Our Kids Play Hockey | Hockey Stories & Teamwork Tips

🥅 What separates a goalie who keeps growing from one who gets discouraged?Sometimes it’s not size.It’s not skill.It’s not even the result of the game.Sometimes it’s belief.In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli break down some of the biggest lessons from their conversation with former NHL goaltender Andrew “Razor” Raycroft.The focus is simple: what can young goalies—and young hockey players in general—learn from someone who made it all the way to the NHL?One of the biggest lessons is that goalies need to develop the ability to bounce back.You are going to have bad games.You might even have a bad stretch.That does not mean you are a bad goalie.🎧 In this episode:🥅 Why mental toughness matters so much in the goalie position🧠 How to self-assess without beating yourself up📱 Why highlight reels are a terrible way to measure your development👀 Why watching full hockey games can build your hockey IQ💪 How belief can become a real separator as players develop📈 Why getting a little better matters more than comparing yourself to someone else🎯 How to identify what you did well and what you can improve📚 Why being a lifelong learner can make you a stronger player❤️ Why your hockey path does not need to look like anyone else’sAndrew Raycroft’s journey was not built around being the best player at every age.He simply kept moving forward.He kept learning.He kept believing that he was on his own path.That is the message for young players:Do not let someone else’s highlight reel become the standard for your game.Learn from what you see.Study the game.Ask questions.Evaluate yourself honestly.Then get back to work.Wherever you are in your hockey journey, keep learning—and keep believing in yourself.#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #GoalieMindset #YouthHockeyGoalie #AndrewRaycroft #HockeyIQ #GoalieDevelopment #HockeyConfidence #MentalToughness #HockeyKids #PlayerDevelopment Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🥅 What really separates a great young goalie from everyone else?According to former NHL goaltender, Calder Trophy winner, coach, and analyst Andrew Raycroft, it is not just size, technique, or flashy saves.It is perseverance.It is skating.It is belief.It is learning how to handle failure.And sometimes, it is being just a little bit delusional.In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Andrew Raycroft dive into what young goalies and their parents should actually focus on as they develop.Andrew shares lessons from his own journey from minor hockey to more than 100 NHL wins, explains why he worries that youth hockey sometimes prioritizes size over skill, and talks about why smaller, athletic goalies still deserve real opportunities.The conversation also goes deep into the mental side of the position: how goalies respond after bad goals, why resilience matters, what parents should do during tough stretches, and how social media can quietly destroy confidence by making every other goalie look perfect.🎧 In this episode:🥅 Why perseverance may be the most important goalie trait⛸️ Why skating ability stands out immediately in young goalies📏 Why coaches should not automatically choose the biggest goalie🧠 Why some goalies naturally handle failure better than others💪 How to build resilience after rough games and difficult stretches🚫 Why parents should avoid overanalyzing the car ride home📱 How social media creates unrealistic comparisons for young goalies🔥 Why belief and even a little “delusion” can be powerful🎯 How to judge your performance beyond just the final score👀 Why hockey IQ becomes a major separator as goalies get older📺 How actually watching full hockey games can improve goalie instincts❤️ Why parents should focus less on outcomes and more on whether their child still loves coming to the rinkOne of Andrew’s most important messages is simple: you cannot force the path.One kid may develop faster.Another may be smaller.Another may struggle for a month and then take a huge step forward.The goal is not to compare your child to every highlight clip online.The goal is to help them keep showing up, keep learning, keep believing, and keep enjoying the position.Because the lessons a goalie learns in the crease—resetting after failure, owning mistakes, competing through adversity, and believing in yourself—go far beyond hockey.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What Really Makes a Great Young Goalie? Lessons from Andrew Raycroft#OurKidsPlayGoalie #AndrewRaycroft #YouthHockeyGoalie #GoalieDevelopment #HockeyGoalie #GoalieParents #YouthHockey #GoalieTraining #HockeyMindset #GoalieConfidence #HockeyIQ #HockeyParents Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏒 What happens when a young player still loves hockey—but the schedule is starting to wear her down?In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra respond to a powerful parent email about a 12U player facing three practices a week, dryland, video sessions, and roughly two hours of driving for every practice.The player still loves the game.But she and her parent are exhausted.So the question becomes: Is more hockey always better?Hayley reflects on her own youth and high school experience, including long drives, missed practices, school commitments, and the importance of doing what was best for her overall development and well-being. Mike and Lee add the coaching perspective, discussing commitment, communication, age, team expectations, multi-sport participation, and the difference between occasionally needing space and consistently avoiding responsibility.🎧 In this episode:🏒 When missing a youth hockey practice can actually be healthy🚗 Why travel time should count as part of a player’s workload🔥 The difference between schedule fatigue and true hockey burnout❤️ Why protecting a player’s love of the game matters more than squeezing in one more practice🗣️ Why honest communication with the coach is essential💪 How young female athletes can learn to advocate for themselves⚖️ Why age and competitive level should change expectations🏃 Why playing multiple sports can support hockey development📆 How families can experiment with a lighter schedule without locking into a full-season decision🎯 Whether doing less means another player will “pass you”🤝 Why accountability still matters when a player misses practice🧠 How coaches can create environments players actually want to show up forOne of the strongest messages in this conversation is that a 12-year-old should not feel like an entire hockey season is something she has to “grind out.”Competing hard in a difficult game is one thing.Grinding through an exhausting schedule for months at a time is another.If a player still loves hockey, protect that love.That might mean taking a night off.It might mean choosing another activity.It might mean changing teams.It might mean having an uncomfortable but necessary conversation with a coach.And it might simply mean giving a young athlete enough space to miss the rink—and want to come back.There is no single perfect answer for every family. But communication, health, accountability, and joy should always be part of the decision.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: When Youth Hockey Becomes Too Much: Burnout, Travel, and Protecting the Love of the Game#OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyBurnout #TravelHockey #HayleyScamurra #WomensHockey #HockeyParents #YouthSports #MultiSportAthlete #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyBalance Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏒 What does being “coachable” actually look like during a hockey game?In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli speak directly to young players about how to listen, learn, and stay engaged when coaches are talking to them on the bench.Being coachable is not about blindly agreeing with everything you hear. It’s about being present, being willing to receive information, and looking for something useful that can help you on your next shift.Mike shares a few simple habits coaches notice right away: sitting with your linemates, encouraging teammates, making eye contact with your coach, listening when someone is trying to teach you, and staying mentally connected to the game instead of drifting into unrelated conversations.Lee adds an important reminder: coaching is not judging.When a coach tells you what they want to see differently, that does not automatically mean they think you are a bad player or that you ruined the game. Most of the time, they are simply trying to help you improve.🎧 In this episode, young players will learn:🏒 What coaches notice when players come back to the bench🤝 Why positive communication with teammates matters👀 Why eye contact and attention show coaches you are ready to learn🧠 How to pull one useful takeaway from coaching instructions🎯 Why staying present matters in a fast-moving game📈 How every mistake can become a learning opportunity💬 Why coaching feedback is meant to help—not blame⭐ How being coachable builds trust with coaches and teammatesThe goal is simple: every shift, try to learn something.Maybe it’s finding more open ice.Maybe it’s making a better pass.Maybe it’s supporting a teammate.Maybe it’s just being more aware.You do not have to become a perfect player in one shift. Just try to become a little better each time you step onto the ice.Stay engaged. Stay curious. Help your teammates. Listen for the lesson.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How to Be More Coachable—and Learn More From Every Hockey ShiftAnd remember: we believe in you—but you should believe in yourself too.#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyKids #BeCoachable #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #YouthHockeyPlayers #HockeyCoaching #HockeyTeammates #PlayerDevelopment Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏒 Are you coaching the players on your bench—or shouting instructions at the players already flying around the ice?There’s a big difference.In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli tackle one of the most common habits they see in youth hockey: coaches trying to control every decision from the bench.After more than 50 years of combined coaching experience, Lee and Mike admit they’ve both evolved. The younger versions of themselves yelled more, talked more, and believed they could influence every play as it happened.Today, they see the bench very differently.The game is where players apply what they’ve learned. The real teaching happens through practices, preparation, video, repetition, and conversations before and after the action.🎧 In this episode:🏒 Why shouting constant play-by-play instructions isn’t really coaching🧠 Why players—especially younger players—struggle to process tactical information during a shift📋 How to enter every game with just a few clear points of emphasis🍩 Why simple code words like “donuts,” “butter,” and “go hunting” can communicate more than a long speech📝 How Lee and Mike use notes, lineup sheets, and game observations to improve future practices🔄 Why good bench management includes line rotation, fair ice time, substitutions, and situational awareness👥 How head coaches can better utilize assistant coaches⏱️ What to say between periods when you only have a few seconds😤 Why a coach’s emotional state can quickly become the team’s emotional state📣 Why parents coaching from the stands can make things harder—not easier🎯 How the definition of success should change depending on the age and developmental level❤️ Why youth hockey coaching ultimately includes teaching character, empathy, and life lessonsOne of the biggest takeaways?In-game bench management may be the least effective time to teach hockey.Save the detailed teaching for practice. Save it for video. Save it for the locker room.On the bench, manage the environment. Communicate simply. Keep players engaged. Control your emotions. Help them compete.And then let them play.For coaches trying to become more effective—and parents wondering what good bench coaching should actually look like—this is a conversation worth hearing.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How to Coach a Youth Hockey Bench Without Overcoaching the Game#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyCoaching #YouthHockeyCoach #BenchManagement #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #CoachDevelopment #HockeyPractice #PlayerDevelopment #PositiveCoaching Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏒 What do you do when you don’t get along with a teammate? How do you make friends on a new team? And what separates a good captain from a truly great leader?Olympic gold medalist and PWHL forward Hayley Scamurra is back for Part 2 of our Our Girls Play Hockey Q&A, answering real questions from young players about some of the hardest—and most relatable—parts of being an athlete.From navigating difficult teammates and coaches to joining a new locker room, managing pre-game nerves, and learning what elite leadership actually looks like, Hayley shares lessons built from youth hockey, Team USA, the Olympics, and the professional game.She also takes us inside what makes leaders like Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin so impactful—not just because of what they do in big moments, but because of how they show up for teammates when nobody is watching.🎧 In this episode:🤝 How to handle teammates you don’t naturally connect with  ⚡ Why protecting your energy matters in a team environment  👋 How shy players can make friends on a new hockey team  🏒 Why small locker-room conversations can build big connections  ⭐ What Hayley looks for in a great captain and leader  🇺🇸 What Hilary Knight’s intensity brought to Team USA’s gold-medal run  🍁 How Marie-Philip Poulin leads through consistency, sacrifice, and genuine care  🧠 How elite athletes separate nervous thoughts from real confidence  🥇 Why Hayley believed she would make Team USA—and win Olympic gold  🌎 Her favorite memories from competing at the Olympics  🥦 And, in perhaps the most important question of all… does Hayley eat her vegetables?One of the biggest messages in this episode is simple: you do not have to be best friends with everyone on your team to be a great teammate.Find your people. Make an effort. Be respectful. Support the players beside you. And remember that the way you respond to difficult situations is one of the few things you can always control.For every girl navigating a new team, dealing with locker-room dynamics, learning to lead, or wondering whether nerves mean she isn’t ready—this episode is for you.Keep showing up, keep connecting, and keep believing that you belong in the room.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Finding Your People, Leading with Confidence, and Handling Pressure in Hockey#OurGirlsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyLeadership #TeamUSA #HilaryKnight #MariePhilipPoulin #PWHL #HockeyConfidence #HockeyTeamwork #OlympicHockey Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🥅 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 to The Rink, Steve joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli to share lessons young hockey players can use right now, whether they play between the pipes or anywhere else on the ice.Steve explains why having a plan for every practice can accelerate development, how small competitions can make training more fun, and why elite athletes develop a deep belief in their own abilities.🔥 In this episode, young players will learn:Why “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”How to create a simple plan before practices and gamesEasy ways to improve reflexes, footwork, flexibility, and hand-eye coordinationWhy making practice competitive can improve both your game and your teammatesHow repetition creates real, lasting confidenceWhy confidence and arrogance are not the same thingHow one mistake can become several if emotions take controlWhy learning to reset after a missed shot or bad goal is such an important hockey skillHow gratitude can help players appreciate every opportunity to step on the iceSteve also shares the advice he wishes he could give his 12-year-old self: learn how to separate your emotions from your performance. A missed opportunity, bad goal, or tough shift does not have to determine what happens next.And through it all, Steve reminds young players that the love of the game matters. Prepare with purpose. Compete hard. Believe in yourself. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride.🎧 Listen now and take one lesson from Steve into your next practice or game.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime?Check out our companion blog: Prepare, Believe, Reset: Steve Briere’s Lessons for Young Hockey PlayersFor more information about Steve Briere’s goalie training programs, mentorship opportunities, and Path to the Crease nonprofit, check the resources linked in the episode show notes.Wherever you are on your hockey journey, keep putting in the work—and keep believing you belong on the ice.#YouthHockey #HockeyGoalie #GoalieTraining #HockeyConfidence #HockeyMindset #MentalPerformance #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #GoalieDevelopment #TheRideToTheRink #OurKidsPlayHockey #SteveBriereClick To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🥅 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 the puck.In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Briere, whose coaching career includes seven seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, three with the Seattle Kraken, and his current role with the Wisconsin Badgers. After working with goaltenders at the highest levels of the game, Steve shares what truly separates developing goalies — and why some of the most important lessons have little to do with butterfly technique.🔥 Inside this episode:🥅 Why “just stop the puck” is more meaningful than it sounds — and how technical perfection can sometimes get in the way of the actual job.🧠 Why focus, athleticism, passion, and having fun are some of the first qualities Steve notices in a young goalie.💪 How the meaning of “fun” evolves as players get older — from simply enjoying the crease to loving competition, improvement, and the work itself.🚗 Why some of the most valuable hockey lessons happen during conversations between parents and kids — and why those conversations should often be about life, not X’s and O’s.🌱 Why parents can cultivate a young athlete’s drive, but they cannot create it for them.💡 How innovation, technology, video, vision training, and tools like NHL Sense Arena can help goalies find new ways to improve — without replacing the need for athletes to think for themselves.🏒 Why goalie development must become increasingly player-driven: instead of constantly being told what to work on, young goalies eventually need to ask, “How can I get better?”🤝 Why coaches who begin with “I don’t know anything about goalies” may unintentionally isolate one of the most important players on their team.⚡ How coaches can design practices that respect goalie workload, recovery, development, and the enormous number of reps goaltenders receive compared with skaters.❤️ And why love, belonging, friendships, leadership, and community matter all the way from youth hockey to the NHL.One of Steve’s biggest reminders applies far beyond the crease: young athletes are going to be people much longer than they are going to be hockey players.Develop the goalie. Develop the competitor. But most importantly, help develop the person underneath the mask.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What NHL Goalie Coaches See That Youth Hockey Often Misses🎧 Whether you're raising a goalie, coaching one, playing the position yourself, or simply want to better understand the most unique position in hockey, this conversation belongs in your hockey education.Listen, share it with your goalie community, and keep helping young athletes fall in love with the process of getting better.#OurKidsPlayGoalie #GoalieDevelopment #YouthHockey #HockeyGoalie #GoalieTraining #GoalieParents #GoalieCoach #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #YouthGoalie #Goaltending #WisconsinHockey #NHLGoalieCoach #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyLifeClick To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🧠🏒 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 Arena team member Andrew “Albe” Alberts to break down one of the biggest separators in player development: identifying cues.A defender hesitates.A teammate changes direction.A passing lane opens.Pressure arrives from one side.A stick blade turns.Those little details can completely change what the right play is—and great players learn how to recognize and process them in fractions of a second.Albe explains what players should be looking for before they receive the puck, once they have it, and even when they’re playing without it.🏒 In this episode, you’ll learn:What “identifying cues” actually means in hockeyWhy time, space, pressure, and support are foundational readsHow shoulder checks and pre-scanning help players prepare before the puck arrivesWhy stick position, body position, speed, and direction all provide useful informationHow younger players can begin developing hockey awarenessWhy mistakes are essential to building hockey IQWhy coaches should create drills that force players to make decisionsWhy constantly yelling “pass,” “shoot,” or “move it” can actually limit developmentHow players without the puck still have important reads and responsibilitiesHow NHL Sense Arena’s multi-object tracking drill can help train anticipation and recognitionOne of Albe’s most important reminders for coaches:Every time you give a player the answer, you take away a decision they could have learned to make themselves.That means development requires patience.Players need opportunities to look, read, choose, fail, adjust, and try again.🎧 Listen now for an inside look at how NHL players process the game—and how young athletes can begin building those same habits one decision at a time.#OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyIQ #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyCoaching #AndrewAlberts #HockeyAwareness #HockeySkills #DecisionMaking #YouthAthletes #NHLSenseArena #HockeyTrainingClick To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🏒 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 players about creativity, confidence, repetition, and knowing when it’s the right time to take a risk.Trying new things is an important part of becoming a better player. But there’s a big difference between taking a calculated hockey risk and attempting a move in a game that you’ve never practiced before.The goal isn’t to take creativity away.It’s to prepare your creativity so well that the move becomes automatic when the opportunity appears.🏒 In this episode, players will learn:Why games aren’t always the best place to try a brand-new moveHow repetition builds muscle memory and confidenceWhy practice is where mistakes, experimentation, and creativity belongThe difference between a calculated hockey risk and an unnecessary gambleHow skills can be practiced at home, in the driveway, off the ice, or in VRWhy great players still work relentlessly on skills they’ve already masteredHow one skill becomes the foundation for the nextWhy coaches should give players room to experiment during practiceHow just 15 extra minutes of focused practice can add up over timeWhy the highlight-reel move you see today may have taken thousands of attempts to masterLee and Mike also remind players that the stars making incredible plays at the highest levels didn’t simply decide to try those moves in a game.They practiced.They failed.They repeated.And eventually, the skill became part of their toolbox.💪 Your challenge: Pick one hockey skill you want to improve and spend 15 focused minutes working on it consistently. Don’t worry about making it perfect immediately. Get the reps in.Because when the right moment comes in a game, the best skills don’t feel forced.They just happen.🎧 Listen now, get your reps in, and keep adding tools to your game.📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Prepare, Believe, Reset: Want to Try That Hockey Move in a Game? Put in the Reps First#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeySkills #HockeyTraining #HockeyPractice #YouthAthletes #HockeyPlayers #SkillDevelopment #HockeyConfidence #HockeyCoaching #HockeyMindsetClick To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.