Our Kids Play Hockey | Hockey Stories & Teamwork Tips
Our Kids Play Hockey delivers engaging hockey stories and expert advice on teamwork and youth sports. Focused on parenting athletes, hockey parents, and young players, our podcast offers insightful interviews and practical tips to create positive sports experiences. Featuring knowledgeable hosts and guest experts, we explore skill development, sportsmanship, and the unique challenges in youth hockey, including specialized series on girls in hockey and young goalies.The show features three hockey parents, who all work in the game at high levels: Christie Casciano-Burns - USA Hockey Columnist, Author, and WSYR AnchorMike Bonelli - USA Hockey Coach and Organizational ConsultantLee M...
The Ride to The Rink: How Goalies Can Separate Performance From Results with InGoal's Dave Hutchison
🥅 Goalies, skaters, and teammates—how do you handle it when the puck goes in?
Do you blame yourself?
Blame someone else?
Stare at the scoreboard?
Or can you step back and look at how you actually played?
In this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias is joined by Dave “Hutch” Hutchison, co-founder of InGoal Magazine, to talk directly to young goalies and skaters about confidence, mistakes, teamwork, and learning to evaluate your performance beyond the final score.
Hutch explains why hockey has created a culture o...
Our Kids Play Goalie: InGoal’s Dave Hutchison on Goalie Development Done Right
🥅 What does a young goalie actually need from the adults around them?
More criticism?
More statistics?
More breakdowns of every goal?
Or more confidence, perspective, and opportunities to learn?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by Dave “Hutch” Hutchison, co-founder of InGoal Magazine, longtime goalie coach, lifelong goaltender, podcast host, and goalie parent.
Hutch has spent years talking with NHL goaltenders and coaches while also living the youth and junior hockey journey with his own son. That gives him a r...
Hockey IQ Talk with Albe: How Playmaker Mode Teaches Players to Read the Ice
🧠 Can hockey IQ actually be trained—or are some players simply born with it?
In this edition of Hockey IQ Talk with Albe, Lee Elias and Andrew “Albe” Alberts go beyond individual hockey IQ concepts and tackle the bigger question: How do players actually train their brains to see the ice, recognize options, and make better decisions?
The answer starts with three foundational skills: scanning, reading the play, and identifying cues.
Albe takes us behind the scenes of NHL Sense Arena’s Playmaker Mode, a new training experience designed to place skaters and goalies ins...
The Ride to the Rink: Elite Is a Journey, Not a Destination with Duncan Fletcher
🏒 What does it actually mean to be “elite” in hockey?
Is it the team you play for?
The logo on your jersey?
The level next to your name?
Or is it something you build over time?
In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by athlete-development expert Duncan Fletcher to speak directly to young players about what being elite really means.
Duncan explains that truly elite young players are incredibly rare—and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with still wor...
Our Kids Play Hockey: What “Elite” Really Means with Game Change's Executive Director Duncan Fletcher
🏒 What actually separates the players who reach the next level from the ones who don’t?
Is it talent?
Work ethic?
Mindset?
AAA hockey?
More tournaments?
Or are we focusing on the wrong things entirely?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by Duncan Fletcher, Executive Director of Game Change, former Division I hockey coach, and longtime athlete-development professional who has worked with hundreds of professional athletes.
The conversation challenges some of the biggest assumptions in yo...
Our Girls Play Hockey: From Gold Medal to Vegas—Hayley Scamurra Moves Forward (Day in the Life Series)
🏒 How do you follow up a year that included an Olympic gold medal and a Walter Cup championship?
For Hayley Scamurra, the answer isn’t about trying to “top” it.
It’s about continuing the journey.
In the first installment of Our Girls Play Hockey: Day in the Life 2026–27, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli reconnect with Hayley as she closes one unforgettable chapter and steps directly into another—Team USA camp, World Championship preparation, a cross-country move, and the launch of a brand-new PWHL team in Las Vegas.
Hayley reflects on the gratitude s...
The Ride to the Rink: How to Think Like a Better Goalie
🥅 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...
Our Kids Play Goalie: NHL Veteran Andrew Raycroft on What Really Makes a Great Goalie
🥅 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 foc...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Protecting the Love of the Game When Hockey Becomes Too Much
🏒 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?
Hayle...
The Ride to the Rink: How to Be More Coachable on the Bench
🏒 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 line...
Hockey Family Holiday Deals: Yellow & Black Friday—26% Off Hockey Wraparound
🏒 Looking for hockey gifts that players will actually use—and that can help protect expensive gear, create more training opportunities, and make life a little easier for hockey families? This episode is for you.
On this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias kicks off the Hockey Family Holiday Deals series with the story behind Hockey Wraparound—and a limited-time offer designed to help hockey families save while picking up practical products built specifically for the game.
Hockey Wraparound started with a simple problem: how do you let players train outside with the stick t...
Stop Coaching the Ice: How to Manage a Youth Hockey Bench
🏒 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.
Toda...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Hayley Scamurra on Leadership, Confidence, and Finding Your People in Hockey
🏒 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 sh...
The Ride to The Rink: How Young Goalies Can Prepare, Compete and Believe
🥅 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 a...
Our Kids Play Goalie: What NHL Goalie Coaches See That Youth Goalies Miss with Steve Briere
🥅 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 Sea...
Hockey IQ Talk with Albe: How Players Learn to Identify Cues
🧠🏒 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 arriv...
The Ride to The Rink: Want to Try That Move in a Game? Practice It First.
🏒 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 at...
Beyond Raffle Tickets: Rethinking Youth Hockey Fundraising with Ryan Beckmann and Justin Shaw of Hero Picks
🏒 Raffle tickets. Chocolate bars. Coupon books. Car washes. Poinsettias. If you’ve spent enough time around youth hockey, chances are you’ve been asked to sell at least one of them. But does fundraising still have to work that way?
On this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano Burns sit down with Ryan and Justin from Hero Picks to explore how technology could reshape fundraising for hockey teams, charities, and communities.
Hero Picks was created around a simple question: What if fundrai...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Hayley Scamurra on Hockey IQ, Work Ethic, and Becoming a Better Player
🏒 What separates a good hockey player from a great one—and what can young players start doing right now to improve?
In this special Q&A edition of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli put Hayley Scamurra in the hot seat with questions submitted by young players, parents, and coaches.
From starting hockey at just three years old on a backyard rink (with a little help from M&Ms!) to competing at the highest levels of the game, Hayley shares the lessons that shaped her development—and many of them have le...
The Ride to The Rink: What Goalies Wish Their Teammates Understood
🥅 Your goalie isn’t playing alone—and keeping the puck out of the net is everyone’s responsibility.
In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli speak directly to young hockey players about something every great teammate needs to understand: your goaltender is one of six players on the ice, not a separate part of the team.
After hearing hundreds of comments from hockey parents about what they wish others understood about goalies, Lee and Mike bring those lessons straight to the players.
For goali...
Our Kids Play Goalie: Mailbag: What 200+ Goalie Parents Want Skater Families to Know
🥅 What do goalie parents wish every skater parent understood? Apparently… a lot.
When we asked that question on social media, we expected a handful of responses. Instead, more than 210 goalie parents jumped into the conversation—and their answers opened the door to a discussion every hockey family should hear.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli dig into those responses and unpack the things skaters, parents, and coaches may never fully appreciate unless they’ve experienced life between the pipes.
From the right...
Hockey IQ Talk with Andrew "Albe" Alberts: Shoulder Checking
🏒 What does your player know before they ever touch the puck?
That question is at the heart of hockey IQ — and in this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL defenseman Andrew “Albe” Alberts, who played more than 450 NHL games and now works with the NHL Sense Arena team, to break down one of the simplest and most important habits in the game: shoulder checking.
It may sound basic, but knowing what’s behind you before you get to the...
The Ride to The Rink: Why Great Teammates Have Uncomfortable Conversations with Bill Taylor
🏒 What do you do when a teammate won’t pass the puck, you disagree with your coach, or you and your parents aren’t seeing hockey the same way?
Conflict is part of every hockey season. The question isn’t whether it will happen—it’s whether you’ll have the courage and communication skills to handle it well.
On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee, Christie, Mike, and Bill Taylor of Sports Conflict Lab talk directly to young hockey players about one of the hardest skills to learn in sports...
Why Healthy Conflict Makes Teams Stronger With Sports Conflict Lab Founder/CEO Bill Taylor
🔥 What if conflict isn’t the problem in youth hockey… but avoiding it is?
Whether it’s a disagreement over playing time, tension between teammates, a frustrated parent, or an uncomfortable conversation with a coach, conflict is inevitable in sports. But according to Bill Taylor, founder of Sports Conflict Lab and author of Managing Sports Conflict: Five Tools to Master Conflict, learning how to handle those moments can actually make teams, relationships, and young athletes stronger.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Bill...
Why Healthy Conflict Makes Teams Stronger With Sports Conflict Lab Founder/CEO Bill Taylor
🔥 What if conflict isn’t the problem in youth hockey… but avoiding it is?
Whether it’s a disagreement over playing time, tension between teammates, a frustrated parent, or an uncomfortable conversation with a coach, conflict is inevitable in sports. But according to Bill Taylor, founder of Sports Conflict Lab and author of Managing Sports Conflict: Five Tools to Master Conflict, learning how to handle those moments can actually make teams, relationships, and young athletes stronger.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Bill...
Our Girls Play Hockey: A Year in the Life of Olympic Gold Medalist and Walter Cup Champion Hayley Scamurra
🏒 What started as a simple “Day in the Life” became a front-row seat to hockey history.
At the beginning of the season, Hayley Scamurra was facing uncertainty. She was balancing Team USA evaluation camps with a new chapter for the Montreal Victoire, competing for an Olympic roster spot while navigating the demands of a full professional season.
By the end of it, she had accomplished something no woman had ever done before: win an Olympic gold medal and the PWHL Walter Cup in the same year.
In this special edition of Our Kids Pl...
The Ride to The Rink: How Young Hockey Players Can Fuel for Better Performance
🥅 Want more energy on the ice? Start by looking at what you’re putting into your body.
On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano Burns talk directly to young hockey players about something that can make a real difference in how they feel, focus, and perform: nutrition.
Food is fuel, and just like a car can’t run well without the right gas, hockey players need the right fuel to perform at their best.
The crew breaks down why hea...
What Should Hockey Players Eat? Easy Meals, Snacks & Rink-Day Nutrition for Hockey Families
🏒 What’s for dinner when practice starts at 5:30, homework still needs to get done, and everyone is heading in a different direction?
For hockey families, feeding everyone during the season can feel like another full-time job. Between practices, games, tournaments, school, work, and travel, the fast-food drive-thru can start looking like the easiest option.
But it doesn’t have to be.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns tackle one of the most relatable challenges hockey parents face: how to feed your family—...
Mike Bonelli’s New Player Advising Program for Youth Hockey Families
🏒 What if your young hockey player could get individualized feedback, video analysis, coach collaboration, and a season-long development plan—all without adding another practice to the calendar?
In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias sits down with longtime coach and player-development expert Mike Bonelli to introduce Mike’s new Player Advising Program, designed to give youth hockey players and families something that can be hard to find during a busy season: consistent, individualized feedback.
Rather than focusing on playing time, rankings, or where a player should...
The Ride to The Rink: Kiersten Sires on What College Coaches Notice Early
🏒 Dreaming about playing college hockey someday? The work doesn’t start when recruiting begins—it starts with the habits you’re building right now.
On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Kiersten Sires, creator of 2aDays, to help young hockey players understand what they can do today to prepare for the opportunities they hope to have tomorrow.
And here’s the good news: you don’t need to be emailing college coaches or worrying about recruiting rankings at eight, ten, o...
College Hockey Recruiting: How to Find the Right Fit with 2aDays Founder Kiersten Sires
🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them?
For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another question becomes even more important:
Is this really the right place for my student-athlete?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Kiersten Sires, Founder and CEO of 2aDays...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Growing the Game Starts With Belonging
🏒 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...
The Ride to the Rink: Kurtis Gabriel’s Simple Mental Reset for Hockey Players
🏒 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...
Passed Over Twice, Still Made the NHL: Kurtis Gabriel’s Lesson in Relentless Belief
🏒 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...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Why Confidence Can’t Come From Coaches or Parents
🏒 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...
The Ride to The Rink: Why Your Skate Edges Matter More Than You Think
🏒 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...
Skate Sharpening 101 with Sparx Hockey Founder & CEO Russ Layton
🏒 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...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Why Rest Can Make You a Better Hockey Player
🏒 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...
The Ride to the Rink: What Your Hockey Team Manager Really Does
🏒 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...
The Team Manager Playbook: Christine O’Brien on Communication, Travel & Team Culture
🏒 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...
