Breaking the Ice

Sara Gretzky, wife to Ty Gretzky + daughter in-law of Wayne Gretzky, joins us on Breaking the Ice today! I can't think of a better way to mark FIFTY episodes of the podcast than with this girl. She is absolutely hilarious.

Her name is very recognizable within our hockey community, however, I wanted to have Sara on the podcast because I have followed her for awhile and feel like she is someone who we would just be friends with.

Brittany and I talk with her about all the things including pop-culture + entertainment, her miscarriage, astrology, her pregnancy (she is due in two weeks!) and so much more. We finish + start the episode with a game. This is definitely an episode where you'll feel like you are sitting down with your girlfriends. Enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram: 

Follow Sara on Instagram: 

Follow the NetChicks on Instagram: 

GET 10% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH OF BETTER HELP:

Emma Winnitoy, girlfriend of Mitchell Stephens, who plays for the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL, joins Brittany and I on the podcast today. Emma and Brittany go all the way back to to when they were kids because their brothers played hockey together. Being from the same city, they would occasionally chat but it became full circle when their significant others both signed in Tampa Bay and they won a Stanley Cup together.

In this episode, we hear about how Emma + Mitchell met, long distance + the NHL bubble and their day with the Stanley Cup. However, the underlying theme was....friendships. One of our favorite topics to discuss. We have all experienced "being the new kid" and talk about how it has shaped how we approach newcomers now. Emma is such a sweetheart and the ideal friend you want in this hockey world. This is one of my fav epis, so enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/breakingtheice 

www.instagram.com/emmawinnitoy

www.instagram.com/britttanyenglish

Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp:

www.betterhelp.com/breakingtheice 

LADIES! I am so excited to introduce to you my co-host, Brittany Wedgewood! Brittany and I will have about 5 episodes together and it will be so fun to have her with me + each guest.

In the episode today, Brit and I catch up about what has been going on her life the last few months which is A LOT! Her and Scott recently brought home another Bernedoodle, they bought a house and they are planning their official wedding for next summer.

I know you will love this girl as much as I do! Hope you enjoy this episode. 

Travel Anxiety is a bi!ch. I will be the first to admit I am not a delight to travel with and my travel anxiety gets the best of me basically every single time. It takes me at least a week to decompress from the stress and anxiety when moving for the hockey season.

I am always evaluating and looking for ways to improve myself, which results in a lot of self-reflection. I took a bit of a deeper dive into WHY these feelings arise for me every time I travel and came to the conclusion, that it isn't always the travel itself, but the overwhelming feeling of moving, packing, to-do list, getting the necessities AND THEN the travel on top of it. Add in the kids and dogs and we are done for.

I identify my four triggers when traveling and look into ways I can learn to cope with these triggers because let me tell you, I am not an expert in coping with this anxiety. I also read off some of your triggers, which are the most relatable AF thing I've ever read.

Enjoy this episode!

Follow me on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/breakingtheicepod

Personal IG:

www.instagram.com/devyndodero

Thank you to Better Help for sponsoring this episode of Breaking the Ice. Take 10% off your first month of Better Help:

www.betterhelp.com/breakingtheicepod  

Dakota Cameron, wife of Brett Cameron, who plays in Kassel Germany in the del2, joins me for an episode today! If you aren't a mom, don't let the episode title deter you! We chat about SO much more than the #momlife but it was definitely the focus of our episode.

We chat about the off-season, what life was like last year overseas during the pandemic and how it affects our mindsets going into next hockey season, leaving clothes + items over in Europe during the off-season, and of course mom life.

We each share a bit about postpartum and how at the time neither of us really felt like we had postpartum depression or anxiety but looking back we both felt we did. We share some of the symptoms we experienced with this. We talk about how during postpartum, you can experience signs of resentment at times because the guys get to leave and go to practice each day and have a less extreme life change. This is a great episode and I felt like I was catching up with an old friend!

Follow Dakota on Instagram:

Follow her kids clothing boutique!

Follow me on Instagram!

Autumn Dettmann, wife of Kevin Schmidt, is a pediatric sleep consultant who has been obsessed with sleep since her first daughter was born. After struggling with my son's sleep, I knew I needed some support so I hired Autumn to help our family navigate this.

In this episode, we talk about baby jet lag, sleepy cues, following the 80/20 rule and so much more! As moms, there is a lot of judgment that goes around how your baby sleeps and how your baby eats. This podcast is a judgement free zone and this episode is an informative episode about several topics within the sleep realm and I also chat about our experience with our son's sleep. In no way shape or form is the episode sending the message that you should or should not sleep train! Every family should always choose what feels right and aligns with them.

Autumn is very knowledgable and was very supportive to me throughout working together. Make sure to give her a follow and check out her website!

Follow me on Instagram:

Check out Autumn's Website!

Follow her on Instagram! 

Get 10% off your first month of BetterHelp:

MIXHERS:

Get 10% off any mixhers product

Sarah Whitmore, wife of Derek Whitmore, joins me for a new episode today. Sarah's husband, Derek, had played the majority of is North American career in the AHL + ECHL and also several years in Europe.

In this episode, Sarah is open, honest and real about how she knew the hockey life was no longer for her and her family. At the time, she was unhappy and wanted to have a purpose and to feel that she was contributing in some way. She had conversations with her husband about this, which caused tension at times in their relationship.

They wound up retiring before the upcoming season and she shares how that affected her mental health and the overall wellbeing of their family.

Whether you're going through this, have gone through this or may experience this feeling one day, this is an important episode to listen to. Sarah wants other people to find comfort that it is okay if this hockey life isn't for you either. I truly enjoyed hearing her story!

Follow me on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/breakingtheicepod

Follow Sarah on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/swhitmore15

Get 10% off your first month of better help!

www.betterhelp.com/breakingtheicepod 

SURPRISE! The podcast is officially back every Wednesday.

Today, I have two very special guests joining me, Karly and Wade Macleod. Karly and Wade are some of the nicest people ever and their bond and love for each other is so strong.

While Karly and Wade have been in this professional hockey world, Wade has suffered four reoccurring brain tumors, with the last one resulting in radiation and chemo. The first tumor was discovered after Wade hit his head in a hockey game and had a seizure on the ice. Their world was forever changed.

Throughout their journey, Karly and Wade have had two children together and Wade has currently received several hockey offers for the upcoming season, continuing his dream of playing professional hockey. They will be heading to England for the upcoming hockey season.

Make sure to check out their new podcast "A Living Breakthrough" on Podbean and Spotify

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6tnaTEoALlCkKrlzQbbOZr?si=_Ntnd1UwQZWuCFFjNy_5Vg&dl_branch=1&nd=1

Read more here:

https://news.northeastern.edu/2020/02/24/cancer-interrupted-his-hockey-career-now-hes-back-on-the-ice/

This Episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Better Help has come up several times by my guests and is a 100% virtual counseling service. Living these lives we do can be very lonely and I truly believe talking to a therapist can make a huge difference in the experience of this lifestyle.

Get 10% off your first month betterhelp.com/breakingtheice 

Follow me on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/breakingtheicepod

Follow my guests on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/karly.macleod

www.instagram.com/wademacleod

Sandra Szczechura, wife of Paul Szczechura, joins me on the podcast and shares about her fertility journey, including IVF. She has had 2 IUIs, (2 of which were overseas), 1 miscarriage, 1 successful pregnancy and has one last embryo frozen for their final attempt for a second baby. 

Sandra was so open to sharing her journey, in hopes to help someone in our community who needs the support. I learned so much in this episode, including how to support someone who is going through this. She is so encouraging, optimistic and understanding. I hope that this is just the beginning of normalizing this conversation! 

Helpful Links:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/breakingtheicepod 

Thrive Market is an online membership-based market on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. Enjoy this exclusive offer for our community. I love that you can choose your membership term. For me, I went with the 12 month membership because it comes down to $5 per month. But you can also give it a try for a shorter period of time! https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-100386896-14461350 

Modern Fertility At Home Hormone test is the most comprehensive fertility hormone test you can take at home. The test and online experience include physician-reviewed, personalized reports, access to a weekly "egginars," a free 1:1 consultation with a fertility nurse, and an invitation to a real-talk community for people with ovaries to share their stories and get support. Here is a link to get an exclusive discount if you are interested! http://modernfertility.me/breakingtheicepod

Here are some facts that are good to know: 

• 1 in 6 couples struggle with infertility

Danielle Nowick, wife of Darren Nowick who plays for Skelleftea AIK in the SHL, joins me on the podcast today. We recorded this podcast in person and hit it off immediately. Danielle shares the hilarious story of how she met her husband and how he noticed her, finally, after she got her braces off.

Danielle shares what her experience has been like in this hockey world. From meeting in high school, to venturing to college together, from finding out she's pregnant to doing long distance overseas....they have been through it all and more! Now with a toddler and new one on the way middle of May, her husband's playoff run could potentially end the day before her due date (And yes, he is still in Sweden...) I mean this couldn't sound anymore like "I am married to a hockey player" if we tried! We had such a fun time together.

RESOURCES:

Use the code "BREAKINGTHEICE" for 25% off Oliva Swim

www.olivaswimwear.com 

www.instagram.com/olivaswim 

www.instagram.com/breakingtheicepod