Our Kids Play Hockey

By Our Kids Play Hockey

Our Kids Play Hockey is a podcast that focuses on youth hockey, offering insights, stories, and interviews from the hockey community. It provides valuable advice for parents, coaches, and players,

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4.8

6868 ratings

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How many episodes does Our Kids Play Hockey have?

The podcast currently has 626 episodes available.

Best of Our Kids Play Hockey

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Passed Over Twice, Still Made the NHL: Kurtis Gabriel’s Lesson in Relentless Belief
🏒 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 a powerful conversation about chasing impossible dreams, being overlooked, finding your role, handling pressure, and learning that hockey can be an incredible part of your life without becoming your entire sense of worth. Kurtis wasn’t a highly touted prospect. He played AA hockey, considered hanging up his skates, was passed over in the NHL Draft, and still developed an unwavering conviction that he would eventually play in the NHL. What followed was a remarkable journey built on work ethic, sacrifice, resilience, and what Kurtis describes as something even stronger than belief: knowing. But reaching the NHL is only part of his story. Kurtis opens up about how deeply his identity and self-worth became connected to being a hockey player, the struggles he faced after retiring earlier than expected, and why his journey inward has changed the way he now looks at hockey, parenting, coaching, success, and happiness. 🔥 In this episode, you’ll hear:Why Kurtis believes young players should be allowed to dream as big as possibleHow a AA player went from nearly quitting hockey to eventually reaching the NHLWhy parents shouldn’t have to manufacture motivation for their kidsThe difference between supporting a player’s passion and making hockey their identityWhy your child needs home to remain a safe landing place after difficult gamesHow parents can model the behaviors and values they want their children to developWhy process, presence, and self-awareness can matter more than obsessing over outcomesHow meditation and recognizing emotions can help athletes respond to mistakes and pressureWhy Kurtis believes happiness and fulfillment cannot ultimately come from hockey—or anything outside yourselfWhat he learned from reconnecting with former NHL opponents through The Fight Plan PodcastOne of the biggest reminders from this conversation is one we return to often on Our Kids Play Hockey: The return on youth hockey isn’t a scholarship, a roster spot, or even the NHL. It’s the person your child becomes through the experience. Let them dream. Let them work. Let them stumble. And when they come home from the rink, make sure they know that their performance never determines their value to you. 🎧 Listen now for an honest, vulnerable conversation every hockey parent, player, and coach should hear. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Your Child Is More Than a Hockey Player: What Kurtis Gabriel’s NHL Journey Can Teach Hockey Families And be sure to follow Kurtis Gabriel and check out The Fight Plan Podcast, where he continues exploring the fights athletes face on the ice—and the much bigger fights all of us face in life. #OurKidsPlayHockey #KurtisGabriel #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #MentalPerformance #AthleteIdentity #YouthSports #HockeyLife #NHL #SportsParenting Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow! Follow Us On Social Media:Facebook GroupXInstagramLinkedInYouTube
August 27, 20261h 3min
Number 2: Our Girls Play Hockey: Why Confidence Can’t Come From Coaches or Parents
🏒 What if confidence isn’t something a coach, parent, teammate, or scoreboard can give you—or take away from you? Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins the conversation for a powerful look at one of the most important—and misunderstood—parts of being an athlete: building confidence from within. Even at the highest levels of hockey, doubt doesn’t disappear. Hayley opens up about seeking approval from coaches and parents as a young player, struggling with public speaking, learning to trust her own assessment of her game, and discovering that confidence isn’t about never making mistakes. In many ways, it’s built because of them. The conversation also explores the experience of girls in hockey, including the pressure many young female athletes feel to be perfect, follow every instruction exactly, and avoid mistakes. Hayley explains why giving girls permission to experiment, create, fail, and learn can be critical to developing both confidence and long-term success. 🔥 In this episode: Why external validation can make confidence fragile How athletes can reset after a bad play or mistake The power of asking, “Are you proud of yourself?” Why coaches and parents should help athletes evaluate their own performance How mistakes can become evidence that an athlete is growing Why girls may feel extra pressure to be perfect How coaches can create environments where young female players feel safe being creative Why comparing your everyday game to someone else’s social-media highlights can destroy confidence How even Olympic champions still whiff pucks, get nervous, and have imperfect practices Why real confidence is less about praise and more about learning: “I can figure this out.”For parents and coaches, this episode is an important reminder: our job isn’t to manufacture confidence for young athletes. It’s to create the conditions where they can discover it for themselves. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Girls Hockey Players Can Build Real Confidence: Lessons From Hayley Scamurra 🎧 Listen, share this episode with a hockey parent, coach, or young player who needs the reminder, and subscribe to Our Girls Play Hockey for more conversations supporting girls at every stage of the game. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #HayleyScamurra #HockeyConfidence #YouthHockey #FemaleAthletes #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaches #MentalPerformance #AthleteMindset #GirlsInSports Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow! Follow Us On Social Media:Facebook GroupXInstagramLinkedInYouTube
August 25, 202647min
Number 3: Our Girls Play Hockey: Why Rest Can Make You a Better Hockey Player
🏒 What if one of the best things a young hockey player can do for her game is… step away from it? In a sport where players constantly hear messages about working harder, training more, and never taking a day off, knowing when to rest, reset, and simply be a kid can feel almost counterintuitive. In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra explore the best things they’ve done away from the rink—and why those experiences may have helped them just as much as another practice ever could. Hayley shares memories of summers at the lake, playing soccer and tennis, spending time with family, puzzling, hiking, and learning throughout her career that it really is okay to rest. She also explains how she now balances elite-level offseason training with travel, relationships, recovery, and the flexibility required when life changes the plan. And yes… there’s also a middle-school dance story involving hockey practice and hands that still smelled like hockey gloves. 😅 ✨ In this episode, we discuss:🧠 Why mentally disconnecting from hockey can actually help athletes come back more motivated🏒 The difference between taking a random day off and intentionally planning recovery🌊 How some of Hayley’s favorite childhood memories had nothing to do with hockey⚽ Why other sports, hobbies, friendships, and free play matter for young athletes📅 How elite athletes build routines without becoming prisoners of their schedules🔄 Why adaptability is a critical skill when training plans change💪 How strong habits allow athletes to take a break without fearing they’ll “lose everything”👨‍👩‍👧 Why parents should think carefully before turning every free moment into another development opportunity🌳 The importance of letting kids play outside simply because it’s fun❤️ Why who you are away from hockey matters more than any trophy, title, or statOne of the biggest messages from Hayley is one every young player should hear: Not everything you do has to make you better at your sport. Sometimes you should do something simply because you enjoy it. For hockey parents, this episode is an important reminder that development isn’t just about accumulating ice time. Your daughter is developing when she makes friends, learns another sport, spends time outside, reads a book, explores a hobby, rests her body, or discovers something she loves that has absolutely nothing to do with hockey. And sometimes stepping away is exactly what allows a player to realize just how much she misses the game. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Time Away From Hockey Can Help Girls Become Better Athletes—and Happier People 🎧 Listen together with your player and ask this question afterward: What’s something you love doing that has nothing to do with hockey? Because great hockey players need recovery—but great people also need room to discover who they are beyond the rink. #OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #AthleteRecovery #YouthSports #HockeyMindset #HayleyScamurra Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow! Follow Us On Social Media:Facebook GroupXInstagramLinkedInYouTube
August 18, 20261h 4min
Number 4: The Ride to The Rink: How Young Hockey Players Can Fuel for Better Performance
🥅 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 they feel, focus, and perform: nutrition. Food is fuel, and just like a car can’t run well without the right gas, hockey players need the right fuel to perform at their best. The crew breaks down why healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or boring. They talk about building better routines, making smarter snack choices, learning how to cook, trying new foods, and getting the whole family—or even the whole team—involved. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why nutrition can affect your energy, focus, and performance🍌 Simple hockey snacks like bananas with peanut butter, yogurt with berries, apples, wraps, oatmeal, and smoothiesWhy creating a food routine can make game days easierHow NHL players often rely on consistent pregame meals and routinesWhy healthy eating habits are easier to build when you start youngHow young players can help prepare their own meals and snacksWhy cooking at home can sometimes be more affordable than fast foodHow picky eaters can challenge themselves to try something newWhy eating well works even better when teammates and families do it togetherAnd one of the biggest challenges from the episode? Try one new food this week without deciding you hate it before you even taste it. Your hockey development doesn’t only happen at practice. What you eat, how you prepare, and the habits you build away from the rink can all help you become a stronger, more energized athlete. 🎧 Listen now, share this episode with your teammates, and start thinking about one small nutrition habit you can improve this week. Work hard. Have fun. Fuel well. And keep enjoying the ride. #YouthHockey #HockeyNutrition #HockeyPlayers #YouthAthletes #SportsNutrition #HockeyTraining #HealthyEating #HockeyParents #AthleteNutrition #HockeyPerformance #HockeySnacks #TheRideToTheRink Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow! Follow Us On Social Media:Facebook GroupXInstagramLinkedInYouTube
September 12, 20269min
Number 5: The Ride to The Rink: Kiersten Sires on What College Coaches Notice Early
🏒 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 understand what they can do today to prepare for the opportunities they hope to have tomorrow. And here’s the good news: you don’t need to be emailing college coaches or worrying about recruiting rankings at eight, ten, or twelve years old. You need to start becoming the kind of person and player coaches will want on their team. Kiersten shares why college coaches pay attention to much more than goals, assists, and skating ability—and why your grades, body language, communication skills, consistency, and treatment of teammates can eventually separate you from other players. 🏒 In this episode, you’ll learn:Why strong daily habits matter long before college recruiting begins📚 Why your grades can open—or limit—future college hockey opportunitiesWhat coaches notice about your body language and behavior away from the puckWhy being a great teammate matters when you think nobody is watchingHow introducing yourself and communicating confidently builds an important life skillWhy young players need to learn how to advocate for themselves instead of always relying on parentsHow effort in school, chores, practice, and everyday life helps build your compete level❤️ Why having fun still needs to be part of chasing big hockey dreamsThe message for every young player is simple: work hard, learn something, communicate, be a great teammate—and enjoy the ride. Wherever you are in your hockey journey, keep building the habits that will help you on the ice and everywhere else. 📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Want to Play College Hockey Someday? Start With What You Do Today. 🎧 Listen now, share this episode with a young player who dreams of college hockey, and check out 2aDays to learn more about Kiersten Sires and the college sports experience. #YouthHockey #CollegeHockey #HockeyRecruiting #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyPlayers #YouthAthletes #HockeyParents #StudentAthlete #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyLife #TheRideToTheRink #2aDays Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know! Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow! Follow Us On Social Media:Facebook GroupXInstagramLinkedInYouTube
September 05, 20269min