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🏒 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...

💥 This is one of the most requested topics we’ve ever received — and for good reason. Body image. Confidence. Strength. These are conversations that affect almost every girl hockey player and family at some point… yet they’re rarely talked about openly. In this powerful and honest episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and former Olympian Hayley Scamurra dive deep into the evolving definition of strength in girls hockey — from youth levels all the way to the pros. Together, they unpack: ...

🏒 The season is winding down… but the work isn’t over yet. As playoffs approach — or the final games come into view — this episode of The Ride to the Rink is all about how you finish. Because whether you’re chasing a championship or counting down the last few skates, the habits you build right now matter more than you think. In this solo ride, Lee shares the exact messages he’s delivering to teams across age groups as the season enters its final stretch — lessons that apply no matter where yo...

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 does it really take to go from a 9-year-old hockey player with a dream… to an Olympian and professional hockey player? In this special Our Girls Play Hockey Mailbag Episode (Part 1), hosts Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by our very own Olympic and professional hockey player Hayley Scamurra to answer your questions — straight from young players, parents, and families across the hockey community. After posting a simple call for questions, the response was overwhelming. So many thoug...

🚗 What if your best shift actually starts before you step on the ice? On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by mindset coach Sandy Cohan to talk about something every player can control — how you prepare mentally on the way to the rink. Too many players think they can just flip a switch once the puck drops. The truth? Your competitive engine needs to be warmed up before you lace up your skates. 💡 In this ride, we break down: 🧠 Why your brain doesn’t un...

🧠 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...

🚨 How do you grow a girls hockey league from a handful of teams to one of the largest in the country? This week on Our Girls Play Hockey, hosts Lee Elias and Hayley Scamurra sit down with Bob Apter, President of the Northern Illinois Hockey League (NIHL) — an organization now home to 75 girls travel teams across five states and counting. From humble beginnings to a multi-state powerhouse, Bob shares the inside story of how NIHL became a model for competitive balance, accessibility, and innova...

🚗💨 What if not being “identified” as a top player early… actually worked in your favor? On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by their good friend Matt Dumouchelle, creator of Hockey Factories and a global student of hockey development. Matt has traveled the world studying how different countries develop players — and what he’s learned challenges a lot of the North American mindset around early selection, elite teams, and “being picked.” Together, they...

🏒 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 ...

💭 Do you ever feel guilty for missing hockey? Missing a practice for school. Saying no to a tournament. Choosing family time, another sport, or just a much-needed break. If that knot in your stomach feels familiar, this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Lee Elias and Hayley Scamurra tackle a topic that players, parents, and even coaches experience — but rarely talk about out loud: the guilt of not always being at hockey. From youth hockey pressures to elite-level perspective, ...

🧠 What if your thoughts and emotions were actually your biggest teammates? On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, hosts Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined live from Sweden by sports psychology experts Johan Fallby and Henrik Cronebäck for a powerful conversation just for young hockey players. Together, they break down simple, practical mental fitness tools kids can use: On the way to practice 🚌Before a big game 🏒Even before a test at school 📚💡 You’ll learn why feeling nervous is complete...

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...

🎙️ Hockey friends and family — Happy Holidays from our team! In this special, lighthearted holiday episode, Christie Casciano is joined by her two favorite cohosts, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for a festive check-in with the Our Kids Play Hockey community. Between laughs, movie references, and holiday banter, the trio delivers an important reminder parents and players often need to hear this time of year: it’s okay to step back, say no, and simply enjoy the season. Whether your ...

⏰ 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...

🎁 Happy holidays, hockey family! As the holiday season rolls in, Lee Elias and Hayley Scamurra take a break from the usual hockey talk to do what matters most this time of year — connect, reflect, and give thanks. In this special holiday episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee and Hayley come together from Montreal to share warm wishes with the entire girls’ hockey community and offer listeners a more personal look behind the podcast. Hayley is joined by her partner Nick Stoop (yes, that Nick —...

🧠 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...

🎮 What if your love of hockey could become a lifelong career… even if you’re still a kid? On today’s Ride to the Rink, Lee, Mike, and Christie are joined by Nick Bowins, founder of Working in Hockey, to open young players’ eyes to just how many opportunities exist beyond playing the game. Whether you love video games, math, technology, social media, photography, coaching, or just being around the rink — there’s a path for you in hockey. Nick shares real examples and powerful reminders that th...

For the final episode of this season’s Wraparound Roundtable, we’re joined by Chris Kibui — the creator behind Hockey Tutorial, one of hockey’s most respected and widely‑watched channels. From humble beginnings making “how to hockey stop” videos to producing gear reviews, expert tutorials, and international documentaries, Chris has spent over a decade bridging the gap between gear tech, on‑ice performance, and global hockey culture. Lee and Chris dive deep into: 🔹 His first spark — inspired by...

This week on The Wraparound Roundtable, we’re joined by Tim McCarthy, founder of Goalie Gear Nerd — one of the most respected voices in the world of goalie equipment. With nearly a decade of gear expertise (and a lifelong obsession with pads, gloves, and everything in between), Tim breaks down how a passion project turned into a global hub for goaltender knowledge. He and Lee dive into what sparked his gear obsession, how sharing his nerdy curiosity grew into an online community, and why the re...

📣 What happens when grit, belief, and a nation’s pride collide on the ice? In one of the most electrifying moments in recent women’s hockey history, the Puerto Rico Women’s National Team stormed back from a 5–2 deficit to win gold at the IIHF 3-on-3 Series in Buenos Aires — and today, we take you inside that unforgettable run. Host Lee Elias and co-host Hayley Scamurra sit down with four players who helped make history: Katie Leffler, Anastasia Sloan, Sabrina Honeycutt, and goaltender Kaylee Aw...

🔥 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 ...