The Breakout Sessions

Tune in as we talk with Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls Area head hockey coaches - Jeff Schemberger - Eau Claire Memorial, Ryan Parker - Eau Claire North, Matt Lukowitz - Chippewa Falls about their hockey journeys, their programs and the state of hockey in Wisconsin!

Neil hails from International Falls, MN and comes from a hockey playing family. Listen in as he takes us through his path to Harvard and the NHL. After his playing career ended, Neil studied to become a lawyer, NHLPA Player Agent and Neuro Muscular Therapist. Neil tells great stories and has an awesome sense of humor! 

Bryce hails from Battleford, Saskatchewan and played junior hockey with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and Penticton Vees. From there, he moved to college at Minnesota State Mankato. Following his career with the Mavericks, Bryce played for the Chicago Wolves and the Iowa Wild in the AHL, while also spending time playing in Switzerland, Germany and Norway. Bryce is currently the Director of Hockey at Valley Sports Academy in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin. 

Brian Bonin takes us through his rise through the ranks, starting on his backyard rink, through the White Bear Youth Hockey Association, his time with the Golden Gophers and his career in the professional ranks. Brian has some excellent advice for youth players wanting to get to the next level. Awesome insights and interview! 

Zach Sondreal grew up in Woodbury, MN, played high school hockey at Cretin-Derham Hall and has played over 150 games as a defenseman with the NAHL's Chippewa Steel! 

Chris "Critter" Johnson played high school hockey at Madison Memorial, then took his skills to the NAHL's Fairbanks Ice Dogs. After a 4-year career, and 2 All-American awards at Augsburg College, Chris began his coaching career. He currently is an assistant coach with the PWHL's Minnesota Frost. Chris is from the Wisconsin Hockey Royalty Family of grandfather "Badger Bob" Johnson and the son of 1980 Olympic Champion, former NHLer and current Badger Women's Head Coach - Mark Johnson. 

Marblehead, MA’s Connor Jalbert joined the NAHL’s Chippewa Steel this year after a trade with Anchorage. 

Don Beaupre hails from the Twin Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener, Ontario. He made his way to the NHL via playing major junior hockey with the Sudbury Wolves. Don was drafted in the 2nd round by the Minnesota North Stars and led them to the Stanley Cup finals as a rookie. Don played in 740 regular season and playoff games in the NHL, earning 2 All Star games appearances!

Jackson Lackas hails from Las Vegas, Nevada and, as a 17 year old, is in his 2nd season with the NAHL's Chippewa Steel. 

All these three women hockey players ever do is win. From National Championships with the Badgers to the inaugural Walter Cup with the PWHL's Minnesota Frost. They tell great stories about how they ended up where they are. Listen to them compare Coach Mark Johnson and Coach Ken Klee. Their game is an exciting one. You need to check out a game at the Xcel Energy Center if you haven't already!

Born and raised in Eveleth, Minnesota, Joe Delich played high school hockey for the Eveleth Golden Bears. Following his high school career, Joe went to play at the US Air Force Academy. As a commissioned officer, Joe held a variety of positions including assistant coaching and recruiting for Air Force. Following his stint as an officer, Joe worked in a variety of positions in hockey and, ultimately, accepted the position with Minnesota hockey. He tells great stories and provides insight into the workings of amateur hockey in Minnesota and beyond. A "must Listen" podcast episode!

Hermantown, Minnesota...

You will be highly entertained by this interview with Original 6 goaltender Carl Wetzel. Carl played in the era of little padding, no masks and only 6 NHL teams. He has great stories of growing up in Detroit, Michigan and his ascension up the ranks!

NAHL Chippewa Steel goaltender talks about his rise through the ranks as well as his recent commitment to playing goal at Brown University.

Great stories from the old and the new!

Phenomenal high school players and teammates, Sam Stange and Zach Urdahl decided to attend the University of Wisconsin and play for the Badgers. After a coaching change, the guys saw the handwriting on the wall and knew they needed a change in order to keep playing the game they love. Zach made the first move to Nebraska - Omaha and Sam followed a year later. Listen in to hear how their transfer process unfolded, how the portal works, how the season is going and their experience at prospect camps over the summer!

Listen in as players Pee Wee players from Eau Claire, Onalaska, Rhinelander, Northfield, MN, East Metro, MN, Waunakee and Chippewa Falls  talk hockey with Mogey and JC at the Chris Kurth Memorial Pee Wee Hockey Tournament in Eau Claire, WI

Have you ever wondered what it is like to host a billet hockey player? Tune in to hear the experiences of Chippewa Steel billet parents Conrad and Crystelle High and Dan Solberg, along with Steel players; Jakub Irsak, Austin Boyce and Matic Percic.

Meet Bryan Zollman - Saint Paul MN native, State Champion at Hill-Murray and owner/publisher of Let's Play Hockey. Bryan talks about his youth playing days, how he ended up at Hill-Murray, playing and winning the Minnesota State Boys Hockey Championship!

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be married to a professional hockey player? Who takes care of business when the husband gets traded or picked up on waivers? Jen Zanon, wife of former NHL player Greg Zanon and Carolyn Emberson, wife of current NHL player Ty Emberson take us through the highs and lows of this crazy life!

Mike takes us through his youth, moving around the US and Canada with his parents, his playing and coaching careers with the Wisconsin Badgers, as well as some great stories about his time in the NHL! You will really enjoy Mike's humor and storytelling ability!

Tom was a great all-around athlete from Richfield, MN. He played football, baseball and hockey in high school. He played 3 season with the Gophers, then started his career in coaching. He coached at the high school level, in the USHL with the St. Paul Vulcans, at the collegiate level with the Gophers, for many years at SSM and at the NHL level as an assistant to Hall of Famer Phil Housley in Buffalo. Following his stint in Buffalo, Tom returned to SSM. Listen in to find out why he returned and why this place is so special to the...

You will enjoy this interview! We got together with the coaching staff as they are preparing for their second season with the Mavericks! This staff have known and worked with each other for years. Listen in as they talk about their responsibilities and where they see the Mavericks going now and into the future!

We interviewed participants at the Snoopy's Senior World Hockey Tournament in Santa Rosa, California. Listen i as these players talk about the tournament and what keeps them playing this great game!

Having a professional hockey playing father and uncle does not guarantee you success in the hockey world. Only hard work, sacrifice and dedication can get you there. Listen in as Mason and Beckett Hendrickson talk about their hockey journeys at this point in their careers. Mason plays in the MIAC with Gustavus Adolphus College and Beckett starts his carerr with the Minnesota Gophers this fall.  

Logan has gone from playing youth and high school hockey in Chippewa Falls, WI to assistant coaching the 2024 NAHL Robertson Cup winning Lone Star Brahmas. Listen in as Logan takes us through his journey and where he would like to see himself in the future! 

Listen in as Charles Bailey and AJ Bucchino chronical what it takes to start an new NAHL franchise and how they built their team for the inaugural season!

Dylan Samberg has had an extraordinary career up to this point; winning 2 Minnesota State Hockey Championships with the Hermantown Hawks, 2 National Championships with the UMD Bulldogs and making it to the NHL as a defenseman with the Winnipeg Jets. How was he able to accomplish all this? You'll need to listen to this episode!

Listen in as siblings and Menomonie, WI natives Mariah and Remington Keopple take us through their journeys; Mariah from Princeton University to PWHL Montreal and Remington from the Des Moines Buccaneers to Cornel University. 

Dr. Ali Jones started her hockey career in Marshfield, WI then moved on to Culver Academy to join her first all-girls team. She earned a scholarship to Yale University and after graduation, played 2 seasons of professional hockey with the Minnesota Whitecaps. She currently is a Child Psychiatrist at Marshfield Clinic in Eau Claire, WI where she works with children and young adults that are struggling with their mental health. We had a great time talking with her and believe you will enjoy her thoughts on youth sports.

Listen in as we are joined by participants of the Hendrickson Foundation Summer Hockey Festival at the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN This festival consists of players in the following hockey categories: blind, deaf and hard of hearing, sled, warrior and special. These athletes have great stories to tell and you do get the feeling that "hockey changes lives"!

Tourney Time: Stories From the Minnesota Boys' State Hockey Tournament - Any Minnesota high school hockey fan, or ANY hockey fan, for that matter, needs to check out this book. David La Vaque and Loren Nelson have done a phenomenal job talking with players, coaches, parents and fans, chronicling stories from the start of the tourney in 1945 through the 2024 tournament! This is a MUST READ!  

Join us as we welcome the father and son combination of Wes and Kelvin Walz. Both men have had a great journey to the professional ranks. Their stories mirror each other as they exhibited great tenacity and determination to play the game they love!

Mike is a product of the Kirkwood Youth Hockey Association, which his grandfather, Bill McKenna, helped establish. Mike played in the NAHL with the Springfield Junior Blues, college with the Saint Lawrence Saints, then went on a 14 year professional odyssey with 22 teams! You'll learn about Mike's dedication, tenacity and determination to make the NHL, which he did! Very inspirational story!

Join us as Greg tells us about his rise from Burnaby, BC to the best league in the world! He tells great stories about guys he played with and against, how he landed with his family in Stillwater, MN and how became a coach. His stories are hilarious. You'll love this episode! 

Born in the Soo and coached by his father, Mike Zuke made the NHL by learning to play a full 200 foot game. Tech coach John MacInnes stressed these lessons that carried Mike through a long WHA and NHL career. You'll love his stories and sense of humor!

Darby chronicles his story growing up in Richfield in a hockey family. His goal was to play high school hockey, but he went way past that playing Division 1 hockey and playing in the NHL. Darby takes us through what he does in his current role as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Wild!

TY joins us for the second time. This time as a bona fide NHL player! Ty made his NHL debut this season and scored his first NHL goal! Listen in as he tells us what it took for him to go from the AHL to the NHL.

This is our second visit with Ty and his first as an NHL player. Listen in as he tells us what it took for him to go from the AHL to the NHL!

Michigan Tech Husky assistant coaches all grew up in different areas, but are together at MTU. Learn how they fell in love with the game and how they ended up together as MTU Husky assistant coaches.

Shane grew up and played his minor hockey in Fernie, BC, a town of roughly 7.000 people, He rose through the ranks with skill and tenacity, resulting in him playing 488 NHL games and amassing 2301 penalty minutes. Always ready to stand up for a teammate, Shane was loved by his teammates and coaches. He currently serves as the Director of Amateur Scouting for the NHL's Florida Panthers.

Natalie Darwitz hails from Eagan, MN where she racked up an astounding 468 points at Eagan High School! She was a member of the US National Women's Team at age 15 and starred for the Golden Gophers, winning National Championships in '04 and '05. She has won countless medals and awards throughout her hockey career and currently is the General Manager of the PWHL team in Minnesota. She has a very inspirational story to share!

Danny Hendrickson takes us through what the motivation was for his father, Larry, was to establish the Hendrickson Foundation and why he and his family have kept it going. Danny brings Minnesota Warrior coach, Derek Kottke and Minnesota Wild Blind Hockey team manger, Nick Hadfield to talk about the positive influence the foundation has had on them and their players. The foundation's motto is "Hockey Changes Lives". You'll be moved by this episode.

The Chippewa Falls High School Hockey Captains joined us just prior to leaving to compete in the 2024 Wisconsin State High School Division 1 Hockey Tournament.

Coach Ratz takes us through growing up in Rochester, MN and how he fell in love with the game. He has been coaching for the past few years and has been successful wherever he has gone. Listen in as he lets us in on some of his coaching secrets!

The captains of the Houghton Gremlins and Hancock Bulldogs High School hockey teams join us prior to their annual "Wing Ding" battle. These 2 high school programs have been going at it since around 1904. Both schools were represented by some tremendous young men!

Houghton Gremlin Captains:
Mike Maillette - Senior, forward
Connor Raffaelli - Senior, defense
Bryant Lee - Senior, goalie

Hancock Bulldog Captains:
Bryce Hanner - Senior, defense
Luke Mikkola - Senior, defense