Rob Frid
Tucker Hockey On Ice
Instructor Profile
Published June 25, 2025
We are excited to introduce one of Tucker Hockey’s newest On Ice Instructors – Rob Frid!
Learn more about Rob, his hockey journey and what brought him to Tucker Hockey.
- Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Burlington, Ontario and moved away from home at 16 after being drafted by the London Knights in The Canadian Hockey League. I have an 18-year-old daughter Tegan who I love very much, starting her first year of college at Fanshawe in London Ontario. I have called Calgary my home for the past few years and live with my girlfriend Alexis and her children Paloma and Hawksley, they love our 3 cats and Charley our beloved labradoodle just as much as me and such a joy to spend our beautiful Calgary sunny days with! Alexis and I met when we were children, actually lived across the street from each other as new borns also, guess that’s the meaning of 6 degrees separated!
- Tell us about your interest in the sport of hockey.
My interest in hockey started at 6 years old. I played recreational house hockey from the age of 6 until I was a bantam U14 and made my first travel team in AA. I loved to work hard and took pride in my work ethic. I knew young when you put the work in, my skating and skills would improve in due time. I went to power skating camps throughout the years as I always had to work harder than most of my teammates, improving my skating, it took a lot of repetition for me. By the time I was U16, I made my first AAA team. I then moved away from home the next season and spent 3 years with The Knights in the OHL. During my last year in London, I was getting calls from a few NHL teams and decided at 19 years old to accept the St Louis Blues free agent tryout and was off to St Louis for the first time. My childhood dreams of getting up to the NHL was a reality and so quickly when I reflect back on my development pathway. Even though I did not make the NHL, I played University hockey and 9 seasons of minor pro hockey in the US at an elite level. I lived and played in Kentucky, Chicago, Georgia, Alaska, and Texas in several leagues throughout my career and was coached by many former NHL players.
- What’s the best part of hockey for you?
The best part of hockey to me is that no matter what age you are, the game is very rewarding and the fastest, most entertaining sport to play in the world. You can always improve your skills no matter what age you are. Being part of a team has always been one of the best parts of the game. Knowing your teammates well helps with team goals and that to put our best effort in every time we step on the ice together. The repetition and practicing and playing in games together also improves each player’s skill set. I have always been a “No I in Team” type of player. I took pride in being a leader a looking after my teammates every year I played. I was also blessed to skate alongside some NHL Hall of Fame players during my career including Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, and Zdeno Chara to name a few!
- How has hockey influenced your life?
Hockey has influenced my life in so many ways. I would say learning to battle adversity whether it was not making a team or losing my mother at 15 from cancer during my hockey season who was my #1 fan and supporter along with my dad David. Hockey always teaches you to find ways to succeed and battle through adversity and loss, knowing you are not alone. My Teammates were always there for me as I was for them night in and night out over many years of playing the sport I love. When I was 38, I was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder that affects my neuromuscular system. I had to take several years away from the game and focus on my physical health. If I did not understand how to battle adversity as a player I definitely would not have been able to battle the physical health adversity challenges I’ve faced as an adult. After being told by my neurologist I would never skate or play hockey again, I am back on the ice teaching kids and adults with the best power skating teacher I’ve had to date in Rex Tucker. His attention to detail and programming is at an Elite level and now part of a team again with Rex and our Tucker Hockey Team!
- When and how did you initially get involved with Tucker Hockey?
I decided in the summer of 2024 to see what it would feel like to skate again after taking 15 years away from the game. I bought a pair of skates, used gloves and a stick and helmet. My girlfriend’s son Hawksley never played any team sports and showed an interest in hockey through my passion. So, we decided to get him equipment and then started his first season too! Hockey is not like riding a bike, you need to continue to skate as we use a lot of muscles not used in everyday life and at high speeds with good edge work and technique, along with a lot of repetition to improve daily. I finished chronic pain management at the hospital in 2022, was able to come off medications that helped relax my muscles and started watching more hockey. I did not know where this burning passion to skate again was coming from but I was determined and focused to try and return to the game I loved….Thanks, Hawksley for helping me by allowing me to teach you along the way, not knowing I would soon be teaching kids all across Calgary and its surrounding areas!
I then started looking around Calgary for a hockey school that teaches elite skating and kept coming across Tucker Hockey. I contacted Rex Tucker and shortly after went to meet Rex for lunch. As soon as we met, I was super excited at the opportunity to give back to our kids again teaching and using my experience playing major junior and professional hockey. Rex has always been a caring and compassionate teacher of our game and was blessed at the opportunity with Rex. He started me slowly as I continued to gain strength and confidence after the long absence away from the rink. We started together in August just a one-hour session a few times a week gradually participating more with our Tucker team and I worked to get my edge work while gaining confidence back on the ice. Rex is the Best power skating teacher I have ever had over my entire career and I’m very proud to be working with him and our Tucker team. Every boy, girl or adult that comes through The Tucker Hockey programming improves and that’s the dedication Rex has instilled in Calgary’s hockey community now for 25 years! Happy 25th Anniversary Rex and Tuckey Hockey!!!
- What is the most enjoyable part of coaching/teaching players?
I love to get to know the kid’s names, and positions as soon as we step on the ice together. The most enjoyable part for me is building up their confidence quickly, while I observe their skating and skills, what they are doing right letting them know, and then correcting what they need improvement on. The kids need to have Fun to improve, and I have always had that mindset throughout my career and continue to use this when teaching or coaching today. Work Ethic is also very important to me, and while building a player’s confidence and tweaking their skills, strides and skating habits, I always stress hard work pays off. Repetition is key to becoming a good hockey player. Finding that fine line between working hard but under control and then seeing the kids or adults smile in confidence when they improve, is more enjoyable to me than playing the game even then at the Elite levels I’ve been blessed to play at.
- What is your favourite age group and skill level?
I can relate to ALL age groups and skill levels because of my journey which makes it easier for me to teach. Working with our youngest kids is fun because you feel the love they have for the game so young. They need to work on so many different levels of improving their skills, and I enjoy the challenge. The older kids already have the work ethic and working with them is like fine-tuning an engine. They are good listeners and believe in Tucker Hockey which makes them fun to teach also.
Our beginner Adult program is also a favourite of mine. They are the first on the ice and last off and look up to us for guidance and all of them are a joy to work with!
- Do any favourite skating drills come to mind?
Evasive Skating drills teaching players to be creative while using good inside and outside edge control is one of my favourite drills, Mohawks, 3 & 9’s, changing speeds, and sharp turns with stops back to full speeds tackles a lot in a drill. 80% of our game is played around the outer rink. 20% is played through the neutral zone and offensive and d-zone slot areas. Repetitive hourglass, sculling, slaloming, and using our inside and outside edging drills are also my favourites. Quick hands and quick feet drills are also my favourite and important because of the speed the game is played at today with the evolution of our game!
- Being a Tucker Hockey Instructor – what has the “Tucker Hockey Way” being a part of the on-ice instructional team taught you?
From playing youth hockey growing up and then being drafted to The London Knights and making it up to the NHL with St Louis “The Tucker Way” works whether you are a beginner or advanced player! Instilling the love and passion for our game has always been #1. Being inclusive to all ages, backgrounds and skill sets is a must for learning and improving each time on the ice. Hockey is for Everyone who loves our game, there are no barriers in Hockey. When a player is improving on the ice in a positive learning environment like we preach at Tucker Hockey, these skill sets can be used throughout their lifetime! Every instructor at Tucker Hockey loves making a positive difference in our student’s development no matter what age group we are teaching.
- What advice would you like to offer hockey coaches, parents and players about the importance of skating, and why they should invest the time and money towards quality skating instruction?
Every level I participated in whether in The Canadian Hockey League, NHL, AHL, ECHL or University Sports skating has ALWAYS been at the forefront of ALL skills of a hockey player, including my journey. If you can’t skate well, you can’t develop your skills with or without the puck where a player should be with their development age group. Every year I played the game, skating was the one area I always had to focus on. Each off-season my family would invest the time and money to work on my skating with power skating lessons. If it were not for my family investing in the passion I had for our beautiful game and my skating, I definitely would not have played and climbed up the hockey ranks as I did as a child and young adult. I owe a lot of my success in our game to my family especially my father David Frid, and also to skating instruction!
- What other things interest you, outside hockey?
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, travelling to the Rocky Mountains with our dog Charley and girlfriend Alexis and kids. My daughter Tegan is now entering college and is very interested in her scholastic journey! I have lived all over the United States playing and still find Alberta the best place I have ever lived in. The mountain air and sunshine are so healing for our minds, bodies and souls!
- What are your future goals or aspirations?
To continue paying it forward to our kids using The Tucker Way of teaching them our game! Hockey to me is the best sport and culture in today’s sporting world! I just turned 50 and life has been full of challenges, adversity, and sometimes loss…. Tucker Hockey has changed my life and even though I accomplished more than most who grew up playing our game…There is something to be said about getting to the rink and challenging yourself to improve every day you lace those skates up! You never know how this beautiful game will impact your life down the road. I’m a perfect example and thrilled to be part of our Tucker Hockey Team, both with our instructors and students of the Game!!!
See you on the ice continuing to play The Tucker Way!!!!
~Rob Frid
Editor’s Note:
Thank you, Rob, for completing a Tucker Hockey Instructor Profile.
Being a successful player with the London Knights of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and playing nearly 10 years of Semi Pro hockey, within various professional leagues, you offer a unique insight into the elite hockey playing world and overall hockey skills development.
Your past hockey experiences which included attending the St: Louis Blues training camp and skating with the likes of: NHL Hall of Famers – Brett Hull, Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis offer valuable insights!
Rob, you have been a great addition to the Tucker Hockey Team since the Summer of 2024. You have a deep passion and love for the game. This kindred spirit will help you be very successful in the years ahead with teaching power skating and hockey skills to our youth and adult participants.
Rob, you have great potential to become a top-notch assistant and later head on ice instructor. I look forward to mentoring you along, sharing hockey knowledge together and having lots of good times on the ice in the years ahead!
Best wishes.
~Coach Rex.
PS – Congratulations on your London Knights winning this year’s Memorial Cup!
I loved seeing you so proud and happy for the players, coaches and Knights organization – a place where you really find your hockey groove and developed into a professional player.
Hockey & Smiles!