Blog

Nov. 18, 2025

Do Girls Take Hockey Coaching More Literally Than Boys?

Coaching Girls in Hockey: Why Words Matter More Than You Think One of the most fascinating challenges in youth hockey coaching is recognizing that how you say something can be just as important as what you say. This was at the heart of a recent Our…

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Nov. 15, 2025

The Mental Load of Being a Hockey Parent: Managing Pressure, Guilt & Joy

🧊 The Mental Load of Being a Hockey Parent: Why You’re Not Crazy (The Hockey World Is) If you’ve ever found yourself gripping your coffee in a cold rink at 6 a.m. thinking, “Why does this feel like so much?” — this epi…

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Nov. 12, 2025

You Can’t Text “I’m Open!” — Why Hockey Players Need Real Conversations

🏒 Introduction: A Modern Communication Breakdown “Okay.” “K.” “👍.”Three words — or symbols — that can cause a whole lot of confusion. In this episode of The Ride To The Rink, Mike and Lee dive into t…

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Nov. 11, 2025

Unlocking Your Potential Through Mindset Changes with Coach Nick Stoop

What do you do when your child starts dreading the rink? In a recent Ride to the Rink episode, Olympian Hayley Scamurra and mental performance coach Nick Stoop joined Lee Elias to explore powerful lessons around mentorship, mindset, and what truly …

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Nov. 8, 2025

Teaching Kids to Communicate in Hockey — Lessons from Jen Fry

Teaching Kids to Communicate in Hockey: Lessons Every Parent Should Hear When your child sits on the bench or struggles to find their voice with a coach, it’s easy to jump in and “fix it.” But what if the best thing you can do is …

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Nov. 6, 2025

Beyond the Ice — Making the Most of Hockey Tournaments

🎬 Tournament Time: More Than Just Games For hockey families, tournaments are more than a weekend of games — they’re where friendships are forged, lessons are learned, and core memories are made. But too often, players and parents miss o…

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Nov. 4, 2025

The Ripple Effect of Hockey Mentorship with Coach Nick Stoop

Mentorship in Hockey: Building Confidence, Community, and Character On and Off the Ice In youth hockey, there's a quiet force that often shapes a player's journey more than skill drills or game strategies: mentorship. In a powerful episode of Our G…

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Nov. 1, 2025

Tournament Turmoil: The Hidden Costs of Youth Hockey and How Families Can Take Back Control

💸 The Breaking Point: When Tournaments Stop Being Fun If you’ve ever sat in a hotel lobby wondering why you paid $700 for the privilege of playing a team from your own zip code — this episode is for you.In “Tournament Turmoil,&rdq…

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Oct. 30, 2025

NHL Work Ethic Starts With You — Lessons From Flyers' Riley Armstrong

💥 The Real Difference Between Good and Great When it comes to hockey, every young player dreams of skating like an NHL pro. But as Riley Armstrong, NHL Director of Player Development, reminds us — greatness doesn’t start with goals or a…

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Oct. 28, 2025

Handling Big Feelings on the Ice: Advice for Young Hockey Players

Big Feelings Are Part of the Game Every hockey player, from the youngest skater to the biggest pro, experiences big feelings. Maybe your team goes down 2–0 early. Maybe you miss a pass. Maybe you just don’t feel like yourself on the ice…

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Oct. 25, 2025

How NHL Pros Develop (And What That Means for Youth Players) with Flyers' Director Riley Armstrong

🏒 Introduction: Why “Development” Means More Than You Think Every hockey parent has heard it: “It’s all about development.”But what does that actually mean? For Riley Armstrong, Director of Player Development for the P…

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Oct. 23, 2025

How TeamSnap and Bauer Are Changing the Game for Hockey Families

🏒 A Smarter Way to Learn the Game If you’ve ever wished for a way to make hockey training easier, smarter, and more fun, TeamSnap and Bauer Hockey just made that wish come true. The new Bauer Hub—now live inside the TeamSnap app—b…

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Oct. 21, 2025

Beyond the Ice: Gabbie Hughes on Hockey, Mental Health, and the Power of Sophie’s Squad

A Hockey Journey Rooted in Resilience Gabbie Hughes grew up in a true Minnesota hockey family, skating on backyard ponds and competing with her older brothers. But her path wasn’t always smooth. At age eight, her dad thought she wasn’t …

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Oct. 18, 2025

How TeamSnap Is Changing Youth Hockey with CEO Peter Frintzilas

If you’re a hockey parent, there’s a good chance you’ve opened TeamSnap more times than your email. But how much do you really know about the people behind it? In a recent episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, hosts Lee Elias, Christy …

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Oct. 16, 2025

The True ROI of Hockey with Jack Han

When most people hear “ROI” — return on investment — they think about dollars and cents. But in hockey, ROI goes far deeper. It’s not just about the cost of equipment, the long drives to rinks, or even the dream of a co…

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Oct. 14, 2025

Jessie Thompson on Overcoming the "I Don't Wanna" Days

Not Every Day Feels Like a Hockey Day—and That’s Okay Even the most passionate hockey players wake up some days feeling... off. Maybe it’s a rough start to the morning, a bad night's sleep, or just a dip in motivation. In a recent…

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Oct. 11, 2025

From Maple Leafs Development to Youth Rinks: Jack Han How to Build Hockey IQ in Kids

Beyond Scholarships: Jack Han on Smarter Youth Hockey Development When parents invest in youth hockey, they often dream of Division I scholarships or professional careers. But what if the true return on investment (ROI) is much bigger—and muc…

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Oct. 9, 2025

How to Compete AND Support: Ian Shane on Why Great Goaltenders Think About Others First

How to Be a Great Teammate in Hockey: Lessons from Goalie Ian Shane Every hockey kid dreams of scoring the big goal or making the game-winning save. But ask almost any pro, and they’ll tell you: the players who truly stand out aren’t ju…

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Oct. 7, 2025

All Caps All Her: How Jessie Thompson is Growing Women’s Hockey with the Washington Capitals

When girls feel seen, supported, and celebrated in hockey, the entire game wins. That’s the heart of the All Caps All Her initiative — a powerful, community-focused program launched by the Washington Capitals to uplift girls and women a…

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Oct. 4, 2025

ECAC Goalie of the Year, Ian Shane on Mindset, Adversity, And Doing Your Best

From California to Cornell: Lessons from Goalie Ian Shane’s Incredible Journey When you think of hockey hotbeds, California isn’t first on the list. But Ian Shane didn’t need a traditional zip code to become an Ivy League standout…

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Oct. 2, 2025

Winning Starts in the Kitchen: Hockey Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes

If you ask any hockey parent what helps their child succeed, the answers usually sound the same: more ice time, better coaching, extra practice. And while all of those are important, there’s one factor that often gets overlooked but has just a…

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Sept. 30, 2025

Be the Teammate Everyone Remembers: Lessons from Taylor Heise & Hayley Scamurra

The Secret to Being a Great Teammate: Lessons from Taylor Heise When we think about great hockey players, we often picture highlight-reel goals, big saves, or championship wins. But as USA Hockey’s Taylor Heise reminds us, the real measure of…

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Sept. 30, 2025

Out of the Comfort Zone: Blake Bolden's Powerful Message to Young Hockey Players

Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone: A Lesson in Courage and Growth In a standout episode of Ride to the Rink, former pro player and NHL scout Blake Bolden joined Lee Elias and Hayley Scamurra to talk about one of the most essential lessons in sports…

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Sept. 27, 2025

Winning at Sports Nutrition: Habits That Fuel Young Hockey Players

Featuring Danny Drake and Mike Dalberth, Co-Founders of Enduraphin As hockey parents and coaches, we’ve all faced the “hungry hockey kid” dilemma—rushing from rink to rink, trying to feed our athletes in between games, pract…

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