RinkWise podcast: BU assistant coach Kim Brandvold on player development

Kim Brandvold just finished his first season as an assistant coach at BU. (Matt Woolverton/BU Athletics)

In the last 10 years, hockey has become less reliant on physicality and much more reliant on skill.

That’s in large part due to coaches like Kim Brandvold.

Brandvold played four seasons at UMass Lowell from 2002-06. After his final year of playing in 2006-07, he found his way into coaching, with an emphasis on skills. Most notably, he worked with the Boston Bruins for seven seasons as a skating and skills coach.

Now, he’s an assistant coach for the BU men’s team. He helped guide the Terriers to the Frozen Four in April.

He was on the most recent episode of the RinkWise podcast. Brandvold and host Stephanie Wood discussed his career, as well as his view on player development.

On his work with the Bruins: 

Brandvold: “[In 2016-17] I ended up being more involved in Boston with day-to-day stuff and parts of practices as soon as Bruce Cassidy took over as head coach there. Got to be part of the coaching staff. I was lucky to have the opportunity and learn from them and be on the ice every day with the rehab portion in terms of injured players was still a big part and skills and development sessions.”

On the importance of emphasizing skills: 

Brandvold: “Everyone’s talked a lot about how much hockey is available for the kids. Sometimes it might be too much, but they do skate a lot through the year and obviously work on their individual game — certainly a lot more than we ever did. I never did any of it. Same as you, I wish I did do it. You see now young players, especially with the ones we get coming into college, they’re so skilled. It makes for a better game. …I think it’s a big portion. I attribute a lot of that to more ice available year-round and skills coaches and skating coaches is a big portion of that.”

The RinkWise podcast can be streamed here and on major platforms, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.