Explore every episode of the podcast Our Kids Play Hockey | Hockey Stories & Teamwork Tips
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ride to The Rink: What Goalies Wish Their Teammates Understood | 26 Sep 2026 | 00:10:13 | |
🥅 Your goalie isn’t playing alone—and keeping the puck out of the net is everyone’s responsibility. In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli speak directly to young hockey players about something every great teammate needs to understand: your goaltender is one of six players on the ice, not a separate part of the team. After hearing hundreds of comments from hockey parents about what they wish others understood about goalies, Lee and Mike bring those lessons straight to the players. For goalies, there’s an important reminder: you’re seen, supported, and appreciated. The pressure of playing in net can sometimes make you feel like you’re on an island, but there are teammates, parents, coaches, and hockey families who understand just how demanding the position can be. And for the skaters? There’s a responsibility that comes with being a great teammate. 🏒 In this episode, players will learn:
🔥 The big message? Warm your goalie up—don’t try to beat them. A three-minute youth hockey warm-up isn’t a skills competition. It’s a chance for everyone to get comfortable, feel the puck, get their body moving, and prepare together. Whether you wear goalie pads or skate in front of the crease, remember: it takes all six players working together to defend the net. Work hard. Have fun. Be a great teammate. And wherever you are in your hockey journey—believe in yourself. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How to Be a Better Teammate to Your Hockey Goalie 🎧 Want to hear the full conversation with hockey parents that inspired this episode? Check out the corresponding Our Kids Play Hockey episode for even more insight into what goalie families experience. #TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyGoalie #GoalieLife #HockeyKids #HockeyTeamwork #YouthHockeyPlayers #GoalieWarmup #HockeyDevelopment #BeAGoodTeammate #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Kids Play Goalie: Mailbag: What 200+ Goalie Parents Want Skater Families to Know | 24 Sep 2026 | 01:06:30 | |
🥅 What do goalie parents wish every skater parent understood? Apparently… a lot. When we asked that question on social media, we expected a handful of responses. Instead, more than 210 goalie parents jumped into the conversation—and their answers opened the door to a discussion every hockey family should hear. In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli dig into those responses and unpack the things skaters, parents, and coaches may never fully appreciate unless they’ve experienced life between the pipes. From the right way to warm up a goalie to the emotional pressure that comes with having every mistake potentially show up on the scoreboard, this conversation is about creating more awareness, better teammates, and healthier hockey environments. 🏒 In this episode, Lee and Mike discuss:
One of the biggest reminders from this conversation? A skater can make a mistake and the game keeps moving. When a goalie makes one, the horn may sound and the scoreboard changes. That doesn’t mean goalies should be protected from accountability. It means hockey families need to understand the position, recognize the shared responsibility of a team, and help young goalies learn from mistakes instead of making them feel defined by them. And for the skaters listening: your goalie wants to be part of the team. Talk to them. Protect them. Listen to them. Clear rebounds. Give them a proper warmup. And remember that when the puck goes in, they probably don’t need anyone reminding them. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What Goalie Parents Wish Every Hockey Family Understood 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a skater parent, coach, or teammate who wants to better understand the person behind the mask. This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. You can also find current offers from NHL Sense Arena, Hockey Wraparound, books from the Our Kids Play Hockey team, and more at ourkidsplayhockey.com/deals. Keep supporting the goalies who support your team—and keep building better hockey environments together. #OurKidsPlayGoalie #YouthHockey #HockeyGoalie #GoalieParents #YouthHockeyParents #GoalieLife #HockeyParents #GoalieTraining #HockeyCoaching #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Hockey IQ with Andrew "Albe" Alberts: Shoulder Checking | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:21:57 | |
🏒 What does your player know before they ever touch the puck? That question is at the heart of hockey IQ — and in this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL defenseman Andrew “Albe” Alberts, who played more than 450 NHL games and now works with the NHL Sense Arena team, to break down one of the simplest and most important habits in the game: shoulder checking. It may sound basic, but knowing what’s behind you before you get to the puck can completely change what happens next. A good shoulder check helps players recognize pressure, identify open ice, protect themselves, create more time and space, and make a better first play. And as Albe explains, this isn’t just a skill for defensemen — or even just for older players. It’s a fundamental habit that can help players at every position and every age become faster thinkers and more confident decision-makers. 🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:
One of Albe’s biggest messages for young players is also one of the easiest to remember: Shoulder check more than you think you need to. The habit of looking before you arrive at the puck gives you information — and information gives you options. This episode launches a monthly hockey IQ series powered by NHL Sense Arena, designed to give hockey families one practical concept at a time that players can understand, practice, and take directly into their game. 🎧 Listen together with your player, talk about what they see on the ice, and challenge them to start building the habit of looking before the puck arrives. Learn more about NHL Sense Arena at hockey.sensearena.com/OKPH. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The Hockey IQ Habit Every Young Player Should Learn: Why Shoulder Checking Changes the Game If this episode helped your hockey family, make sure to like, subscribe, and share Our Kids Play Hockey with another parent, player, or coach. #YouthHockey #HockeyIQ #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyTraining #ShoulderCheck #HockeySkills #SenseArena #NHLSenseArena #HockeyCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Why Healthy Conflict Makes Teams Stronger With Sports Conflict Lab Founder/CEO Bill Taylor | 19 Sep 2026 | 01:01:42 | |
🔥 What if conflict isn’t the problem in youth hockey… but avoiding it is? Whether it’s a disagreement over playing time, tension between teammates, a frustrated parent, or an uncomfortable conversation with a coach, conflict is inevitable in sports. But according to Bill Taylor, founder of Sports Conflict Lab and author of Managing Sports Conflict: Five Tools to Master Conflict, learning how to handle those moments can actually make teams, relationships, and young athletes stronger. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Bill to explore why healthy conflict is essential for growth—and why teams that never challenge one another may actually be limiting their potential. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll hear: • Why avoiding conflict usually makes the eventual problem bigger One of the biggest takeaways from Bill is simple: conflict is not a battle to win—it’s a problem to solve. When athletes learn to manage their emotions, speak directly to teammates, listen before reacting, and work through disagreement, they aren’t just becoming better hockey players. They’re building communication and relationship skills they can carry for the rest of their lives. 📘 Bill Taylor is the founder and CEO of Sports Conflict Lab and the author of Managing Sports Conflict: Five Tools to Master Conflict. Learn more about Bill’s work, conflict-management education, and resources at SportsConflictLab.com. If you’re a hockey parent, coach, or team leader, this is an episode worth sharing with your entire hockey community. 🎧 Listen, subscribe, and send this episode to someone who has ever had to navigate an uncomfortable conversation in youth hockey—which, let’s be honest, is probably everyone. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Healthy Conflict Can Make Youth Hockey Teams Stronger #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaches #SportsConflict #ConflictResolution #SportsParenting #HockeyCulture #TeamCulture #YouthSports #SportsLeadership #CommunicationSkills #BillTaylor #SportsConflictLab #HockeyDevelopment Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to The Rink: Why Great Teammates Have Uncomfortable Conversations with Bill Taylor | 19 Sep 2026 | 00:13:03 | |
🏒 What do you do when a teammate won’t pass the puck, you disagree with your coach, or you and your parents aren’t seeing hockey the same way? Conflict is part of every hockey season. The question isn’t whether it will happen—it’s whether you’ll have the courage and communication skills to handle it well. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee, Christie, Mike, and Bill Taylor of Sports Conflict Lab talk directly to young hockey players about one of the hardest skills to learn in sports: having uncomfortable conversations. Instead of complaining to someone else, avoiding the problem, or assuming another person has bad intentions, the crew explains why great teammates learn to go directly to the source, ask thoughtful questions, listen, and work toward a solution. 🏒 In this episode, players will learn:
One of the biggest lessons? You can’t control how someone responds, but you can control how you approach the conversation. Sometimes your teammate might get defensive. Sometimes your coach may explain something you hadn’t considered. Sometimes you may realize that you need to change, too. That’s part of growing as an athlete, a teammate, and a person. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Hockey Players Can Handle Conflict With Teammates, Coaches, and Parents 💬 Be brave. Ask questions. Assume positive intent. And remember that getting better often means being willing to work through the uncomfortable stuff. Wherever you are on your hockey journey, keep learning, keep communicating, and keep believing in yourself. #YouthHockey #HockeyPlayers #HockeyLeadership #HockeyTeammates #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #Sportsmanship #Teamwork #HockeyParents #TheRideToTheRink Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: A Year in the Life of Olympic Gold Medalist and Walter Cup Champion Hayley Scamurra | 15 Sep 2026 | 01:05:47 | |
🏒 What started as a simple “Day in the Life” became a front-row seat to hockey history. At the beginning of the season, Hayley Scamurra was facing uncertainty. She was balancing Team USA evaluation camps with a new chapter for the Montreal Victoire, competing for an Olympic roster spot while navigating the demands of a full professional season. By the end of it, she had accomplished something no woman had ever done before: win an Olympic gold medal and the PWHL Walter Cup in the same year. In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, we look back at Hayley’s unforgettable 2025–26 season—from Olympic camps and the nerve-wracking wait for the Team USA call, to winning gold, returning immediately to the PWHL playoff race, surviving an incredible postseason, lifting the Walter Cup with Montreal, and celebrating in front of a sea of fans in the streets of the city. 🥇 Inside this episode: 🏒 How Hayley approached Olympic tryouts by focusing on her role instead of comparing herself to other elite players 🇺🇸 The emotional phone call confirming she had made her second U.S. Olympic team 🥇 What finally winning Olympic gold meant after a lifetime dedicated to hockey 🧠 Why visualization, confidence, and staying present became such important parts of her season ✈️ The whirlwind transition from Olympic champion back to professional hockey—with almost no time to recover 🎤 What it was like going from the rink to The Kelly Clarkson Show and meeting Pink 🔥 How Montreal surged after the Olympic break and finished first in the PWHL standings 🏆 The dramatic road through the PWHL playoffs, including an unforgettable Walter Cup Final 💪 Why Hayley’s value went far beyond goals and points—and how embracing her role helped unlock one of the best seasons of her career 🎉 The Montreal championship parade that showed just how far professional women’s hockey has come For young players and hockey parents, Hayley’s story carries an important lesson: success doesn’t always come from trying to be everything. Sometimes it comes from understanding exactly what you bring to a team, embracing that role, and doing it exceptionally well. And perhaps the biggest takeaway is bigger than one player, one medal, or one championship. The history being made by players like Hayley today becomes the possibility young hockey players will expect tomorrow. Congratulations to our own Hayley Scamurra—Olympic gold medalist, Walter Cup champion, and the first woman to accomplish both in the same year. 🎧 Listen to this special journey through one remarkable season and an unforgettable chapter in women’s hockey history. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: From Olympic Dream to Walter Cup Champion: Hayley Scamurra’s Historic Year in Hockey Have fun, skate hard, and keep dreaming big. #OurKidsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #WomensHockey #PWHL #MontrealVictoire #TeamUSA #OlympicHockey #OlympicGold #WalterCup #GirlsHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #ProfessionalHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to The Rink: How Young Hockey Players Can Fuel for Better Performance | 12 Sep 2026 | 00:08:54 | |
🥅 Want more energy on the ice? Start by looking at what you’re putting into your body. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano Burns talk directly to young hockey players about something that can make a real difference in how they feel, focus, and perform: nutrition. Food is fuel, and just like a car can’t run well without the right gas, hockey players need the right fuel to perform at their best. The crew breaks down why healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or boring. They talk about building better routines, making smarter snack choices, learning how to cook, trying new foods, and getting the whole family—or even the whole team—involved. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
And one of the biggest challenges from the episode? Try one new food this week without deciding you hate it before you even taste it. Your hockey development doesn’t only happen at practice. What you eat, how you prepare, and the habits you build away from the rink can all help you become a stronger, more energized athlete. 🎧 Listen now, share this episode with your teammates, and start thinking about one small nutrition habit you can improve this week. Work hard. Have fun. Fuel well. And keep enjoying the ride. #YouthHockey #HockeyNutrition #HockeyPlayers #YouthAthletes #SportsNutrition #HockeyTraining #HealthyEating #HockeyParents #AthleteNutrition #HockeyPerformance #HockeySnacks #TheRideToTheRink Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| What Should Hockey Players Eat? Easy Meals, Snacks & Rink-Day Nutrition for Hockey Families | 10 Sep 2026 | 00:49:41 | |
🏒 What’s for dinner when practice starts at 5:30, homework still needs to get done, and everyone is heading in a different direction? For hockey families, feeding everyone during the season can feel like another full-time job. Between practices, games, tournaments, school, work, and travel, the fast-food drive-thru can start looking like the easiest option. But it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns tackle one of the most relatable challenges hockey parents face: how to feed your family—and fuel your hockey player—when the schedule is completely chaotic. 🥘 From crockpot meals and rotisserie chicken to breakfast-for-dinner, taco night, prepacked snacks, and tournament-friendly options, the crew shares realistic ideas that hockey families can actually use. You’ll hear: 🏒 Why meal planning matters more than creating the “perfect” dinner And perhaps most importantly, this episode is a reminder that the goal isn’t gourmet—it’s preparation. Your family dinner may happen at 4:45 one night and 9:30 the next. Some nights everyone may eat together; other nights it’s grab-and-go. What matters is creating a plan that works for your family and gives your young athlete the fuel they need. As Lee points out, parents spend enormous amounts of time thinking about skating lessons, shooting coaches, camps, clinics, and development opportunities. But something as basic as what a player eats can also have a real impact on how prepared and energized they feel on the ice. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Busy Hockey Families Can Make Mealtime Easier and Fuel Their Players Better 🎧 Listen now and steal a few ideas for your next busy hockey week. Have a favorite hockey-family meal, tournament snack, or crockpot recipe? Send it to team@ourkidsplayhockey.com. You can also explore books, apparel, partners, and more at OurKidsPlayHockey.com/deals. #OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyParents #YouthHockey #HockeyNutrition #HockeyMom #HockeyDad #YouthSportsNutrition #HockeyMeals #MealPrep #HockeyLife #TournamentHockey #SportsParents Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Mike Bonelli’s New Player Advising Program for Youth Hockey Families | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:13:52 | |
🏒 What if your young hockey player could get individualized feedback, video analysis, coach collaboration, and a season-long development plan—all without adding another practice to the calendar? In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias sits down with longtime coach and player-development expert Mike Bonelli to introduce Mike’s new Player Advising Program, designed to give youth hockey players and families something that can be hard to find during a busy season: consistent, individualized feedback. Rather than focusing on playing time, rankings, or where a player should play years from now, Mike’s approach starts with a much simpler question: Where is the player today—and how can we help them make meaningful progress throughout the season? With more than 40 years of experience in player development, coaching, mentorship, recruiting, and player advancement, Mike has built a program that combines professional evaluation with practical, season-long guidance. He also works directly with each player’s coach so that the feedback supports—not conflicts with—the player’s team environment. 🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
The Player Advising Program includes an initial one-on-one intake meeting, six individualized player progress reports—including a baseline evaluation, four in-season reports, and a final report—access to a private video portal, professional skate and blade review, and two private speaker-series programs. 💰 Our Kids Play Hockey introductory offering: $225 per player The program runs from September through February, and space is limited. 👉 Ready to register? Complete the Player Advising Program form here: 📅 Have questions or want to speak with Mike first? Schedule a quick consultation here: If your young player would benefit from more individualized feedback, better understanding of their game, and a clearer development path throughout the season, this episode will show you exactly what that process can look like. Listen, learn, and keep helping your player enjoy the process of becoming the best version of themselves. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyCoaching #HockeyTraining #HockeyIQ #YouthSports #MikeBonelli Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to The Rink: Kiersten Sires on What College Coaches Notice Early | 05 Sep 2026 | 00:08:01 | |
🏒 Dreaming about playing college hockey someday? The work doesn’t start when recruiting begins—it starts with the habits you’re building right now. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Kiersten Sires, creator of 2aDays, to help young hockey players understand what they can do today to prepare for the opportunities they hope to have tomorrow. And here’s the good news: you don’t need to be emailing college coaches or worrying about recruiting rankings at eight, ten, or twelve years old. You need to start becoming the kind of person and player coaches will want on their team. Kiersten shares why college coaches pay attention to much more than goals, assists, and skating ability—and why your grades, body language, communication skills, consistency, and treatment of teammates can eventually separate you from other players. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll learn:
The message for every young player is simple: work hard, learn something, communicate, be a great teammate—and enjoy the ride. Wherever you are in your hockey journey, keep building the habits that will help you on the ice and everywhere else. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Want to Play College Hockey Someday? Start With What You Do Today. 🎧 Listen now, share this episode with a young player who dreams of college hockey, and check out 2aDays to learn more about Kiersten Sires and the college sports experience. #YouthHockey #CollegeHockey #HockeyRecruiting #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyPlayers #YouthAthletes #HockeyParents #StudentAthlete #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyLife #TheRideToTheRink #2aDays Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| College Hockey Recruiting: How to Find the Right Fit with 2aDays Founder Kiersten Sires | 03 Sep 2026 | 01:00:17 | |
🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them? For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another question becomes even more important: Is this really the right place for my student-athlete? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Kiersten Sires, Founder and CEO of 2aDays, to unpack what families should really be thinking about during the college recruiting process. And one of the biggest lessons? Don’t let “D1 or bust” thinking—or your ego—make the decision for you. Kiersten explains why choosing a college should go far beyond the logo on the jersey. Families need to consider academics, potential majors, location, finances, coaching style, team culture, expected role, institutional stability, and one powerful question: If hockey disappeared tomorrow, would your child still want to attend that school? 🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn: 🏒 Why Division I isn’t automatically the “best” college hockey opportunity Kiersten also shares why parents need to understand something coaches already know: people talk. The way a player treats teammates, responds to adversity, communicates with adults, and carries themselves matters. And yes—the way parents behave in the stands can matter too. This conversation isn’t only for families actively being recruited. The habits that create recruitable student-athletes—communication, accountability, academics, independence, character, and self-advocacy—start years before the first college coach ever calls. Whether your player dreams of NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA hockey, or simply wants to understand what opportunities might exist, this episode will help your family approach college recruiting with clearer priorities and better questions. 🎧 Listen now, share this episode with another hockey family navigating the college conversation, and remember: the goal isn’t simply to find a college that wants your player. It’s to find a college where they can grow as a student, athlete, and person. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: College Hockey Recruiting Is About More Than Hockey #OurKidsPlayHockey #CollegeHockey #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyRecruiting #YouthHockey #StudentAthlete #CollegeAthletics #HockeyParents #NCAAHockey #Division3Hockey #ACHAHockey #CollegeRecruiting #2aDays Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: Growing the Game Starts With Belonging | 01 Sep 2026 | 00:56:31 | |
🏒 What does it really mean to “grow the game” of hockey? Is it getting more kids to pick up a stick? Building more elite teams? Selling out professional arenas? Or is the real work making sure that once a young player discovers hockey, they feel like they belong enough to stay? On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dig into what growing hockey actually looks like—from grassroots programs and community outreach to the small choices coaches, parents, organizations, and players can make every day. Inspired by Lee’s recent experience helping introduce hockey to young players in Puerto Rico, the conversation explores why simply putting a stick in a kid’s hands isn’t enough. There needs to be a pathway forward. 🏒 In this episode, we discuss:
Hayley also shares what she sees when young girls encounter professional women’s hockey up close—including the story of a young player who started hockey after watching the Minnesota Frost play the Ottawa Charge in Raleigh. And the message is simple: you do not need a national platform, professional title, or massive event to grow hockey. A coach can invite younger players onto the ice. An older team can help at a learn-to-play session. A parent can introduce themselves to the new family standing alone at the rink. A player can make sure the new kid gets the pass that leads to their first goal. Those moments matter. 🎯 The challenge: Find one thing you, your team, or your organization can do this season to make hockey more welcoming, accessible, and fun for someone else. And if you can, go watch a PWHL game—live or from home. Let the next generation see what is possible. If this episode gets you thinking, share it with a coach, parent, player, or hockey leader who can help grow the game in their community. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Growing Girls Hockey Starts With Something Bigger Than Recruitment Have a story about how you’re growing hockey where you live? Send it to team@ourkidsplayhockey.com and keep the conversation going. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #GrowTheGame #YouthHockey #PWHL #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaches #GirlsInSports #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyCommunity #WomenInSports Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: Kurtis Gabriel’s Simple Mental Reset for Hockey Players | 29 Aug 2026 | 00:09:44 | |
🏒 Made a bad play? Had a rough shift? Feeling nervous, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel has a message for you: those emotions don’t have to control what happens next. On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel for a practical conversation about one of the most important parts of becoming a hockey player: learning how to manage your mind when the game gets difficult. Kurtis introduces young players to a simple breathing technique called the psychological sigh—a tool he used during his own playing career when he needed to calm down, reset, and prepare for his next shift. But the conversation goes deeper than breathing. 🧠 How do you recognize what fear feels like in your body? Kurtis encourages players to start “mapping” their emotions—learning what fear, excitement, pressure, and confidence actually feel like physically so they can recognize those feelings when they arrive. Lee also shares a powerful story from his own playing career about feeling so much pressure during a game that his legs suddenly felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. What changed wasn’t the situation—it was his understanding of what the pressure meant. Instead of thinking, I can’t handle this, he learned to recognize: I feel pressure because I care. I feel pressure because this moment matters. How great is it that I get to be in this position? And Kurtis leaves young athletes with another challenge: break out of the “cringe prison.” Don’t let fear of what teammates or friends might think stop you from working on yourself, believing in yourself, or chasing what matters to you. In this episode:
Young players: you have more control over your response than you may realize. Like shooting, skating, or stickhandling, managing your emotions is something you can practice. Wherever you are on your hockey journey, believe in your ability to learn, grow, reset, and attack the next shift. Skate hard. Have fun. Go learn something. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Hockey Players Can Reset, Handle Pressure, and Believe in Themselves with Kurtis Gabriel #TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyMindset #KurtisGabriel #MentalToughness #HockeyConfidence #HockeyDevelopment #YouthSports #HockeyParents #MentalPerformance #HockeyPlayers #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Passed Over Twice, Still Made the NHL: Kurtis Gabriel’s Lesson in Relentless Belief | 27 Aug 2026 | 01:02:38 | |
🏒 What happens when a player’s belief is strong enough to take him all the way to the NHL—but his identity becomes so tied to hockey that he has to rediscover who he is when the game ends? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for a powerful conversation about chasing impossible dreams, being overlooked, finding your role, handling pressure, and learning that hockey can be an incredible part of your life without becoming your entire sense of worth. Kurtis wasn’t a highly touted prospect. He played AA hockey, considered hanging up his skates, was passed over in the NHL Draft, and still developed an unwavering conviction that he would eventually play in the NHL. What followed was a remarkable journey built on work ethic, sacrifice, resilience, and what Kurtis describes as something even stronger than belief: knowing. But reaching the NHL is only part of his story. Kurtis opens up about how deeply his identity and self-worth became connected to being a hockey player, the struggles he faced after retiring earlier than expected, and why his journey inward has changed the way he now looks at hockey, parenting, coaching, success, and happiness. 🔥 In this episode, you’ll hear:
One of the biggest reminders from this conversation is one we return to often on Our Kids Play Hockey: The return on youth hockey isn’t a scholarship, a roster spot, or even the NHL. It’s the person your child becomes through the experience. Let them dream. Let them work. Let them stumble. And when they come home from the rink, make sure they know that their performance never determines their value to you. 🎧 Listen now for an honest, vulnerable conversation every hockey parent, player, and coach should hear. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Your Child Is More Than a Hockey Player: What Kurtis Gabriel’s NHL Journey Can Teach Hockey Families And be sure to follow Kurtis Gabriel and check out The Fight Plan Podcast, where he continues exploring the fights athletes face on the ice—and the much bigger fights all of us face in life. #OurKidsPlayHockey #KurtisGabriel #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #MentalPerformance #AthleteIdentity #YouthSports #HockeyLife #NHL #SportsParenting Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: Why Confidence Can’t Come From Coaches or Parents | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:46:46 | |
🏒 What if confidence isn’t something a coach, parent, teammate, or scoreboard can give you—or take away from you? Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins the conversation for a powerful look at one of the most important—and misunderstood—parts of being an athlete: building confidence from within. Even at the highest levels of hockey, doubt doesn’t disappear. Hayley opens up about seeking approval from coaches and parents as a young player, struggling with public speaking, learning to trust her own assessment of her game, and discovering that confidence isn’t about never making mistakes. In many ways, it’s built because of them. The conversation also explores the experience of girls in hockey, including the pressure many young female athletes feel to be perfect, follow every instruction exactly, and avoid mistakes. Hayley explains why giving girls permission to experiment, create, fail, and learn can be critical to developing both confidence and long-term success. 🔥 In this episode:
For parents and coaches, this episode is an important reminder: our job isn’t to manufacture confidence for young athletes. It’s to create the conditions where they can discover it for themselves. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Girls Hockey Players Can Build Real Confidence: Lessons From Hayley Scamurra 🎧 Listen, share this episode with a hockey parent, coach, or young player who needs the reminder, and subscribe to Our Girls Play Hockey for more conversations supporting girls at every stage of the game. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #HayleyScamurra #HockeyConfidence #YouthHockey #FemaleAthletes #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaches #MentalPerformance #AthleteMindset #GirlsInSports Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to The Rink: Why Your Skate Edges Matter More Than You Think | 22 Aug 2026 | 00:10:11 | |
🏒 Do you know what your skates are telling you when something just doesn’t feel right on the ice? Your stick gets a lot of attention. Your gloves are fun to pick out. But when it comes to actually moving, stopping, turning, and competing on the ice, everything starts with your skates. On this episode of The Ride To The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Russ Layton, founder and CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a quick, practical lesson every young hockey player should hear: how to understand and take better care of your skate blades. Russ explains why players—not just their parents—need to recognize when an edge feels wrong and speak up after a practice or game. He also walks through his complete pre- and post-skate care routine, from drying skates and removing footbeds to protecting blades with soakers and checking edges before heading back onto the ice. You’ll also get a crash course on skate hollow and why the amount of grip or glide you feel can change depending on your sharpening setup. 🔥 In this ride, young players will learn:
The biggest takeaway? Your edges are the foundation of your skating. If you can’t trust them when you turn, stop, accelerate, or change direction, the rest of your equipment can only do so much. Spend a little time learning how your blades work, take care of them, and start becoming an active participant in your own hockey equipment decisions. And wherever you are on your hockey journey, remember: we believe in you. You should too. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Every Young Hockey Player Should Understand Skate Sharpening #YouthHockey #HockeySkates #SkateSharpening #HockeyTips #HockeyPlayers #SparxHockey #HockeyEquipment #HockeyDevelopment #SkatingSkills #TheRideToTheRink Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Skate Sharpening 101 with Sparx Hockey Founder & CEO Russ Layton | 20 Aug 2026 | 01:05:59 | |
🏒 Your player knows their stick flex, curve, and favorite tape job—but do they know what’s happening underneath their skates? Skate sharpening may be one of the most overlooked parts of youth hockey, yet the condition of a player’s edges can directly affect their confidence, turning, stopping, acceleration, and overall feel on the ice. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Russ Layton, Founder & CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a deep dive into everything hockey families need to understand about skate sharpening. And one of the biggest lessons might surprise you: there is no magic number of hours between sharpenings. Russ explains why an edge can be lost before a player even touches the ice, how parents can recognize a damaged edge, what “hollow” actually means, and why consistency matters much more than simply waiting until skates “feel dull.” 🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:
Perhaps most importantly, Russ and the crew remind parents that skate sharpening isn’t a shortcut to becoming a better player. Kids still have to learn how to skate. But giving them dependable edges provides the foundation they need to actually use the skills they’re developing. Whether your child is just learning to skate, traveling every weekend for tournaments, playing goalie, or beginning to experiment with different hollows and steel, this conversation will help your family make much more informed decisions about one of hockey’s most important pieces of equipment. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Are Your Kid’s Skates Holding Them Back? What Hockey Families Need to Know About Skate Sharpening 🎧 Listen now, check those edges, and make sure your player isn't stepping onto the ice with their most important performance tool working against them. Have a hockey question for the crew? Reach out to Our Kids Play Hockey and keep the conversation going. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #SkateSharpening #SparxHockey #HockeySkates #HockeyEquipment #HockeyTips #YouthHockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: Why Rest Can Make You a Better Hockey Player | 18 Aug 2026 | 01:03:33 | |
🏒 What if one of the best things a young hockey player can do for her game is… step away from it? In a sport where players constantly hear messages about working harder, training more, and never taking a day off, knowing when to rest, reset, and simply be a kid can feel almost counterintuitive. In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra explore the best things they’ve done away from the rink—and why those experiences may have helped them just as much as another practice ever could. Hayley shares memories of summers at the lake, playing soccer and tennis, spending time with family, puzzling, hiking, and learning throughout her career that it really is okay to rest. She also explains how she now balances elite-level offseason training with travel, relationships, recovery, and the flexibility required when life changes the plan. And yes… there’s also a middle-school dance story involving hockey practice and hands that still smelled like hockey gloves. 😅 ✨ In this episode, we discuss:
One of the biggest messages from Hayley is one every young player should hear: Not everything you do has to make you better at your sport. Sometimes you should do something simply because you enjoy it. For hockey parents, this episode is an important reminder that development isn’t just about accumulating ice time. Your daughter is developing when she makes friends, learns another sport, spends time outside, reads a book, explores a hobby, rests her body, or discovers something she loves that has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. And sometimes stepping away is exactly what allows a player to realize just how much she misses the game. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Time Away From Hockey Can Help Girls Become Better Athletes—and Happier People 🎧 Listen together with your player and ask this question afterward: What’s something you love doing that has nothing to do with hockey? Because great hockey players need recovery—but great people also need room to discover who they are beyond the rink. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #AthleteRecovery #YouthSports #HockeyMindset #HayleyScamurra Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: What Your Hockey Team Manager Really Does | 15 Aug 2026 | 00:07:16 | |
🏒 Ever wonder who makes sure your tournaments are booked, your hotel is ready, your ice time is scheduled, and your team actually knows where it needs to be? There’s a good chance your team manager had something to do with it. On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee, Mike, Christie, and special guest **Christine—an experienced youth hockey team manager who has managed multiple high-level teams—**take young players behind the scenes of one of the most important jobs on a hockey team. And kids, your manager does a lot more than send schedules to your parents. From booking hotels and tournaments to organizing meals, team bonding, practices, music, and even the occasional knee-hockey opportunity, managers spend countless hours trying to give players the best season possible. 🎧 In this ride, you’ll hear:
Christine also shares an important reminder: your season won’t always be perfect. Sometimes schedules, tournament times, hotels, and other details are outside your manager’s control. Behind the scenes, though, they’re usually working hard to make things better for every player and family. So the next time you see your team manager at the rink, don’t just walk past them. Say hello. Share an idea. Ask a question. And every once in a while, tell them thank you. Because being a great hockey player isn’t only about how you treat your teammates and coaches. It’s also about respecting the people who make it possible for your team to have an amazing season. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The Unsung Hero of Your Hockey Season: Why Your Team Manager Matters 🏒 Wherever you are on your hockey journey, we believe in you. You should, too. This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. #TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyKids #HockeyParents #YouthHockeyPlayers #HockeyTeamManager #HockeyLife #HockeyTeam #YouthSports #HockeyFamily #Teamwork #Sportsmanship Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Team Manager Playbook: Christine O’Brien on Communication, Travel & Team Culture | 13 Aug 2026 | 01:06:34 | |
🏒 What happens when you’re “voluntold” to become the team manager—and suddenly an entire hockey season feels like it’s resting on your shoulders? Every successful youth hockey team has players, coaches, and supportive parents. But behind the scenes, there’s often one person keeping the schedules organized, hotels booked, families informed, problems solved, and team culture moving in the right direction: the team manager. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Christine O’Brien, who recently managed the Connecticut Junior Rangers at the BRICK Tournament and brings firsthand experience managing the countless details that go into creating a great youth hockey experience. And as Christine explains, great team management is about much more than sending emails and booking hotel rooms. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Christine also shares practical ideas for delegating jobs like timekeeping, music, team parties, swag, reservations, and other responsibilities that can quickly overwhelm one person. Whether you’re already managing a team, considering raising your hand, or staring at your phone wondering why the coach just asked you to do it, this conversation is packed with practical advice for making the season more organized, inclusive, and enjoyable. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The Unsung MVP of Youth Hockey: What Great Team Managers Do Differently 🎧 Listen now—and if your team has an incredible manager, send them this episode and make sure they know how much their work matters. Because great managers don’t just keep a team organized. They help create the experience families and players remember long after the season ends. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #TeamManager #YouthHockeyManager #HockeyCoach #HockeyFamily #YouthSports #HockeyCulture #BRICKTournament Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: What Makes a Great Hockey Practice? Chris Howard of Ice Hockey Systems Shares | 11 Aug 2026 | 00:57:16 | |
🏒 What separates a practice that simply fills an hour from one that actually makes players better? Great practices don’t happen by accident. They’re intentional, connected to the game, and designed around what players truly need to improve. On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist Hayley Scamurra are joined by Chris Howard of Ice Hockey Systems for a deep dive into what makes hockey practices effective—from youth hockey all the way to the professional level. Chris shares how coaches can move beyond simply collecting drills and instead build practices around clear objectives, meaningful competition, player development, and connection to real game situations. And this conversation isn’t just for coaches. Players will learn how to become more intentional with every repetition. Parents will hear what they should actually be watching for from the stands. And coaches will walk away with practical ideas for maximizing every precious minute of ice time. 🔥 In this episode, we discuss:
One of the biggest takeaways? A drill isn’t valuable simply because it looks good. It’s valuable when it connects to what players need in the game. Whether you’re coaching a girls hockey team, supporting your daughter from the stands, or trying to become a more intentional player yourself, this episode will change the way you think about practice. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How to Build Better Hockey Practices: Chris Howard of Ice Hockey Systems on Player Development 🎧 Listen now, share it with the coaches and hockey families in your community, and ask yourself: Are we simply running drills—or are we developing hockey players? Have a question or want to continue the conversation? Reach the Our Kids Play Hockey team at team@ourkidsplayhockey.com. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyPractice #HockeyCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyParents #WomensHockey #IceHockeySystems #HockeySkills #YouthSports Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: How Young Hockey Players Build Winning Habits | 08 Aug 2026 | 00:08:14 | |
🏒 What is one habit you could commit to today that would make you a better hockey player tomorrow? In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli explain why setting personal standards can change the direction of your hockey journey—both on and off the ice. Standards are the non-negotiable habits and expectations that guide how you prepare, compete, recover, study, and support your teammates. They might include arriving at the rink early, packing your equipment the night before, eating properly, completing your schoolwork, or committing to your best possible effort every time you step onto the ice. The key is not trying to change everything at once. Lee and Mike encourage young players to begin with one realistic standard, practice it consistently, and add more only after that first habit becomes part of who they are. In this episode, you’ll learn: 🏒 Why standards matter more than perfection Whether you are six, sixteen, or simply supporting a young athlete, this episode offers a practical reminder: success does not begin with fifty new rules. It begins with one commitment you are willing to keep. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The One Standard That Can Change a Young Hockey Player’s Journey Your challenge: Choose one standard, write it down, and start practicing it today. Then talk with a parent or coach about what you can build next. This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. No matter where you are in your hockey journey, remember: we believe in you—and you should believe in yourself, too. #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #YoungAthletes #HockeyHabits #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #MentalPerformance #TheRideToTheRink Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| “Control Your Kids!” The Real Role of Coaches and Parents in Youth Hockey | 06 Aug 2026 | 00:52:04 | |
🏒 When a young hockey player misbehaves, who is responsible—the coach, the parent, or the entire team community? Coaches are often told to “control their kids,” but the truth is more complicated: coaches can guide, mentor, manage, and establish standards, but they are not replacements for parents. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Mike Bonelli and Lee Elias explore where coaching responsibilities begin, where they end, and why successful youth hockey environments require parents, coaches, officials, and players to work together. They discuss how clear expectations around punctuality, preparation, locker-room behavior, respect, academics, travel, and team conduct can help young athletes develop far beyond the scoreboard. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear:
The biggest takeaway is simple: youth hockey works best when everyone understands their role. Coaches must communicate and consistently enforce meaningful standards. Parents must support those expectations and continue teaching responsibility away from the rink. Players must gradually learn to take ownership of their preparation, behavior, and decisions. When those pieces work together, hockey becomes more than a game—it becomes an environment where young people learn accountability, respect, resilience, and character. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Coaches Aren’t Parents: Understanding Responsibility in Youth Hockey What standards have made the biggest difference for your child’s team? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com or use the text link accompanying this episode to join the conversation. This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #TeamCulture #SportsParenting #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyLife Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: The Ice Time Conversation Every Family Needs | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:38:20 | |
🏒 Not getting enough ice time? Before blaming the coach, it may be time to ask a better question: What can I do to earn more trust? In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra tackle one of the most emotional—and often misunderstood—topics in youth hockey: ICE TIME. Players naturally want to be on the ice. Parents want to see their children get opportunities. Coaches want to put their teams in the best position to succeed. But when frustration takes over, players can begin focusing on what they cannot control instead of recognizing the actions that may help them earn their next shift. Hayley explains why effort, attitude, awareness, and being a supportive teammate can influence a coach’s trust far more than sulking on the bench or obsessing over points. She also shares how shifting her own focus away from scoring helped her enjoy the game again, contribute more consistently, and ultimately reach new heights in her professional and international career. 🔥 In this episode, Lee and Hayley discuss:
One of the biggest lessons from the conversation is that earning ice time is not always about making the flashiest play. It may mean blocking a shot, clearing the defensive zone, supporting a teammate, protecting the front of the net, making the safe play at the blue line, or bringing energy to the bench. For parents, this episode is also an important reminder to pause before immediately blaming the coach. Encourage your player to approach the situation with curiosity, accountability, and a willingness to hear constructive feedback. For coaches, the message is equally clear: communicate honestly, recognize more than offensive production, and follow through when players make the improvements you asked them to make. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Not Getting Enough Ice Time? Focus on What You Can Control 🎧 Listen now for a thoughtful, honest conversation that can help players, parents, and coaches navigate ice-time frustrations while keeping development—and the team—at the center of the game. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #IceTime #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyMindset #HockeyLeadership #TeamFirst #HayleyScamurra Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: Kevin Clark on Building Better Hockey Awareness | 01 Aug 2026 | 00:08:48 | |
🏒 What separates players who simply react from players who always seem to be one step ahead? In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, former professional hockey player and development coach Kevin Clark joins Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli to share practical advice that young hockey players can use immediately. Kevin explains why players need a short-term memory, how additional development during the season can create long-term growth, and why scanning the ice before receiving the puck is one of the most valuable habits a young player can build. The goal is not to turn your head just because a coach told you to look around. The goal is to collect useful information. 🔍 In this episode, young players will learn:
Kevin encourages players to stop skating with blinders on and begin noticing the full picture around them. The earlier a player develops that awareness, the more naturally it can become part of their game. The next time you step onto the ice, challenge yourself to look, learn, and collect more information before the puck arrives. Listen now, share this episode with a teammate, and put one of Kevin’s lessons into action during your next practice. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: See More, Think Faster: Building Better Hockey Awareness This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. No matter where you are in your hockey journey, we believe in you—and you should believe in yourself, too. Have fun, skate hard, and go learn something! #TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyIQ #HockeyAwareness #HockeyTraining #HockeySkills #KevinClark #YouthAthletes #HockeyPodcast Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Why Great Hockey Players Know the “Why” with Kevin Clark of Cascade Hockey | 30 Jul 2026 | 01:02:34 | |
🏒 Your child may know what happened during a shift—but do they understand why it happened? Goals, assists, wins, and losses are easy to see. But the small decisions that build hockey IQ, earn a coach’s trust, and help a player advance rarely appear on the score sheet. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Kevin Clark of Cascade Hockey, a former professional player whose 16-year career included time in the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets organizations, along with multiple opportunities to represent Team Canada. Kevin explains how players can learn to view the game through a professional lens—and why parents and coaches must stop judging every decision solely by its result. Sometimes a player makes the correct decision and gets a bad outcome. Other times, a poor decision accidentally leads to a goal. The key to long-term development is learning to recognize the difference. 🎧 In this conversation, you’ll hear:
Kevin also shares why young athletes need different coaching voices, how coaches can create safer learning environments, and why the best development programs begin every session with a clear purpose. This episode is an important reminder that a player’s value cannot always be measured by production. Reliability, awareness, defensive responsibility, communication, timing, and the ability to create time and space can be just as valuable as scoring. Most importantly, every player deserves to understand how they contribute—and to feel like they matter. Listen now, share the episode with a hockey parent or coach, and begin looking beyond the box score. 🔗 Learn more about Cascade Hockey 📩 Have a question or episode idea? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com or use the link accompanying this episode. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Beyond the Score Sheet: How Young Hockey Players Become Smarter, More Trusted Teammates #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyIQ #PlayerDevelopment #KevinClark #CascadeHockey #YouthSports Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: Celebrating Women Athletes at She Weekend (A Day in the Life Series) | 28 Jul 2026 | 00:39:42 | |
🏒 What does it look like when women athletes are not simply recognized—but truly celebrated? This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for a behind-the-scenes recap of She Weekend in Las Vegas, an unforgettable celebration organized by Flavor Flav with support from Paris Hilton, MGM, major sponsors, entertainers, and fans of women’s sports. With no script and no formal rundown, Hayley takes listeners through the experience day by day—from an all-female flight crew and a parade through Las Vegas to athlete gifting suites, concerts at the Sphere, red carpets, celebrity meet-and-greets, and a powerful sense of community among Olympians and Paralympians. But beneath all the excitement is a much bigger conversation. Hayley explains why these moments of recognition mean so much to women who have spent years competing, building their sports, and inspiring the next generation—often with fewer resources and far less visibility than their male counterparts. 🎙️ In this episode:
Hayley also reflects on staying grounded through success, learning to enjoy major victories, and understanding that athletes can be disciplined professionals while still embracing the moments they have earned. This conversation is fun, honest, thoughtful, and an important reminder that progress is not only about giving women opportunities to compete. It is also about celebrating their achievements with the same enthusiasm, investment, and attention given to other elite athletes. Listen, share the episode with a hockey family, and join us in continuing to elevate the women’s game. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: More Than a Celebration: What She Weekend Meant for Hayley Scamurra and Women’s Sports Subscribe to Our Girls Play Hockey wherever you listen, and visit OurKidsPlayHockey.com for more conversations designed to support players, parents, coaches, and hockey families. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #WomensHockey #GirlsHockey #SheWeekend #FlavorFlav #PWHL #OlympicHockey #WomenInSports #HockeyFamily #FemaleAthletes #GrowTheGame Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: Gabe Malinski of TeamGenius on Playing Your Best at Tryouts | 25 Jul 2026 | 00:07:53 | |
🏒 Feeling nervous before your next hockey tryout? Take a breath—you have already done the work. In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee and Christie are joined by Gabe Malinski of TeamGenius, a hockey evaluation expert who helps organizations improve tryouts through better technology and evaluation methods. Gabe reminds young players that tryouts are not the time to become someone different. They are an opportunity to trust their preparation, play the game they love, and show coaches who they are as players and teammates. The conversation also explores what to do when a drill goes wrong. Instead of allowing one mistake to affect the rest of the skate, Gabe recommends creating a simple reset routine—whether that means brushing snow from your stick, clearing your skates, rolling your shoulders, or taking one deep breath before the next repetition. 🎧 In this episode, young hockey players will learn:
Gabe also shares an important reminder: evaluators understand that players will make mistakes. One bad drill, one fall, or even one difficult tryout does not define who you are—or who you may become later in your hockey journey. Listen before your next evaluation and remember: skate hard, support the players around you, and trust the work you have already put in. No matter where you are on your hockey journey, we believe in you. Make sure you believe in yourself, too. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Hockey Players Can Handle Tryouts With Confidence This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. #YouthHockey #HockeyTryouts #HockeyEvaluations #HockeyConfidence #MentalPerformance #HockeyParents #TeamGenius #RideToTheRink #HockeyDevelopment #YouthSports Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| How to Make Youth Hockey Tryouts Fairer with Gabe Malinski of TeamGenius | 23 Jul 2026 | 01:00:50 | |
🏒 What makes a youth hockey tryout feel fair—and what causes the entire process to break down? Tryouts can be one of the most emotional parts of the hockey season. Players are nervous, parents are analyzing every drill, coaches are trying to build balanced teams, and organizations are under pressure to make decisions that families can trust. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Gabe Malinski of TeamGenius, a platform that helps youth sports organizations improve tryouts, player evaluations, communication, and long-term development. Gabe explains why many associations make evaluations more complicated than they need to be—and why collecting more scores does not always lead to better decisions. The group discusses how organizations can create clearer evaluation criteria, prepare evaluators more effectively, reduce bias, and provide feedback that helps players improve. They also explore an important truth: a tryout should not be viewed as one isolated hour. A player’s habits, development, coachability, effort, attitude, and performance throughout the season all contribute to a much more complete picture. 🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
Gabe also shares the remarkable journey of his brother Sam Malinski, who played B-level hockey as a young player, faced setbacks throughout his development, went undrafted, and continued working his way toward the NHL. His story is a powerful reminder that one roster decision does not determine a player’s future. The biggest takeaway? Tryouts should be part of a larger development process—not the only evaluation a player receives all year. When organizations communicate clearly, coaches provide meaningful feedback, players prepare consistently, and parents remain supportive, tryouts can become far more productive for everyone involved. 🎧 Listen now, share this episode with another hockey family, and remember: the team your child makes this season does not define the player—or person—they can become. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Youth Hockey Tryouts Should Build Teams—and Help Players Grow This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. #YouthHockey #HockeyTryouts #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #TeamGenius #YouthSports #HockeyEvaluations #GrowthMindset #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: The Hockey IQ Habits Every Young Player Can Build | 21 Jul 2026 | 00:36:06 | |
🧠 What separates a talented hockey player from one a coach trusts in every situation? Skills may create highlight-reel moments, but hockey IQ influences nearly every second of the game—with or without the puck. In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Team USA gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins Lee Elias for an important conversation about hockey IQ, skill development, anticipation, timing, and learning to see the game before the play unfolds. Hayley explains why she would choose a player with elite hockey IQ and average skills over one with elite skills and average hockey IQ. She also shares how her understanding of the game helped her adapt to different positions, play with different linemates, thrive on the penalty kill, and become the kind of versatile player coaches can use in almost any situation. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll learn:
Hayley also reflects on her development from a young penalty killer and forechecker to a top-line player, center, Olympian, and dependable utility player. Her story is a reminder that a player’s value is not defined only by goals, assists, or flashy puck skills. For players: Stay curious, ask questions, watch the entire play, and learn what happens away from the puck. For coaches and parents: Instead of immediately telling a player what went wrong, ask, “What did you see?” or “What other options were available?” Those conversations may be where hockey IQ truly begins. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Hockey IQ May Be a Young Player’s Most Important Skill 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a player, parent, or coach who wants to understand the game at a deeper level. This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. Have a question for Hayley or the Our Girls Play Hockey team? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #HockeyIQ #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HayleyScamurra #TeamUSA #PWHL #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #GameSense Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: NHL Scout Patrick Rissmiller on What Young Players Should Focus On | 18 Jul 2026 | 00:06:47 | |
🏒 What does an NHL scout really want young hockey players to focus on? According to former NHL player and current NHL scout Patrick Rissmiller, the answer is not complicated: have fun, be coachable, become a great teammate, and enjoy being a kid. In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Patrick speaks directly to young athletes about what truly matters during their youth hockey journey. Instead of worrying about statistics, highlight-reel goals, rankings, or constantly doing more, he encourages players to build their love for the game through unstructured play, other sports, family time, and self-driven practice. Patrick also shares an important reminder for players and parents: lasting motivation cannot be forced. A parent can tell a child to shoot more pucks, attend another clinic, or practice every day—but the desire to improve eventually has to come from the player. 🎧 In this episode, young players will learn: 🏒 Why having fun is an essential part of hockey development Young players, loving hockey does not mean you have to play it every minute of every day. Take the day off. Ride your bike. Play another sport. Spend time with your family. When you return to the rink excited and ready to work, you may discover that the break helped you more than another forced practice ever could. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What an NHL Scout Really Wants Young Hockey Players to Know Remember: your parents and coaches can support your journey, but the belief and dedication ultimately have to come from you. We believe in you—but you should believe in yourself, too. #TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMotivation #HockeyKids #NHLScout #PatrickRissmiller #MultiSportAthlete #HockeyParents #BeAGreatTeammate Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| What NHL Scouts Really Look For in Young Players with Former NHLer and NHL Scout Patrick Rissmiller | 16 Jul 2026 | 01:11:32 | |
🏒 What does an NHL scout really notice—and are youth hockey families focusing on the wrong things? 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What NHL Scouts Really Look For in Young Hockey Players 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey parent or coach who needs the reminder that development is a journey—not a race. Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: How Players Can Get More From Every Hockey Camp | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:47:57 | |
🏒 Is your player attending hockey camp—or simply spending more time on the ice? Hockey camps can be an incredible opportunity for girls to improve their skills, meet new teammates, build confidence, and rediscover their love for the game. But with so many camps available, how can families tell the difference between a meaningful development experience and an expensive week that offers little lasting value? In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL champion Hayley Scamurra break down what players and parents should look for before registering for a hockey camp—and how to make the most of the experience once they arrive. Hayley also takes listeners behind the scenes of the Scamurra Camp in Buffalo, where she coached alongside her father and created an experience that combined on-ice instruction, off-ice training, mentorship, games, and a family fun skate. 🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:
The biggest takeaway? A successful camp is not measured by whether a player becomes completely different in five days. It is measured by whether she leaves more knowledgeable, more curious, and better equipped to continue improving. Encourage your player to arrive early, introduce herself, ask questions, listen closely, and write down what she learns. The best camp experience often begins with a willingness to be coached. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How to Choose the Right Hockey Camp—and Help Your Kid Get the Most From It Listen now and discover how the right hockey camp can help your player grow on the ice—and far beyond it. This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. Have a question for Hayley or the Our Girls Play Hockey team? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyCamp #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #PlayerDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Coachability #HayleyScamurra Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: You Become Who You’re Around — A Youth Hockey Mindset Lesson with Doug Smith | 11 Jul 2026 | 00:09:56 | |
🚗🏒 What kind of hockey player are you becoming — and what kind of person are you becoming along the way? On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, powered by NHL Sense Arena, Lee and Mike are joined by former NHL player Doug Smith — a second overall NHL Draft pick and a member of the legendary Miracle on Manchester, one of the greatest playoff comebacks in NHL history. But today’s message goes far beyond goals, skating, and hockey highlights. Doug speaks directly to young players about identity, mindset, peer pressure, and the power of choosing who you surround yourself with. His message is simple but powerful: you become what you’re around. For kids who love hockey, dream big, and spend countless hours training, this episode is a reminder that your identity is bigger than the game. You are not just a hockey player. You are a teammate, a friend, a student, a family member, and a person still learning who you want to become. In this episode, kids and parents will hear about: 🏒 Why your identity should never be limited to being “just a hockey player” This is a great episode for young athletes and parents to listen to together on the way to the rink, especially if your player is navigating confidence, peer pressure, team dynamics, or figuring out who they are beyond hockey. Wherever you are on your hockey journey, we believe in you. You should too. 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey family who needs the reminder that growth happens both on and off the ice. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Doug Smith on Building Your Hockey Identity Beyond the Ice #TheRideToTheRink #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #DougSmith #NHL #HockeyMindset #YouthSports #HockeyLife #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyConfidence #SportsParenting #NHLsenseArena Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Former NHLer Doug Smith on Hockey, Identity, and Rebuilding Your Life After the Game | 09 Jul 2026 | 01:05:35 | |
🏒 What happens when the game you’ve built your identity around is suddenly taken away? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Doug Smith, former NHL forward, 1981 second-overall draft pick, Ottawa 67s standout, Bobby Smith Award winner, and one of the most powerful voices in hockey when it comes to resilience, recovery, and perspective. Doug’s story is extraordinary. After being drafted second overall and playing for NHL teams including the Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Pittsburgh Penguins, his life changed forever in 1992 when a devastating spinal injury overseas left him facing a future as a quadriplegic. But Doug fought back. In this deeply moving and thought-provoking conversation, Doug shares how he relearned movement, rebuilt his life, and shifted from trying to be “the best in the world” to becoming “the best for the world.” In this episode, we discuss story is extraordinary. After being drafted: 🏒 The pressure of being highly ranked, highly drafted, and labeled early Doug also shares the system he now teaches through his performance and recovery work: awareness, purpose, motivation, focus, belief in self, trust, asking for help, and emotional control. Whether you’re a hockey parent, coach, player, or someone navigating adversity, this episode is a powerful reminder that the game can teach us far more than how to win. Because our kids are not just becoming better hockey players. They’re becoming people. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: From Second Overall to Starting Over: Doug Smith’s Powerful Message for Hockey Families 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey family who needs the reminder that resilience, community, and purpose matter far beyond the rink. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #DougSmith #NHL #HockeyDevelopment #MentalHealthInSports #AthleteIdentity #Resilience #HockeyLife #YouthSports #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyFamily #SportsParenting #PeakPerformance Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to The Rink: How Young Hockey Players Can Build Skills On and Off the Ice | 04 Jul 2026 | 00:07:44 | |
🏒 Want to become a better hockey player? It’s not just about what you do during practice — it’s about the habits you build everywhere else, too. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee, Mike, and Christie are joined by Coach Andrew, a high-level junior hockey coach and former NCAA player, to talk directly to young skaters and goalies about what really helps players improve. Andrew breaks down the balance between skill development and team systems, why younger players should spend most of their ice time building skills, and how players can start developing their hockey brains off the ice through video, chalk talks, and learning team concepts. But the biggest message? Great players don’t only grow during one hour of practice. They grow through their preparation, attitude, rest, schoolwork, backyard shooting, stickhandling, conditioning, and willingness to do a little more than everyone else. In this episode, we cover: 🥅 Why 8U, 10U, and 12U players should focus heavily on skill development This is a great listen for young hockey players who want to improve, parents who want to support the right habits, and coaches who want to help kids develop the full picture of what it means to grow in the game. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Hockey Players Can Get Better On and Off the Ice 🎧 Listen now, have fun, skate hard, and go learn something. #TheRideToTheRink #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeySkills #HockeyParents #HockeyCoach #OffIceTraining #HockeyMindset #SkateHard Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Beyond the Scoreboard: Andrew Trimble on Youth Hockey Development That Lasts | 02 Jul 2026 | 00:45:49 | |
🏒 What really makes a hockey player better — more ice, a higher-level team, a longer commute, or the right culture? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Andrew Trimble, GM and co-owner of the New England Wolves Hockey Club, founder of Scoring Concepts, and author of Beyond the Scoreboard. Andrew has coached from learn-to-skate all the way to the collegiate level, giving him a rare perspective on what true development looks like at every stage of the game. In this conversation, Andrew breaks down why hockey IQ is really about finding space, how small area games and street hockey can teach decision-making better than repetitive drills, and why parents should think carefully before assuming the “best” hockey opportunity is always the one with the longest drive or flashiest logo. The crew also dives into junior hockey, billet families, player character, development-focused programs, parent communication, and the reminder that the goal is not just to build better hockey players — it is to help shape better people. In this episode, we discuss: Andrew’s message is simple but powerful: every player’s path is different, and the best hockey environments are the ones that help kids grow as athletes, teammates, and people. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Beyond the Scoreboard: Andrew Trimble on Building Better Hockey Players — and Better People 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey parent, coach, or player who needs a reminder that development is bigger than the scoreboard. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyIQ #JuniorHockey #HockeyDevelopment #NewEnglandWolves #AndrewTrimble #SmallAreaGames #HockeyCulture #BeyondTheScoreboard #ADM #StreetHockey #PlayerDevelopment Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: Hayley Scamurra’s New PWHL Chapter in Las Vegas (A Day in the Life Series) | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:48:52 | |
🏒 What happens when you win a championship, celebrate the biggest season of your career—and then learn that your entire professional future may be changing? In the first Day in the Life episode of the new season, Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli to discuss her next major chapter: signing a three-year agreement with the PWHL’s new Las Vegas expansion team. Hayley takes listeners inside a fast-moving expansion process filled with complicated rules, major career decisions, emotional goodbyes, and exciting new possibilities. She explains why Las Vegas felt like the right opportunity, how her relationship with general manager Domi DiMaggio and head coach Kim Weiss came full circle, and why she is ready to take on a more visible leadership role. The conversation also explores the realities of professional women’s hockey—from public salary information and cross-country moves to offseason training, adapting to a new market, and helping younger players learn what it truly means to become a professional. Most importantly, Hayley shares an encouraging reminder for every young athlete navigating change: the next part of your journey may be opening a door you cannot see yet. In this episode: 🏆 Hayley reflects on winning the Walter Cup and celebrating with family Whether you are a young player facing a new team, a parent helping an athlete navigate uncertainty, or a fan following the continued growth of professional women’s hockey, this episode offers an honest look at change, leadership, resilience, and opportunity. Subscribe to Our Girls Play Hockey and follow Hayley’s journey as she helps build a new PWHL organization from the ground up. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Hayley Scamurra’s Next Chapter: Leadership, Change, and Building Something New in Las Vegas Have a question for the show? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #PWHL #WomensHockey #GirlsHockey #LasVegasHockey #HockeyLeadership #WalterCup #ProfessionalHockey #HockeyDevelopment #FemaleAthletes #DayInTheLife Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: How Mind Mapping Can Transform Your Hockey Mindset with Pete Fry | 27 Jun 2026 | 00:10:29 | |
🧠 What if you could begin preparing for your best game before you even stepped onto the ice? In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee is joined by goaltending and mindset expert Pete to introduce young athletes to mind mapping—a simple but powerful exercise that can help players visualize success, strengthen their confidence, and prepare mentally for tryouts, big games, and pressure-filled moments. Pete shares how he used this exercise with a goaltender preparing for a championship game. By writing down what he wanted to see, hear, and feel, the goalie created a clear mental picture of the performance he wanted to deliver. Lee and Pete then walk listeners through how they can build a mind map of their own. 🏒 In this episode, young athletes will learn:
Pete also offers a memorable way to understand negative thinking: your mind is like a garden. When you intentionally plant confident and constructive thoughts, you give those thoughts room to grow. When a negative thought appears, acknowledge it, swat it away, and return your attention to the picture you want to create. This exercise is not only for hockey. Young athletes can use mind mapping before a school presentation, recital, test, performance, or any situation in which they want to feel prepared and confident. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Mind Mapping Can Help Young Hockey Players Build Confidence 🎧 Listen together on the ride to the rink, then grab a piece of paper and create your own powerful-game mind map. No matter where you are in your hockey journey, we believe in you—and you should too. #TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyMindset #MentalPerformance #SportsConfidence #HockeyTryouts #Visualization #GoalieMindset #YoungAthletes #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Kids Play Goalie: Pete Fry on Building an Unshakable Goalie Mindset | 25 Jun 2026 | 00:52:21 | |
🥅 What separates a talented goalie from one who consistently performs under pressure? According to renowned mental performance coach Pete Fry, the answer often begins with the picture that goaltender holds in their mind. Pete Fry—known throughout hockey as “The Goalie Mindset Guy”—joins Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns for a powerful conversation about confidence, visualization, resilience, preparation, and the mental demands of playing one of the most challenging positions in sports. A former WHL All-Star, NHL draft pick, and professional goaltender, Pete has worked with athletes across the NHL, AHL, CHL, NCAA, international hockey, and other professional sports. He shares lessons from his own playing career, including how limiting beliefs affected his opportunity after being drafted by the New Jersey Devils—and how that experience led him to dedicate his life to mastering the mental side of performance. In this episode, Pete explains why goalies do not simply react to what is happening around them. They often react to the images, sounds, expectations, and stories playing inside their own heads. 🏒 Inside the episode:
Pete also shares examples involving NHL and elite goaltenders, including Stuart Skinner, Jakub Dobeš, Mads Søgaard, Carter Hart, Carson Bjarnason, and Josh Ravensbergen. He explains how mental rehearsal, confident language, and purposeful body language can help a goaltender prepare for the next shot instead of replaying the last one. The message for young goalies is simple but powerful: Good goal, bad goal—who cares? The only thing that matters is the next shot and the next save. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Goalies Can Build Confidence, Handle Pressure, and Reset After a Goal 🎧 Listen now and discover how goalies, parents, and coaches can build a stronger, calmer, and more resilient mindset—on the ice and in life. Learn more about Pete Fry, his books, speaking, mindset coaching, and goalie-parent course at PeteFry.net. Have a question for the show? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com or use the text link accompanying this episode. Keep dreaming big, keep doing the work, and keep building the mindset that allows young athletes to thrive. #OurKidsPlayGoalie #GoalieMindset #YouthHockey #HockeyGoalie #GoalieParents #MentalPerformance #SportsPsychology #HockeyConfidence #GoalieTraining #YouthSports #HockeyCoaching #PeteFry Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey: Hayley Scamurra on Building the Will to Win | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:36:30 | |
🏒 How do young athletes develop the desire to win — without losing their love for the game? In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dive into one of the most important conversations in youth sports: how girls hockey players can build competitiveness, resilience, and a healthy will to win. Winning matters. Competing matters. But for young athletes, especially in youth hockey, the scoreboard can’t be the only thing that defines success. Lee and Hayley explore how parents and coaches can help players cultivate effort, passion, and confidence while still keeping the game fun, meaningful, and development-focused. ✨ In this episode, we discuss:
Hayley shares powerful perspective from the highest levels of the game, including the emotional weight of winning and losing on the Olympic stage and in the PWHL. Her message for young players is clear: losing hurts, but it can also prepare you for the moments you’re working toward. This episode is a must-listen for hockey parents, coaches, and girls who want to compete hard, grow through adversity, and understand what it really means to build a champion mindset. 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey family, coach, or player who needs the reminder that winning big starts with learning, losing, growing, and showing up again. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Building the Will to Win: What Girls Hockey Players, Parents, and Coaches Need to Know Have a question or episode idea? Email us at team@ourkidsplayhockey.com or use the link in the episode description to send us a message. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #WomenInHockey #HayleyScamurra #HockeyMindset #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #PWHL #TeamUSA #HockeyLife #FemaleAthletes #Resilience #ChampionMindset Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: Zechariah Thomas of Swift Hockey on Why Your Hockey Stick Doesn’t Make You Better — You Do | 20 Jun 2026 | 00:09:42 | |
🏒 Does the newest, flashiest hockey stick really make you a better player? Or is the real difference-maker already in your hands? On this episode of The Ride To The Rink, Lee is joined by Zechariah Thomas, founder of Swift Hockey, for a straight-up conversation every young player and hockey family needs to hear: your gear matters, but it does not replace your effort, skill, strength, and commitment to getting better. Zech brings a unique perspective as both a former high-level player and the owner of a hockey stick company. Together, he and Lee talk directly to young skaters and goalies about choosing gear wisely, understanding marketing hype, and remembering that the player makes the stick work — not the other way around. ✨ In this episode, we talk about:
Zech also reminds young players that there are many ways to “make it” in hockey. Whether you play, coach, build equipment, run a podcast, work in the game, or simply keep showing up with passion, hockey can stay with you for life. The message is simple: dream big, work hard, choose your gear wisely, and remember that you are the engine behind your success. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Your Hockey Stick Doesn’t Make You Better — You Do 🎧 Listen now and take this lesson with you on your next ride to the rink. #TheRideToTheRink #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyGear #HockeyStick #SwiftHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #YoungAthletes #HockeyLife Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Zechariah Thomas on Building Swift Hockey and Making the Game More Affordable | 18 Jun 2026 | 00:44:52 | |
🏒 What if hockey’s greatest lessons have nothing to do with goals, assists, or scholarships? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Zechariah Thomas, founder of Swift Hockey, former high-level Ontario player, major junior athlete, and international player for Team Jamaica. Zechariah’s story is a powerful reminder that there is no single path through this game — and sometimes the biggest wins come from what hockey builds inside you. Zech started hockey later than many players, beginning around age 10 after moving from Whitby to Oshawa and becoming inspired by the Oshawa hockey culture around him. His first real skating foundation came from figure skating lessons — something he admits he once felt embarrassed about, but later recognized as one of the biggest reasons he became such a strong skater. From there, the conversation opens up into a wide-ranging discussion about youth hockey development, the importance of skating, mental toughness, representation, affordability, and how Zech turned his playing experience into a mission-driven hockey brand. 🔥 In this episode, we cover:
Zechariah also shares how being a Black hockey player helped him build “tough skin,” how he learned to turn doubt into fuel, and why he believes hockey families, companies, and communities all have a role to play in making the game better. This is more than a hockey equipment conversation. It is a story about belief, access, identity, entrepreneurship, and the life lessons that come from staying in the game long enough to let it shape you. 🎧 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey family, coach, or player who needs the reminder that the player makes the stick — and the game can build far more than athletes. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Built By Hockey: Zechariah Thomas on Resilience, Swift Hockey, and Growing the Game #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #SwiftHockey #ZechariahThomas #TeamJamaicaHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #HockeyEquipment #GrowTheGame #BlackHockeyPlayers #HockeyFamily #AffordableHockey #HockeyLife Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey - Hayley Scamurra’s Championship Parade, Gold Medal Year, and the End of a Historic Season | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:43:32 | |
🏆 What happens after you win the Walter Cup, celebrate in front of a packed Montreal crowd, meet the Buffalo Bills, and cap off one of the most historic years in women’s hockey? In this special season finale of Our Girls Play Hockey, we close out the 2025–26 “Day in the Life” series with Olympic gold medalist, Walter Cup champion, and Montreal Victoire forward Hayley Scamurra. Hayley takes us behind the scenes of Montreal’s unforgettable championship parade — from the double-decker bus and red carpet entrance to the emotional moment she saw a sea of fans chasing the bus in celebration. It was more than a parade. It was a defining moment for women’s hockey. From there, Hayley shares what life really looks like after the confetti settles: packing up, heading home, reflecting on a whirlwind season, visiting the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium, exchanging jerseys with Josh Allen, and preparing to give back through summer hockey clinics in her hometown. This episode is a celebration, a reflection, and a reminder of how far women’s hockey has come — and how much farther it’s ready to go. In this episode, we talk about: 🏒 The emotional impact of Montreal’s Walter Cup championship parade Listen now and celebrate the final chapter of Hayley Scamurra’s extraordinary 2025–26 season with us. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #HayleyScamurra #PWHL #MontrealVictoire #WalterCup #OlympicGold #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #WomenInSports #GirlsInSports #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Ride to the Rink: Mike Knuble on Why Kids Need to Get Outside and Just Play Hockey | 13 Jun 2026 | 00:09:46 | |
🏒 Want to get better at hockey? Sometimes the best thing you can do is step away from the rink and go outside. On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by longtime NHL forward Mike Knuble for a message every young skater and goalie needs to hear: go play. Not every rep has to come from a coach. Not every skill has to be built in a formal practice. And not every moment of development has to happen on the ice. Mike Knuble shares why getting outside, playing other sports, creating your own games, and being active with friends can help young athletes become better hockey players — and better all-around athletes. In this episode, kids will hear why: 🏒 Street hockey, driveway games, and outdoor play help build creativity This episode is also a great reminder for parents: when your child asks to go outside, shoot pucks, play catch, hit balls, ride bikes, or build a net — that is an opportunity. Development is not just something kids do alone. It is something families can help create. The message is simple: it is not about having every resource. It is about being resourceful. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Mike Knuble on Why Kids Need to Get Outside and Just Play 🎧 Listen now, then grab a stick, a ball, a glove, a bike, a fishing pole, or a friend — and go be a kid. #TheRideToTheRink #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #MikeKnuble #HockeyKids #HockeyParents #StreetHockey #FreePlay #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyTraining #MultiSportAthlete #SkillTransfer #GrowTheGame #HockeyFamily Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Former NHLer Mike Knuble Returns: How Parents and Coaches Can Help Kids Compete Without Losing the Love of Hockey | 11 Jun 2026 | 01:23:02 | |
🏒 What really separates young hockey players as they get older — talent, pressure, coaching, character, or the ability to keep loving the game through it all? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli welcome back longtime NHL forward Mike Knuble, who played over 1,000 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals. Mike returns for a wide-ranging and honest conversation about the modern youth hockey landscape — what has changed, what parents should be paying attention to, and why the journey still matters more than the chase. Together, Lee, Mike Bonelli, and Mike Knuble dig into some of the biggest questions facing hockey families today: 🏒 Are kids getting enough unstructured “real hockey” anymore? Mike also shares stories from his own youth hockey journey, his experiences as a hockey parent and coach, and why the best players are often the ones who keep learning, adapting, and refusing to believe their own hype too early. The episode also checks in on Mike’s recent Scotland hockey adventure, including games in Edinburgh, passionate international hockey fans, and why hockey’s global reach continues to grow in powerful ways. Whether you are a hockey parent, coach, or player, this episode is a reminder that development is not about one tournament, one tryout, one path, or one moment. It is about building a player — and a person — who can compete, adapt, grow, and still love the game. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Mike Knuble on Youth Hockey Pressure, Free Play, and What Really Separates Players 🎧 Listen now for one of the most honest and useful conversations we’ve had about youth hockey culture, player development, and what it really takes to keep moving forward. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #MikeKnuble #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyCoaching #YouthSports #HockeyIQ #HockeyCulture #FreePlay #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyJourney #NHL #GrowTheGame Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey – The Road to a Walter Cup Championship Part 2 (Hayley Scamurra’s Day in the Life) | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:56:36 | |
🏆 What does it really feel like to win the Walter Cup — not from the stands, not from the broadcast booth, but from the ice? In Part 2 of our championship edition Day in the Life with Hayley Scamurra, Hayley takes us inside the PWHL Walter Cup Final as Montreal battles Ottawa in a razor-thin, emotional, and unforgettable championship series. From dramatic overtime wins to heartbreaking momentum swings, from Laura Stacey’s miraculous return to Ann-Renée Desbiens’ shutout brilliance, this episode gives listeners a rare player’s-eye view of what it takes to finish the job. Hayley walks us through her huge Game 3 goal, the emotional lessons of losing when the Cup was within reach, and the mindset Montreal needed to close out Game 4 with a dominant 4–0 win. She also reflects on becoming the first women’s hockey player to win both a gold medal and the Walter Cup in the same year — a historic achievement built on confidence, team trust, and a whole lot of belief. ✨ In this episode, we talk about:
This is more than a championship recap. It’s a front-row seat to history — told by one of the players who lived it. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Hayley Scamurra’s Road to the Walter Cup: What Young Players Can Learn From a Championship Moment 🎧 Listen now, share it with the hockey player in your life, and don’t forget to send us your questions for Hayley at team@ourkidsplayhockey.com. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #WalterCup #PWHL #MontrealVictoire #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyMindset #PWHLFinals #OurKidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| The Work Behind Youth Hockey Coaching - Fun, Fundamentals, and Accountability with Coach Tre Berg | 06 Jun 2026 | 01:00:13 | |
🏒 What does it really take to coach youth hockey the right way? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Coach Tre Berg, a youth hockey coach, hockey dad, police officer, and longtime player who brings a true “in the trenches” perspective to the game. Tre grew up playing hockey in the Syracuse area, played juniors and college hockey, and now coaches with the Syracuse Nationals and Syracuse Galaxy AAU program while also serving as the Mid-State MITE coordinator. He coaches players from A to AAA, runs skills clinics, works full-time as a police officer, and is raising hockey players of his own. In other words, he understands the reality many hockey families live every day. In this episode, we dive into what parents often don’t see: the hours of preparation, the emotional investment, the pressure of tryouts, the financial realities of travel hockey, and the responsibility coaches have to create a culture where kids can develop, compete, and still love the game. In this episode, we discuss: 🥅 What “fun” really means in youth hockey 🚨 Why coachability matters at every level 💬 How coaches should communicate with parents 💰 The rising cost of youth hockey 🏒 The debate around 8U AAA and full-ice hockey 👏 Building culture beyond the scoreboard This episode is a must-listen for hockey parents, youth coaches, program leaders, and anyone who cares about keeping kids engaged in the game for the right reasons. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What Youth Hockey Parents Need to Know About Coaching, Culture, and Development 👉 Listen now and share this episode with a hockey parent or coach who needs to hear it. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoach #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyTryouts #AAA hockey #8UHockey #VolunteerCoaches #HockeyCulture #Coachability #HockeyFamily Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Team GG at Wish Cup: Inside the Wish Cup, Creator Culture, and Growing the Game | 04 Jun 2026 | 00:44:26 | |
🏒 What happens when hockey creators, roller hockey, youth hockey values, and a great cause all collide in Nashville? You get Team GG at the Wish Cup — and a conversation every hockey family should hear. In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee connects with Team GG live from the Wish Cup in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring hockey creators Kaxzi, Danny / DB16 Media, Hintzy, Keegan Olivera, and Zachary Hockey. Together, they dive into what makes tournament weekends unforgettable, why the best hockey memories often happen away from the rink, and how events like the Wish Cup create friendships, community, and purpose far beyond the final score. This episode also explores one of the biggest conversations in youth hockey today: how do we keep the game accessible, affordable, creative, and fun for the next generation? The Team GG crew shares their honest thoughts on: 🏒 Why tournament culture builds lifelong friendships Whether your child plays ice hockey, roller hockey, street hockey, or is just starting to fall in love with the game, this episode is a reminder that hockey is bigger than one rink, one surface, or one path. Sometimes, the best way to grow the game is simple: give kids a stick, give them space, and let them play. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Team GG at Wish Cup: Roller Hockey, Youth Hockey, and Growing the Game 🎧 Listen now and follow Team GG throughout the Wish Cup as they continue using their platforms, personalities, and passion to make hockey more fun, welcoming, and accessible. #OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #WishCup #TeamGG #RollerHockey #StreetHockey #GrowTheGame #HockeyParents #HockeyTournament #HockeyCreators #InlineHockey #MakeAWish #HockeyCommunity #KidsPlayHockey Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||
| Our Girls Play Hockey - The Road to a Walter Cup Championship Part 1(Hayley Scamurra Day in the Life) | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:38:46 | |
🏆 What does it really take to win when the pressure is at its highest? On this very special Championship Edition of Our Girls Play Hockey, we sit down with Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra for part one of a two-part conversation about the Montreal Victoire’s unforgettable playoff run. And this is not just any championship story. Hayley became the first female hockey player in history to win Olympic gold and a Walter Cup championship in the same season, making this one of the most remarkable years in women’s hockey. In this episode, Hayley takes us inside the Montreal Victoire’s first-round playoff battle against the Minnesota Frost — a series packed with overtime drama, razor-thin margins, pressure, resilience, and championship-level belief. ✨ In this episode, we cover:
Hayley also opens up about the uncertainty that existed before the PWHL became reality — including moments when she wondered whether she should keep playing — and reflects on just how far women’s hockey has come in such a short time. This episode is a must-listen for girls hockey players, hockey parents, coaches, and anyone who wants to understand what it takes to compete, lead, and win at the highest level. 🎧 Listen now to part one of our Championship Edition with Hayley Scamurra — and stay tuned for part two as we continue the journey into the Walter Cup Final. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Hayley Scamurra’s Historic Hockey Season: Olympic Gold, Walter Cup Glory, and the Mindset of a Champion #OurGirlsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #PWHL #MontrealVictoire #WalterCup #WomenInHockey #GirlsHockey #HockeyParents #OlympicGold #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyPodcast Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! | |||