The Rink Shrinks

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a mailbag episode this week! BY comes to us live from Nantucket during the Y3K hockey camp and gives us a breakdown of how the camp has gone thus far. The guys dip into the mailbag to answer your questions which include the benefits of playing soccer and what hockey families can do to avoid burnout. BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back this week with a recap of the NHL Draft, free agency, and an interview with now two-time guest, Rob Concannon! Before the interview BY & Motts chat about what they have been up to off the ice and all the wild moves that have happened across the NHL draft and free agency. Then, the boys welcomed in the President of the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL,...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back and are joined by former 16 year NHL veteran, current analyst for the NHL Network, and our first guest of the Rink Shrinks podcast, Brian Boyle! Bri and the guys talk about the Stanley Cup Final and the impacts some of the players had on the series and what it took to win the series. Boyler also jumps into working the game by being an analyst and what it’s lik...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau breakdown everything that has gone down in this epic Stanley Cup Final between Vegas and Carolina which features multiple goal comebacks and a goalie change! The guys also give their thoughts on the latest award winners in the NHL which included the Selke Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Lady Byng Award. BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings questi...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back this week with a fresh mailbag episode! Before answering all of your questions the guys recap Motts’ week on the golf course and the Chicago Wolves development camp. Then they jump into some NHL awards that were handed out to some of the top names across the league and touch on the loss of Claude Lemieux. BY & Motts wrap up the show answering your question...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back this week and kick things off chatting about Motts’ weekend in Chicago for rookie camp with the Chicago Steel. Then the boys pivot into the NHL with Vegas already locking up the Western Conference, they discuss who they think will come out of the Eastern Conference. BY & Motts wrap up the show hitting on the PWHL championship, World Championships, the Cald...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh mailbag episode this week and are ready to answer all of your questions! The boys also hit on the epic game seven between Montreal and Buffalo, the Conference Finals matchups, and who to keep an eye on to help get their team to the Cup finals. To wrap up the show the guys answer the My Hockey Rankings question of the week. Thank you for listening!...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back this week with an interview with Chris “Knuckles” Nilan! Chris sits down with the boys to chat about his career which featured learning some discipline, winning a Stanley Cup, and getting inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey of Fame alongside Motts. Knuckles gives his thoughts on the Canadiens in the midst of the Stanley Cup run and makes it known that the c...

The guys are back with a packed episode covering everything from NHL playoff intensity to youth hockey development and coaching philosophy. Motts shares stories from his Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame weekend, while BY breaks down his trip to a major spring hockey tournament in Philadelphia. The crew dives into Stanley Cup playoff storylines, offensive-zone trends in today’s game, the Vezina Tr...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with an interview with former NHL tough guy and current youth hockey head coach, David Clarkson! Clarky joins the boys to discuss the importance of coaching kids in today's game and what it was like playing with Motts and playing in the NHL. BY & Motts wrap up the show by answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week and Motts gives his Motts momen...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back again this week for a recap episode! In this episode Motts breaks down his first season behind the bench in Chicago and what his expectations are of his players moving forward. The guys also recap the Masters Tournament and hit on some NHL news that has broken in the last couple of weeks. BY & Motts wrap up the show by answering the My Hockey Rankings ques...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with an interview with Hockey Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup Champion, and now author, Chris Pronger! Prongs sits down with the boys to discuss his career and his new book that is being released today and more including: You have to be willing to bet on yourself San Jose telling him to his face they aren’t drafting him Winning the Cup with Anaheim Winning the Norr...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh mailbag episode this week! The guys recap Motts’ weekend coaching, the NCAA frozen four regionals, and what happened around the rinks at the National Championships at the youth level. Then the boys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions which include: Roster size at the Bantam level Keeping confidence despite some struggles in the se...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with an interview with former professional tough guy in the NHL & AHL, Micheal Haley! Before the interview the guys catch up on everything around the rinks both personally and in the hockey world. Then the boys welcome in Hales for a great interview about his career and more including: Big lacrosse player, transferring those skills to the ice Making teamma...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a new hybrid mailbag episode this week featuring a friend of the program, Brian Murphy of Neutral Zone! The boys shoot the breeze about the Massachusetts high school hockey tournament, prep schools, and answer some of your mailbag questions as well including: What is your top priority as a hockey parent Players shouldn’t be in a rush to get to prep school...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with an interview with Ryan Vesce, a long time professional hockey player and co-founder and CEO of Matterhorn Fit! Before Ryan joins, the guys recap their week around the rink, talk about some trades that happened prior to the deadline on Friday, and hit on the local high school playoffs that are underway in Massachusetts. Then the boys welcome in Ryan to tal...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a new mailbag episode this week! Before the mailbag the guys recap the Gold Medal victories for both the men and women of Team USA! Then boys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions including: Playing for two AAA teams in two different levels Finding the right path to playing Division I hockey The right time to focus on advancing in sports Tr...

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back and welcome in Ryan Hughes of Revive DNA to the show! Before Ryan joins the guys give their full breakdown of everything that is happening in the Olympics and what went on over the weekend around the links locally. Then the boys welcome in Ryan Hughes former professional hockey player and now General Manager of Revive DNA for North America for a great discussi...

Episode 267- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a new mailbag episode this week. Before getting to all of your questions and stories the guys recap the Super Bowl and breakdown what went on around the rinks over the weekend. Then the guys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions that include: How to resolve an issue in a small hockey community Ice time versus a talented team So...

Episode 266- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with an interview with Matt Martin! Before Marty joins, the boys catch up on the weekend, recap the NHL Stadium Series, and hit on some recent trades in the NHL. Then the guys bring in long time NHL veteran and now Special Assistant to the GM of the New York Islanders Matt Martin to chat about his career and share some stories that includes: Not m...

Episode 265- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh mailbag episode this week. Before getting to all of your questions the guys recap their weekends and talk about the Patriots getting back to the SuperBowl! Then the boys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions and react to your stories that include: Utilizing roster spots at the high school level Ice time for Mites “The G...

Episode 264- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with an interview with current Assistant Executive Director of USA Hockey, Bob Mancini! Before Bob joins the show, the guys catch up on their time around the rinks from last week, the Hobey Baker award finalists, and fights breaking out across multiple leagues in the same week! Then Bob Mancini joins the show to discuss his current role with USA h...

Episode 263- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with the first mailbag of 2026! The guys kick off the episode recapping their weekends around the rinks and putting the focus on relaying the correct message to the team. Then the boys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions and react to your stories which includes: Adapting to a higher level of hockey going from peewee to bantam Defe...

Episode 262- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh interview to kick off the year 2026 with local guy, Paul Carey! Before Paul joins the show, the guys catch up on their teams and where they are at heading into the new year, Sweden winning the World Juniors tournament, and a big congratulations to Ryan Mottau committing to Connecticut College! Then the boys bring in Weymouth, MA nativ...

Episode 261- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back to wish all of our families, friends, and amazing listeners a Happy Holidays during this “Best Of” episode! We hope you enjoy some of our favorite stories and messages from some of our best interviews during 2025. Enjoy clips of interviews from: Albert Breer Mike Rupp David Warsofsky Rob Scuderi Bobby Holik As always, BY & Motts wrap up the show a...