Our Girls Play Hockey - A Day in The Life of PWHLer and Olympian, Hayley Scamurra

Lee MJ Elias [0:00 - 1:06]: hello, hockey friends and families around the world. And welcome back to another edition of our Girls Play Hockey. It's Lee with Haley today. And this is going to be an exciting episode because Haley is at the dawn of a new season. And what a new season means for Haley is a lot of hockey. A lot more than you probably think. So what we wanted to do today for the kids, especially for the parents, is give you a bird's eye view. We're going to look right into the life of a professional hockey player who's also an Olympian, who's also someone who likes to work in the community, and also a podcast host. To give you an idea of what it looks like to be in professional hockey and maybe, maybe at the end even way a little bit. Youth hockey versus professional hockey. Who has it harder question? Everybody's got it hard people, just so you know. But Haley, let me bring you in here. The first question is let's just for the audience, let's go through from now we're recording this in August, your season. What are all of the events coming up for you? 

Hayley Scamurra [1:06 - 2:34]: It's gonna be a crazy year, that's for sure. So basically with Team USA, they're gonna have their top 30 girls who are trying out for the 23 spots for the Olympic team each month. Pretty much we're meeting for either a camp or a rivalry series. So that starts in August in Lake Placid. It'll be a 10 day camp and just another evaluation camp, another touch point to have with everyone. So nothing necessarily other than that is happening. Then in September, we're going to meet again for another like seven or eight days. We'll be in Michigan that time. Then in October, we'll meet again for another seven to eight days in Minnesota. And then November we're going to have rivalry series. And actually those games are in Cleveland and Buffalo, so my hometown. So I'm super excited. That's awesome for that. And then in December, we'll have another rivalry series, which I don't think they've announced where yet. It'll be somewhere in Canada. And then in January, I do believe we meet again. But at that point it would be down to like the 23 players. So how they'll get to the 23 during that time frame is not really determined. And meanwhile, also in November, we meet with our pro teams for training camp right after that rivalry series. And then the season will probably get started, which this also hasn't really come out, but sometime in end of November, early December. 

Lee MJ Elias [2:34 - 2:35]: Wow. 

Hayley Scamurra [2:35 - 2:38]: So it's A lot of travel and a lot to juggle. 

Lee MJ Elias [2:39 - 2:50]: I mean, there's so many places to start here. Let's start with, for the Team USA camp. Again, you said you got to get it down to 23 players, you said. Right, that's two goal is 21 skaters. Or is it three? 

Hayley Scamurra [2:50 - 2:50]: Three goalies. 

Lee MJ Elias [2:50 - 2:57]: That's right. The national team, three goalies, 20 skaters. What's the starting pool typically? And it can be approximate. 

Hayley Scamurra [2:58 - 3:07]: So typically like. So in the last Olympic year, I believe we started with a group of 40, and then it went down to a group of, I want to say 27. 

Lee MJ Elias [3:08 - 3:08]: Wow. 

Hayley Scamurra [3:08 - 3:30]: So we did like a tryout in June of 2021 and then that got us to the 27. And then during that time there wasn't a pro league. So we lived together in like the same area for like three or four months starting in October. And then like they kind of made gradual cuts throughout that time. But again, we were all in the same base together and that's all we were doing. 

Lee MJ Elias [3:30 - 4:10]: Right. Yeah. And, and you're bringing up a really great point we talked about in the pre show. This is the first year ever where really there's a professional league, extremely well established professional league for women and the Olympics at the same time. So we're, we're going to be navigating new waters and then I will get back to that in a minute. I just, I just like to say this. So you said about 40 players show up to this kind of first camp. By the way, just in case you weren't paying attention, I'm taking notes. The, the, the USA Hockey Camps rivalry series things. August, September, October, November, December, January. The Olympics are in February, so it's non stop throughout now until it's a six month build up to the Olympic. All right. But 40 players and essentially half of them get cut. And these. 

Hayley Scamurra [4:10 - 4:12]: Well, for this, for this camp, it will be 30. 

Lee MJ Elias [4:13 - 4:14]: Okay, that was my bad. 

Hayley Scamurra [4:14 - 4:15]: Yeah, yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [4:15 - 4:27]: Still, it's like you're cutting some of the best hockey players in the world. I cannot imagine that competition. So I'm, I'm gonna ask this question and again, we'll, we'll keep going back and forth on the schedule. 

Hayley Scamurra [4:27 - 4:27]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [4:27 - 4:39]: Because this fascinates me when everyone's that great. Obviously there's no lack of talent. Obviously. How do you even separate yourself in a situation like that? Keeping in mind too, these are all probably your friends, right? 

Hayley Scamurra [4:39 - 5:20]: Yeah, absolutely. I think that's definitely can be a hard thing to juggle at times. But typically for me, I just focus on what I bring because what I bring is unique and I just focus on that. I have, I know my role, I play really well in my role and that's what I'm just going to continue to focus on. Because when you're at that level, you need all the roles firing at all cylinders. So every role is important and that's what I kind of lean into. And then in terms of like, I try not to think about other people, I try not to compare myself because I know that I'm different than them and they're different from me and we have different skill sets. And again, I just focus on what I do best and keep doing that to the best of my ability. 

Lee MJ Elias [5:21 - 6:00]: I love it. And look, I glad I asked that question because it does set up for the youth hockey players. I'm going to keep stringing this back to youth hockey. That look, when you're a younger player, there'll be skill sets you're good at. You want to continue to build upon all skill sets, but don't underestimate understanding what you're good at and maybe building from that skill. Right. Coaches love it when you come in and they know they can trust you to do X, Y and Z. Keeping in mind, I guess again kids listening, you want to get good at everything. I'm not saying if you're to get a slap shot, that's the only thing you focus on. All right, let's keep going here. We'll kind of go month to month. So Team USA you go to this 10 day camp in Lake Placid. First off, amazing location, probably the coolest place to have a camp. 

Hayley Scamurra [6:01 - 6:02]: It is exciting. 

Lee MJ Elias [6:02 - 6:23]: I believe that 100%. Let's walk through the day to day of the camp because we're not going to show the viewers the actual schedule. That's private. But we can talk about that. It's pretty monotonous schedule. Almost every day is the same. There's some team things sprinkled into it. But let's walk through the normal day of a USA we'll say, we'll say hopeful right now. Right. Because that's what that camp is. 

Hayley Scamurra [6:23 - 7:36]: Yep, absolutely. So typically in the morning we'll have like a video session and usually in that we'll kind of go over maybe something we're going to focus on in that practice later that day. A system, you know, a concept different, maybe a different skill and. And then from there we'll go right to the rink. We'll have like our all fights warmup. We usually do that together and then go to practice and Then they'll usually have optional lift times for us. We usually don't have those scheduled just because it all gets so crazy and busy and people have. We also need time for treatment. So that's where we have, like, massage therapists there. Cairo's there. Our athletic trainers are there. Like, we have an incredible setup in that sense, and so they're kind of able to help us out in between those times. So then we'll come back. You know, they have meals for us. They have like a. Like a lunch hall. Like, it's like kind of like you're back on a college campus, honestly. And. And then from there, we usually will have another meeting in the evening either with, like, you know, our sports psych, our nutritionists, drug testing, like, is a big thing. Like, we have to get a lot of, like, educational stuff on that to make sure that we're taking the right supplements and different things like that the. 

Lee MJ Elias [7:36 - 7:41]: Olympics have different requirements than. Than some USA things. That's actually a really good point. I didn't even think about that. 

Hayley Scamurra [7:41 - 7:52]: Yeah, there's. There's so much. It's insane. And then, honestly, by the time you're done with the day, you just want to, like, lie in bed and do absolutely nothing. So that's like the typical day, I would say. 

Lee MJ Elias [7:52 - 7:58]: And I saw on the schedule, it's. It's really every day. I mean, from what I saw, there was one day. There's like a team trip. 

Hayley Scamurra [7:59 - 7:59]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [7:59 - 8:25]: Probably team building or team bonding to go see something which is a break. But I feel like that was put in there just to break up the monotony. Let me ask you this. This is not your first camp. Right. Talk to me about what that must have been like the first time. The excitement and also probably the shock of what's happening. Walk me through that and then flip it to. Now that I've done that, this is how I'm approaching it this time. 

Hayley Scamurra [8:25 - 8:32]: It is crazy. I'm trying to think. So my first August camp would have been in 2019. 

Lee MJ Elias [8:32 - 8:33]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [8:33 - 9:10]: And because I had a camp before that, but it was like a winter camp, so it was kind of smaller. So to give an idea of what August camp looks like. So There are our 30 girls trying out, but then there's also a college group of people trying out for the college team. And then there's also U18 girls there. So there's like over 70 girls in this location. So it is very, like, overstimulating. A lot going on. And I just remember being so overwhelmed. Like, it was. It was Definitely intimidating because I didn't really know too many people. And then the girls who have already been there before, they're like, ah, easy. Got this. Like, they're not really thinking about it. 

Lee MJ Elias [9:10 - 9:18]: Let's just talk about that. Because it's like Hillary Knight's walking around, Blake walking around. I mean, these people are just walking around, you know, like, it's got to be amazing. 

Hayley Scamurra [9:18 - 9:27]: Yeah. I remember being starstruck by Hillary, for sure. I think that was the only one. I was like, oh, my gosh. She's, like, in my locker room. Like, this is. This is insane. This is crazy. 

Lee MJ Elias [9:28 - 9:28]: Right? 

Hayley Scamurra [9:29 - 10:06]: And then I think you just kind of had to. I think I found my people and then just kind of stuck with them, stayed close to myself and just was trying to think of what I did to get to that point. I was like, all right, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, focusing on me, focusing on what I'm good at, and ride the wave. It's been. Yeah. And it's been great ever since. And then now when I'm at camp, I feel that I make sure that the young, you know, people who are newer to it or just feel really comfortable because I just remember how scary and intimidating that camp was, for sure. So I do my best to make sure everyone feels included and comfortable. 

Lee MJ Elias [10:06 - 10:23]: Well, I guarantee you there's going to be, you know, a young player that comes and goes. That's. Alex Gamora is here. She's amazing. Let me ask you this, too. Just backtracking a little bit. Is it a phone call? You get a letter? I mean, how is the. What is the moment of I made it or I've been invited, I should. 

Hayley Scamurra [10:23 - 10:30]: Say so for the invite. It was just an email, I believe. Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [10:30 - 10:32]: You don't want to miss that email. No, you don't. 

Hayley Scamurra [10:35 - 10:46]: Yeah, it was just an email. And then I remember for the Olympic team for last year, what they did is they kind of had everyone come in and then just say, like, this is our team. So we were all, like, together. 

Lee MJ Elias [10:47 - 10:47]: Okay. 

Hayley Scamurra [10:47 - 10:49]: When we found out. So that was pretty cool. 

Lee MJ Elias [10:49 - 10:50]: Okay. 

Hayley Scamurra [10:50 - 11:12]: But it was also a bittersweet day because there were cuts that day, and you kind of knew. And so it was. It's. You don't really think about that side of it. I would say when you're imagining that moment, you're just thinking, oh, it's going to be. Because it was incredible. Absolutely. But there was also that sadness to it that some friends were cut and people who are incredible players, and it's just hard Decisions they have to make. 

Lee MJ Elias [11:12 - 12:14]: For sure it is. And. And, you know, we had a great episode with Katie Million on who's the. Essentially the GM of that team, and she talked about that, about how impossible of a task it is. And, you know, we even asked her, haley, like, when you get down to the final few players, like, it's just, as I asked earlier, something has to separate you from the pack. Right. Or sometimes it comes down to just what the team needs. Right. If you're heavy on one position, that can play into it. But I love that they all brought you in a room. I think a lot of people think it's like the movie Miracle. They're all sitting in the stands. And I said, it's probably not how it's done anymore, but that's an interesting process and an interesting camp. And again, you've got to do these several times leading up to now a pro season. Right. So, again, let me ask you this one more time, too. A lot of structure. Video sessions, workout ice time, mental performance meetings, the practices themselves. How do you mentally pace yourself? I know. I know you said you just kind of go around with your day, but, like, what are the messages you give yourself? Or is it really just you're so present that you're not even thinking that way? 

Hayley Scamurra [12:15 - 13:04]: Yeah, you're kind of just present, I would say. And I think also what we try to do is we'll try to do stuff outside of the facility. So where we're at, like I said, it's kind of like a little campus, and there's other Olympic athletes that are there training, like, bobsled and luge and stuff. So, like, they're there all the time, and then we're coming into their space. So it's. It becomes crazy for them, I'm sure. And I think for us, we try to, like, go into town. We try to, like, you know, go paddleboarding if it's nice enough out, just do different things outside of the facility to kind of help break up everything, because otherwise, if you just are there all the time and just doing all the things and then only going lying and down in your room, you're gonna be exhausted, I feel like. So, yeah, we've really tried to, like, explore more and kind of enjoy the town and, yeah, break it up a. 

Lee MJ Elias [13:04 - 13:24]: Little bit, and then look as you get closer. Man, I would love to be a. A fly in the room when you do those video sessions. And, you know, just to understand what. What are those sessions like? Are they going over tactics? Are they reviewing the film from the day. I mean, you know, again, it's. It's amazing because they're preparing everyone. Right? Everyone has the same shot with that. 

Hayley Scamurra [13:24 - 13:53]: Absolutely. I think so. We've done different times. So sometimes they'll do NHL clips of like, maybe zone entries and like, all right, this is what we're going to kind of focus on today is these kinds of zone entries, and they'll show ours, too. But it's a lot easier. There's a lot more NHL clips. Hopefully one day that will change. But anyway, so, yeah, we do those clips a lot. And then, yeah, sometimes. I mean, I remember early on with our coach, he. I think he did show us, like, practice clips and like, hey, I wanted it to look like this. 

Lee MJ Elias [13:53 - 13:54]: You know what I mean? 

Hayley Scamurra [13:54 - 14:08]: Like, and I was like, oh, shoot. Okay. Like, that was kind of mind opening. But I would say typically we're watching NHL clips or our own clips and then focusing on what we're, you know, system, like, system doing. 

Lee MJ Elias [14:09 - 14:15]: Yeah, well. And to your point, you do have two years now of PWHL clips built up. Yeah, a lot more of those. 

Hayley Scamurra [14:16 - 14:16]: Let's. 

Lee MJ Elias [14:16 - 14:48]: Let's get. Let's get towards the PWHL now. Okay, so look, August, September, October, Team usa. Then suddenly you have a pro schedule on the horizon for the first time, playing with Montreal this year. Massive names there as well. So let's start with this question. What has USA Hockey and. And actually Hockey Canada, we should say, and the PWHL had to do to navigate this because like you said, now you're not going to be together for the six months of the Olympics. In fact, you're going to be playing against your future teammates. 100. 

Hayley Scamurra [14:50 - 15:01]: Absolutely. They've had to work a lot together in terms of scheduling is the biggest thing because USA Hockey and Canada have always been so used to, like, they can just schedule whenever. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:01 - 15:02]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [15:02 - 15:13]: We can come whenever. And now that we have our pro league, they have to work around it a little bit more. So it's definitely a little bit more nuanced. But there are international breaks that they're able to schedule things in. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:13 - 15:14]: Awesome. 

Hayley Scamurra [15:14 - 15:21]: Because then, you know, the European players also go and different things like that. So in that sense, it's worked out pretty well, I would say. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:21 - 15:22]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [15:22 - 15:34]: But that's definitely been the biggest change for sure. Because now this residency, we're not, you know, living together in the same place and working every day together. But regardless, we're all still working towards that goal all the time. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:34 - 15:35]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [15:35 - 15:39]: Regardless if we're there or not. And then we're still meeting Every month. So it's. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:41 - 15:41]: We're. 

Hayley Scamurra [15:41 - 15:42]: We're still reporting. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:43 - 17:02]: Well, you know what's interesting about it, like, I do want to describe this undertaking because there are. These are. Well, actually there's multiple governing bodies now that I'm thinking about. You have PWL governing body. You have the double ihf, International Ice Hockey Federation, which, which is, you know, and the Olympic covering body. Those are, those are actually two separate things, even though they work very closely. Then you have the nation's governing body. And you mentioned. I'm. I, I'm sorry, I forgot it. All the Scandinavian countries, like, all of the European countries, there's a lot of things that have to happen to make this work. And I, I'm glad to hear, not that I was worried about it, that there's an understanding here. Right. Because this is a completely new endeavor and, and there's going to be a lot to learn from it. So I love that they built in, they built in these breaks. I'm looking at what you said to me earlier in these notes. How are you going to compartmentalize, say, Montreal playing New York, and then the next night you're playing Canada, Right? Like, and your teammate's probably on the other team and, and vice versa. I mean, I. The mental side of that boggles my mind. I mean, look, look, you. Obviously, you just got to go do it. But, but how. How are you even compartmentalizing that right now? Right. You're going to be playing a pro game that matters then a rivalry game that matters for pride. Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [17:02 - 17:03]: Oh, yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:03 - 17:08]: Like, that's. Try and walk me through how you think you're gonna, you're gonna get through that. 

Hayley Scamurra [17:08 - 17:11]: It's funny, honestly, as soon as you're on the ice. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:11 - 17:11]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [17:11 - 17:37]: The brain switches. It really does. As soon as we put on those USA jerseys, it's like we're dialed. And I don't even think about who I'm hitting, who I'm, like, going after. Like, it's. It's a different. It's a different kind of feeling. And then same with the pro league. Honestly, you put on that jersey and it's. It's just a different feeling. And I don't even know how else to describe it. You just have that switch and you're able to just kind of do that. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:37 - 18:19]: Well, that's what makes you a pro. All right, look, for the listeners, that is a big difference. Because here's the thing, Haley. I know you can do it. You've proven that there are very high level athletes that will not be able to do that well this time around. Right. And it's a learning curve. And again for the young kids listening, the parents listening, this is part of being a pro is that you have to have that razor sharp mind. Right. Look, Haley has in many episodes and through her business shown that from the physical fitness side, you're, you're, you know it. Right. Like that, that's your world. But also the mental side, it's not just you. Right. Like, like the professional athletes go through a tremendous amount of mental training both as a team and individually. Correct? 

Hayley Scamurra [18:19 - 18:56]: Absolutely. We, we have, we have mental performance for USA Hockey. We have like set sports psychologists that we work with who come in and we do team things, but then they're also available for individual meetings. And then same with every pro team I've been on, there's been a sports like person who's on call. You can call whenever. Sometimes they'll do team activities. I can't say for Toronto because I came in halfway, so they might have done it at the beginning and I might have missed it. But for Ottawa, I remember she came in during like training camp and we worked with her and stuff. And so it is kind of fun to have different voices in the sports psychology world. 

Lee MJ Elias [18:57 - 18:57]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [18:57 - 19:06]: That you're able to see who you connect with better because it, you know, you connect with different people on different levels and not the sports, like, isn't for everyone. 

Lee MJ Elias [19:06 - 20:07]: Like, that's true. And you know what's interesting about it? And I always say this because, because, you know, I do a lot of, of team building and mental training with youth teams and youth organizations and I don't get too much pushback anymore. But one of the funny things I do say when I do is like, you know, every pro team in the world is doing this. It's, it's not some stigmatized thing anymore. Like the, the best teams in the world work on this. But like you said, if it's not for you, it's not for you. But don't, don't make it sound like who does this yoga stuff. It's like everybody, everybody at the top level does it. I also want to bring up two. We talked about physical fitness, you know, mental fitness, but nutrition is also a major point in this. I mean, you said you have those holes with team meals. I'm guessing they're prepared. Why don't you walk us through what you have to eat, what you like to eat, what you don't like to eat. And, and again, I'm thinking about the kids listening that might be going to McDonald's. Like, this is what a pro athlete eats during the most. Am I wrong saying this is gonna be the most demanding season you've ever had? 

Hayley Scamurra [20:07 - 20:21]: Yeah, it definitely will be. And it'll have its own challenges that, you know, because last year was definitely a challenge. There was a lot of travel because it was kind of similar, but this is even more travel. And obviously, with the Olympics in mind, it's more at stake. 

Lee MJ Elias [20:21 - 20:22]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [20:22 - 20:39]: In terms of food. So Lake Placid, they have, like, a dining hall, so they have people who make us food. They actually have, like, an omelette station. So that's actually what I'm pumped for. So in the morning, I'll probably do an omelette and stuff. Oh, so good. And I usually am up kind of earlier than most of the people, so then there's not as much of a line. 

Lee MJ Elias [20:41 - 20:42]: That's also why you're pro. 

Hayley Scamurra [20:44 - 21:05]: And then. Oh, man. They have a lot of different stuff. I would say they do a pretty good variety. There's, like, you know, for lunch and dinner, it's typically similar stuff. It's like chicken or steak or, you know, vegetables, asparagus, broccoli. I know they've done, like, Asian bowls sometimes, so they. They mix it up pretty well there, I'm guessing, right? What'd you say? 

Lee MJ Elias [21:05 - 21:07]: None of it's processed, I'm guessing. 

Hayley Scamurra [21:07 - 21:07]: I don't think so. 

Lee MJ Elias [21:07 - 21:08]: No. Right there. 

Hayley Scamurra [21:08 - 21:16]: But then we do. We always go for lunch, like, of. They have, like, a sub shop in downtown Lake Placid that will always go to. It's so good. 

Lee MJ Elias [21:17 - 21:18]: Not the Subway across the street. 

Hayley Scamurra [21:18 - 21:23]: Not the Subway. No. It's called, like, 42 peaks or something. I forget. 

Lee MJ Elias [21:23 - 21:33]: Sounds right. I just wanted to make sure, for the people that have been there, like, we're not talking Subway right now, although Subway, they make a good sandwich or a hoagie, as we call them in Philadelphia. Yeah, go. Go ahead. H. Sorry. 

Hayley Scamurra [21:34 - 21:52]: No, you're good. That's really. It. And then, honestly, there's some good. There is some good ice cream downtown, so once in a while, we'll. We'll hit that up. Uh, but overall, it's. I. I eat pretty basic and plain. Nothing too crazy. Um, and then the. The meals are pretty good, so it's nice. 

Lee MJ Elias [21:52 - 22:59]: Yeah. Look, there's two things I'll say on that. On nutrition, the clean, basic stuff usually is the best stuff. Right. Um, and again, it makes a massive difference, not just in energy and how you play, but recovery. You know, nutrition is just another thing. I think probably not just athletes like, as a whole, we need to be paying attention to. And like, look, man, you can make chicken and rice taste really good if you know what you're doing. I'll say this to you too. I love that you brought up ice cream because there's a little bit of joy in ice cream. You know, it's actually a great segue into my next question. Everything about this is exciting. Talking about it, thinking about it. Someone's going to win a gold medal in a professional championship this year. Multiple people probably. Right. It's a long schedule. We're talking August through next spring. You have to find ways to maintain joy in that. There is no way. And I'm going to say this for you, but, but please dive into it. There's no way. You wake up every day during this schedule just like usa, like, there's just no way. Right. There's gonna be days you just want to lay in bed or you don't want to do it. 

Hayley Scamurra [22:59 - 23:00]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [23:00 - 23:10]: How do you maintain the joy? How do you maintain that doing it when you don't want to do it? I think it's a really important lesson for the listeners too, because we all experience this in our life. 

Hayley Scamurra [23:10 - 23:24]: Yeah, that's a great question. For me. What a teammate of mine said is that, like, this year's a marathon, not a sprint. So I think the biggest thing is knowing that, like, we don't need to go 100% every single day or we will burn out. 

Lee MJ Elias [23:24 - 23:25]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [23:25 - 23:46]: Like, in terms of. Not like, effort wise. I meant in terms of like the actual training load of that day. Great distinction, to be clear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because otherwise you're going to crash and you're going to get injuries and you're going to get, you know, who, who knows? And there's no need to do that because it's August and we don't actually start games until November. 

Lee MJ Elias [23:46 - 23:47]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [23:47 - 23:57]: So I think that's been super important for me to kind of remember because I think at times I'm like, I need to be in my peak shape. Right now we're about to go to camp and it's like, hold up, take a breath, like, we have time. 

Lee MJ Elias [23:58 - 24:00]: Ask you this because you mentioned that. Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [24:00 - 24:00]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [24:00 - 24:12]: This is another funny thing for people. Have you ever finished a season in peak shape? Because my experience, I've never finished the season feeling great. I feel pretty beat up at the end of a season. 

Hayley Scamurra [24:12 - 24:50]: That's a good point. Exactly. So the season, it does, you know, break you down a little bit. Right. You're going to lose muscle mass, you're going to lose. Like, you're going to be tired. And so I think it's important in this season right now, leading up to such a heavy season, to not go super hard and to make sure you're good with your body and, like, listening to your body, like, because maybe there is a day where you do wake up and you're like, I did not sleep well. I think working out will set me back. I'm gonna just take it easy, maybe do mobility, maybe do. I've actually been doing some virtual reality stuff with, like, reaction time, so that's kind of like a fun one I can do at home. 

Lee MJ Elias [24:50 - 24:55]: I just love to hear that. I have to say. Yeah, go ahead. Shout out to NHL Sensorino. Yeah, right. 

Hayley Scamurra [24:56 - 25:14]: Yeah. So I've been doing that a little bit more this year. That's something I've added in this off season, and I feel like that's an easy thing to add where it's. Because it's still a workout. When you're working out your brain, you are still burning calories, to be clear, but it's maybe a little less hard on the body than what I might be doing. So. 

Lee MJ Elias [25:14 - 26:44]: No, I love that you brought that up, because as athletes and coaches, you know, you're always looking for new ways to. To. To have an edge. I mean, you know, it's funny, Haley, if you go back to the, like, early 1980s and. And I'm not exaggerating this, it's not uncommon to see, you know, NHL players, quote, unquote, working out in a gym, which means like, four or five reps, and then having a cigarette in their mouth while they're doing it, right? And then they go out to dinner and just have a gigantic steak, right? It's like. Like, things have changed quite a bit. So the science of training, the science of recovery is always evolving. But I love that you find those different ways. I think it's also important to reiterate what you just said about, you know, understanding and listening to your body. I think there's a misconception, especially in youth hockey, that you have to have this massive intensity at all moments. And. And you said it perfectly. You got to bring your best. You got to bring it, but you also got to listen, right? And let's dive into that a little bit too more, because we talked about on a previous episode, too, about giving 100 of what you have, right? And that that's. That's different than giving everything that you have, right? And I think that, to me, that's one of the Pro athlete separators is they're really in touch with that. Like, look, I don't know many athletes that are taken off, like, in terms of they're not showing up. Right. They don't take days off, but they do understand, as Haley just said, I don't have everything today, so I got to give 100% of what I have. Can you. Can you maybe explain that from your perspective a little bit? 

Hayley Scamurra [26:45 - 26:55]: Yeah, I think, because there'd be times where I'd be frustrated if I. Or I'd give myself anxiety if I didn't have the best night of sleep. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm not going to be able to, like, perform to the best of my ability. 

Lee MJ Elias [26:55 - 26:56]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [26:56 - 28:05]: And Nick, who's my boyfriend and also my trainer, was like, just give 100% of what you have, and that will be enough. And then you also surprise yourself with how much you do have and what you're capable of, even with a lack of sleep or even with, you know who, if you're not feeling well and. And whatnot. And I think flu game, you know what I mean? So you never know. So I think that just mindset kind of helped me kind of reduce that anxiety that I would have for not getting, like, a perfect night of sleep and going into a training day. Cause then when I look back now, I've had some of my best games. Like, when I didn't even get much sleep. Like the night I was held or forget the night I was traded from Toronto or. No, from Ottawa to Toronto. Like, it happened the night before a game. So I didn't sleep. I don't think I slept an hour that night. Like, it was so bad. And I'm like, how am I gonna play in a game tomorrow? Like, I was panicking. I'm like, I guess I'll. I'll find a way. And you know what? I played pretty dang good. Like, I was. I was shocked by how well I played, considering the circumstances, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, like, everything. 

Lee MJ Elias [28:06 - 28:08]: Well, there's Will there. Ali. I mean. 

Hayley Scamurra [28:08 - 28:09]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [28:09 - 29:04]: You know, one of the things I've. I've learned not just as a player, but actually as coach, is as humans, we have really no idea the capacity of what we can do. I mean, we put these limitations on ourself. And look, a lot of it's the flight and flight. A fight or fight. Fight or flight response. It's always a tongue twister of, like, you know, we, like, 80% of our worries don't actually happen. But one of Every Olympics. Every Olympics, someone breaks the world record. Like, we do not know what we're capable of. Right. And your spirit, again, this is what makes you a pro athlete, though, is, you know what, you showed up, you played, you gave 100 of what you had. And you know what's funny? And again, kind of shared experience here. I've had games, too, when I show up and it's just like, everything's not working my way. So you kind of just get present and it's like, let's just see what happens. And you play better because you're not thinking too much at that point. Like you said when you step on the ice. 

Hayley Scamurra [29:04 - 29:05]: Yep. 

Lee MJ Elias [29:05 - 29:16]: So amazing points. You brought up something else now that I didn't even write down. You could get. Not you just someone could get traded. Someone could get traded right before the Olympics. 

Hayley Scamurra [29:16 - 29:16]: Yes. 

Lee MJ Elias [29:16 - 29:31]: For a PWA game. To trade it. Then you're on tbsa. I don't even know how to ask a question about that. Like, maybe we should just start with. And maybe not the best memory, but how. What was it like to be traded with that process? It's like, that's important for this episode. 

Hayley Scamurra [29:31 - 29:40]: Yeah, I can talk about that. What happened? So we were. I was with Ottawa. We were in Toronto for the game the next day. 

Lee MJ Elias [29:40 - 29:40]: Wow. 

Hayley Scamurra [29:40 - 29:56]: And I looked down. I got. I had like a text or a call from our gm. Nothing crossed my mind. I had no clue. I literally thought it was going to be about. I don't even know. And I showed my roommate at the time, and she was like, are you getting traded? And I know. My heart just sank. 

Lee MJ Elias [29:56 - 29:57]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [29:57 - 30:02]: And I'm like, I can't be like, that's like, I didn't ask for that. I didn't, you know, nothing like that. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:02 - 30:03]: So that's not how it works. 

Hayley Scamurra [30:04 - 30:06]: Yep. Exactly. So I got to. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:06 - 30:07]: I got to my room and he. 

Hayley Scamurra [30:07 - 30:19]: Told me, and I was just, like, in shock. Like, I barely said words. I think I. Maybe I just was like, okay, okay. Like, just let me get off the phone. Like, trying not to, like, SOB on the phone. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:19 - 30:22]: Yeah. Describe the emotion. Emotion. 

Hayley Scamurra [30:22 - 30:22]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:22 - 30:23]: Right. It's not one. 

Hayley Scamurra [30:23 - 30:29]: It was. It was shock, sadness. Like, almost like a grief. To be honest. It was really sad. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:29 - 30:30]: Mid to late season, right? 

Hayley Scamurra [30:30 - 30:37]: It was middle of the season. Yeah. And I had already had a full season with Ottawa, so this was like my second year with Ottawa. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:37 - 30:37]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [30:37 - 30:55]: And, yeah, I was. I was devastated. I really was. So I. I was just sobbing. And then. Then girls slowly find out because we also couldn't tell anyone because we Were waiting for it to go public because it was like a big trade. It was me and a teamma people from Toronto. 

Lee MJ Elias [30:55 - 31:00]: Yeah. I mean, just. Just for those of you listening, it was. I mean, it was news. It was a big trade when this happened. 

Hayley Scamurra [31:00 - 31:23]: Yes. Yeah. It was one of the biggest trades in our league, like, thus far. And so, yeah, I was just waiting. My roommate obviously ended up knowing because she came in the room and I'm sobbing. So I told her. And then. And then girls started, like, coming in and they're crying and I'm crying and. And then it's just like, how am I gonna play against you guys tomorrow? Like. Like what? 

Lee MJ Elias [31:23 - 31:27]: I mean, that's how. Like you're playing against the same team. 

Hayley Scamurra [31:27 - 32:05]: Yeah. So then moments later, Gina calls from Toronto, the GM there. And so then we started having a chat. And then I'm like, this is bizarre. So then we were going to meet with her the next morning, me and my teammate Savannah, who had gotten traded. So all of a sudden, we're. We're checking out our new facilities the next day and meeting with her and grabbed a coffee and, you know, they told us, like, you don't have to play technically. You could take the 48 hours and, you know, whatever. But I. I heard everyone else was playing, so I was like, I can't not play even. 

Lee MJ Elias [32:05 - 32:08]: Yeah, you gotta do what you do, right? 

Hayley Scamurra [32:08 - 32:35]: Yeah. Yeah. But that night I. I didn't sleep at all. I was crying the whole night. I was just like, what if I cry on the ice? Like, that was the thought I had. I was like, I really don't want to cry on the ice. Like, please don't let that happen. Which, luckily it didn't. So by the. We got to meet the girls at pregame skate in Toronto and. And that helped a lot. Like, that was massive to get to, like, meet them and skate with them a little bit for pre game skate, to have like a practice under our belt with them. 

Lee MJ Elias [32:35 - 32:36]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [32:36 - 33:16]: And then, you know, but it's also emotional for them. They lost two teammates, so it's just. It's all so crazy and just bizarre. And then I just remember being on the ice against Ottawa and I couldn't look at any of the girls. Like, they would try to joke with me or smile with me, and I'm like, I literally cannot do that right now. Like, so I would just. I just would look down and just completely disassociate. Like, that's the only word I can use is that none of them were my friends. I didn't Know them, I had to. Like, it was. Yeah, it was one of the craziest games I've ever played in, so it was nuts. It was. 

Lee MJ Elias [33:16 - 34:34]: I got to first thank you for your vulnerability of telling us all that, because, look, it's very rare that we get to see behind the curtain of something like that, you know, look, the word. This is what's crazy about pro sports. You know, the word cruel comes to mind, and it. Look, it's cruel, but it's business. And that is the side of youth hockey, I think, that no one correctly sees. Right. You don't need to be traded in youth hockey. But, yeah, talk about being a pro. We keep talking about you being a pro. You got to show up, compete against your friends. And here's the thing. I don't. I don't think it's that crazy that you. You kind of reacted the way you did on the ice because you have to compete. You have to compete. Right. You have a job to do now. It's for another team. And that's just the way it is. Right. And then in the PWHL, it's not like you've got 31 other teams on the schedule. You got to go around and play a few times. And look, I'm sure there is a mutual understanding and admiration across the board there from, from your. Your, you know, teammates and, I guess, opponents in that. That realm. Let me ask you this, and I'll preface this. You don't have to answer this if you don't want to. I want to talk about the. I guess what's the right word here. In one way, a team rejected you. In one way, a team welcomed you. 

Hayley Scamurra [34:35 - 34:35]: Yep. 

Lee MJ Elias [34:35 - 34:51]: Those thoughts materialize in your mind. Right. Because you have every right to feel whatever you want to feel against Ottawa at that time. And again, I'm not. I'm not asking you to talk fully against Ottawa. Like I said a minute ago, it's business. But what's that process like? 

Hayley Scamurra [34:51 - 35:34]: It was weird because you're right. My first thought was, oh, my gosh, Ottawa got rid of me. Like, they didn't want me anymore. Like, that's awful. And then I. I remember Tespinom had reached out because she's from the Toronto or she lives in the Toronto area now. And I had worked a camp with her. And I remember she just told me, well, the other team really wanted you then. Like, there's that flip side. So just remember that. Like, don't forget about that piece. And that was super helpful because when you are, when that situation arises, it's pretty easy to focus on the negative side of it and the sad side of it, and then to now remember, okay, another team really wanted you. They really were, like, fighting to get you or however it worked, obviously. 

Lee MJ Elias [35:34 - 35:34]: Right. 

Hayley Scamurra [35:36 - 35:53]: So I think that helped a lot. And I. Yeah, nothing but good things to say about my time in Ottawa. I absolutely loved it there. I loved it in Toronto. It was great. So, yeah, no hard feelings after all of it, but it was definitely in the moment. It was very difficult to kind of grapple with. 

Lee MJ Elias [35:54 - 36:34]: I believe that you're also bringing up a great point for the. For the youth audience here of there's typically two sides to every situation, and it can be very easy to focus on one. We see this all the time when kids switch organizations, and maybe they weren't seeing the grass on the other side before they did. Right. We. We talk about this on our kids with Mike all the time about, you know, just because you had a bad year doesn't mean you should flip teams. It doesn't mean you shouldn't either. All right. But it's just, you know, there's two sides to every. Make sure you're looking at the positives as much as you're looking at the negatives. I'm gonna. I'm gonna jump around here for a minute, too, since we're on this topic. We talked about getting traded. You signed with Montreal for this season. Free agency. What was that process like? 

Hayley Scamurra [36:34 - 38:01]: Wow. Free agency was really cool, to be honest. It. So there was a period where all the teams could kind of contact you and just say that they were interested, but no, like, deals were in place or anything like that at that point because of the expansion draft. So there's also a lot of factors going on. So Seattle and Vancouver got to do an expansion draft, which is awesome, too. Yeah, really cool. And so after that, there was the period where the teams could reach out with offers, and we all have to have agents if you're in the league. And so it's all going through my agent, but I just remember getting, like, one email with the offers, and then all of a sudden, they all heard about each other's offers. So then there's, like, bidding going on. Like, it was. So. It was so cool. And it was kind of a nice way to feel, like, validated in a way of, like, my worth as a player and things like that, because I think I had a tough year last year. And so it was kind of. It was very nice and refreshing to kind of see that, like, I'm still valued for the aspects that I bring to the ice and off the ice and leadership quality and things like that. So that was massive for me, I think, as a. As a player and a human. And I've worked with Corey in the past with Montreal and as my coach when we did our PWHPA showcases and stuff. And so I was kind of excited to work with her again in, like, a real true season. So that was a big factor for me. 

Lee MJ Elias [38:01 - 38:06]: That's cool. And I'll say, you don't have to, but Montreal is the coolest jerseys in the league. I'm gonna say that right now. 

Hayley Scamurra [38:06 - 38:12]: I've been wanting to say it for a while, and now I can finally say, yeah, they're my favorite jerseys. They're beautiful. 

Lee MJ Elias [38:12 - 40:03]: Yeah, I concur. A lot of history in those jerseys, too. And look, I also want to make note of this, like, free agency and professional women's hockey kind of a new concept, right? I mean, look, the top of women's hockey not that long ago was olympics or Division 1 college. And there's not much contract negotiations for money in those situations. Although now they mentioned colleges are in a position now to start doing that a little bit, too, if they want. All right. All right, let's bring it back in and keep going through the schedule. So the PWHL season starts. The Olympic schedule is going on, right? You said it already. Just to bring the audience back. You're doing your PWHL schedule, your practices, then you're having breaks and you're doing Olympic stuff. Then February rolls around and. And you're. It's the Olympics, right? And those that make the team. Now you're. Now you're not just stopping your PWHL season. You're going to a foreign country, right? You're going to be playing against the top competition in the world every night. You know, I. I'm actually. This is kind of cool to say. Historically, it's Canada USA and the gold medal game, but every single Olympics that becomes more and more in question and. And this one more than ever, right? So there's that. I mean, how are you? How. I don't even know how to ask. You're going from pretty late in the season, PWHL season to Olympic competition. Then you have to ride that wave and somehow come down from whatever the outcome is. There's going to be some winners, some losers, some not even in a medal game, and then get back to essentially the playoff run. Yeah, right. I. I don't know how you're gonna do that. I'm not saying there's a doubtful way. I'm, I'm. 

Hayley Scamurra [40:03 - 40:10]: I understand. Because it was honestly like this past worlds was a pretty crazy turnaround. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:10 - 40:10]: Yeah. 

Hayley Scamurra [40:10 - 40:37]: Because it was a playoff race and each team kind of came back with different mindsets, like you said, a different frame of reference. So it was like we were on a high obviously, as the US Players and the Canada players were not feeling so hot. And that's just how it goes. We have to find a way to power through and kind of disassociate almost. And like, luckily there was like a. Maybe a few days between worlds and coming back, like, I think we got like a two or three day break. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:37 - 40:39]: I think that's great that they was massive. 

Hayley Scamurra [40:39 - 40:44]: Like, if you had to come back, like the next day, it would be probably still pretty raw. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:44 - 40:46]: Yeah, you were right. 

Hayley Scamurra [40:46 - 40:47]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:47 - 40:48]: So, yeah, like. 

Hayley Scamurra [40:48 - 40:49]: Yeah, so we needed a few days. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:49 - 40:54]: Yeah. I mean, a jet lag to begin with. Yeah. That's crazy. That's. 

Hayley Scamurra [40:54 - 41:05]: Again, so I'm not sure because Olympics is another level, obviously, and it's. Yeah, it's huge. So that will be very interesting and I will. I'll let you know when it happens. 

Lee MJ Elias [41:07 - 42:05]: Because it's. Look, it's unprecedented. It really is. Yeah. We'll have to do a follow up, like, you know, and again, for context, for the audience. You know, when you think of the NHL in the Olympics, it's an interesting kind of jumbled situation where when we see NHL players in the Olympics, it's great. But the Stanley cup is the Stanley Cup. Okay. And while winning the Olympics is an amazing, amazing thing, I, I'm not taking anything away from that, from the men's game. 1980 is never going to be topped. All right. That's, that's the truth. Right. And the Stanley Cup. I said it again. That's, that's, that's the, that's the top, top prize. Right. Again, not taking anything away from a gold medal in women's hockey. I don't know if that's quite true. Right. Because the Olympic gold medal is really. That is what has been in focus for so long. And the PWHL is pretty new. Right. So do you. I don't even know if there's a question there. Do you have thoughts on that? Because it is a totally different dynamic in that, that professional world than, than the men's. Professional world. 

Hayley Scamurra [42:05 - 42:47]: Yeah. I think it's a really important difference to note because. So for the men's, obviously, there's national pride 1000%. However, for the women's side, we have dedicated so much time and effort and to growing women's hockey and like the national team. Yeah, we're meeting for camps three times a year. We're meeting for like, there's so much obligation that we're required to do that. The men aren't because they're in an 82 game NHL season. So it's understandable. But we didn't have that for a while. Like we were only on the national team and training for the national team 24 7. 

Lee MJ Elias [42:47 - 42:53]: And there's a, a 30 year, almost 30 year history here of the Olympics. That's not true for the NHL men. 

Hayley Scamurra [42:53 - 43:08]: Yeah, exactly. And so I think there's just, there's just a lot more on the line for the women's side 1000% and something we've dedicated so much time to. And, and I think it's an important difference to note. For sure. 

Lee MJ Elias [43:08 - 44:14]: Yeah. You know, Haley, what's, what's cool about this episode is that, you know, in these discussions it's, it's very obvious. Like there's just a lot of unknowns here. Right. And that's okay. So like, especially in journalism, like, that's what's cool is we're covering this. We can totally do a follow up at the end of the season of like. Well, we have these questions in August. Yeah, we have some of these, some of these answers. And I hope I'm saying in that, you know, gold medalist, Olympic winning, pre WTL champion and yeah, hopefully I'm saying all those things. But yeah, and then look, and then you come back and it's right in the playoffs. I will always mention this because the PWHL does the coolest thing when teams are eliminated. I think all leagues should, should adopt this, that once a team in the PWHL is eliminated, you earn points for the first draft pick, thus keeping the competition. So while I'm not saying Haley, I think Montreal is going to be in that field, I am saying that there is no. Stop. You're in the playoffs whether you're in the playoffs or not. So you got to come back. You got to do that. And then the season ends. What do you take a month off to Aruba? I mean, what do you do? What do you do? 

Hayley Scamurra [44:15 - 44:28]: I'll be, I'll be doing something. I'm going to a Beach somewhere. 1000% I will be planning that because I haven't taken a beach vacation in a hot minute. So after this season, that'll definitely be very necessary. 

Lee MJ Elias [44:29 - 44:31]: We're gonna get you down to Puerto Rico. That's what we're gonna do. 

Hayley Scamurra [44:31 - 44:32]: Oh, perfect. Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [44:33 - 46:15]: Yeah. We'll say we know some people. Yeah, we'll get you to a beach down there. Yeah. I don't have any more questions. I just really appreciate your willingness to a walk us through this because, you know, I'll say it's kind of behind the scenes access, but I mean, if you're listening to this at home, and I will say this, the youth hockey schedule is crazy. But we got practices and weekend games. Like, you know, we got to do our jobs in between. It's a lot. It's a lot. But this gives you an idea of what the top level of professional hockey is like. And it's insane. And I'm going to say it in a lot of ways, this schedule is more demanding than some of the other schedules that we see out there in professional hockey. Right. Not, not, not shooting down the NHL or anything like that. All right. It's just the, the, the games, the pressure, the, the practices, the preparation, the recovery, the ability to do it every day. That's what separates you Haley as a pro. And for the kids listening, the parents listening, the question I think we should leave you with is, you don't need to do this yet. But what are the tools that Haley has described today that you can start to build in your own game? Are you doing mental prep? Are you giving 100 of what you got? Are you doing nutrition? Are you recovering? Right. Are you looking at both sides? Hopefully you're not getting traded in youth hockey. I don't think that. Okay. I do want to give a shout out to. You mentioned several people. Nick. We had a great episode with Nick with you audience. Make sure you go listen to that one because there's a lot of eye opening stuff in that. Haley and Nick have a great, great business where they also give you kind of a behind the scenes view. But, but talk to players, right? 

Hayley Scamurra [46:15 - 46:16]: Yep. 

Lee MJ Elias [46:16 - 46:17]: Yeah, I'm trying to give that a shout out right now, so make sure. 

Hayley Scamurra [46:17 - 46:18]: Appreciate it. Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [46:19 - 46:23]: But hell yeah. Listen, thanks so much for walking us through this. This is an awesome episode. Just an awesome. 

Hayley Scamurra [46:24 - 46:45]: Yeah. Thank you for allowing me to share because I think it's super important for people to see what we do leading up to the Olympics. And it's not just every four years. We're working all the time towards that goal. And then obviously with the professional league, like I'm really excited to work to get that Walter cup with Montreal for sure. So I wanted to make sure that is noted as well because I want double. Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [46:46 - 48:33]: When they do that ESPN montage at the end of the year, they're going to refer to moment. All right, Haley, great episode. For those of you listening, remember, if you have any questions, thoughts, comments, episode idea, anything for Haley and I, email us@teamourkidsplayhockey.com at any time. Also, in the show notes, there's a link. If you click on it, you can actually text us the same information. Just remember to leave your name and where you're from if you want us to know that. But for Haley, I'm Lee. This has been a fantastic episode of Our Girls Play Hockey. Lots more coming your way soon. Make sure to have fun, enjoy the game and skate on everybody. We hope you enjoyed this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. Make sure to like and subscribe right now if you found value wherever you're listening, whether it's a podcast network, a social media network, or our website, our kidsplayhockey.com also make sure to check out our children's book, When Hockey stops@when hockeystops.com It's a book that helps children deal with adversity in the game and in life. We're very proud of it. But thanks so much for listening to this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey and we'll see you on the next episode. Sam.