Our Girls Play Hockey: From 9-Year-Old Dreamer to Olympian: A Mailbag with Hayley Scamurra

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Hello, hockey friends and families around the world, and welcome back to another edition of Our Girls Play Hockey. It's Lee Elias with Mike Benelli and Haley Skimora here today. And we thought it would be fun, you know, to go online and say, hey, who's got questions for Haley? And you know, we think we'll get we'll get a few, right? We'll get four or five enough to do an episode. Well, 25 questions later, because of you, we've got to do two episodes now. Two mailbag episodes, because Haley's so popular that you want to ask her a bunch of questions. Uh joking aside, pretty incredible stuff. We put that post out less than 24 hours ago. Less than 24 hours ago when we're recording this. And I say 25 questions. Some of you ask three or four questions. It's actually more than 25. But um, Haley, look, this is the pro life. This is the pro life. You're a pro athlete, you're you're you're an Olympic, you know, you know, team USA athlete. This is the pro life. You gotta deal with it. I'm sorry, but you have to deal with it.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

No, I love it. I can't wait to answer the questions. It's fun to see like a lot of the kids have like such simple but like complex questions, too. So I'm ready to dive in.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

I'm I'm ready to do it too. And I'm gonna say this again to the audience listening. Uh, we are gonna actually divide this up into a few different episodes. Um, we've looked at all the questions. We are gonna ask every question that was submitted. We're not leaving any of them out. Uh, but we did find that the themes for the questions were kind of Haley's journey to being a pro athlete and then the life of a pro athlete uh as the other one. So today is about the journey, all your questions about the journey and kind of how maybe your journey as well at home. Uh, and then the next mailbag episode, which will be very soon, uh, will be about the life as a pro, which apparently, you know, four million questions is part of it. Obviously, if you can't sense my sarcasm, gang, I we're flattered by this. This is pretty awesome. All right. So let's dive in with the first question uh from Harper, who is nine years old. How did you go from being a nine-year-old hockey player all the way to a pro? No pressure, Haley. Just tell us everything you know.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

I loved that question because like she's nine, right? Like, I just love it. But when I was nine years old, what was I doing? I think I was playing boys hockey at the time with my dad was the coach. Um, at that point, just having fun. You're not thinking about anything else. I did put that my dream was to be an Olympian, but it's not like I went to the rink every day and like was, you know, grinding every single day to become an Olympian. It just was enjoyable. I had fun with my teammates. Um, I enjoyed the process. That's what it's all about in the long run.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

Um did you write it down? Did you like I love it? You said that's your goal, but was there like a place you had that?

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Well, yeah, actually. And um we had like little booklets that we made for our travel teams. I don't know if people do that anymore. Um, and all the boys, they had like their dream was to be an NHL player, and mine said to be an Olympian. So it was uh it was really cool to look back on and see when I made my the first Olympic team. Uh my dad had found that and taken a picture.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

So now that's awesome. And I think I think now, you know, and I think you know, based off of Lee too, just the questions that you'll get, right, are always about the journey and and the secrets and like all these little things, like how can I, what can I do to replicate what she did what she did? And and sometimes it's as simple as, well, just gotta work harder than everyone else. But I think uh Kaylee has a really good question. I I love this as a maybe as a recruiter too, is you know, how did you actually get to where you're at? Like, did you reach out to Team USA? Uh was it through the PWHL? Were you selected from a from your college program? Like what was the process of getting to where you're at right now?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

That's a great question. Uh, because mine's definitely a unique journey. I so they have camps for USA hockey like all throughout travel hockey days. Um, I didn't make a camp, I think when I was like 15 years old, I stopped making USA camps. So I was kind of like off their radar, if you will. Um, and it was definitely frustrating, like even throughout college, wasn't making any rosters to like even try out for the team. And I remember being really frustrated about that. And that's when I ended up seeing a sports egg when I was in college. And uh he gave me the great advice to just focus on the team you're playing for, be the best you can be for them, and then whatever comes will be meant for you. And I really took that to heart, it helped take like all the pressure off because I think I was just putting so much pressure on how I was performing in order to reach that goal. When in fact, I was playing division one hockey on a full right scholarship, like that in itself is also incredible. So it's like enjoying where you're at and not always feeling like you have to like keep climbing that ladder necessarily. But you're always still working on your craft.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

I I love that you're mentioning it. It had nothing really to do with your physical ability, it was more like between the ears. It was like, what can I do to help me get over this little hump of getting to where I want to get to, and it has nothing to do with my because because you maybe on a side note, like everyone at that level is so good, right? Everyone's good. So it's like, what are you doing differently uh to separate yourself from the pack? And it sounds like it was really more your own mindset.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Yeah, absolutely. And I think, you know, then I started to play pro hockey for the Buffalo Buttes and for my hometown. And and that's when I got noticed by USA hockey by a scout and was invited to my first USA camp since I was 15. So I think I was probably 24 at the time. So almost nine years later, I finally got to like that USA camp. And then that's when I started making the roster. Um, but I think the biggest thing was that I just played my game the whole time and they wanted me for that. And I felt that what I brought, not a lot of other people brought uh in terms of on ice like physicality and intensity and passion and energy, and um, that's what I focused on, and that's what they ended up needing.

unknown 7:11

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

You know what I'll say too, Haley, and and for those of you who maybe haven't seen Haley play, uh, your role is so clear when I see you play. Do you know what I mean by that? And like that's that's one of the things I'm I'm talking kind of as a fan too here, but like that's one of the things that makes you a special player, is it's it's very clear what your role is, right? Um, and you've you've identified that and got in touch with that. The other thing about your answer that's really important, and uh Mike and I are gonna have to be old heads here for a minute, but we're at the point of our hockey life where we can reflect on really our entire playing time. Um, and what you said about being present is such a key for everyone. You know, I always tell young players, I want you to have the big dreams, you should totally have the big dreams, but the work for the dream takes place in the moment, like the right now, and you can't disassociate from that too much because you guys have all heard this. It's so cliche, it's over before you know it. It's it's super duper true, right? And it's like if I could go back and do one thing differently, I would have probably been even more present in certain moments than I was then. Because sometimes the the chase is more like you said, it's a lot of anxiety with that when it's like, man, you're doing I love these. I wasn't I'm a division one athlete on a full ride. Like, yeah, you gotta enjoy like that. You have to enjoy that. And um, you know, I think the fear sometimes is maybe I'll get cockier, maybe I'll get a big head if I do that. And I if you're doing it right, that that actually won't happen. You'll you'll probably increase, as you said, you'll increase your ability to perform, right? And understand where you're at. So I I have to say that because um for all the athletes listening, that is such a key to not just hockey but life in general. Um, you have the time that you have. So um want to move on, or did you have did you have any follow-up on that? Sorry, that was a that was a lot.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

I think that was that was it.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Okay, all right, we're moving on here. All right, Liv, eight years old, with uh with a much more mature question here than an eight-year-old. What are the top three things or skills Olympic coaches look for in players? Go.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

That's a good question. Liv's going for it, Haley. Liv's going for it.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

That is a great question. I think resilience has to be up there, I would say, and like adaptability in terms of um being able to play through tough situations, maybe situations you're not used to playing in, being able to adapt to those situations is huge. Um just being able to do anything for the team, like the selflessness aspect is also massive. Uh, when you're on the USA stage, it's like you're you're with the best of the best. And so you have to be willing to put your ego aside, I think, and uh do whatever is needed for the team as a whole. Um and oh man. I think also just hockey IQ for sure is up there. Um, I think that's something that's not necessarily uh as easy to teach necessarily, especially at that stage. And so I think they're definitely looking for players who know the game well.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Well, and and I'll say real quick for those of you listening, you'll notice Haley's answers was not really great wrist shot. You really need a good wrist shot to make this team. Uh, and Mike, you alluded to this earlier, it's between the ears, right? Uh, all three of those are between the ears things. It didn't it actually makes me have a quick question for you, Haley. Um when you are representing the United States of America, um, how much is there an expectation on the athlete to fully understand that you are representing the United States of America? Because we don't talk about that enough, right? That like, yeah, this is a top team, but there's a responsibility. Like, if you're not understanding that, I bet you don't make the team.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Absolutely. And you can kind of tell that, right? When a player is on that team and when they're grateful for the opportunity, when they're humble about it, when they realize the importance of representing the United States. Like you can feel that when they're playing and when they're practicing and just 24-7. Um, and I think if someone doesn't have that, it's pretty obvious in terms of uh the team cohesiveness and things like that.

SPEAKER_02 11:18

Yeah, that that identity is everything. Sorry, Mike, go ahead. I just that you made me think of that.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

No, no, you I mean it's it's it's an ongoing, you know, dilemma, right? That you you're trying to find all those pieces of a team. And it and sometimes it might not be a particular skill. You mentioned it a little bit about Haley, about her role and knowing that she has to play, you know, a certain way for this particular team and maybe on a different team, right? Haley, you had to play a different way. Like I'm sure your role in college was probably different than your role with Team USA, and it was probably different than your role with the you know, the midget triple A team. You know, yeah, exactly. And I think that's you know, all of us, you know, when we're teaching athletes, that uh that that to me is one of the harder parts about coaching is to is to is to relay the message and get the message across to athletes um that there are different roles on a team, and then you have to accept those roles.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

And they're all equally important, regardless of the role, they're all super uh important for that team success.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

Yeah, we we talked in a recent episode about this too, Mike, that you know it's okay to tell kids their roles and that but I tell coaches all the time, but everyone has to have a role. You can't just be like, these are the four scores, the rest of you figure it out. Like you can't you can't do that, right? Like everyone has a role, and and Haley, I love what you said there. And again, for those of you watch Haley play. Her role is it you don't need to watch her play long to understand her role. All right, she has a very clear role on these teams that she plays on.

SPEAKER_01 12:47

So go ahead, Mike. And you can't have five first-line centermen anyway, right? So somebody has to do something else, yeah. Um, so this this question is from Bennett, age 11, and I love this. Is what's the biggest thing that separates good players from great players?

SPEAKER_00 13:04

These questions are insane. This is incredible. Um, you what you asked for them. You asked them.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

They're gonna scroll these in the in the uh in the hallway during tryouts, I think. They're just gonna be like, listen, scroll these questions, listen to the answers. Bennett wants to know what's the biggest thing that's gonna separate all those good players that are out there from somebody you deem like, wow, that's a great player.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

I really go back to the mental side of things, and I also think just like that relentless work ethic, I think can get you really far as well.

SPEAKER_02 13:37

Haley, that's not a bad answer. Um, you're you're also very humble. You are a great player.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

You're also a great teammate, you're a great person, you're a great teacher. I mean, you're great at everything you do. I know, I know people in your position usually have a hard time taking those types of compliments, but it's true, right? And and again, what makes Haley great, Bendon, not that I'm answering for Haley, but what makes her great is that you do everything great. Like there's the the relentlessness, Haley for you is not limited to you on the ice, right? Now your your playing style is visibly relentless, but you're doing a podcast, you are relentless with wanting to be great at this podcast. You are relentless with everything that you do. I see the way that you uh you teach the the people in your community, you're relentless for them, right? So, you know, it's a great question. I again, your answer is right on point of it's just everything, right? It's it's being relentless with everything.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

So it's a funny, it's a funny answer too, because uh, you know, what Ben is asking, because I think the coaches that recognize great players know that those great players don't think they're great.

unknown 14:44

It's true.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Like the the fact that the great player is like, oh like have you ever heard like an interview of an early like Wayne Greske or like an early, like an early star in the game where they're like, yeah, you know, I'm uh my teammates are helping here, and like I don't know. You know, I think it's just like I think that's one of the qualities of being uh, you know, from a good to a great player is your great teammate. I think what Lee talked about, and and by the way, every pro athlete we've had on has always resonated to just be a great person. And you're and and you you exude the fact that you're a great player just by your work ethic and all the things you're doing. So I think if I'm Bennett, I watch some film, I watch a little team USA, and I say, wow, those are all great players, all those little pieces I can take and and do something, you know, with my career.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

Yeah, 100%, dude. And I uh you know the the analogy I always like to give, Mike, just to it's in the same family is like captain C. Um, I I will have young players say, Hey, how do I get the C? I want the C. And I'll say, if you need the C, you probably shouldn't have the C. Right? It's it's in the same vein of that. Like, captains don't need the C to be a captain, right? If you're a leader, just lead. You don't need a letter to lead. All right, it's an honor. Don't get me wrong, it's an honor, and I know there's a lot of fanfare around having a letter on your jersey, but uh most, if not all, the captains I've met at the pro level, they're not doing it for the C, right? There's they're just doing it because that's that's who they are as a person, and and often sometimes surprised. Um, Haley, I'm not gonna lie to you. That question was really hard. This next one's probably even harder. Okay, so it's and and this this is a really, really good question. Isabella wants to know what's the one habit you had to unlearn to get better? That's a great question.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Oh, thank you, Isabella. I think this is something I'm constantly learning, but I've been thinking about it. Luckily, you gave me a little uh preview for this question because I did need some time to think about it. That one was hard. Yeah, you can have that one. It's a really good question. And I kind of came to the conclusion for me, it was about learning that mistakes are okay and they're more than okay. They're actually what make you better. Um, and they're just opportunities to continue to grow and perfect your craft. Because like I remember just being so frustrated about making mistakes, and I'm watching an NHL game, and there's mistakes every single second in the game. Like that's the whole point of the game. Like you're just capitalizing on the other team's mistakes, and it's like a constant cycle of it, right? And so um we get really hard pressed and feel like we have to be perfect out there when in reality that's just not the game of hockey. That's not why we love the game. The game is a game, a game of mistakes, and it's okay to make them.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

You know, what's funny about that, Haley, what you just said is we we recently interviewed Pavel Barber. Okay. Oh, really? And we were joking that we should make an Instagram or YouTube channel of just the mistakes that happen in pro hockey. The funny part would be, as you just alluded to, there would be about 6,000 videos a day. Yeah. Um, and I think it's a great point that you're bringing up. Now, here's another kind of uh part to this question. I think it's important. Um, if you're comfortable answering it, right? When when did you realize this? And what did you do to unlearn it? Right? Because like you you've mentioned what it was that had to be unlearned, but I'm not, I'm I mean, I'll actually I'll ask, I don't know, was it a snap of the fingers? And it's like, okay, I've got that, or did this take time? You still working on it?

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Still working on it. I think probably didn't realize it was something I had ingrained in me until probably three or four years ago, if I'm being honest. I think I always saw it as just, oh, I just want to be perfect and not I never really saw it as like I was afraid of making mistakes. But that's what I've kind of realized in the last few years, is that's sometimes how I would end up playing, is just playing it safe and not just throwing the puck away or like not wanting to try to make a play, just do the safe play. And it's like that's not the fun way to play the game. It's more fun to like go try things, to go mess up a few times, to then create more chances and um for your team. So uh that's what I'm still continuing to learn because I definitely still get hard on myself sometimes when they're like when I do make a mistake and have to remind myself that it's okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

I I'm gonna pull the thread one more time. Sorry. That I'm I genuinely curious, Haley, about like what I'm gonna ask here. So these answers are fantastic, right? Um, it's kind of a two-parter. All right. One is that I think you've already alluded that this is something you wish you had a grip on much younger, right? Um, I know there are gonna be players out there that say, yeah, but that drive, that me being hard on myself is why I'm getting better so quickly. So I want to make sure we're like uh explaining here that you're able to still get the same outcome, even though you are not killing yourself mentally. I I I think it's so important, especially the younger players understand that is possible. There's this fear of like, well, if I don't beat myself up, I'm not gonna get better. I gotta tell you all, it's not true. All right, that's not true. So can you do you see what I'm trying to get to?

SPEAKER_00 19:58

I see exactly what you're saying. So you can still acknowledge that there was a mistake made, if you will, right? That there is an opportunity there that you can improve on without beating yourself up over it, without saying, I'm a terrible hockey player. It's like all about like that positive self-talk after that mistake is made, I think is the huge shift that you need to make because it's still identifying it, because that's how you learn from it, right? Is to identify it and then fix it and keep improving from there.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Um, it's not about ignoring. I love I love that. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

I think, I think, uh, you know, I think Bennett got really busy with the mailbag and she had another question here for us because she's right at 11 years old. I'm imagining uh these players, right, at 11, 12, 13 years old, are right at the they're right at the age of, oh my God, like people are watching me, and I can I notice when I make a mistake, and I notice when other people acknowledge my mistake. And it's hard. It's a hard time in growing up, like that 11 to 15 year old age group. And you know, you're not like an eight-year-old where you don't care and nobody notices, right? But now you're in a you're in the wheelhouse. And I think just based off of you know how you've reacted, uh, Haley, on on your evolution as a player, like how uh uh Bennett's question is how do you work on your mental game?

SPEAKER_00 21:17

I think you can also work on your mental game by helping your teammates as well. So like if you do see they make a mistake and they're maybe being hard on themselves, you can be there to support them. And then in doing that, you can kind of see how you can support yourself when you are making those same mistakes. Because in reality, everyone, everyone's making mistakes out there. It's not just people you're watching, you're making mistakes too, and it's all okay. And um, and that's also in being a good teammate and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Yeah, I used to I used to I laugh because you're you're too young for this. But for the parents that are listening to this with their kids, if you remember the old people magazine and they used to have a layout of like like celebrities, they're just like us. Like they shop and they brush their teeth. You know, and I think it's the same thing. Like, hey, pro pro athletes, they're just like us, they make mistakes, they reflect on things that happen great and and and things that that didn't go so well, but they also get to look down the bench and be like, oh, that's my teammate, my teammates hurting. And guess what? I am hurting in those situations too. But it's actually, you know, I love how you phrase that because I think sometimes it takes you not being the one making the mistake to recognize how you react to your own mistakes. Like because if you're in the moment, you're just emotional. But I think being able to be like, you're outside of that emotion, you're able to look at your teammates, like, hey, you could really handle it this way. And that was a great try, and we'd love to see you do that again. And then hopefully you sit back on the bench and go, now I gotta remind myself to do that too.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Right. Yeah, you know, Mike, I'm gonna add on to that because it's funny. I I feel like as coaches, and and because this does apply to you too. Um, there was a period of when I was coaching early on, so 20, 20 years ago, where there was a lot of uh, I'll say ego in I'm gonna teach you everything I know. I'm gonna I want to share everything. It's a good type of thing. Like I want to share what I know, but there wasn't too much return. Like I wasn't opening myself up to keep learning. It was all about, you know, there's an ego there. I want you to know how smart I am and how much I know. And Haley, what I love about your answer is that it's a shared. Two-way thing, right? And where I'm at now as a coach is I I still love learning. I'll learn from anybody. I'll learn from the kids. I'll learn from Haley. I'll learn from Mike. Um, it it's very much transaction now in the sense of I'll take anything you can teach me. And the the beautiful part of the game, Mike, we talked about this earlier today, is that the game's always evolving. So whatever I knew when I was playing, I will just say 30 years ago, is you know, prehistoric now. And it's like if I don't open my mind up to learn today's game, which is very different, I'm actually failing as a teacher too. So uh from a mental standpoint, Haley, I love that answer because the the pursuit of knowledge is a part of that mental game. And I think that the kids or anyone, this is not even limited to kids, anyone who's willing to open themselves up to learn and learn a lot and learn very quickly, you're going to have a massive advantage. And I imagine, Haley, again at the pro level, everyone's doing anything they can to learn. Like, like that's that's a whole nother episode right there. We don't talk about that enough. Trying to learn as much as you can, right? Because learning something new for you could be a game changer. So, anyway, I wanted to make sure we dive on that. Um, all right, the next four questions are about kind of the current state of women's hockey. These are some really great questions. Okay, so not not so much like just your pro experience, but where women's hockey is at today. So this next question comes from Claire, and she says, How do you think the PWHL has changed the future of women's hockey and attitudes towards it? Which is a great question because the PWHL really is the you know third-fourth uh uh women's league, we'll say that and and and obviously has taken off uh yeah, I think the league's growth has just been incredible, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 25:10

Just even from the first puck drop, season one, we had so many fans at all the games, like breaking so many records uh that have been up for so long. And I think it just showed how hungry the community was for women's hockey and more of it. And we're continuing to beat those numbers, like everywhere we go, we're doing the takeover games and like we're in these new markets. Like they were just in Dallas, Texas the other week, and they had 8,500 fans in Dallas, Texas. Like, that's huge. Like, I know you know, blower bowl was filled, they were loud there, they were excited. Um, so I just think it's just incredible what we've done. I think it's huge for the little boys and little girls to see that women can be in that space and that it's available to them. And they haven't known a life without that. And I think that's really cool. Like all of us have known that. Like we never had that space to look up to, and so now all these little girls can. And I think it's important for the little boys as well to see what girls can achieve.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

Yeah, I think I think Sophia is gonna is gonna sum that up a little bit. So her question was uh was there an aha, like this is it moment where you realize that women's hockey was was truly you know growing? I can that that you saw the moment like, oh, this is for real now. I mean, other than signing a contract, maybe. You know, what was your aha moment?

SPEAKER_02 26:28

Yeah, I can be specific on this one.

SPEAKER_00 26:32

Uh thank okay, sorry. Uh the honestly, one of the biggest pinching moments for me was the home opener for Ottawa season one. The fans, it was a sold-out game and they were all there for on ice warm-ups. Like so loud, cheering the whole time. I remember my hands were like, I was shaking during on ice warm-ups. Like, I've never been nervous for on-ice warmups. There was just something different about the energy and the rink and the like feeling of accomplishment. Like, we had gone two, three years of not playing in a real league to fight for this league. And then so to see it come to fruition and to see it received so well and so excited was just incredible, and no words can even describe it, honestly. And uh that was my aha moment for sure.

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Well, that's it's it is would that be fair to say that's a glass ceiling shattering in that moment for you?

SPEAKER_00 27:31

Like, absolutely, right?

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Yeah, and then and that now the question is like, well, how how much higher can we can we go? Right? I that that's pretty you gave me chills talking about that, Haley. That's really good. Um, you know, it these questions are perfectly rolling into one another. So Aubrey, who's 13, says it's a great question to follow up. Does it feel different stepping on the ice as a professional hockey player compared to being before being a pro? And I I think we just have to give a little uh context here. So before you became professional, you had played for Team USA, you'd also play Division I college. So I think there's actually three different Haleys in that question, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Yes, there definitely are. Um, it's you know, because I also was in the pro league uh before this pro league came to be, the NWHL, and I was with the Buffalo Buttes, and that was special in itself because it was my hometown. Uh however, if you were to compare what our pro standards were then to what we have now, it's not even like near the same level. Like they did their best, but truly now, uh the feeling of going on the ISIS professional athletes was immensely different.

SPEAKER_03 28:39

Right.

SPEAKER_00 28:39

Um, I think just with the infrastructure, the support of the league in itself and the community surrounding us was so much bigger. Um and I think just women's sports movement in general has gotten so much larger in the last few years. And so you can really feel that behind us a lot more, I think, than you did in I was with the Buttes in 2018. And I don't think you know women's sports were as popular as they are now.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Yeah, you know, I always like to say that it it's funny when you look at the progression because the NWHL had to exist for the PWHL to exist. Exactly. And before that, like women had to have a fair shake in women's division one and division three sports, and then before that, you know, 20 25 years ago, women had to be in the Olympics. Like I still think, I mean, it's I I think people forget that women's hockey Olympics started in 1998, right? It's it's like it actually hasn't been that long, yeah, right. So from from that year till now is amazing when you think about it. I guess you know amazing stuff. So another great answer there, Haley. So you're you're doing great with these questions. We need to do good.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Uh Haley, we have so this is crossing the blue line. I don't know if this is that must be a defenseman, I hope, but uh that's crossed the blue line.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

That's the name of the guy.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

But you know, Haley, can you just say, you know, you you as Haley Scramura, the Olympic, the Olympicing, the pro. Um, and also you have Haley the person, right? The good uh every player uh lives with that dual identity. I think, you know, we we uh even as hockey players, we talk about on the show all the time. Like, you can't just be a hockey player, you're a person and a player. And I think you know, that across the blue line has a good question here. Um, that the that the person behind the the titles, uh, to stay grounded and in control of your direction, like how do you do that? How do you keep that groundedness of being the athlete and also going home and saying, hey, listen, I'm big deal, you know, like I'm and and uh you know, and then and then you know kind of duality of of that relationship.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Great question. I think I tend to focus on things outside of hockey whenever I'm home. I try to do other things that I enjoy doing, spending time with family, puzzling. I'm currently doing one that's driving me crazy right now, but I do have fun with it. Um, you know, exploring the city. I'm in Montreal right now, so kind of exploring whenever I can explore. And I think all of that kind of helps you stay grounded because you realize there's so much more outside of hockey. Um, and reminding yourself of that that you're more than just a hockey player, because it's it can take up a lot of your identity because it's all I do. It's my job every single day. I'm playing hockey. And so um I don't lose sight of that either, but um also just remembering how grateful I am that this is my job and I get to do this for a living is incredible.

SPEAKER_01 31:33

Yeah, I think crossing the blow and had a follow-up question that I actually would have asked even if it wasn't the question they asked. Uh, but do you have a mental ritual that helps you clear away everyone else's version of who you are? Like, is there anything specific that you do to kind of separate your lives a little bit?

SPEAKER_00 31:51

I tend not to really think about what other people think about me if I did that. I think I'd be having a tough time kind of dealing with uh the intricacies of being a professional athlete. I really I I go internal and kind of see how I'm feeling, you know, about how I'm playing, about how I'm feeling outside of hockey and things like that. And I also turn to family and friends and uh go to them whenever I need support. Uh, but yeah, I I wouldn't say I worry about what other people are thinking, truly.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

And family and friends are always a good humbler anyway. So, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:27

You know, Haley, I'll I'll ask this one as a follow-up and then we're through the questions for this episode. Um, you know, we often talk about the alter ego when it comes to stepping on the ice. And one of the one of the this is a compliment I pay you. It's funny, is that you know, when we see you on this show, when I see you uh weekly, uh you're always smiling, so bright and just happy, and then I watch you play ice hockey. That that is a different Haley, okay? And what you know, what's funny is yesterday we were texting back and forth, and you know, we there's this team USA picture of you um where you're very intensely staring at the camera, and I'm like, that's hockey, that's hockey Haley. Like, I that's that's you as a hockey player, and you actually joke back, like, that's so intense, like like almost like it wasn't you, right? Um, but can you talk a minute about you know, you know, look, the alter ego is still you, don't don't get me wrong, but is it is it a uh a flip switch for you? Um I mean, like where you're at in your career, I know you can just turn it on now. Uh but but can you talk to me a little bit about that that metamorphosis of you know, probably happens when you step in the rink, right? But you go from being, we'll say podcast haley to to hockey haley, right? What what is that process like? Or or um, you know, is there a ritual with that, right?

SPEAKER_00 33:42

Funny enough, honestly, I stayed pretty chill off the ice as well. Like, I'm having fun, we're playing sewer ball. I don't know if you guys know that game with like soccer uh and like chatting in the locker room, things like that. I would say, to be honest, it really turns on for me. Maybe once like all my equipment is on and I'm in the locker room. Uh, and then like on the ice, my goal is to always like make contact as quickly as possible because that will help you like ease any nerves you might have, or it just gets you involved in the game kind of right away. And especially with my game, like I am a very physical player for those who don't know. Um, they should find out. I love, yeah, I love, I love battling. I love especially checking right now with the pro league, super fun. Um, but it's so important to make like that first contact, it just gets you in the game right away. And uh for me, it helps me get in that mentality as well, is like the they're not my friends on the other side. Like, I don't care who it is, you're gonna get hit if you have the puck kind of thing. Um, and that's my game, and that's how I get the energy going for my whole team as well. When you do make those hits, the whole bench gets excited, right? So uh just remembering those little things helps uh switch that little ultra ego Haley on the ice.

SPEAKER_02 34:53

Do you think on ice Haley would be a good podcaster?

SPEAKER_00 34:57

No, because I don't like to like I just well, I only think of it in terms of chirping other people. So I guess that's I I I would never be a chirper. I don't talk when I'm on the ice. I only like now you got a job to do.

SPEAKER_02 35:10

You know, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

Um but I'll chat on the bench. So I guess I could be like a bench podcaster, but as soon as I'm on the ice, no talking.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

Listen, listen, I'll I Mike and I will say this if you're podcasting on the bench, your career's not that much time enough. Don't don't talk, keep talking on the ice with your physicality. That's the way to do it. So, audience, I'm um you can see it. Like, I'm sure you want to hear about her as a pro now and what it's like to be a pro, but you're gonna have to wait for the second half of this mailbag episode, uh, which will be coming out soon. Uh, I want to say to the audience, uh, and hail, you can comment on this too, just tremendous questions. You know, sometimes we put these things out, and you you know, what's your favorite type of bubble gum? You don't know what you're gonna get, but every question we got is is really good. Um, so bravo to you, the audience, for doing this. We'll have to do it again in the future. I'll tell you what, if Mike and I went out there and said, hey, what questions do you have? They wouldn't be this good. All right. It, you know, it'd be like, why do you change the jerseys on your background? It wouldn't be anything good. So that's gonna do it for this edition of Our Girls Play Hockey. Uh Hilly, any any closing comments? Again, not our typical type of episode.

SPEAKER_00 36:13

No, that was just incredible. I loved all the questions. They were so in-depth and curious and excited, you could just feel it, right? And uh, we really appreciate you guys listening and just always feel free to ask questions. We'd love to answer.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Mike, any final thoughts?

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Now, if you're one of those girls listening right now, get in your journal, write down your questions. Every time you have a question come up, write it down there, and then you save it for the next one.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Yeah, we we gotta be careful. We still have to have guests on the show every once in a while. So all right, for Haley, for Mike, I'm Lee. This has been a great edition of Our Girls Play Hockey. Remember, if you do have questions, you can always email us directly, team at our kidsplayhockey.com, or use the uh link accompanying this episode in the show description. You can text us right to us, or wait for Haley to put another post out and just comment and message away. You guys have a great time. Have a great time playing hockey. We'll see you on the next episode. Take care. 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, at WhenHockeystops.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.