🥅 What separates great hockey players and goalies from everyone else? According to former NHL goalie coach and current NCAA Division I goalie coach Steve Briere, it starts long before the puck drops—with preparation, confidence, repetition, and the ability to move on from mistakes. In this episode of The Ride…
🥅 What does an NHL goalie coach see that youth goalies, parents, and coaches often miss? According to longtime NHL goalie coach Steve Briere, the answer isn’t just better technique, more private lessons, or perfect positioning. It starts with focus. Athleticism. Joy. Compete. Ownership. And a genuine desire to stop…
🧠🏒 Scanning the ice is important—but seeing what’s around you is only the beginning. The real hockey IQ comes from understanding what those cues are telling you. On this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey IQ Talk with Albe, Lee Elias is joined by former NHL defenseman and NHL Sense…
🏒 See an amazing move in an NHL or PWHL game and immediately want to try it in your next game? Go for it—but not before you’ve put in the reps. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli talk directly to young hockey…
🏒 Raffle tickets. Chocolate bars. Coupon books. Car washes. Poinsettias. If you’ve spent enough time around youth hockey, chances are you’ve been asked to sell at least one of them. But does fundraising still have to work that way? On this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike…
🏒 What separates a good hockey player from a great one—and what can young players start doing right now to improve? In this special Q&A edition of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli put Hayley Scamurra in the hot seat with questions submitted by young players, parents,…
🥅 Your goalie isn’t playing alone—and keeping the puck out of the net is everyone’s responsibility. In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli speak directly to young hockey players about something every great teammate needs to understand: your goaltender is one of six…
🥅 What do goalie parents wish every skater parent understood? Apparently… a lot. When we asked that question on social media, we expected a handful of responses. Instead, more than 210 goalie parents jumped into the conversation—and their answers opened the door to a discussion every hockey family should hear.…
🏒 What does your player know before they ever touch the puck? That question is at the heart of hockey IQ — and in this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL defenseman Andrew “Albe” Alberts, who played more than…
🔥 What if conflict isn’t the problem in youth hockey… but avoiding it is? Whether it’s a disagreement over playing time, tension between teammates, a frustrated parent, or an uncomfortable conversation with a coach, conflict is inevitable in sports. But according to Bill Taylor, founder of Sports Conflict Lab and…
🏒 What do you do when a teammate won’t pass the puck, you disagree with your coach, or you and your parents aren’t seeing hockey the same way? Conflict is part of every hockey season. The question isn’t whether it will happen—it’s whether you’ll have the courage and communication skills…
🏒 What started as a simple “Day in the Life” became a front-row seat to hockey history. At the beginning of the season, Hayley Scamurra was facing uncertainty. She was balancing Team USA evaluation camps with a new chapter for the Montreal Victoire, competing for an Olympic roster spot while…
🥅 Want more energy on the ice? Start by looking at what you’re putting into your body. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano Burns talk directly to young hockey players about something that can make a real difference in how…
🏒 What’s for dinner when practice starts at 5:30, homework still needs to get done, and everyone is heading in a different direction? For hockey families, feeding everyone during the season can feel like another full-time job. Between practices, games, tournaments, school, work, and travel, the fast-food drive-thru can start…
🏒 What if your young hockey player could get individualized feedback, video analysis, coach collaboration, and a season-long development plan—all without adding another practice to the calendar? In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias sits down with longtime coach and player-development expert Mike Bonelli to introduce…
🏒 Dreaming about playing college hockey someday? The work doesn’t start when recruiting begins—it starts with the habits you’re building right now. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Kiersten Sires, creator of 2aDays, to help young hockey players…
🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them? For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another…
🏒 What does it really mean to “grow the game” of hockey? Is it getting more kids to pick up a stick? Building more elite teams? Selling out professional arenas? Or is the real work making sure that once a young player discovers hockey, they feel like they belong enough…
🏒 Made a bad play? Had a rough shift? Feeling nervous, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel has a message for you: those emotions don’t have to control what happens next. On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined…
🏒 What happens when a player’s belief is strong enough to take him all the way to the NHL—but his identity becomes so tied to hockey that he has to rediscover who he is when the game ends? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for…
🏒 What does an NHL scout really notice—and are youth hockey families focusing on the wrong things? Former NHL player, development coach, and current Anaheim Ducks scout Patrick Rissmiller joins Lee, Christie, and Mike for an honest conversation about how hockey players actually develop. Patrick’s path was anything but automatic.…
🏒 What happens when the game you’ve built your identity around is suddenly taken away? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Doug Smith, former NHL forward, 1981 second-overall draft pick, Ottawa 67s standout, Bobby Smith Award winner, and one of the…
🏒 Your child may know what happened during a shift—but do they understand why it happened? Goals, assists, wins, and losses are easy to see. But the small decisions that build hockey IQ, earn a coach’s trust, and help a player advance rarely appear on the score sheet. In this…
🏒 What makes a youth hockey tryout feel fair—and what causes the entire process to break down? Tryouts can be one of the most emotional parts of the hockey season. Players are nervous, parents are analyzing every drill, coaches are trying to build balanced teams, and organizations are under pressure…