Looking back on his own time as a head coach, Royle lists what hurt his performance: external criticism, alcohol, refusing to let go, seeing himself as a coach first rather than a partner, communication that did not land, and poor sleep that dulled his awareness. His biggest error was believing tactics mattered more than belonging. With lungs burning five minutes from the end of a final, he says, players cannot recall a game plan; what carries them over the line is how much they care about each other. The full Coach Chat with Cody Royle is not on the subscriber site yet. Masterclasses on the same themes are, for Coach subscribers of The Hockey Site.
