Building High Performance: Devan McConnell on Leadership, Systems, and the Future of NHL Performance
When Devan McConnell first entered the field of strength and conditioning, he expected to become a physical therapist. An internship with Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning quickly changed that trajectory, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to his current role as High Performance Director for the Utah Mammoth.
Joining the Hockey Strength Podcast, McConnell reflected on the experiences that shaped his career and shared his perspective on what it takes to build a modern high-performance department in today’s NHL. Rather than focusing on individual exercises or the latest technology, the conversation centered on leadership, organizational structure, and creating environments where athletes and staff can consistently perform at their best.
From Strength Coach to High Performance Director
McConnell’s career began in the collegiate setting, first at Stanford University before spending nine years helping build the strength and conditioning program at UMass Lowell. Hired as the program’s first full-time hockey strength coach, he helped establish the department while simultaneously expanding into sports science and athlete monitoring.
That experience eventually led him to the New Jersey Devils, where he served as Director of Performance Science and Reconditioning while also assisting with strength and conditioning and late-stage rehabilitation.
His next opportunity came when the Arizona Coyotes created a new High Performance Director position, giving him responsibility for building and leading an integrated performance department. Following the franchise’s relocation, he continues in that role with the Utah Mammoth.
Sports Science Isn’t Separate from Coaching
One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation was McConnell’s view that sports science should never exist independently from coaching.
Rather than seeing sports science as its own discipline, he described it as another tool that helps coaches better understand their athletes and make better decisions.
Technology, force plates, workload monitoring, GPS systems, and readiness assessments all serve the same purpose: helping practitioners ask better questions and build more effective training programs.
For McConnell, data supports coaching-it doesn’t replace it.
Leadership Through Systems
As his career has progressed, McConnell’s role has shifted away from day-to-day coaching and toward organizational leadership.
Instead of designing every workout or overseeing every rehabilitation session, he now focuses on creating systems that allow specialists throughout the department to succeed.
That includes establishing the department’s philosophy, defining training structures, aligning nutrition with performance goals, and creating consistent processes across every aspect of athlete care.
His goal is to simplify the environment for his staff so each practitioner can excel within their own area of expertise.
Three Models of NHL Performance Departments
McConnell also discussed how NHL organizations are currently structured, outlining three common models.
The traditional approach separates strength and conditioning from the medical department, with collaboration occurring between two independent groups.
A hybrid model-similar to Utah’s-places sports science, strength and conditioning, and nutrition under a High Performance Director while maintaining separate leadership for medical services.
A third model, which McConnell noted is becoming increasingly common across the league, places both performance and medical departments under one executive leader.
Rather than suggesting one model is universally superior, he emphasized that communication and alignment ultimately determine success regardless of organizational structure.
Building Alignment Across Departments
Throughout the interview, McConnell repeatedly returned to one concept: alignment.
Whether discussing nutrition, rehabilitation, sports science, or strength and conditioning, his focus remained on ensuring every department shares the same vision and works toward the same objectives.
That philosophy extends beyond the NHL roster.
Within Utah’s organization, the American Hockey League staff operates under the same performance philosophy, training principles, and key performance indicators so that players moving between levels experience consistency throughout their development.
Investing in Staff Development
McConnell believes continuing education is essential for maintaining a high-performing staff.
He described intentionally budgeting resources to send staff members to conferences, bring outside experts into the organization, and expose practitioners to new ideas throughout the offseason.
Importantly, the objective isn’t necessarily to adopt every new methodology.
Instead, introducing different perspectives creates a shared language across departments and helps coaches, therapists, and medical staff better understand one another’s approaches.
The Utah Transition
The relocation from Arizona to Utah represented one of the most significant organizational changes of McConnell’s career.
He recalled learning of the sale while the team was on the road before ownership offered every hockey operations employee the opportunity to relocate.
Nearly the entire department made the move together.
Since arriving in Utah, McConnell highlighted the organization’s investment in both facilities and staff, describing an ownership group that encouraged department leaders to shape the design of their new performance spaces and provided the resources necessary to execute that vision.
He also pointed to the community’s embrace of professional hockey as another major difference, noting the enthusiasm surrounding the organization throughout Salt Lake City.
Networking Opens Doors
Toward the end of the conversation, McConnell spoke candidly about career development within professional sports.
He stressed that networking plays a critical role in creating opportunities, particularly early in a career.
Internships and volunteer positions, he explained, provide more than experience—they allow young professionals to demonstrate work ethic, reliability, and passion to people who may later recommend them for future opportunities.
At the same time, he was clear that networking alone is not enough.
Connections may open the door, but sustained success depends on consistently delivering value once inside.
A Leadership Philosophy Centered on People
Although the conversation covered sports science, department structure, and organizational design, perhaps the clearest takeaway was McConnell’s leadership philosophy.
He described his role not as directing every decision, but as building systems, creating clarity, and supporting the people around him.
Rather than trying to be the expert in every discipline, his objective is to create an environment where experts can do their best work together.
As NHL performance departments continue to evolve, McConnell’s perspective reflects a broader shift occurring across professional sports: moving beyond isolated disciplines toward integrated teams built on communication, shared purpose, and collaboration.
