PWHL Star Taylor Heise on Leadership, Legacy & Giving Back

Lee MJ Elias [0:00 - 1:04]: Hello hockey friends and families around the world and welcome to a very special two part episode of our Kids Play Hockey. I'm Lee Elias and I'm joined by my co hosts Mike Bonelli and Haley Scamurra. And we are beyond excited to welcome one of the brightest stars in the game today. She's a standout from the University of Minnesota, a world champion with Team USA, the number one overall pick in the inaugural PWHL draft, a two time PWHL Walter cup champion and the 2024 playoff MVP amongst many other distinguished hockey awards. She's redefining what's possible on the ice and off. And we are going to be doing again a special two part episode that will take you through her youth hockey journey, her mindset as a pro, what it takes to represent your country on the biggest stage, and how today's players, especially young girls, can unlock their full potential. And ladies and gentlemen, please join us in welcoming the one, the only Taylor Heise to the show today. Taylor, welcome to our Kids Play Hockey. 

Taylor Heise [1:05 - 1:07]: Thank you. You killed that actually too. 

Lee MJ Elias [1:08 - 1:08]: Thank you. 

Hayley Scamurra [1:09 - 1:11]: He's always crushing the intros. 

Taylor Heise [1:11 - 1:12]: Oh my gosh. 

Lee MJ Elias [1:13 - 1:15]: Not having fun with the intro. We're doing something wrong. I'm just saying. 

Hayley Scamurra [1:15 - 1:34]: Yeah, true. So, Heise, we want to kind of hear about like how you started in hockey. You know, obviously you're like a household name in women's hockey now, but what was like, you know, know little young Taylor Heise, like out there as a hockey player and you know, we heard you maybe started a little bit late in the game and just wanted to kind of hear about your journey. 

Taylor Heise [1:35 - 3:36]: Yeah, I would definitely say my journey is a little bit different than a lot of the other young girls in Minnesota. I would have never known that because I didn't know hockey. I didn't know anything about it. Didn't know it was in the Olympics. God even knew there was a USA team. When I started, I just was like, oh, this is fun. Like, my parents kind of threw me into all the sports and then I was lucky. I lived in a town, Lake City. It's very small, 2,000, 3,000 people. And one of my buddies in elementary school, his dad played juniors, I think, and then just wanted to start a co ed league outside and ended up getting a flyer in my backpack in first grade and ended up being like, oh, here you go, mom and dad, can I try this? And as basketball players, they're like, I don't know, like it's always like basketball good, hockey bad. That's what my fiance Says always, all the time. And I'm like, no, flip the script, buddy. It's hockey good, basketball bad. But then ended up playing. Started when I was 8. Played co ed. Forced my brothers to play with me. I feel like usually in Minnesota, it's your older brothers play that drags you into it. I was kind of the opposite. I wanted them out there with me. And we just. It was like cattle doors. We would practice on Wednesday if the ice was good because it's outdoor, and then play on Sunday against Wabasha, who was literally down the road from us. And they would just send their kids in and it would just be five in, five out, no goalie, just like through the cattle doors open. The door close. Was super fun, though. And then I think a parent from Red Wing, which is a neighboring school, is where I went to high school, was like, you should probably, like, maybe have her play semi competitive. So I was, like I said, thought I was the best one out there. My mom was like, you were terrible. So bad. But the confidence was there. At least that happened. But yeah, so just ended up playing coed, like for two years and on and off. Played then U8s and Red Wing. I think I was like nine when I started that and ended up finding a passion for it. And my parents obviously let me do that as long as I was playing basketball still because they wanted me to make sure I could pick the right thing. And my dad was my basketball coach, so we'd go from hockey to basketball most days. And that's kind of how it worked. 

Lee MJ Elias [3:36 - 4:09]: Yeah. Boy, I really hope it works out, you know. You know, something. Something you said. That's actually, I'm going to tap on real quick, which is interesting is, you know, you just kind of started around 8. And it's funny how the. The early years, the dream is not, I'm going to be Taylor Hisy. Right. The dream is. Is, wow, I just love playing this game. Now, I do have to ask this before I get to my next question. Have you had the sit down with the parents about, you know, basketball? It's great. Basketball's great. But I think I did the right thing. Following the hockey. 

Taylor Heise [4:10 - 5:26]: I would say I had to have that conversation in six and seven. In seventh grade, it was either in seventh grade, you stay home and, you know, I play basketball. Continuing my dad as my coach, play varsity in Lake City probably at sixth or seventh grade, and then kind of go on and maybe be like, Caitlin Clark's like, second. You never know. Like, things could have happened and I would you still don't know to this day, but. And then that. Or then I would choose the harder route. Go to Red Wing for high school starting in sixth grade or seventh. I think it was sixth grade, seventh grade. And then end up playing varsity right away, and it was really scary. Didn't know a ton of people, and ended up choosing the hard route. Thank goodness I did, because it did pay off for me. But, yeah, it was like I had to have that sit down with my parents. We did the pros and cons. We had to call the superintendent because I had to open enroll there. And I think we looked at more than just hockey. Like, we looked at school districts and my parents. My mom's a teacher. My dad's an insurance agent. They know Lake City like the back of their hand. Both school districts are great, but I just kind of had to do what I thought was gonna help me in the long run. And thank goodness it worked out, because I remember those sleepless nights that I had it in seventh, sixth grade, where I'm like, man, if this doesn't work out and, like, something doesn't happen, like, I'm gonna look like a fool or like, I'm losing all my best friends for what? And then obviously, it ended up working out, but it was. It was a hard decision, for sure. 

Lee MJ Elias [5:26 - 5:26]: Yeah. 

Taylor Heise [5:26 - 5:26]: Well. 

Lee MJ Elias [5:26 - 6:17]: And it's got you here now with two PWH All Stars and two schmoes on a really popular podcast. So that's a good place to be, you know? Know, it's interesting what you're saying, Taylor, because, you know, especially on the girls side, these are some of the tough decisions that they have to go through. But in your game, I think one of the things that really sets you apart, you know, and got you to where he is, is your. Is your hockey sense, your hockey iq. And since the conversation started, I can't help but wonder if. If the basketball background actually played into that a little bit, because we talk about this all the time across the show, how hockey IQ across the board in youth hockey is not great. It's suffering. It's not quite there. We got a lot more kids playing checkers and chess. But what is a hockey sense mean to you? And how do you think it developed to the professional Olympic level that, you know, both you and Haley share? 

Taylor Heise [6:17 - 8:24]: Yeah, I think it was definitely a collaboration. I think it's a great way to describe, like, the difference between the two. One of the main reasons why I chose hockey over basketball is I felt more free and. And I'm type A I like to do what I want to do. Like, do I want to run five sets in a row like Mike and do all these. Like, we had five. Five things we would do, and the girls knew, like, 1, 2, 3, or 5. I put my hand up as a point guard. They knew exactly what we were doing. And I think with that, my dad gave me a lot of creativity to be like, okay, like, you run one, but you can kind of, like, run it the way you want to run it and then just find the girls when they're open. And I definitely think that that was one of the things that kind of. You look at someone like Haley or me that, you know, you're at this high level, but you're not. Just, like you said, checkers over chess. You're not just doing one thing. Hockey. You can't plan about what's going to happen. Like, absolutely cannot. It could be, you know, a defense goes down, and you got to go play defense, or, you know, this team's trapping, and you have to figure this out. I've always been very creative. I've been in the arts. When I was young, I always would submit something to the Art Fest in Lake City and do all this stuff. Like, it was the creative, like, side in me. And I love you and drawing and doing all this stuff now, but the creative side is definitely huge. And that leads into hockey sense. Like, hockey sense isn't, you know, always learned. Sometimes it's innate, and sometimes people don't fully understand what it means. And for me, it just means that you can see the next play before it comes. You can understand how so and so thinks. And sometimes it's like, iq. Sometimes it's a little bit of like, okay, she's cut back three times. This way, I'm gonna look for a play going in this direction. And for me, in my game, I really enjoy the plays over, you know, the goals. I want to make the play. I want to be a part of the. And I feel like when I do have the puck on my stick, good things happen. And in order to make that happen, you have to continue to have the puck on your stick. And for me, I didn't play on the best U8 team, the best U10 team, the best U12 teams. We were Bs, B teams. We weren't A teams. And my varsity team wasn't amazing either. Like, I had some really good players, but leading into my sophomore, junior, and senior season, there wasn't anyone that played college hockey with me. So I feel like the hockey sense and iq, it can be learned, but it's also mostly innate. And you can just sometimes just watch hockey. You can immediately see who has it, who doesn't. I think that's so great to hear. 

Hayley Scamurra [8:24 - 8:45]: About you playing in, like, B hockey. Like, the amount of people have asking me, like, oh, my gosh, like, should I go to AAA this year? Like, I can't believe I'm not AAA right now. And they're like, eight years old. I'm like, okay, like, let's relax a little bit. But it's, you know, there is that pressure to hit that level. So I think it's so great to hear, like, that's where you started all the way up till, what, college? Like, that's amazing. 

Taylor Heise [8:45 - 8:49]: Yeah. I didn't play in a good team until I played USA U18s. Like, wow. 

Lee MJ Elias [8:49 - 8:49]: Wow. 

Taylor Heise [8:49 - 9:11]: And I. I hate to say, like, I love all my people I've played with. Like, I think they would say the exact same thing. Like, we weren't the best. Like, as a U12 player, I played defense until I was 13, specifically because our team didn't have anyone that could stop them and then rush the ice and have the energy to keep going. I played in varsity. I would play a shift of defense, a shift of forward, and get off the ice. Like, that's the crazy sense to it. 

Lee MJ Elias [9:11 - 9:11]: I've. 

Taylor Heise [9:11 - 9:15]: I always said I've never been in better shape than I was when I was 15 years old. 

Lee MJ Elias [9:16 - 10:10]: I got to say it. We have to say it because, like, you're proven a point that we talk about all the time on the show. Taylor, a few things. One is that I love that you brought up the arts and that creativity is a muscle that needs to be flexed. Right. And I think a lot of times we forget that as parents, as coaches, that it's so important that the kids do other things aside from hockey to work that creative mind. Right. Whether that is literally playing chess or, like you said, drawing, writing, music, something creative to help flex that muscle. The other thing you just said is how you're playing different positions. You know, I have player meetings all the time, and I say, I. You should be learning what the other positions need to do to be successful, whether you're playing them or not. Because the hockey IQ comes from understanding what the other four people are doing and should be doing on the ice. And. And if you want to see the play ahead, you have to know that it's like, that's part of the recipe. So I would. I love that you brought that up. 

Taylor Heise [10:10 - 10:45]: It's crazy when you look into it. Like, there's just so much that goes on behind the scenes, and it's like playing multiple sports and doing all that. But I 100% agree with your point. Like, if you can understand how other people are supposed to work, that can help you. Because sometimes people are supposed to work a certain way, but work a different way. And it ends up working out all around. But, like, as a defense, when I started, I'm like, okay, I know exactly how what this forwards, like, plan is like. And then as a defense or the forward, now I look at defense and I'm like, okay, if they're crossing this way, like, I need to go this way. Like, I know that their processes, if they're a righty, that they want to go up the right side. So then I'm going to put take away the right side and go to the left. 

Lee MJ Elias [10:45 - 10:45]: Right. 

Taylor Heise [10:45 - 11:41]: And it's kind of that, like, being a player of the game, being a student of the game as well. Like, I always remember my parents, like, I didn't know one female hockey player when I started playing. Like, I didn't even really watch NHL because the Timberwolves were the only team that was on my tv, So I didn't even see that. I just only got to watch. Like, my dad would always say, watch the sets of this. Like, we're watching volleyball. Everyone works and does one thing, and that's kind of where Haley and I are at now. Like, you do one really good thing that could put you in a spot that someone else is not able to be in. So, like, if you're a center, for example, and you're like, okay, I'm on the outs, I want to make sure I can maybe play wing. Like, if you can play both, that's huge. If then you're a wing who can always get the puck out. Like, that's what I think also leads to sometimes the talk of, like, being too focused, the chess over checkers. Because kids think they have to be one thing and that's it. Because being instead of being a Swiss army knife, where you can do all these things and then narrow it down later in life, kind of how I think about it. 

Mike Bonelli [11:42 - 12:26]: Yeah. I mean, I think sticking with that theme that, you know, that hockey IQ and that hockey sense, I mean, we know you're an ambassador for Sensorina. It's one of our, our favorite, you know, groups to work with and title sponsor and the whole thing. But I think the, the, the. The way that materialized, really. Right. Is because a lot of kids didn't have the opportunity like you found the free ice, the, the open play, the multi sport athlete. Like so can you tell a little bit about as an ambassador to a, to a, you know, to a program that caters to building hockey IQ and giving kids reps without having to go find those reps. You know how that is changing the game a little bit too? 

Taylor Heise [12:28 - 14:18]: Yeah, it changes the game in a major way. And I would even say I had a pond outside my house and I would have my dad pass me pucks and we'd find those pucks in the summer. Usually it hurt the mower and he'd get mad at me, but yeah, so I think it's like I didn't always have that ice. I made really good connections with people. We would, you know, my dad would pass me pucks on Sunday mornings at like 6am before church because that's the only time the ice was open. I would maybe get to skate in the cities, but I'm an hour and a half away from the good hockey. So when you're an hour and a half away from the good hockey, I learned really fast. When you're up there for an hour, you do what you need to do for that hour and you get as much as you can out of it. Because it's a waste of time that I'm driving an hour and a half up and an hour and a half back. I'm doubling the amount of time that I am on the ice than I am in the car. And you look at Sense arena, if I had something like that when I was a kid, I would have like, I'm a nerd now for the game but I would have been like total nerd, like 10 out of 10 level. And sensorina has done amazing things for the game. And it's not only that hockey IQ sense, but it's the reps. Like you can get creative and you can think about it, but if you don't rep it out and you don't do a specific thing a specific amount of times, I know it's like perfection, like 10,000 hours. You're probably not going to, in a game in a very high stress situation going to do that. So in these drills specifically that Sensorina, you know, has and things that I do for my training program with them, it is a lot of like repetition but it's not like pass here, this, they're gonna turn around here, pass over there and then come back. It's very like, it's not always simple but it's doing the same thing five or Ten times so I can get it down and then I'll get mad if I don't do it well, so I do it again. And that's where you get the competitive factor as a kid that Sensorina has. They do things a specific way and you can make them harder or not as hard. Like just doing things a specific way is so important and Sensorina does a great job with that. So I enjoy working with them and they're great. They're something that, you know, just isn't out there and hasn't been out there. 

Lee MJ Elias [14:22 - 14:48]: I was going to say too, that the, the muscle memory that you alluded to within Sensorina is something that I really like about it. The other thing I really like about it, I talk about this once in a while is, you know, I was a skater. You jump into the goaltending side of it. Boy, do you get a different perspective when you're in there and you put it at the NHL level and you, you know, everybody jumps in like, I'll be fine. It's like, I'm not fine. I'm not. Okay. These things are coming too fast. But that gives you. That gives you a totally different perspective. 

Taylor Heise [14:50 - 15:22]: No, I would agree. I got to. On my last, I think when I was at Cents arena, we were in Toronto for NHL All Star weekend and they actually gave me like sticking gloves and whatever to, you know, have it and try it. And I was like, on a whole different planet. And I try to thoroughly like I shoot on goalies in the summer. It's something that, you know, I've given a lot of time to. And it's Devon, your goaltending. Our USA goaltending coach is a part of that as well. I've given them major props for helping me to be where I'm at. It's kind of the same thing with Sensorina. Like, I purposely go out and shoot on these goalies so I can understand more. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:22 - 15:22]: Right, right. 

Taylor Heise [15:22 - 15:37]: So I can think when I see their right foot in front of their left. I should shoot back the right way because they can't transfer their weight that way. Like, little things like that are all super fun where not everyone's doing it. And that's the claim to fame for me, is you don't have to do everything everyone else does. Pick what's right for you. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:37 - 15:37]: Yeah. 

Taylor Heise [15:37 - 15:41]: And that's kind of how I talk about things. And the goalie shooting, that's what's helped me. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:41 - 16:57]: Yeah, I was just gonna say I'm gonna, I'm gonna jump in. Haley, I know you Have a question too. I was going to say this, that one of the things that is kind of a hockey IQ thing as well. You know, I think with kids today, it's all about the big goal, like the top cheese the bar down, whatever you want to do. And I wish young players understood at the professional level, really just the high level shooting tactics are not. It's not always just put it into the net. I mean, you want that, you want that every time. But sometimes it's like you just said, hey, get it off the left knee, create that rebound or, you know, put it across the royal road, get them moving side to side. Scoring theory, if we're talking about it from a hockey IQ sense, obviously comes from experience skating, but it also comes from the experience of understanding what the goaltender is, is going to be doing in those moments again, whether it's Sensorina or just shooting. You know, you said before the show you were shooting on goalies today, the more reps you can get and understanding that you can't just blindly shoot the puck. Kids like, there's got to be thought. I always say that, like put some thought behind what you're doing, right? Build your skills and build some thought. Because it's never as simple as just A equals B in hockey. It's A. Could be any, any letter of the Alphabet could come after that in the sense of that. So I just. It's a great point. 

Taylor Heise [16:58 - 17:02]: I think a tough piece of advice that, you know, kids are giving her is like, get pucks on net. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:02 - 17:02]: Yeah. 

Taylor Heise [17:02 - 17:07]: Get pucks on that. Realistically, it makes sense. Like defense, get a puck through, get on net. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:07 - 17:08]: Yeah. 

Taylor Heise [17:08 - 17:32]: But as a forward, I occasionally will get yelled at for this is. I'm very picky with what I'm going to put on that. I'm not just going to float a saucer pass on net and hope for the best. I want it to either create something or I want it to create something for me. Like make the goalie uncomfortable. Maybe you get off, get them off angle and you shoot it. Understandable. But if you're just chucking it on net and it's just getting blocked to the side, the defense, it's a wide open breakout for the other team. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:32 - 17:33]: Turnover. 

Taylor Heise [17:33 - 17:51]: That's where I think kids, yeah, it's a turnover. And that's what kids are being taught is like, get pucks on net, get deep. Like all these things. Everyone does things a different way and you have to understand that and the kids have to. It's hard if you don't have a coach that's gonna give them like you, you know, do what you need to do. But here's what. Within reason of what I want, you. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:51 - 17:55]: Know, Taylor, what I like, what I tell my players. I did not mean to cut you off. I apologize. 

Taylor Heise [17:55 - 17:55]: No, you're good. 

Lee MJ Elias [17:55 - 18:51]: What I tell my players is two things. I said, if you're hoping, you're dying. I said, this is not a game built on hope. I said, the only time you want to be feeling hope is maybe when there's 10 seconds left and you've tried everything. That's usually the last chance you have, right? Yeah, but I said don't hope. And then the other thing I say is, look, live with your decisions, right? That's one of the biggest parts that separates, I think, great players from just okay players, is you're going to make a decision and you're going to live with that decision and you're going to learn from that decision or you're going to score or something good is going to happen. Right. But the hesitant player, which is a deeper psychological thing, you're not going to grow in that environment. You have to live with the decisions you're making. We always say it. NHL fans, there's a reason that NHL fans and PWL fans are shoot. Shoot the puck. You know, I say it's, we're not looking for just a shot. We're looking for the right shot or the right play. And that's again, that's the chess versus checkers match. I'll stop talking there, but I love what you said. 

Taylor Heise [18:52 - 18:52]: Thank you. 

Hayley Scamurra [18:53 - 19:15]: Yeah. Just wanted to talk about some of the stuff you do off the ice. I just love, like, the mentorship role that you play and I feel like you're just such a great role model for, like, young female hockey players. You're involved with the gift of the game with Duncan Keith, you're, you know, you had your first TH27 camp and so, you know, just kind of wanted to hear, like, what inspired you to start the camp and like, what did you kind of take away, like, working with these young players. 

Taylor Heise [19:16 - 22:18]: Yeah. That's an honor coming from you because you give back to the game more than almost anyone that I've ever seen. So I think what really started it for me is my parents. They're obviously. My mom's a teacher, she tutors, she does all the giving back and, you know, just watching her do what she does and seeing people just be so, you know, enthusiastically, like, excited to be around what she does, I think that kind of rubs off on me. She also Wants me to do all these things, and I. And as do I. But sometimes you need that reminder from your mom, like, get out there and give back. Like, I get so much. Sometimes it's like, too much, and I'm like, I got to give something back. Got to do something. And I think last year I had some really cool sponsorships I got to work with. But gift of the game is great. Like, I know, like, Haley and I, we don't have a ton of time to be out and, you know, giving lessons to a kid every single day, like, that's just not in the cards for us. It's not in the schedule. It doesn't work. I've done some private lessons with kids, and I really do enjoy it. I pick and choose. I usually meet the kid first and can really tell from the start if they're. They're really dedicated to what they're doing. But, like, my TH27 camp was awesome. I have always said I don't know if I want to be a coach in my future, but I do know that, you know, giving back to the game, that's part of the role. And I'm very type A. I like things a specific way, but in my coaching style, I can. I sometimes don't even come with a plan. I see kind of. I talk to them. I talk to the kids and say, you know, what did you see in your last game? Like, what did you want to work on? And then we'll do that, and then I can just come up with something on the spot. That's kind of the creativity piece that I've always had, and not everyone has that and is passionate about it, but the gift of the game, like, I can give that to kids. Like, kids can see what I'm trying to describe to them without me having to be there. Like, it's. It's a great aspect of things where I can, you know, put in all this work. We did a shoot. It was like, I think it was 12 hours, and we did all this work, and, you know, I was so excited for it, and I'm so excited to, like, share this with people who really want to be a part of the game. The way that, you know, I train, the way that I do things. So I think giving back is amazing, and it's proves to kids that, you know, we're actual people. We're touchable. Like, we're not the untouchable group of people who you can't talk to and you can't ask a question like that. At my camp, I Think one of the most important parts was the Q and A at the end because the kids were fully able to be themselves and ask the question where maybe they didn't want to ask it in front of everyone. They can come up to me and ask, like, that's super important to me because I was always the shy kid. As much as that probably seems weird to everyone because I could talk anyone's ear off. I could have not spoken a word for two years and just been completely fine. So it's nice to let these kids speak and understand everyone lives their life a different way. And I will always say that until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, you'll never get it. You don't always have to be who I am. You don't want to. Not everyone's going to want to base their game off of me. Sometimes you look at everyone down the board. I love when I see everyone in frost gear when we're at our games with so many different jerseys, because I'm like, you like that player for a specific reason. I always love to hear why. And it doesn't have to be me. I don't care if it's me. I just love that you love a specific women's hockey player enough to get a jersey and to be passionate about it. 

Lee MJ Elias [22:19 - 22:50]: You know, I love it. I'll say this, too, that that connection that you talked about with. With the younger audience is so important. And. And in some ways, it's harder to have that real connection today. I know we all have connections through social media, and, like, we're all out there more than ever before in terms of a public eye. But the. The sitting with someone and just talking and letting them ask a question, I really think we underestimate how far that goes. Now, Taylor, I do have to tell you, we were joking yesterday about how you're working with Duncan Keith. This talks about your stardom. 

Taylor Heise [22:50 - 22:50]: That. 

Lee MJ Elias [22:50 - 23:58]: That it was Taylor Hisy and Duncan Keith. And the. Duncan Keith was kind of the secondary name when we were talking about it. Which is. Which is. Which is like, that just shows you the. The path that we're on. It's. It's not a negative thing. Right? Duncan Keith has a very storied hockey career, but we love that. So for this next question, I'm gonna lead in with this. And so, Haley, it's gonna be one of those weird moments where I'm actually taking you out of your host role. I'm gonna put you into the guest role a little bit here. This question really could be for both of you. You both shared the ice with some of the greats, including Hillary Knight. And. And Hillary Knight has. Has been very vocal that this probably is going to be her last Olympics. I don't think it's the end of her hockey career or anything like that. But. But, you know, she has been the face of USA Hockey for a while, and. And this is going to kind of be her farewell tour. So I'd love to ask you both, you know, how do you see yourself stepping into that bigger leadership role with Team usa? And again, I mean this with respect. Hillary moving on leaves. You know, that role is now there. Right. And someone has to fill it. Right. So what is that like for both of you, you know, and Taylor, for you specifically. Right. Like, you're everywhere. Right. So. So how does this work? 

Taylor Heise [24:00 - 24:56]: Yeah, it's. It's definitely an honor to. You know, Haley and I have both been on teams with such amazing people to look up to. It's not a day and a time where we're at a camp like that where we don't know what we're doing because of Hillary, because of Kendall, because of Lee, because of. Literally, I could go on and on and on and on. It's the entire team. And for me, it's Haley, too. Like, I can always know what's right based on the fact and the way that they do things, and I've always grown up that way. I've always wanted to have a model of a role model like that that shows me exactly how it is. We're visual learners, like a lot of our group is, and it's nice to see people doing what you expect them to do. There's never a question on if she's going to be doing the right thing. It's. It's the if and the when of when the puck's going to go in the net. There's never the doubt. There's always the maybe of, like, okay, so and so can do this. I want to see it. Like, how do we get that out of them? That's kind of how we. We do things at the national level. And with Hillary leaving, like you said, it's not going to be the end of her career. I think she's put that out there many times. 

Lee MJ Elias [24:56 - 24:57]: I didn't get that. 

Taylor Heise [24:57 - 26:01]: USA Hockey. No. Yeah, USA Hockey, maybe. I just think wherever we're needed is where we want to be. Like, at an Olympic level. It's wherever I'm needed. I don't care where that is. I've always wanted to be on A team with the greats. And that's just how it's been. And I've been. It's an honor to be a part of whatever, whatever program, whatever place, whatever center spot, whatever wing spot, whatever it is, I don't care. I just want to be there, because that means you're a part of the best of the best. And like I said, wherever our coach wants us, like, that's just how it's gonna be. And I'm sure Haley will reiterate that till the day we die. Like, as much as you want it to be something else sometimes, and as much as you think, whoa, this is a spot I've never been in, how did this even happen? It's just the work and the honor and the confidence in yourself that you've been doing the things that have put you in the spot forever. And when something doesn't go right, it's just. It's gonna get there. It's not if, it's when. So to have everyone that you're surrounded with, especially me and, like, Haley at that level, but they're always the have confidence in you, and that's what helps me to be where I'm at. So wherever I'm needed, I will happily be there. 

Lee MJ Elias [26:02 - 26:04]: Hillary, I'd love your thoughts on that, too. 

Hayley Scamurra [26:05 - 26:34]: Oh, man. I mean, there's no stepping into, like, shoes like that, to be honest with you. Like, the amount of stuff that Hillary and Kendall have done for USA Hockey and women's hockey in general, like, just. It cannot be replicated or topped or just. It's. It's in so many ways that they've made our game the way it is today. Like, and the reason it has so many eyeballs on it and so many viewership. So, like, in that sense, like, no, I'm not gonna lead like a Kendall Coyne or, like, a Hillary Knight, but I can lead. Like me. 

Lee MJ Elias [26:34 - 26:34]: I love that. 

Hayley Scamurra [26:34 - 27:11]: And in doing that, it's like, I'm a very. Like, I'd like to say I'm very inclusive. I like to make sure everyone is feeling, like, comfortable and good in their own skin. It's more of, like, a one on one connection. I would say it's more how I lead than, like, big talking in front of the group. Like, I'm probably not saying something to the whole team, but, like, if I see someone who's maybe, like, having a hard time or, like, I'm able to kind of, like, notice that and make sure and, like, hype them up a little bit and be like, hey, you've got this, like everyone makes mistakes like this. It's no big deal. Like you're gonna make it when it counts. So I think that's my, the way I like to lead for sure. 

Lee MJ Elias [27:11 - 29:18]: Well, I want to say this. These are fantastic answers and just equating it back to youth hockey, you know, you know, we've been watching women's hockey now for, for 30 years, right? And whether, you know, Cammy Granado to, to the, to the Kendall's, to the Hillary Knights, great leaders that have all helped push this game forward. But the story must continue. And what I love about your answers and for the kids listening, parents listening, I just really hope you're taking this out of the answer. It's not once did they say, well, I need to be the top AAA tier one center, because if I'm not, what's the point? And I, I hear that a lot. I hear that a lot. Well, I didn't make this team. So what you're hearing here is I'm on the team and I'm going to support the team and wherever the team needs me is where I'm going to be. I think, and you two can tell me if I'm wrong, that that's, that's across the board on national teams. It's probably not limited to Team usa. That's probably not limited to, to just one high level team, right? That is a separator at the highest level. And kids, you got to start doing it now. I know there are tremendous politics in youth hockey. I bet there's tremendous politics in professional hockey and Olympic hockey too. But it rises to the top of who you are. You have to have the game. I think that's, I always say the talent's obvious. The talent's the part that everyone has. But are you a great team player? Can you get a question like I just asked and get that response or is the response going to be, well, I'm the next Hillary Knight, because nobody said that here. I'm, I love that they answer, gang. And again, both of your games do speak for themselves. I'll just say this. We had a lot of leaders on Team usa. It makes me, makes me pretty proud to be, I'll say, a fan of Team usa. All right, gang, if you're enjoying this episode, guess what? That was just part one. Part two is going to be airing in a couple days on Our Girls Play Hockey. Make sure to check it out then for more with Taylor Heise, but for the guests, that's it for today. We'll see you in the next episode of Our Kids Play Hockey.