"I want to coach. I love it."

Punch Imlach coached the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cup victories, including the club’s last win in 1966/67.

Imlach was a hard taskmaster and frequently butted heads with players and administrators. However, he is as central a figure to hockey history as you will find.

Imlach signed and coached Jean Béliveau with the Quebec Aces, had loyal followers in NHL legends Johnny Bower and Tim Horton, and was a formative influence in the early years of Scotty Bowman’s coaching career.

In his book The Coaches, journalist Bill Libby writes one of his longest portraits about Imlach, including a couple of direct quotes that are good reminders for every coach. I’ve captured them here:

• "Sure, coaching is a tough way to go. It's a thankless business. You have to put up with more bloody nonsense from the players, the owners, the writers, the fans than any man should have to put up with. The travel kills you. The games kill you. I've got an ulcer. I could do other things. I've got money. I could sit around or play golf. But I want to coach. I love it.”
  

• “All coaches get fired. You get used to it. It's no disgrace. It happens to all coaches, good or bad, win or lose.”
  

• "I've been called a madman, and I've been called a genius. That's all right. Both are right. You have to be a madman to coach. And you have to be a genius to win. The only difference between being a madman and a genius is a couple of goals at the right time. Whatever I am, I'm me. I do things my own way. I go my own way. I enjoy it. I enjoy the battling and the suffering. I laugh at it. Life is one big laugh after another. It's better than crying, I'll tell you."

Coaching Sessions with Cody

These one-off sessions have been a popular addition so I’ve now extended the amount of sessions available.

This is your opportunity to ask me your most pressing questions about your craft, or get my help with whatever you’re working on right now.

Sixty minutes. Three topics. No ongoing commitment.