What it is, why it exists, and how it’s about to change the path.

Scott and Jamie welcome back Bob Mancini, Assistant Executive Director of Hockey Development at USA Hockey, for a rare, detailed breakdown of the USA Hockey Development League straight from one of the people building it.

Bob explains why the league was created, what problems it’s designed to fix, and why it’s not a replacement for Tier 1, high school, prep school, or juniors - but a reorganization of the development path. He walks through the thinking behind the 15U and 17U age groups, strict development standards, game limits, coach education requirements, and why the goal isn’t to rush players forward, but to put them in environments where they can actually excel.

In this episode:

• What the Development League really is (and what it isn’t)
• The logic behind 15U & 17U, entry and exit points, and “overripe” development
• Mandatory rules: game limits, one game per day, goalie coaches, education, and mental training
• How the DL is designed to strengthen every pathway, not replace them

This is one of the clearest looks you’ll get at the future of elite youth hockey in the U.S.  If you’ve heard rumors, half-truths, or hot takes - this episode sets the record straight.

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How intentional reps, decision-making, and efficiency drive real improvement.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Ryan Murphy, Skills Coach for the New Jersey Devils, to break down how development actually works at the NHL level.

Ryan walks through his path from New Jersey youth hockey to prep school, the U.S. National Team, Boston College, pro hockey, and now working daily with NHL players. His message is simple and consistent: when time is limited, every rep has to matter.

In this episode:

• Why NHL practices are short and highly intentional
• What parents should look for in a skills coach or program
• Why confidence and hockey IQ separate players long before speed

This episode pulls the curtain back on how the best players train and why doing less, better, is often the real edge.

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Why doing less - more often - actually works

Scott and Jamie sit down with Coach Kevin, founder of hockeytraining.com, for a much-needed reset on youth hockey training. Kevin shares his own winding path getting cut late from AAA, stepping away to play football, finally breaking through at 20  and how those experiences shaped his no-nonsense approach to development.

The conversation centers on one simple idea: most kids don’t need more sessions, more teams, or more chaos...they need consistent, manageable work they’ll actually stick with.

In this episode:

- Why 10 minutes a day of stickhandling beats marathon workouts
- The hidden downside of too much ice and too little free play
- How training should change as kids get older without burning them out
- Why road hockey, off-ice work, and lower-commitment programs still matter

Simple, practical, and refreshingly realistic - this episode gives parents a better plan than just adding another skate.

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Why building it from the rink up is the reason this thing worked.

Scott and Jamie sit down for a reflective, end-of-season check-in after nine months of Crazy Hockey Dads - a podcast that started as two dads venting and turned into a global conversation with hockey parents in 38 countries. From forgotten skates and waxed-lace debates to the lessons pulled from guests and listener stories, this episode is about how the pod (and the community around it) grew by keeping things real.

In this episode:

• What surprised them most after nine months of recording
• The moments, guests, and stories that resonated with hockey parents
• Why honesty, humor, and saying the quiet part out loud actually worked

Grounded, grateful, and forward-looking - this episode is a pause to appreciate what’s been built and a reminder that the best stuff still comes straight from the rink.

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Why rushing hockey is the fastest way to get it wrong.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Sadie Lundquist - Minnesota-grown, former college and pro player, and now Deputy Director of College Hockey, Inc. - to talk about what development looks like when you don’t rush it. From growing up in Cloquet and playing with her brothers to choosing fit over flash in college, Sadie brings lived experience and real data to a conversation full of unnecessary panic.

In this episode:

• Growing up in Minnesota’s community model without early pressure or rankings
• Choosing Bemidji State to build something instead of chasing prestige
• How playing with boys, staying multi-sport, and avoiding comparison builds confidence

Grounded, honest, and calming in the best way - this episode is a reset for any parent wondering if their kid is “behind.”

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Why the kids who struggle early often last the longest.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Jeff LoVecchio -  former D1 and pro player, longtime Hockey Think Tank co-host, and founder of GMBM: Give More Be More to unpack a hockey journey built on getting cut, staying patient and learning how to own your development.

Jeff walks through growing up in St. Louis with grounded parents who refused to fight his battles, getting cut from teams, playing one or two shifts a game his first year of AAA, and being forced to look in the mirror instead of blaming coaches. He explains how those moments, not early dominance, shaped his confidence, work ethic, and long-term success.

The conversation dives into what Jeff sees now after 18 years training thousands of players: why parents rush too early, how over-scheduling hurts development, why competition and discomfort matter, and how mentorship, not micromanagement, changes outcomes.

In this episode:

• Getting cut and why it was the best thing that happened to him
• Parents who didn’t call coaches and why that mattered
• The danger of trying to build the “best 10-year-old”
• What real development actually looks like over time

It’s an honest reminder for hockey parents everywhere: the path isn’t clean, progress isn’t linear, and the kids who learn to struggle early are often the ones still standing at the end.

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How a COVID accident became the biggest vibes-driven hockey brand in the game.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Jonny and Austin, two of the original Hockey Guys, to break down how a group of college teammates stuck in online classes accidentally built a brand that now partners with more than half the NHL.

They walk through the real story: Ontario and Manitoba childhoods, leaving home early, billet adventures, injuries, and the mental grind that shaped them long before TikTok. Then they explain why their content works, why fans who never played hockey connect with them, and how “just being the boys” ended up doing more to grow the game than any marketing campaign.

In this episode:

• The COVID dorm-room moment that launched a media brand
• Why the NHL hands them the keys to so many events
• The real junior hockey path: billets, pressure, setbacks, and family support
• Ontario vs. Manitoba: two childhoods, same love for the game

It’s funny, honest, and unexpectedly insightful...the story of how guys who just wanted to play hockey ended up changing how it’s shared with the world.

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From Queens to the NHL - and why most of youth hockey is overthinking it.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Angelo Serse - ProStride Elite founder, New Jersey Devils skating coach, U14 Youth Devils national champion, and Ozone Park kid who nearly quit hockey on Day 1.

Angelo shares his unique path: immigrant parents staring at a $2,500 AAA bill, his mom driving to Plattsburgh in snowstorms because he loved the game, and a late-blooming college opportunity that didn’t hit until his senior year. From there, he breaks down what families misunderstand about skating, development, and the “race” they think they’re in.

In this episode:

• Why mite kids quit when they can’t skate and how games like tag and Superman dives keep them hooked
• Sweden & Finland’s model: three sports, one club, no team-hopping
• Figure skating vs. hockey and why the mechanics don’t translate

Concise, sharp, and myth-busting, this is the skating conversation every hockey family needs before spending another dollar.

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Scott and Jamie sit down with Vinny Malts - founder of Bloodline Hockey, longtime pro, and the first mental-performance coach ever hired by the NHL to dig into the side of development nobody sees but every kid feels.

Vinny walks through his wild rise from Philadelphia street hockey, to being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, to a career-altering ankle injury that eventually pushed him toward mindset work. He also opens up about the depression he battled every postseason, the nervous-system science parents overlook, and why so many young players fall apart long before they fall behind.

In this episode:
• How Philly street hockey built elite small-area skill without a single lesson
• Why nervous-system overload, not attitude, destroys confidence
• The truth about comparison, early bloomers, and “falling behind”
• How parents unintentionally model the wrong behaviors
• Tools every family can use to handle pressure without killing joy

It’s part therapy session, part player-development masterclass and the perspective every hockey parent needs before their next car ride home.

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Surviving one of the wildest hockey paths you’ll ever hear.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Alex Kim - former pro, Colorado College standout, and now Director of the Jr. Ducks to unpack a hockey journey unlike anything in the sport.

Alex walks through growing up in non-hockey Southern California under a tiger-mom who preferred harpsichord, abacus, and speed-reading over slapshots, negotiating just to play the sport, and leaving home at 15 for the Soo - where culture shock, racism, and sheer grit shaped everything that came next.

He also shares the twists that defined his career: turning down Ivy League offers, transferring colleges, and playing professionally in Europe and Korea. It’s a raw look at development, identity, sacrifice, and how much parents shape the journey without even realizing it.

In this episode:

• Growing up outside the traditional hockey pipeline
• Facing cultural and racial adversity in Michigan
• Billet challenges and the mental toll of leaving home early
• Why parents chase the wrong milestones
• The “hockey as a vehicle” philosophy

If you want perspective, humility, and a real look at what development actually requires… Alex delivers.

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