We're In One

Today I am sitting down with Madison Gildon (Gil-DON, not Gil-DAN), which was apparently a whole thing at her wedding and I love that for her! Madison is the wife of professional hockey player Max Gildon, and her story is one of the most unique and fun ones I have had the pleasure of hearing on this podcast so far. As you'll get to hear, before she was a hockey wife living across Europe, Madison s...

Welcome back for the conclusion of my conversation with the incredible Carlin McCrimmon Phillips, and I have to say is this half of our talk gave me just as many goosebumps as the first. If you haven't listened to Part One yet, go back and start there first, because Carlin's story is one you really want to hear from the beginning. In this episode, we pick up with the lighter side of Carlin's hocke...

Today I am sitting down with someone who I can only describe as the true trifecta of the hockey world. Carlin McCrimmon-Phillips grew up as a hockey daughter, became a hockey wife, and now navigates life as a hockey coach's wife. She is the daughter of the late Brad McCrimmon, an 18-year NHL veteran, Stanley Cup champion, and beloved coach whose name is forever etched into the fabric of this game....

Today I am sitting down with Natalie Weyers, all the way from Calgary (and yes, we did have to navigate quite the time difference to make this one happen)! Natalie is the fiancée of Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley, and from the very first minute of our conversation I just absolutely loved her energy and everything she is doing both on and off the ice. Natalie's story is one that so many of us i...

Welcome back to another solo, and I will be the first to admit I am just as nervous as I was the first time! If you caught my last solo episode , you know I got a lot of questions about relocation, and I tucked them away because I knew this topic deserved its very own episode. The timing felt right because we literally just made a move ourselves, so everything I am about to share is as fresh as it...

If you've been with me since the very beginning, then you already know how special this episode is because my very first guest is back, and I truly cannot think of a more perfect full circle moment than this one! Krystie Letang joined me when I hit record for the first time, and here we are again with a story so wild, so perfectly woven together, that I got goosebumps more times than I can count....

If there is one guest who could rival the hockey world's frequent flyer record, it might just be today's! Dominique Wishart has spent over a decade navigating life as the partner of Ty Wishart, a professional hockey player who spent 17 years suiting up across North America and Europe before the family packed their bags one final time for the ultimate destination: Melbourne, Australia. From a chanc...

We often hear from women who have spent a decade or two navigating the hockey world, and I've introduced you to many already on this podcast but today I am thrilled to bring you a completely fresh perspective from someone brand new to the game! Kaylee Steele has been by her fiance (soon-to-be husband) goalie Rico DiMatteo's side through a winding NCAA journey across three universities before he ma...

Today's guest didn't plan on reaching out to a stranger on the internet. But after her husband's team missed the playoffs by just one point, she found herself up late, looking for something, and anyone, who actually got it. That search led her to my podcast, and I couldn't be happier to bring our conversation to you.  Carrie Martin has been alongside Joel Martin for 22 years, through the CHL, ECHL...

What does it mean to grow up as the son of an NHL Stanley Cup champion and then carve out your own 13-year professional hockey career across two continents? For today's special guest, Bryce Reddick (son of former NHL goalie Eldon "Pokey" Reddick), it meant navigating the constant pressure of living up to a legendary name while building his own identity one contract at a time!  Bryce takes us behin...

How do you react when the life you've spent years building is suddenly uprooted by a news bulletin on your car radio? For Melissa Rach, the ex-wife of former NHL goalie Pokey Reddick, it was finding out about a trade to Edmonton while driving home to her newborn baby was the moment she truly entered the hockey life. Today, Melissa gives a look back at an era long before the "WAG" label was popular...

The move from the playing years to the coaching staff changes more than just a schedule, it changes the entire dynamic of a hockey household! My special guest Tina Tuzzolino has spent twenty years navigating this life alongside her husband, Nick, through two dozen cities and every level of the game, and I can't wait for you to hear her story. In this conversation, Tina talks about the logistical r...

What do you do when the life you've built for nearly two decades suddenly hits a dead end? Last week, my special guest Brittany Lucic and I started a conversation that was as real as it gets, and today, we're finishing it. We're diving into that "reckoning" moment: the kind of raw, seven-hour talk that happens when you're days away from a divorce and finally decide to lay everything on the table....

How do you navigate the most public, high-pressure seasons of your life when the private reality is falling apart behind the scenes? Today, I'm sitting down with Brittany Lucic for a conversation that, trust me, is as raw and unfiltered as it gets. We're pulling back the curtain on nearly two decades in the NHL. Brittany is refreshingly honest about the reality of marriage under the spotlight, the...

How do you handle the "midlife unraveling" when your body, your family, and your identity all seem to be shifting at the exact same time? Today, I'm sitting down with my long-time friend Petra Boumedienne for a conversation that is an absolute masterclass in resilience and self-discovery. Petra and I go back nearly 18 years, and in that time, she has navigated 19 different organizations across her...

How do you build a future that's bigger than the game while you're still living in the thick of a contract year? Today, I'm sitting down with the incredible Madison Marshall, and she is pull-no-punches honest about what it really takes to thrive as an import partner in a new country. We're talking about the transition from hockey wife to business owner with the launch of The Hockey House MN , and...

How do you go from a viral TikTok about losing your job to a thriving remote career in Germany? Today, I'm sitting down with the absolute breath of fresh air that is Catie McDonald, and she's giving us the real, unfiltered look at life as an import partner. We're diving into the logistical nightmare of moving a 70lb Labradoodle across Europe and why Catie is the self-proclaimed "saleswoman" for th...

What do you actually do when you've driven 39 hours across Europe only to realize you're locked inside a Wi-Fi-less apartment with a dog that needs to pee and a husband who has the only key? Why does it feel like a personal betrayal to leave a season seat in Scotland, and is the "coaching transition" really just a glorified lesson in instability? I'm flying solo this week with my very first Q&A ep...

What happens when the hockey "dream" is suddenly interrupted by a life-altering tragedy? How do you find the strength to heal when your world is moving cities every few months? My special guest today is the firecracker that is April McCallum, and her story is a masterclass in resilience.  From the heartbreaking moment her partner Jordan Cownie signed with her late father's favorite team to honor h...

What happens when the "dream life" of a pro-hockey partner hits the reality of needing your own identity? Can you actually build something for yourself when your entire life is at the mercy of the next trade or a contract in Europe? Today's episode is a bit longer, but trust me, you need every minute of the 23 years of stories my guest Bianca is sharing. She's lived the ultimate pivot, from the qu...

Ever wondered if it's possible to build a global empire when your home base changes with every trade? It sure is, and today's guest is living proof. My girl Chelsea Brown Pelech scaled a high-impact social enterprise while living out of a suitcase at the behest of a pro hockey contract. This powerhouse refused to let the "hockey wife" label define her, and today, you'll get to meet her and hear al...

How do you handle the sudden, shocking end to a 16-year career? And what happens when a hockey life filled with structure and sacrifice gives way to a "real life" you're no longer prepared for? In the powerful conclusion of my conversation with Mathieu "Tousy" Tousignant, Mathieu shares the emotional gut-punch of his forced retirement, revealing the raw truth behind the saying that a professional...

How do you force yourself into pro hockey? And what do you do when the ultimate dream turns into a 16-year journey defined by grit, injuries , and a last-minute flight across the Atlantic? I'm joined by Canadian veteran Mathieu "Tousy" Tousignant to discuss his raw and real path from being undrafted to the notorious "pest on skates." He opens up about the non-glamorous AHL realities, the culture s...

What if the love of your life lived across the Atlantic, and pursuing that relationship meant giving up the successful career you worked so hard to build? Today's special guest is Kennedy Forbes, an American who (in her own words) knew "nothing about" hockey but ended up marrying a Scottish player, Alex Forbes, and moving her life overseas.  How do you cope with the deep "embarrassment" of being u...

Imagine this....you're faced with the decision to leave a 7-year career as a stable ICU nurse in the town you grew up in, complete with a leadership role and financial security, to follow a hockey player you barely know across the globe? What do you do, and how do you deal with the "witching hour" of contract negotiations while living with your parents and trying to avoid the constant question: "W...