Skating coach supreme
Kathy McLlwain trains multiple National Hockey League and other high performance players during the off season as their personal skating coach. This is in addition to the very reputable McLlwain being the skating coach for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
A certified Level 3 coach, McLlwain has been coaching for more than 30 years, starting with figure skating before concentrating solely on providing skating instruction and training for elite hockey players.
First up, the list of mainstay NHL players who McLlwain trains and instructs is a virtual who’s who gathering that includes Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville Predators), Bo Horvat (New York Islanders), Boone Jenner (Columbus Blue Jackets), Christian Dvorak (Montreal Canadiens), the ageless Corey Perry (Edmonton Oilers), Jared McCann (Seattle Kraken), Lawson Crouse (Utah Hockey Club), Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars), Will Cullye (New York Rangers) and Jorden Kyrou (St. Louis Blues.)
Meanwhile, now in her fifth season with the OHL Spitfires, McLlwain, is a key member of the hockey operations department that is led by general manager Billy Bowler.
“Kathy is a very valuable member of our coaching staff,” Bowler relayed to Hockey News Windsor. “Her overall contributions in many facets of our organization really stand out. In her role as our skating coach we see first hand the improvement in our players skating.”
In turn, McLlwain has much good to say about Bowler as the GM, head coach Greg Walters and his staff — and about the positive environment that envelops the Spitfires.
“It has been a real privilege and an honour to be part of the Spitfire organization,” McLlwain relayed to Hockey News Windsor. “There are so many great people to be around … it is a fun place to work and we are treated well and with respect. The coaches are all very supportive of my work and trust my process … they help me grow as a coach and we all learn along the way. The coaches are excellent in including me in all aspects of the game and preparation. We discuss goals, strengths and weaknesses of the players and performance trends.
“As the head coach, Greg is passionate about his work and team,” McLlwain continued. “He runs a very structured and disciplined practice. He holds each player accountable for their efforts and for their responsibilities. They seem to be responding well to the entire staff and putting in the effort and we are all seeing results.
“Additionally, Bill (Bowler) has given me the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone with only skating and experience other avenues within the organization like working with (radio play by play announcer) Steve Bell and (colour commentator) Manny Paiva and on different social media projects with Remo (Agostino.) It has truly been a fun experience.
“Overall, the Spitfires provide a fun environment and a safe positive place for the young men to grow, mature and enjoy the game they love,” added McLlwain, who commutes to Windsor from her home in the London area community of Exeter for skill sessions, practices and games.
Of the many Spitfires who have benefitted from McLlwain’s instruction, one is captain Liam Greentree, a 2006 birth year forward who was taken by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2024 NHL draft.
“I have watched Liam grow into an elite athlete the last couple of years. He has matured and is growing into a highly skilled player for our team,” McLlwain began in praise of Greentree, who has become a 100 point plus player for the OHL West Division leading Spitfires this season. “The relentless work ethic that Liam has along with consistency and repetition is showing results.”
McLlwain noted that Greentree “has spent the last few summers in London training with some of my NHL players and I believe it has made him realize the quality and technique that it takes to get to the next level.
“Skating has become extremely important in today’s game and players are seriously realizing the commitment and dedication it takes to see results. It is about proper technique to create power, strength, speed and acceleration,” McLlwain pointed out.
In all, McLlwain noted, the Spitfires are a strong skating team led by the likes of Greentree, fellow forwards Ryan Abraham, Noah Morneau, A.J. Spellacy, Jack Nesbitt, Cole Davis, rookies Ethan Belchetz and Ethan Garden and defenseman Anthony Cristoforo.
“I want us to have the strongest, fastest team in the OHL,” McLlwain stressed, in summation.