f talent were enough, every “best 9-year-old in the country” would end up in the NHL.They don’t.And in this week’s episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Jimmy Law explains exactly why.Jimmy — Director of Sports Perform…
Every young hockey player dreams big.The national team. The Olympics. The game-winning goal.But what if you could sit in the car on the way to the rink and hear directly from someone who’s already lived it?On this episode of The Ride to …
What if the best hockey development tool isn’t inside the rink?For former NHL forward and Stanley Cup Finalist Ryan Carter, it wasn’t elite showcases or private lessons that shaped him first. It was a Minnesota cul-de-sac, a tennis bal…
What if the thing holding your child back in hockey… is the rush to get ahead?In this powerful conversation on Our Kids Play Hockey, former NHL forward Ryan Carter challenges one of the biggest myths in youth sports: that fa…
There are hockey dreams… and then there are Olympic dreams.For Haley Winn, that dream started on a backyard rink built by her dad and sharpened through years of competing with three older brothers. Today, she’s a rookie defenseman wit…
📊 Stats Are Everywhere — But What Do They Really Mean?If you play hockey today, stats are impossible to avoid. Goals, assists, plus-minus, save percentage, turnovers — they’re tracked, posted, compared, and talked about constantl…
Youth hockey parents and coaches love stats — until stats become a problem.In this Our Kids Play Hockey mailbag episode, we tackle two questions that seem unrelated on the surface but are deeply connected at their core: How we teach accounta…
Mid-season in professional hockey is where things get real.The excitement of opening night has worn off. Bodies are sore. Travel is relentless. Games come fast. And in an Olympic year, the stakes somehow get even higher.For Haley Scamurra, this …
If you spend time around youth hockey, it’s easy to feel like the game is moving faster than ever.Kids are pulling off moves at eight years old that many adults didn’t learn until much later — if at all. Social medi…
n today’s youth hockey culture, it’s easy to feel like everything is happening at warp speed.Kids want to learn the Michigan now.Parents feel pressure to keep up.Coaches are navigating expectations shaped by social media highlight reel…
If you only saw the highlight clips — the crowd shots, the late-game scrum, the attendance number — you still didn’t see the full picture.The PWHL Takeover Tour stop in Washington, D.C. wasn’t just a game.It was a statement…
If you ask young female hockey players what they worry about most off the ice, the answers often come quietly — or not at all.But the truth is, body image, confidence, and comparison weigh heavily on girls long before they reach elite levels…
As the hockey season winds down, there’s a shift that happens everywhere — in locker rooms, on benches, and even in the car rides to the rink.Some teams are gearing up for playoffs.Some are counting the days until the season ends.And s…
Every young hockey player loves highlights.Toe drags. Trick shots. The Michigan. The moments that make your teammates say “wow” and your parents reach for their phones.But when Pavel Barber — one of the most skilled puck handle…
If you’ve spent any time around youth hockey lately, you’ve probably seen it.A player pulls off a toe drag at center ice…Another attempts a Michigan from the corner…Parents cheer. Coaches cringe. Everyone debates.So whe…
Every young hockey player starts somewhere — usually with skates that feel too big, a jersey that hangs a little too long, and a simple love for the game.In this special Our Girls Play Hockey Mailbag episode, Olympic and professional hockey …
🚗 The Ride to the Rink Matters More Than You ThinkMany young hockey players believe their best effort starts when they hit the ice. But as Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and mindset expert Sandy Cohan explain on The Ride to the Rink, your mindset is alr…
If you’ve ever watched your child lose confidence after a mistake — or questioned how much pressure is too much — you’re not alone.In a standout episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, hosts Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and…
Building a Legacy: How the NIHL Sparked a Midwest Girls Hockey RevolutionWhen Bob Apter joined Our Girls Play Hockey, he didn’t just share stats — he shared a movement. The Northern Illinois Hockey League (NIHL) has transformed from a …
One of the most stressful moments in youth hockey doesn’t happen during a game.It happens in a tryout.Every year, young players hear words like identified, selected, and elite. Some kids get picked early and fast-tracked into special progr…
Every January, the World Junior Hockey Championship gives us a glimpse of hockey’s future. And every year, it also exposes uncomfortable truths about how the game is being developed around the world.This season, when Canada was eliminated by…
When Hockey Guilt Creeps In: Why It’s Okay to Miss SometimesFor so many families in girls hockey, the schedule alone can feel overwhelming. Practices. Games. Tournaments. Travel. Add in school, family events, other sports, and the occasional…
Mental Strength Starts Before You Hit the IceIf you’re a hockey player, chances are you’ve felt it before — that nervous feeling in your stomach on the way to the rink. Maybe it’s before a big game. Maybe it’s after a…
Reset, Refocus, Rekindle: Making the Second Half of the Hockey Season MatterThe middle of the youth hockey season is a strange place.The excitement of September is long gone. The early wins or losses have settled in. Practices feel repetitive. T…