Our Kids Play Hockey Episodes

🏒 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...

🏒 What if chasing the “best” team is actually holding your player back? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, we sit down with former NHL forward and Stanley Cup champion Ryan Carter to unpack the truth about youth hockey development — and why the “slow cooker” might beat the “instant pot” every time. From growing up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota to carving out a 10-year NHL career (after going undrafted), Ryan shares the mindset shifts, parenting lessons, and culture-building philosophies that ...

📬 It’s time to open the mailbag — and these questions go way deeper than you might expect. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee, Mike, and Christie tackle two listener questions that hit at the heart of youth hockey development — accountability, stats, and how parents can support learning without getting in the way. First up, a coach asks a question we hear all the time: 👉 Is there a stat that shows how many mistakes lead to goals — and how do we help kids understand that goals aren’...

🔥 What if the secret to elite hockey skills isn’t more ice time… but more patience? In Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Pavel Barber, we go far beyond highlight-reel moves and viral clips to unpack what real skill development actually looks like. From mastering the basics to embracing boredom, failing forward, and letting go of ego, Pavel delivers one of the most important messages young players, parents, and coaches can hear right now. 💡 In this episode, we dive into: Why slowing dow...

🏒 Is creativity in hockey being misunderstood… or mis-taught? If your player loves skill moves, toe drags, and trick shots — but struggles to know when to use them — this episode is a must-listen. This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by global skills coach and viral hockey creator Pavel Barber for a powerful, thoughtful conversation about skill development, creativity, and application in today’s game. Pavel pulls back the curtain o...

We’re closing the book on 2025 with our annual Year in Review—and the numbers are WILD. From 156 episodes (yep—3 per week) to 4,454 minutes of content (74+ hours) and listeners in 100 countries, this show continues to grow because of one thing: the hockey community sharing it. We also count down the Top 5 episodes of 2025 (plus an honorable mention), talk through the topics parents are clearly searching for most (tryouts, development, myths, and expectations), and pull back the curtain on what h...

🧠 What if the most important skill your hockey player needs isn’t taught on the ice? In this powerful episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Sandy Cohan, founder of Mental Edge Hockey and author of the 99 Rules book series, for a deep, honest, and eye-opening conversation about mindset, confidence, and what it really takes to develop resilient hockey players — and strong humans. Sandy breaks down why mindset isn’t a “specialty skill...

🏒 Are we building great hockey teams… or just chasing superstars way too early? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined once again by hockey development consultant and writer Matt Dumouchelle for a deep, thoughtful, and at times uncomfortable conversation sparked by the World Junior Hockey Championship. After watching Canada eliminated by Czechia for the third straight year, Matt shared a post that stopped a lot of people in their tracks — and it raised ...

Happy New Year, hockey friends and families! 🎉 We’re kicking off 2026 by reflecting on how far Our Kids Play Hockey has come, thanking the incredible community that made it all possible, and sharing a few important updates as we head into our sixth year of the show. In this special New Year’s episode, Lee, Mike, and Christy talk about the growth of the podcast, the lessons learned along the way, the amazing guests and topics that continue to shape the show—and why listener feedback has always...

⏰ This is it. The final reminder. In this short but important episode, we’re officially in the last 24 hours of our massive year-end Wraparound Roundtable Grand Prize Giveaway—and we don’t want a single hockey family to miss their chance. 🎁 One lucky family will take home an unreal prize pack, including: • A Sparx Skate Sharpener • Personalized hockey puck lamp • Heads Up Hockey lifetime subscription • Helios Hockey Core Sensor • BladeTech custom blades + swag • NHL Sense Arena $50 credit • T...

🟦 Feeling tired, burned out, or just plain stuck halfway through the hockey season? You’re not alone. This episode lands right in that in-between space — after the early-season excitement fades and before playoff hockey really begins. The skates might be hanging in the garage, the coffee intake is way up, and families everywhere are wondering how to make the final stretch of the season actually matter. In this conversation, Lee, Christie, and Mike dig into how players, parents, and coaches ca...

⏰ One week left… and this might be the biggest youth hockey giveaway we’ve ever done. Every year, we look for a way to say thank you to the hockey families who make this community so special — and this year’s Holiday End-of-Year Giveaway is next level. In this short but important episode, we break down everything one lucky family can win, and trust us — this is the kind of prize pack that makes you the hero of the locker room. 🏒 What’s included in the grand prize? ✨ A Sparx Machine for at-hom...

🧠 Mental fitness isn’t a buzzword anymore — it’s a skill. And like any hockey skill, it has to be trained. Mental fitness is one of the most requested topics in the Our Kids Play Hockey community, and for good reason. Parents, coaches, and players all know it matters — but far fewer know how to actually teach it, practice it, and *build it into everyday hockey life. In this episode, hosts Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by Swedish sport psychology leaders Henrik Cronebäck and Johan Fa...

🔥 Ever wondered how people really get jobs in hockey? Today’s episode pulls back the curtain on an industry filled with far more opportunities — and far more good people — than most families ever realize. Nick Bowins, founder of Working in Hockey, joins Lee, Christie, and Mike to reveal how thousands of passionate players, parents, graduates, and lifelong fans are finding careers in the game. From analytics to marketing, from game ops to coaching, Nick’s message is simple: there is a place for ...

🧠 What if the biggest advantage your young hockey player could gain… wasn’t on their stick, but in their mind? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, we dive deep into one of the most misunderstood and under-trained parts of the game: Hockey IQ — the ability to read, decide, anticipate, and act faster than the play itself. And joining us is one of the world’s leading innovators in cognitive performance for athletes: Satoshi Takano, founder of ReactForge Cognitive Performance Institute and the creat...

🎙️ Ever felt like there are too many voices on your child’s hockey bench? This mailbag episode might hit close to home. Lee, Christie, and Mike dive into a letter from a parent-coach navigating a situation many families know all too well — four coaches on the bench, nonstop yelling during games, and a sidelined head coach who isn’t guiding the staff. The result? Chaos, confusion, and kids who don’t know who to listen to. In this honest and relatable conversation, our hosts unpack: ✨ Why “one vo...

🚗 Every hockey parent has been there. The game ends, emotions run high, and before you know it — the “coaching” starts before the gear’s even off. In one of our most revisited and requested topics, Lee, Mike, and Christie return to a fan-favorite message: the car ride is STILL not for coaching. In this heartfelt follow-up, the trio breaks down why post-game analysis in the car can damage your relationship with your player — and what to do instead. From anxious parents to over-enthusiastic dads (...