…taught me the greatest lesson I ever learned.

Just over five years ago, the hockey community lost one of its greatest ambassadors and a true pioneer. I also lost one of my biggest heroes and dearest friends.

Dave McMaster was a long-time coach at the University of Toronto for both the men’s and women’s varsity programs. He was also the coach for the Canadian team that won the first ever women’s world hockey championship back in 1990. Even though Dave enjoyed tremendous success at the most elite levels of hockey, he would undoubtedly say that it was his work with developing young female hockey players that was most rewarding. Dave was an accomplished teacher both on and off the ice and a true inspiration to every player and student he ever worked with. I had the great fortune to be coached by Dave for three years and I can honestly say that I learned more from him, about hockey and about life, than any other coach I have ever had.

Dave was the consummate ‘players’ coach’. He treated every player on his team, as well as on the opposing team, with the exact same degree of concern and respect. He never played favorites and demanded that everyone by treated as equals. He never did so forcefully – he led by example beyond all else. I can honestly say that I never heard him say a single negative word about any player – EVER.

Dave taught me my greatest lesson about being a teammate and leader. He was the first (and only) coach that ever threatened to bench me for my negative attitude. I still remember every detail from that day – from the rink we were playing at, to the color of the jerseys of the team we were playing. Our team was struggling in the first period of a game against a much weaker team. I was becoming increasingly more frustrated as the game continued and I started to verbally take my frustrations out on my teammates. Dave didn’t day a single word about it to me on the bench. He was never one to single a player out in the middle of a game. After the first period, he quietly pulled me aside and asked me why I was behaving that way. I was 16 years-old and a little bit cocky, and I said that my teammates weren’t even trying. I can still remember his exact words: ‘If you can’t respect your teammates, it means that you don’t respect yourself. And if you don’t respect yourself, I can’t put you out on the ice.’

Needless to say, I respected and admired this man so much that I would never dream of acting like that in front of him (or my teammates) ever again. Not only did I not want to sit on the bench, but I knew that the entire team deserved better. From that moment on, I resolved to be as positive and supportive as possible to my teammates and myself.

Dave was, and continues to be, my inspiration for working with young female hockey players. He was always focused on the development of the ‘complete’ player and person. His first question to any player at practice was ‘How is school?’ or ‘How are your parents?’. Academics and family always came first. It wasn’t that hockey took a back seat – Dave wanted to win as much as the next coach – but he recognized that success on and off the rink should always go hand in hand. I distinctly remember him advising me to choose a university that would challenge me off the ice over and above the opportunities it could afford me on the ice. I always stress the importance of education with every young athlete and challenge them to put in as much effort in the classroom as they do on the ice.

There is rarely an instance when I step on the ice or work with my athletes that I don’t think about Dave and the wonderful effect he has had on my life. Each and every day, I strive to respect and support my young athletes in the same way that Dave did. If I ever become even half as good as he was, I will consider that to be one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

Thank you Dave. I’ll do my best to make you proud.

Until next time,

Kim