Keith Tkachuk, a member of the silver medal-winning American team at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, was inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and is currently a level four coach, and former Olympic champion Chris Pronger of Canada were both in attendance at the event.

Pronger, who claimed Olympic gold in Salt Lake City with the victorious Canadian side, joined Tkachuk on a panel to open the Symposium on Thursday (August 11).

He is also working his way up the coaching ladder and is currently a level five.

The Canadian was a keen participant of the event, held to boost the skills of budding and current coaches.

USA Hockey director of coaching Mark Tabrum says the presence of the two greats of the sport, who both had extensive careers in the National Hockey League (NHL), will provide great benefit to the attendees to the Symposium.

"It's like when they played, they want to learn as much as they can about the game," he said.

"Now they're not playing and coaching youth players, but the same attitude and principles apply. 

"What they did to become the players they were they're doing to become better coaches.

"You're sitting next to an NHL great and talking with them about hockey and learning from each other."

A total of 375 people attended the Symposium from a wide range of countries, with some coming from as far as Sweden and Switzerland.

"I am here to open my mind and expand my horizons," Amos Coppe, who travelled from Lugano in Switzerland to participate in the Symposium, said.

"You can always learn something from anybody. 

"There is always an opportunity to improve. 

"That's the idea of coming here, to learn as much as possible and then try to put everything into practice."