The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on current Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman! Chris trains with Jeff in the summers and played for Topher when he was a grad assistant at Miami (Ohio) and this was a really, really fun and insightful conversation. On this episode, they talk:-Playing for Martin St. Louis in Montreal-Being grateful for the good and the tough times-The importance of a support system in reaching your goals-MUCH, MUCH, MORE!!Thank you so much to Wides for hopping on the podcast. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast company Blue Wire. And thank you most of all to all of our amazing listeners!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring back one of your favorite episodes...especially for the hockey moms out there...with Topher and Jeff's Moms!! When we brought our podcast over to the BlueWire Network, we lost a few episodes in the transfer that were some of ours, and our listeners, favorites.On this episodes, we speak to Debbie Scott and Colleen LoVecchio and share some really fun stories about our childhoods and our moms talk about the joys of being a hockey mom. We had a ton of fun on this episode, we know you are going to love it!!Thank you so much to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and CuredNutrition. Thank you to all of our amazing listeners. And most of all, thank you to all of the amazing hockey moms out there...this one is for you!!!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on a veteran of over 1,000 professional hockey games Derek Nesbitt! What a career spanning over 16 seasons. In this conversation, we talk:-The benefits of growing up in small town Canada-Playing for both Jared Bednar and Derek Lalonde-The keys to longevity in the game-Challenges of being a youth hockey director-MUCH MORE!Thank you to all of our sponsors - GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and Cured Nutrition. Thank you to our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners for continuing to tune in every week!!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the girl who stole all of our hearts as the St. Louis Blues went on their Stanley Cup run...Laila Anderson. We all remember Laila as the inspiration for the team as she was going through chemotherapy during the teams championship playoff season in 2019. From the viral videos of her mom letting her know she could attend the games in person, to her on ice celebration with the cup, to the entire city of St. Louis chanting her name at the parade...Laila was an inspiration to us all to keep fighting. In this conversation we talk:-Her journey through a potential terminal sickness-Her inspiring relationships with the Blues players, especially Colton Parayko-Getting to Boston for Game 7 of the Cup Finals-Bethematch.org, the organization that saved her life-An UNBELIEVABLE story with Brett Hull and Jon Hamm-MUCH MOREThank you to Laila (who actually trains with Jeff) for coming on the podcast! Thank you also to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you so much to all of our amazing listeners...you are going to LOVE this episode. It's one of our absolute favorites!!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on 14 year professional player now leading a mentorship program for youth hockey players, Ryan Vesce! Ryan hails from Long Island, NY and played his college hockey at Cornell. He then went on to play 14 years pro over 7 different countries, including a stint with the San Jose Sharks where he scored his first professional goal on an assist from Joe Thornton (we talk about it on the pod). We also talk:-Developing a mindset for getting out of a slump-Some incredible prank stories-Scoring his first NHL goal in his hometown-The value of mentorship as you go through your journey-MUCH MORE!Thank you to Ves for this awesome conversation - you'll get a ton of insight into becoming an elite hockey player. Thank you also to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods.To check out Ryan's incredible Mentor Program matching up former and current professional and college players, visit https://matterhornmentors.com/And thank you to our amazing listeners...you're going to love this episode!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on bestselling author and one of the top motivational speakers and leadership consultants in the world Jon Gordon! Jon has worked with many major companies and professional sports teams on the power of positive leadership. His books have also inspired millions of people and organizations of all sizes all over the world.On this specific podcast, we speak to Jon about his book "The Hard Hat, 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate." This book chronicles the life of George Boiardi, a Cornell Lacrosse player who died tragically on the field as a senior captain after blocking a shot in his chest. This inspiring story of an amazing leader and the aftermath of his passing of a team trying to honor him by their play on the lacrosse field is one that is going to make you feel all the feels.For more on Jon's work, visit https://jongordon.com/.For more on George Boiardi's legacy and his foundation, visit https://www.boiardifoundation.org/Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners, get ready to be inspired from this podcast conversation with one of the most positive leaders in our world - on one of the most positive influences and leaders ever to walk the lacrosse field.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher riff on Part 2 of Topher's presentation that he gave at the NCAA College Hockey Coaches Convention on the 5 P's of Leadership. The three P's they talk on are:-Preparation-Perspective-PresentWe know you're going to take some tidbits out of this episode that you can use in leading your teams!Thank you to GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com for supporting our podcast. And thank you to the thousands of listeners who continue to tune in every week!!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the new Associate Head Coach at Michigan State Jared DeMichiel! What an awesome conversation with one of the rising stars in college coaching coming off of a National Championship and turnaround at UMASS. In this conversation, we tackle:-Turning things around at UMASS leading to a National Championship-College recruiting and the transfer portal-The power of earning opportunities instead of guarantees-MUCH MORE!Thanks to DeMike for hopping on...and we have some other people to thank as well.Thank you to our sponsors GelStx (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company Blue Wire Pods. Thank you to all of our amazing listeners - if you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts you'll be registered to win one of Jeff's hip mobility workouts for free!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher talk about Topher's 5 P's of Leadership:-People-Perseverance-Perspective-Preparation-PresentAlthough...the two talked so much about PEOPLE that there is going to be a Part 1/Part 2 on these topics. On this specific episode, Jeff and Topher talk about the importance of investing time and effort into PEOPLE and the importance of PERSEVERING in tough times. Great leaders understand these two ideals and work hard to facilitate environments to bring both to the forefront.We love talking leadership on this podcast, and our goal is to provide you with things you can use in your journey as a leader that can help you be the best you can be!Thank you to our sponsors - GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com. Thank you to Blue Wire Pods. And thank you to our amazing following...we know you'll enjoy this one!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on former NHLer for the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals - and now a visualization coach - Aaron Volpatti! Aaron has such a unique hockey journey...and such an inspiring story. We talk:-His near death experience with a fire and how it taught him resliency-How visualization helped him heal and helped him in his career-His journey to the NHL-Much more!!This again was such an inspiring conversation we are so thrilled to bring to you. Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our AMAZING listeners!