Our Kids Play Hockey | Hockey Stories & Teamwork Tips

🏒 What does it really mean to “grow the game” of hockey?

Is it getting more kids to pick up a stick? Building more elite teams? Selling out professional arenas? Or is the real work making sure that once a young player discovers hockey, they feel like they belong enough to stay?

On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dig into what growing hockey actually looks like—from grassroots programs and community outreach to the small choices c...

🏒 Made a bad play? Had a rough shift? Feeling nervous, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel has a message for you: those emotions don’t have to control what happens next.

On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel for a practical conversation about one of the most important parts of becoming a hockey player: learning how to manage your mind when the game gets difficult.

Kurtis introduces young players to a simpl...

🏒 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...

🏒 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...

🏒 Do you know what your skates are telling you when something just doesn’t feel right on the ice?

Your stick gets a lot of attention. Your gloves are fun to pick out. But when it comes to actually moving, stopping, turning, and competing on the ice, everything starts with your skates.

On this episode of The Ride To The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Russ Layton, founder and CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a quick, practical lesson every young hockey player should hear: how t...

🏒 Your player knows their stick flex, curve, and favorite tape job—but do they know what’s happening underneath their skates?

Skate sharpening may be one of the most overlooked parts of youth hockey, yet the condition of a player’s edges can directly affect their confidence, turning, stopping, acceleration, and overall feel on the ice.

In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Russ Layton, Founder & CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a deep dive into everything hockey families need to understan...

🏒 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 t...

🏒 Ever wonder who makes sure your tournaments are booked, your hotel is ready, your ice time is scheduled, and your team actually knows where it needs to be?

There’s a good chance your team manager had something to do with it.

On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee, Mike, Christie, and special guest **Christine—an experienced youth hockey team manager who has managed multiple high-level teams—**take young players behind the scenes of one of the most important jobs on a hockey team.

And kids, your mana...

🏒 What happens when you’re “voluntold” to become the team manager—and suddenly an entire hockey season feels like it’s resting on your shoulders?

Every successful youth hockey team has players, coaches, and supportive parents. But behind the scenes, there’s often one person keeping the schedules organized, hotels booked, families informed, problems solved, and team culture moving in the right direction: the team manager.

In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Christine O’Brien, who recently mana...

🏒 What separates a practice that simply fills an hour from one that actually makes players better?

Great practices don’t happen by accident. They’re intentional, connected to the game, and designed around what players truly need to improve.

On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist Hayley Scamurra are joined by Chris Howard of Ice Hockey Systems for a deep dive into what makes hockey practices effective—from youth hockey all the way to the professional level.

Chris shares ho...

🏒 What is one habit you could commit to today that would make you a better hockey player tomorrow?

In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli explain why setting personal standards can change the direction of your hockey journey—both on and off the ice.

Standards are the non-negotiable habits and expectations that guide how you prepare, compete, recover, study, and support your teammates. They might include arriving at the rink early, packing your equipment the night before, eating properly, completing your schoolwork, or committing to yo...

🏒 When a young hockey player misbehaves, who is responsible—the coach, the parent, or the entire team community?

Coaches are often told to “control their kids,” but the truth is more complicated: coaches can guide, mentor, manage, and establish standards, but they are not replacements for parents.

In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Mike Bonelli and Lee Elias explore where coaching responsibilities begin, where they end, and why successful youth hockey environments require parents, coaches, officials, and players to work together.

They discuss how clear expectations around punctuali...

🏒 Not getting enough ice time? Before blaming the coach, it may be time to ask a better question: What can I do to earn more trust?

In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra tackle one of the most emotional—and often misunderstood—topics in youth hockey: ICE TIME.

Players naturally want to be on the ice. Parents want to see their children get opportunities. Coaches want to put their teams in the best position to succ...

🏒 What separates players who simply react from players who always seem to be one step ahead?

In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, former professional hockey player and development coach Kevin Clark joins Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli to share practical advice that young hockey players can use immediately.

Kevin explains why players need a short-term memory, how additional development during the season can create long-term growth, and why scanning the ice before receiving the puck is one of the most valuable habits a young player can bui...

🏒 Your child may know what happened during a shift—but do they understand why it happened?

Goals, assists, wins, and losses are easy to see. But the small decisions that build hockey IQ, earn a coach’s trust, and help a player advance rarely appear on the score sheet.

In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Kevin Clark of Cascade Hockey, a former professional player whose 16-year career included time in the Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets organizations, along with multipl...

🏒 What does it look like when women athletes are not simply recognized—but truly celebrated?

This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena.

Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for a behind-the-scenes recap of She Weekend in Las Vegas, an unforgettable celebration organized by Flavor Flav with support from Paris Hilton, MGM, major sponsors, entertainers, and fans of women’s sports.

With no script and no formal rundown, Hayley takes listeners through the experience day by day—from an all-female flight cr...

🏒 Feeling nervous before your next hockey tryout? Take a breath—you have already done the work.

In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee and Christie are joined by Gabe Malinski of TeamGenius, a hockey evaluation expert who helps organizations improve tryouts through better technology and evaluation methods.

Gabe reminds young players that tryouts are not the time to become someone different. They are an opportunity to trust their preparation, play the game they love, and show coaches who they are as players and teammates.

The c...

🏒 What makes a youth hockey tryout feel fair—and what causes the entire process to break down?

Tryouts can be one of the most emotional parts of the hockey season. Players are nervous, parents are analyzing every drill, coaches are trying to build balanced teams, and organizations are under pressure to make decisions that families can trust.

In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Gabe Malinski of TeamGenius, a platform that helps youth sports organizations improve tryouts, player evaluations, commu...

🧠 What separates a talented hockey player from one a coach trusts in every situation?

Skills may create highlight-reel moments, but hockey IQ influences nearly every second of the game—with or without the puck.

In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Team USA gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins Lee Elias for an important conversation about hockey IQ, skill development, anticipation, timing, and learning to see the game before the play unfolds.

Hayley explains why she would choose a player with elite hockey IQ and a...

🏒 What does an NHL scout really want young hockey players to focus on?

According to former NHL player and current NHL scout Patrick Rissmiller, the answer is not complicated: have fun, be coachable, become a great teammate, and enjoy being a kid.

In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Patrick speaks directly to young athletes about what truly matters during their youth hockey journey. Instead of worrying about statistics, highlight-reel goals, rankings, or constantly doing more, he encourages players to build their love for the game through unstructured play, other sports, family time, and...

🏒 What does an NHL scout really notice—and are youth hockey families focusing on the wrong things?

Former NHL player, development coach, and current Anaheim Ducks scout Patrick Rissmiller joins Lee, Christie, and Mike for an honest conversation about how hockey players actually develop.

Patrick’s path was anything but automatic. He went undrafted, entered professional hockey on a tryout, earned an American Hockey League contract, and eventually built a 13-year professional career that included time with the San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Florida Panthers. After retiring, he spen...

🏒 Is your player attending hockey camp—or simply spending more time on the ice?

Hockey camps can be an incredible opportunity for girls to improve their skills, meet new teammates, build confidence, and rediscover their love for the game. But with so many camps available, how can families tell the difference between a meaningful development experience and an expensive week that offers little lasting value?

In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL champion Hayley Scamurra break down what players and paren...

🚗🏒 What kind of hockey player are you becoming — and what kind of person are you becoming along the way?

On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, powered by NHL Sense Arena, Lee and Mike are joined by former NHL player Doug Smith — a second overall NHL Draft pick and a member of the legendary Miracle on Manchester, one of the greatest playoff comebacks in NHL history.

But today’s message goes far beyond goals, skating, and hockey highlights.

Doug speaks directly to young players abou...

🏒 What happens when the game you’ve built your identity around is suddenly taken away?

This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Doug Smith, former NHL forward, 1981 second-overall draft pick, Ottawa 67s standout, Bobby Smith Award winner, and one of the most powerful voices in hockey when it comes to resilience, recovery, and perspective.

Doug’s story is extraordinary. After being drafted second overall and playing for NHL teams including the Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Pittsburgh Penguin...