Our Kids Play Hockey Episodes

🏒 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 Team Genius, a platform that helps youth sp...

🏒 What does an NHL scout really notice—and are youth hockey families focusing on the wrong things? Former NHL player, development coach, and current Anaheim Ducks scout Patrick Rissmiller joins Lee, Christie, and Mike for an honest conversation about how hockey players actually develop. Patrick’s path was anything but automatic. He went undrafted, entered professional hockey on a tryout, earned an American Hockey League contract, and eventually built a 13-year professional career that inclu...

🏒 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 ...

🏒 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 Kin...

🏒 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 hocke...

🏒 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 landsc...

🏒 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 th...

🏒 Should your young hockey player train all summer… or put the bag away and just be a kid? On this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias welcomes back Andrew “Albie” Alberts — nine-year NHL veteran, Boston College standout, and Hockey Development Director at NHL Sense Arena — for a timely, honest, and incredibly useful conversation about what youth hockey players should actually be doing in the offseason. With tryouts behind many families and summer hockey decisions ahead, Lee and Albi...

🧠 What if the most important hockey skill your child learns this season has nothing to do with skating, shooting, or scoring? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Angie Lion, author of Emerge: Rise from the Depths, Realign Your Soul, and Reclaim What Matters and co-founder/chief soul officer of Black River Performance Management, for a powerful conversation about emotional intelligence, transitional intelligence, and why “soft skills” ma...

🏒 What do you do when your child loves hockey, has the skill, makes the higher-level team… but freezes when everything feels new? In this fan mail episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano Burns, and Mike Bonelli respond to a heartfelt letter from a hockey dad in Connecticut whose 2019 birth-year player thrives once he’s on the ice — but struggles with nerves, unfamiliar teammates, new coaches, and chaotic scrimmage environments. The big question: How do parents help young p...

🏒 Our Kids Play Hockey is growing — and this micro edition is all about YOU. In this quick community update, Lee shares some exciting new ways hockey families, players, coaches, and listeners around the world can experience, connect with, and support the show. From video episodes now available on Apple Podcasts to a new and improved way to send fan mail, voicemails, hockey questions, team shout-outs, and future episode ideas, this update is all about making Our Kids Play Hockey even more inte...

🏒 What if not making the “top team” was actually the best thing that could happen to a young hockey player? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee, Christie, and Mike sit down with former pro hockey player and coach Scott Howes for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about youth hockey development, adversity, confidence, and what really matters in the game. Scott’s journey is anything but traditional. He went from playing free house league hockey in downtown Toronto… to being overlo...

🏒 What happens when your kid becomes the best player on the team… and there’s no one left to chase? It sounds like a dream—but for many hockey parents, it quickly turns into a big question: Is my child still developing, or are they stuck in a comfort zone? In this powerful mailbag episode, we hear from a hockey parent in Sweden whose 12-year-old son is thriving—but may lack the competition to push him further. What follows is a deep, honest conversation about development, confidence, and the ...

🏒 What you say before the game matters more than you think… We’ve all been there — the car ride to the rink, the final words before your child heads into the locker room. You want to motivate them, support them, and set them up for success. But what if some of those well-intentioned phrases are actually doing the opposite? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee, Christie, and Mike flip one of their most popular topics on its head — breaking down the top things you should NOT say to your...

🧠 Concussions can be one of the most misunderstood injuries in youth hockey — and one of the most important for families to understand. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee, Mike, and Christie are joined by Dr. Robert Baric, founder of MyConcussionDoctor.com, for a practical, eye-opening conversation about concussion awareness, brain health, and what hockey parents really need to know. This isn’t about fear. It’s about being informed. Dr. Baric breaks down what a concussion actually i...

🔥 What if the most important thing in youth hockey isn’t winning… but noticing when someone isn’t okay? In this powerful and deeply moving episode, we sit down with Rob Thorsen, founder of the Shoulder Check Foundation and HT40 Foundation, to talk about how one simple idea — checking in on each other — can change lives. After the heartbreaking loss of his son Hayden, Rob turned pain into purpose, creating a movement that’s transforming locker rooms, teams, and communities across hockey and be...

🏒 What if the most important skill in hockey isn’t scoring… but being trusted? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, we’re joined by former NHL defenseman Karl Alzner—a World Junior captain, Olympic-level competitor, and one of the most dependable players of his era—to unpack what really matters in player development. From a 428-game ironman streak to raising kids in today’s hockey culture, Karl shares powerful insights on leadership, consistency, and why doing the “little things” right is what ...

🏒 What if everything you’ve been told about youth hockey development… is wrong? This week, we’re joined by 1,000+ game NHL veteran Mike Knuble—a Stanley Cup Champion who built his career the hard way: through patience, persistence, and learning how to truly play the game. From growing up in Michigan with no “elite path”… to earning his way through college, the minors, and eventually becoming a 30-goal scorer in the NHL, Mike shares what actually matters in development—and what families are ge...

🏒 What if the rink isn’t just where kids play… but where they feel safest? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, former NHL star Bobby Ryan joins us to share a perspective every hockey parent and coach needs to hear. From a difficult childhood to a 14-year NHL career—and now life as a hockey dad—Bobby opens up about how the game shaped him, saved him, and continues to guide how he raises his own child today. This conversation goes far beyond goals and assists. It’s about identit...

🏒 What does it really take to make it to the NHL—and what lessons can young players and parents learn from the journey? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christy Casciano-Burns are joined by 17-year NHL veteran Scott Hartnell. Known for his grit, personality, and relentless work ethic, Hartnell shares stories from growing up as a rink rat in small-town Saskatchewan to becoming a 300-goal scorer with over 1,200 NHL games played. But this conversation goes far ...

🏒 Hockey tryout season is here… and for many families, that means nerves, pressure, and a lot of unanswered questions. What are coaches actually looking for? How are teams really selected? And what should parents and players focus on when the stakes feel high? In this annual Our Kids Play Hockey Tryout Episode, hosts Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli break down the reality of youth hockey evaluations — from both the parent perspective and the coach’s perspective. This episod...

🔥 ID skates. Pre-skates. Early evaluations. Winter “select” teams. If you’re a hockey parent right now, your inbox is probably full — and your anxiety might be too. So what are ID skates really? Are they opportunities… or just early tryouts in disguise? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee and Mike break down the real story behind pre-skates and ID skates — what they mean, when they make sense, and when parents need to take a deep breath and relax. Because here’s the truth: Most team...

🥇 She wrote it on the whiteboard for a year: “I am a gold medalist.” Now it’s real. In this unforgettable crossover episode of Our Kids Play Hockey and Our Girls Play Hockey, Olympic Gold Medalist Hayley Scamurra joins us fresh off Team USA’s historic championship run — and yes… she’s still wearing the medal. Seven games. Seven wins. Two goals in the opener. A perfect penalty kill. A 2–1 overtime thriller against Canada. And the most-watched women’s hockey game in history. This wasn’t just a ...

🏒 Is your child developing as a hockey player… or just playing more hockey? In this powerful episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee and Mike sit down with Jimmy Law, Director of Sports Performance at TPH Academy and founder of Habits of Hockey, to unpack what real development looks like. Spoiler alert: It’s not more ice time. Jimmy shares his journey from first-generation roller hockey player to shaping hundreds of student-athletes in a blended academic and hockey development model built around...