London Inc. Fall 2021 - 26

Enterprise
ON ANY OTHER stretch of mornings in mid-summer,
the incandescent ice surface at Budweiser Gardens
might have belonged to the biggest names in London's
talent-rich hockey community.
But for several days this summer, NHL stars Bo Horvat,
Corey Perry, Boone Jenner, Colton White and others
happily ceded control to Kathy McLlwain of
PowerBlades Skating School, one of Canada's
top power skating coaches.
" You need every advantage you can, " says
Corey Perry of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a
16-year NHL veteran who relies on McLlwain
as his offseason power-skating coach.
" Guys are stepping into the league and taking
and McLlwain has built a reputation as one of the best
coaches in the business.
A former elite figure skater who toured the world for
three years with the Ice Capades, McLlwain started
coaching professionally shortly after she retired from
skating in the early 1990s.
" I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, AND
I REALLY BELIEVE COACHING IS
A PRIVILEGE; I BELIEVE IT'S A GIFT "
-Kathy McLlwain
over hockey games and being a star right away. So, for me,
any advantage is positive. "
Hockey's evolution has made power skating a nonnegotiable
skill for anyone who wants to play in the NHL,
26 | londonincmagazine.ca | FALL 2021
She quickly built a world-class business with clients all
over Southwestern Ontario, including several NHLers,
OHL franchises, AAA clubs and small-town minor
hockey associations.
AN INSIDE EDGE
In today's NHL, skating is king. And Kathy McLlwain
is a kingmaker by BEN FORREST
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London Inc. Fall 2021

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