Meet Dustin Kohn: From Professional Hockey Player to Sport Psychology and Coaching Professional

Aug 1

4 min read

With both the lived experience of competing as a professional athlete and the academic training gained through graduate studies, I bring a well-rounded understanding of elite performance. My perspective combines practical insight with theoretical knowledge, and I am committed to continually learning and growing so I can best support the next generation of athletes in reaching their potential.

My Experience as a Professional Athlete

I am Dustin Kohn from Edmonton, Alberta. I started playing hockey when I was five or six years old. Some of my fondest memories of the game are from the 1990s; spending all my extra time as a kid on the outdoor rink, back when that was a common thing to do. I dreamed of playing in the NHL like most kids, loved the gritty pre-salary cap Oilers (Doug Weight, Bill Guerin, Curtis Joseph), and had memorized almost every player by number on each NHL team.

As I got older, I realized I had a real chance of playing hockey at a high level. I played in the WHL at sixteen for the Calgary Hitmen, was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 2005 Draft, and turned pro at twenty with their AHL farm team in Connecticut. I played eight seasons of pro hockey, including 22 games in the NHL, four seasons in the AHL, and four in Europe.

My Experience After My Playing Career

While completing my MBA at the University of Sheffield I learned the importance of tenacity and determination in working toward a goal. After being out of the classroom for 10+ years, I was nervous about going back to school after my hockey career. Hard work and consistent effort allowed me to obtain my goal of completing my MBA with distinction. My Masters degree at the University of Alberta has taught me about the importance of research, theoretical knowledge, curiosity, and open-mindedness. I learned a lot about hockey, playing 9 years professionally, but I have learned just as much about coaching and athlete development, if not more, from some of the best sport science academics in the world. People from the U of A who have made a great impact on me include Dr. Jim Denison (Sport Sociologist), Dr. John Dunn (Sport Psychologist), Dr. Nick Holt (Sport Psychologist and current Dean of the University of Calgary, Faculty of Kinesiology), Dr. Amber Mosewich (Sport Psychologist), and Dallas Ansell (PhD Candidate, Sport Sociology and Psychology). Lastly, Jim Murphy (former professional baseball player, Mental Performance Coach, and author of Inner Excellence) has made an immense impact on my beliefs about coaching, performance, athlete development, and personal development. Jim teaches that the path to peak athletic performance and the path to the best possible life - one of contentment, peace, and joy - is the same path; one focused on love (instead of fear), selflessness, empathy, routines, discipline, and faith. Jim works with some of the world's best PGA golfers and shows them that performance, winning, and success comes as a byproduct of living the right way: by competing daily to raise one's level of excellence in order to raise it in others. I am extremely grateful to consider Jim a friend and mentor.

I never found my place as a player at the NHL level, and that’s something I’ve wrestled with at times when reflecting on my career. I grew up in a family where hockey was just for fun, but as I moved up, the game quickly became about money, contracts, and status. With that came fear of failure, of letting people down, of losing everything I thought I wanted. That kind of pressure translates into hesitation, fear of making mistakes, and fear of truly playing your game.

Those experiences are a big part of why I am driven to help young players today. I want to support them in navigating the pressures of high-performance sport. I believe that self-awareness, personal development, and performance are all deeply connected; and when athletes grow in one area, it positively impacts the others. Growth comes through a commitment to the process, not just chasing outcomes. And that process should be individualized, rooted in each athlete’s unique background, upbringing, skillset, and potential.

Along the way, I had the opportunity to compete in the NHL, travel the world, and learn from great coaches and teammates across different leagues and cultures. All of my experiences; the setbacks and the successes, combined with my academic background, now form the foundation of the work I do with athletes.

Since retiring from professional hockey, I have earned multiple master’s degrees, including one in sport psychology and athlete development. My work has explored the game through developmental, psychological, and cultural perspectives, and I continue to stay closely connected to the sport as a player development and mental skills coach with R&D Performance, as well as a coach with the Spruce Grove Saints in the BCHL. Away from the rink, I love reading and listening to podcasts, with personal favourites including Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy and The Rich Roll Podcast. Most importantly, I am a proud father, husband, and lifelong student of human potential, dedicated to helping others grow both as athletes and as people.