have a cooperative approach?

34:55 How did you get involved with sports nutrition and supplements?

39:20 Working in the private sector with the little dungeon.

44:25 How did you incorporate on ice training during the summer?

48:30 Who were some of your mentors in the private sector?

52:30 How are thought processes behind global training systems evolving?

55:50 What is the footprint of your new gym?

58:30 What are the positives of the sports science community in the high performance sphere? What are the negatives?

1:01:25 How do you want to be remembered?