

The Hockey Think Tank Podcast
thehockeythinktank
The Hockey Think Tank Podcast brings incredible stories, interviews, and great perspective from some of the top hockey minds in the game. Hosted by Topher Scott & Jeff LoVecchio, our podcast will educate and inspire all those that love the game! For all the players, coaches, and hockey parents out there...make this your Go-To show on your way to the rink!
Join our Community here!
Join our Community here!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 9, 2021 • 1h 17min
Episode 170 - Craig Ballantyne
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on best selling author and business/leadership coach Craig Ballantyne! Craig has worked with numerous leaders around the world to help grow their businesses and has had incredible success especially with up and coming entrepreneurs. There were so many great parallels between his coaching and what we talk about regarding leadership in sports, and some of the amazing things we talked about include:-Structuring your day to optimize your time-"To Do Lists" and "Not-to-Do Lists"-How less can very much be more-The best ways to achieve accountability-So much moreThis was a masterclass on leadership and efficiency. We thank Craig so much for hopping on, we know our listeners are going to take a ton from this conversation. You can find Craig's work at craigballantyne.com and pick up his Perfect Day Formula books where you get books today!Thank you to our sponsors: GELSTX (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic App, Ice Hockey Systems (icehockeysystems.com), and our podcast parent company Blue Wire Pods!

Aug 2, 2021 • 1h 12min
Episode 169 - Justin Dowling
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Justin Dowling...who newly signed an NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Free Agent Frenzy Day! We love telling stories like Justin's on this podcast...as he went undrafted in juniors and the NHL but is now going into his 11th year playing professionally. We talk:-How to make it as a smaller player.-Playing with the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals bubble in 2020.-Using setbacks to fuel your fire to prove people wrong.-MUCH MORE!Thank you so much to all of our amazing listeners! Please if you can, shoot us a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts today. Thank you to our title sponsor GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and icehockeystystems.com for all of your support for what we do. We know you're going to love this conversation of another NHL player that has defied the odds!

Jul 26, 2021 • 1h 14min
Episode 168 - Ben Barr
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the new Head Coach at the University of Maine, Ben Barr! Fresh off a National Championship at UMASS as the Associate Head Coach, Ben comes on to the podcast to share his knowledge and wisdom of what it takes to win at the college level. We talk:-The recruiting process-The importance of open, honest conversation-Creating and changing team culture-MUCH MORE!This was such a fun conversation that so many are going to embrace and enjoy. Thank you so much to all of our loyal fans and listeners. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company Blue Wire Pods.Blue Wire is doing a really cool initiative if you're looking to get into podcasting,..If interested, submit your Blue Wire Hustle application here: http://bwhustle.com/join

Jul 19, 2021 • 1h 29min
Episode 167 - Overcoming Adversity
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher take us through some of the toughest times in their careers...and how they got through them. We are big believers on this podcast that adversity makes you stronger if you frame it right, and the guys detail their own times of adversity and what it took to overcome it. They talk:-Getting cut at the youth levels-Topher narrowly missing out on a childhood dream of playing for Team USA-Handling long-term injuries during their careers-Jeff's concussion that kept him out of hockey for over a year after signing an NHL contract-Much MoreThis one got deep, and our hope is that it will resonate with all of our listeners to help them get through some of their tough times.Thank you to all of our supporters and our sponsors. Thank you to GelStx, TrainHeroic, and icehockeysystems. Thank you to BlueWire our podcast platform as well. We know you'll enjoy this episode.

Jul 12, 2021 • 1h 13min
Episode 166 - Coach Jeremy
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Coach Jeremy, the founder of How To Hockey and one of the top social media influencers in our game. He does such an amazing job providing content through videos on youtube, social media, his website howtohockey.com that entertains and educates the hockey world at large. On this episode, we talk:-Spreading and growing passion of the game-Fundamentals vs. Tactics and systems-Building a brand through hard work and adversity-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to Coach Jeremy for giving us and our listeners some awesome insight into growing the game through awesome content based on teaching hockey fundamentals. Thank you also to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast platform BlueWire pods. And our biggest thank you to all of our listeners who continue to support our podcast. You are going to love this conversation with Coach Jeremy!

Jul 5, 2021 • 1h 15min
Episode 165 - Connor Bizal & Adam Zukowski
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on two junior hockey players who started an UNBELIEVABLE mentorship program for other players looking to get into junior, college, or professional hockey. They founded the Fellowship of Hockey Advancement to help younger players navigate the crazy process of higher level hockey. What an amazing gift from these two young men. On this episode, we talk:-The ups and downs of struggling to try and make it in hockey-The importance of having a great support system-The value of mentorship-Navigating trying to figure out junior hockey-Much More!!!Thanks to these two incredible players for starting this organization that will help A TON OF players and their families. The website is https://fellowshiphockeyadvancement.weebly.com/ to check it outThank you to our sponsors GELSTX (gelstx.com), ICE HOCKEY SYSTEMS (icehockeysystems.com), and TrainHeroic. Thank you to our podcast family Blue Wire. And thanks to all of our amazing listeners. We think you are going to absolutely love this episode with Connor and Adam!

Jun 28, 2021 • 1h 32min
Episode 164 - Alyssa Gagliardi x2
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Alyssa Gagliardi - Former Team USA national player, Cornell captain, NWHL/PWHPA pro hockey all-star, and now working with the Carolina Hurricanes to grow the sport in Raleigh. This was an UNREAL conversation on player development...while we hardly spoke at all about hockey. Development is so much more than what happens on the ice and Gags gives us a great blueprint on what that should entail. We talk:Mental SkillsSocial RelationshipsNutrition/SleepGoal SettingLearning SkillsSO MUCH MOREThank you to our awesome sponsors - GELSTX (gelstx.com), icehockeysystems.com, TrainHeroic, and our podcast platform BlueWire. Thank you also to all of our amazing listeners, you are going to get so much better after listening to Gags!

Jun 21, 2021 • 1h 15min
Episode 163 - Tryout Advice
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher talk about anything and everything hockey tryouts. They give advice to players on how to stand out and prepare, talk about the process of evaluation and scouting, what they would do if they led a tryout, and go through why the process is so complicated in the lower ages of hockey.Thank you to our title sponsor GelStx (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, icehockeysystems.com, and our podcast network Blue Wire. And as always, thank you to all of our amazing supporters!!

Jun 14, 2021 • 55min
Episode 162 - Billy Jaffe & Andrew Raycroft
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the hosts of Boston Bruins recap show "Morning Bru with Jaffe and Razor", Billy Jaffe and Andrew Raycroft! This was an awesome episode if you love to get the inside scoop of the Boston Bruins and we talk a lot of hockey as well. Some of the topics include:-Tuukka Rask- How the Bergeron/Marchand/Pastrnak line creates their chemistry-Charlie McAvoy's leadership-An UNREAL story about Brad Marchand chasing criminals...Tune in for a fun conversation with two incredible hockey guys. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you to all of our AMAZING listeners. You're gonna love this one, especially if you are a Bruins fan.

Jun 7, 2021 • 1h 10min
Episode 161 - Topher's Presentation at the AHCA College Coaches Convention
On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we share Topher's presentation to all college hockey coaches at the AHCA (America Hockey Coaches Association) Coaches Convention. This is the 4th year in a row that Topher has been asked to speak in front of this esteemed group of coaches, and this year he tackles what he's learned from his relationships with coaches at the highest levels of hockey. He goes through five takeaways:
Identity is everything
It's all about the people
Developing leaders
Player accountability
How are you spending your time?
We hope you enjoy this episode! Thank you to all of our sponsors, including GELSTX (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic App, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast company we are under Blue Wire Pods. Thank you so much to all of our amazing listeners who continue to push us to be better every episode. And thank you to the ACHA for allowing Topher to speak again at this convention. To get access to more awesome presentations from the convention go to ahcahockey.com.