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🥅 What separates great hockey players and goalies from everyone else? According to former NHL goalie coach and current NCAA Division I goalie coach Steve Briere, it starts long before the puck drops—with preparation, confidence, repetition, and the ability to move on from mistakes. In this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Steve joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli to share lessons young hockey players can use right now, whether they play between the pipes or anywhere else on the ice. Steve explain...

🥅 What does an NHL goalie coach see that youth goalies, parents, and coaches often miss? According to longtime NHL goalie coach Steve Briere, the answer isn’t just better technique, more private lessons, or perfect positioning. It starts with focus. Athleticism. Joy. Compete. Ownership. And a genuine desire to stop the puck. In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Briere, whose coaching career includes seven seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, three...

🧠🏒 Scanning the ice is important—but seeing what’s around you is only the beginning. The real hockey IQ comes from understanding what those cues are telling you. On this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey IQ Talk with Albe, Lee Elias is joined by former NHL defenseman and NHL Sense Arena team member Andrew “Albe” Alberts to break down one of the biggest separators in player development: identifying cues. A defender hesitates. A teammate changes direction. A passing lane opens. Pressure arrives ...

🏒 See an amazing move in an NHL or PWHL game and immediately want to try it in your next game? Go for it—but not before you’ve put in the reps. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli talk directly to young hockey players about creativity, confidence, repetition, and knowing when it’s the right time to take a risk. Trying new things is an important part of becoming a better player. But there’s a big difference between taking a calculated hockey risk and attempting a ...

🏒 Raffle tickets. Chocolate bars. Coupon books. Car washes. Poinsettias. If you’ve spent enough time around youth hockey, chances are you’ve been asked to sell at least one of them. But does fundraising still have to work that way? On this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano Burns sit down with Ryan and Justin from Hero Picks to explore how technology could reshape fundraising for hockey teams, charities, and communities. Hero Picks was created around...

🏒 What separates a good hockey player from a great one—and what can young players start doing right now to improve? In this special Q&A edition of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli put Hayley Scamurra in the hot seat with questions submitted by young players, parents, and coaches. From starting hockey at just three years old on a backyard rink (with a little help from M&Ms!) to competing at the highest levels of the game, Hayley shares the lessons that shaped her development—and...

🥅 Your goalie isn’t playing alone—and keeping the puck out of the net is everyone’s responsibility. In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli speak directly to young hockey players about something every great teammate needs to understand: your goaltender is one of six players on the ice, not a separate part of the team. After hearing hundreds of comments from hockey parents about what they wish others understood about goalies, Lee and Mike bring those lessons straigh...

🥅 What do goalie parents wish every skater parent understood? Apparently… a lot. When we asked that question on social media, we expected a handful of responses. Instead, more than 210 goalie parents jumped into the conversation—and their answers opened the door to a discussion every hockey family should hear. In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli dig into those responses and unpack the things skaters, parents, and coaches may never fully appreciate unless they’v...

🏒 What does your player know before they ever touch the puck? That question is at the heart of hockey IQ — and in this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL defenseman Andrew “Albe” Alberts, who played more than 450 NHL games and now works with the NHL Sense Arena team, to break down one of the simplest and most important habits in the game: shoulder checking. It may sound basic, but knowing what’s behind you before you get to the puck ca...

🔥 What if conflict isn’t the problem in youth hockey… but avoiding it is? Whether it’s a disagreement over playing time, tension between teammates, a frustrated parent, or an uncomfortable conversation with a coach, conflict is inevitable in sports. But according to Bill Taylor, founder of Sports Conflict Lab and author of Managing Sports Conflict: Five Tools to Master Conflict, learning how to handle those moments can actually make teams, relationships, and young athletes stronger. In this e...

🏒 What do you do when a teammate won’t pass the puck, you disagree with your coach, or you and your parents aren’t seeing hockey the same way? Conflict is part of every hockey season. The question isn’t whether it will happen—it’s whether you’ll have the courage and communication skills to handle it well. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee, Christie, Mike, and Bill Taylor of Sports Conflict Lab talk directly to young hockey players about one of the hardest skills to learn in sports: ...

🏒 What started as a simple “Day in the Life” became a front-row seat to hockey history. At the beginning of the season, Hayley Scamurra was facing uncertainty. She was balancing Team USA evaluation camps with a new chapter for the Montreal Victoire, competing for an Olympic roster spot while navigating the demands of a full professional season. By the end of it, she had accomplished something no woman had ever done before: win an Olympic gold medal and the PWHL Walter Cup in the same year. In...

🥅 Want more energy on the ice? Start by looking at what you’re putting into your body. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano Burns talk directly to young hockey players about something that can make a real difference in how they feel, focus, and perform: nutrition. Food is fuel, and just like a car can’t run well without the right gas, hockey players need the right fuel to perform at their best. The crew breaks down why healthy eating doesn’t ...

🏒 What’s for dinner when practice starts at 5:30, homework still needs to get done, and everyone is heading in a different direction? For hockey families, feeding everyone during the season can feel like another full-time job. Between practices, games, tournaments, school, work, and travel, the fast-food drive-thru can start looking like the easiest option. But it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns tackle one of th...

🏒 What if your young hockey player could get individualized feedback, video analysis, coach collaboration, and a season-long development plan—all without adding another practice to the calendar? In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias sits down with longtime coach and player-development expert Mike Bonelli to introduce Mike’s new Player Advising Program, designed to give youth hockey players and families something that can be hard to find during a busy season: consistent, ind...

🏒 Dreaming about playing college hockey someday? The work doesn’t start when recruiting begins—it starts with the habits you’re building right now. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Kiersten Sires, creator of 2aDays, to help young hockey players understand what they can do today to prepare for the opportunities they hope to have tomorrow. And here’s the good news: you don’t need to be emailing college coaches or worrying about recruitin...

🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them? For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another question becomes even more important: Is this really the right place for my student-athlete? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burn...

🏒 What does it really mean to “grow the game” of hockey? Is it getting more kids to pick up a stick? Building more elite teams? Selling out professional arenas? Or is the real work making sure that once a young player discovers hockey, they feel like they belong enough to stay? On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dig into what growing hockey actually looks like—from grassroots programs and co...

🏒 Made a bad play? Had a rough shift? Feeling nervous, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel has a message for you: those emotions don’t have to control what happens next. On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel for a practical conversation about one of the most important parts of becoming a hockey player: learning how to manage your mind when the game gets difficult. Kurtis introduces young...

🏒 What happens when a player’s belief is strong enough to take him all the way to the NHL—but his identity becomes so tied to hockey that he has to rediscover who he is when the game ends? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for a powerful conversation about chasing impossible dreams, being overlooked, finding your role, handling pressure, and learning that hockey can be an incredible part of your life without becoming your entire sense of worth. Kurtis wasn’t a hi...

🏒 What if confidence isn’t something a coach, parent, teammate, or scoreboard can give you—or take away from you? Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins the conversation for a powerful look at one of the most important—and misunderstood—parts of being an athlete: building confidence from within. Even at the highest levels of hockey, doubt doesn’t disappear. Hayley opens up about seeking approval from coaches and parents as a young player, struggling with public speak...

🏒 Do you know what your skates are telling you when something just doesn’t feel right on the ice? Your stick gets a lot of attention. Your gloves are fun to pick out. But when it comes to actually moving, stopping, turning, and competing on the ice, everything starts with your skates. On this episode of The Ride To The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Russ Layton, founder and CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a quick, practical lesson every young hockey player should hear: how...

🏒 Your player knows their stick flex, curve, and favorite tape job—but do they know what’s happening underneath their skates? Skate sharpening may be one of the most overlooked parts of youth hockey, yet the condition of a player’s edges can directly affect their confidence, turning, stopping, acceleration, and overall feel on the ice. In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Russ Layton, Founder & CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a deep dive...

🏒 What if one of the best things a young hockey player can do for her game is… step away from it? In a sport where players constantly hear messages about working harder, training more, and never taking a day off, knowing when to rest, reset, and simply be a kid can feel almost counterintuitive. In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra explore the best things they’ve done away from the rink—and why thos...