The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring back on Adam Nicholas of Stride Envy Hockey to talk about player development and his journey with the Chicago Steel as they just hoisted the Clark Cup as the USHL champions. This is the fourth time Adam has been on the podcast, and it doesn't disappoint for a second! We talk:-Individual Player Development Plans-Working through relationships between coaches and player development coaches-Methods of teaching development to high level athletes-The Chicago Steel Clark Cup run and the development relationships built with their players

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on mental performance coach and resiliency expert Matt Caldaroni! Matt and his company Molliteum work with high achieving athletes from the professional to youth levels and is a big part of working with the Chicago Steel who just won the USHL's Clark Cup this weekend. On this episode, we talk: -The definition of mental toughness -The benefits of having a performance alter ego -The importance of being "realistically optimistic" -MUCH MORE!! This is a must listen to episode for anyone trying to develop their mental toughness and mental game. Thank you to our title sponsor GELSTX, our drill sponsor icehockeysystems.com - listen to the intro for a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT from them, TrainHeroic, and BlueWire Pods. And most of all thank you to all of our amazing listeners!!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Sioux City (USHL) Assistant Coach and one of Jeff's former coaching mates, Mike Berra. One of the most frequent questions we get asked is from young coaches trying to break into the business. They want to know what it takes and how to break in to coach at the higher levels. Well, we thought we'd bring someone on who has done it. Mike started coaching Bantam AA Hockey and is now coaching in the top junior league in the USA and one of the top in the world. This podcast has so many lessons for young coaches and it was awesome getting the chance to hear Mike's journey and all the things he's learned along the way. Thank you to our all of our sponsors, including GELSTX.COM, TrainHeroic, ICEHOCKEYSYSTEMS.COM, and thank you to our podcast platform Bluewire Pods. And most of all, thank you to all of our awesome listeners for tuning in with us each week. You are going to love this one!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher navigate the last year of Topher being a youth hockey director. They don't hold back and talk about the good, bad, and the ugly side of youth hockey. They tackle: -Parents -Setting a Culture -Dealing with Covid -What went well, what didn't, and what was learned -Much More! Take a listen to get into the nitty gritty of what is great...and what is broken about the youth hockey system. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and BlueWire Pods. And as always, thank you to all of our amazing listeners!!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Evan Rankin, a former teammate who played over 500 professional games. This was an awesome conversation that covered: -Playing for Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper in midget hockey -How to score as a net-front player -The value of a team that has each other's backs -Much, Much More! Thank you to all of our sponsors, GELSTX, TRAINHEROIC, ICEHOCKEYSYSTEMS.COM. And thank you to our thousands of amazing listeners who continue on this awesome podcast ride with us!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, get ready for a Masterclass on Leadership from Jen Baker – Athletic Director at Johns Hopkins University. Jen went to college at Navy where she was a National Champion Club Lacrosse player and graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering. She then spent 7 years in the Navy as a pilot and facilities manager before going to Cornell University to get her MBA. At Cornell, Jen worked her way from graduate student to Associate Athletic Director and implemented the “Big Red Leadership Institute” which taught athletes how to become better leaders. After returning home to Baltimore to run the facilities for corporate giant Under Armor, Jen now has taken the job as Athletic Director with Johns Hopkins. Quite the resume!! This was such an amazing conversation on leadership where we tackle: -The value of self-awareness -The value of player leadership in a locker room (and why more coaches should invest in this) -The importance of followership -What it means to be a great teammate -So Much More! Jen is the best and we know you are going to take a lot from this episode. Thank you to our sponsors GelStx (gelstx.com), icehockeysystems.com, and TrainHeroic. And our biggest thank you to all of our listeners who continue to ride this podcast wave with us every week!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Head Coach of Norwich University, Cam Ellsworth! Cam is the reining D3 NCAA Coach of the Year after leading Norwich to being a runner up in the National Championship and breaking 9 NCAA D3 records including having a GAA under 1.00!!! Prior to being at Norwich, Cam helped lead the resurgence at UMASS Lowell. On this podcast, we talk: -His team's unreal defensive prowess -Coaching goalies including Connor Hellebuyck -The life of a college hockey recruiter -D3 Hockey -Much More!!! Thank you to all of our listeners, you are going to love this episode with a great human being. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, icehockeysystems.com, TrainHeroic, and thank you to BlueWire Pods!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the Head Coach of Army Hockey, Brian Riley. The Riley family has held the Head Coach position at Army for the last 70 years, and to hear Brian talk about the passion he and his family have for the program is nothing short of amazing. We also talk: -Creating a culture of family -The legacies Derek Hines and Thomas "TK" Kennedy, two of his players killed in action -What makes an "Army kind of player" on the recruiting trail -The importance of adversity This was one of the most inspiring episodes that we've done, amazing. Thank you to Coach Riley for sharing his wisdom and thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners, you are going to love this conversation!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Matt Fornataro - former professional hockey player that started a multimedia company (torchpro.com) taking you behind the scenes of some of the best players in the world. In this conversation, we talk: -Why Joe Pavelski is so great -Playing for Jon Cooper -How repetition leads to excellence -The importance of always adding skills to your game -Much More! Thank you to all of our incredible sponsors, including GELSTX (gelstx.com), icehockeysystems.com, and TrainHeroic. Thank you to Blue Wire Pods for welcoming us into their podcast family. And thank you to our awesome listeners who continue to help us spread positivity to the hockey world!

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on NHL Draft writer and one of the top hockey journalists in the game, Chris Peters! Chris has done some awesome work writing for companies like CBS Sports and ESPN. On this episode, we cover all things NHL draft including... -Old school vs. New school scouting -Learning from your mistakes -How important is character when drafting? -Skill vs. impact -Much more on the NHL Draft This was an awesome conversation! Thank you to our title sponsor GELSTX (gelstx.com), our drill sponsor icehockeysystems.com, our training sponsor TrainHeroic, and all of our amazing listeners!!