This week’s episode features Ken Dufton, a hockey coach with an extensive and storied history in the game, amassing almost 50 years of coaching experience to date. Ken’s father was a founding member of the Don Mills Flyers AAA program in Ontario, the organization with which he spent the first decade of his coaching career.
In 1984, he transitioned to the women’s game, and became a pioneer in the growth and development of women’s hockey in the Greater Toronto Area.
He has coached at virtually every level in hockey, from minor to junior to senior, high school, university, provincial and national levels, and has experienced tremendous success at each.
Ken lead Team Ontario Red to a gold medal at the first U18 national championships in 1993, and was an Assistant coach with the Canadian women’s national program for two world championship titles in 1999 and 2004.
He has won multiple PWHL titles, and over 20 provincial championships in Ontario to date.
Ken has coached numerous Olympians over the years, including Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Angela James and Geraldine Heaney.
There are not many coaches out there with Ken’s unique combination of experience and passion for the game. He has been an amazing mentor for me in my coaching journey, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to share some of his knowledge and insight with you.
In this conversation, Ken & I discuss the highlights and challenges of his personal coaching journey, as well as some valuable advice for minor hockey coaches when it comes to work-life balance and managing expectations in a pay-to-play system.
Check it out!
