Beginner's Puck - A podcast for hockey fans new and old

Are our favorite teams still saddled with Problematic Players? You bet. Are we tired of these things keeping us from the game we love? One Hundred Percent!

In this episode we work our way through and beyond the messiness and get back to the joy of the sport. We catch up on our teams, make a (very) small case for Torts being the right coach for Philly and how World Juniors hit a bit different in Canada this year. We give props to Boston for their “man, we really screwed up and we have a plan to fix that” after the Mitchell Miller Debacle. (And yes, our fingers are crossed it’s not just performative.)

In short, hockey is still a beautiful game and we miss talking about it so here’s how we’re going to do it…by finding our hockey joy wherever we can. We hope you join us!

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at [email protected] and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

NHL Accountability and World Juniors

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

As a special treat for Incomparable membership month, Deb and Erika bring you a taste of the fun members get — by sharing their very first members-only special from 2017!

Deb and Erika are joined by Lisa Schmeiser as they discuss “Goon”, the 2011 sports comedy about bros, fighting, and what it means to be part of a team. Loosely based on the life of enforcer Doug Smith, the Beginner’s Puck crew breaks down the hockey stereotypes, hockey truths, and how this bro-iest of bro movies is weirdly enlightened.

Movie Review - Goon

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish with Lisa Schmeiser.

We’re back! Kinda? Sorta? It’s been a while because, honestly, this year has been ROUGH. What happens when the thing you love doesn’t love you back? Deb and Erika talk about the heartache of hockey, and we don’t mean the stuff that happens on the ice. But like any heartache, you grow and move on, a little tougher, a little wiser, and a whole lot sassier.

We can’t wait to see you next season!

How the NHL Broke Our Hearts

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

It’s all happening now. Teams are shaking it up and shaking it down, skates are on ice, and we’re weeks away from the official start of the 2021-2022 season. Deb and Erika work through our varying degrees of excitement both at what’s happened over a very active summer and what we’re (sorta) looking forward to this season. Of course we’ll all be going in empty handed thanks to the new NHL bag policy but hey…it’s like they say: Hockey is for Everyone…Who Has Pockets.

In this episode’s “What the Puck” we discuss the NHL COVID policy and how that could affect teams with unvaccinated players. Finally, Erika announces a project that will help newbie fans work through our back catalog.

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at [email protected] and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

Catching Up & COVID (Attendance) Protocols

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning Deb and Erika are taking advantage of circumstances and letting it roll. In our case, dropping an unplanned and unscripted podcast to celebrate the official kick off of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sorta.

This ep is all about conflict: ours, Tom Wilson’s, John Tortorella’s…. But we also touch on good social media, anticipated battles, the upcoming expansion draft and our excitement of watching the Kraken in their new arena in 2022. We believe.

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at [email protected] and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

Stanley Cup

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

Carolina Hurricanes bringing that southern charm to the playoffs

Hockey, yay? Deb and Erika end their long hiatus to discuss the current state of the NHL including COVID COVID everywhere, trades that make you go “yoinks!”, outdoor games, and Crosby’s big 1000. There may also be a little bit of Tony D’Angelo schadenfreude. I mean, c’mon, we’re only human!

In this ep’s “What the Puck?” we delve into the who, what and why’s of The Taxi Squad and, finally, Deb ties it all up in a neat hockey tidbit bow by remembering the 2008 Winter Classic

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at [email protected] and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

COVID Hockey

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

CapFriendly (bless their socks) breaks down The Taxi Squad so you don’t have to

So far, so good, right? The bubble appears to be holding, but but that doesn’t mean it’s all champagne and roses, especially if you’re a Bruins fan. Deb and Erika talk about today’s biggest story (Tukka Rask), last week’s biggest story (that 6+ hour game), and the final slotting of the draft lottery. (Remember that?)

We also touch on the sassiness of the Jumbotron operators; the heroes and villains of the playoffs; and, of course, The Refs (See also: heroes and villains).

In this episode’s “What the Puck” we are all about the checks: body, hip and cross as well as a few that were new to us.

And, finally, Erika has been sprinkling the internet with her hockey tidbits over at @HollyGoGarkly on Twitter.

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at [email protected] and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

Tukka Rask leaves bubble and crosschecking

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

So much has happened since we last chatted in May: there’s Kraken and bubbles and some shady Byng-ing going on. Deb and Erika reach waaaaay back and talks about the Draft Lottery, how the US couldn’t keep their #%@^ masks on and lost a hub, as well as the NHL awards that will be awarded who knows when. What even in time?! throws hands

Erika gives us some perspective on what we can expect in a hub city given that she, you know, lives in one. We also talk about our conflict over how excited we are that hockey is back and just how stupid it is that hockey is back. Look, we are complex people and can hold multiple, simultaneous opinions, okay?

Finally, in our delightful little hockey tidbit, Deb introduces you all to Gritty’s 1/4 hour of power. It’s good, clean, dumb fun and who doesn’t need that?

Have a hockey question, comment or observation? Hit us up on Twitter @Beginnerspuck or drop us an email at [email protected].

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

The NHL has risen from the ashes and so has Beginner’s Puck! Join Deb and Erika as we decipher Garry Bettman’s presser, figure out who is going where and why and, more importantly, discuss whether they should. I mean, let’s face it, everyone out there is sporting masks and practising responsible social/physical distancing, right? Right?!

We throw our segments out the window as work through our conflicting emotions of joy, trepidation, and despair at hockey culture’s “warrior” mentality. It’s a rollercoaster, kids.

NHL’s Return to Play Plan: https://media.nhl.com/public/news/13995

NHL's Return to Play Plan

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish.

It’s another special Beginner’s Puck/Hockey Feels crossover Carcast — this time with a special guest who is relatively new to hockey fandom, Chip Sudderth! When you attend a Doctor Who convention in Los Angeles, what better way to start the weekend than by braving rush-hour traffic and trekking to Anaheim to check out the Flames vs the Ducks at the Honda Center? (Turns out there may be lots of better ways…)

Anaheim, California Carcast

Hosts Erika Ensign and Deborah Stanish with Steven Schapansky, Rachel Donner, and Chip Sudderth.