Chirping Zebras

Episode 98 is a heater — we’re joined by Al Iafrate, one of the baddest blue-liners to ever lean into a slap shot. We talk old-school NHL vs today’s game, fighting, toughness, and why guys like Al could play big minutes and answer the bell. Al breaks down the hardest shot arms race, how power plays were run when defensemen actually shot to hurt feelings, and why the game was built on finishing che...

The boys are joined by 1/3 of The Jims, Jon Mirasty — former enforcer, absolute beauty, and a guy who’s lived the parts of hockey most people only chirp about from the couch. We get into the real stuff: locker-room brotherhood, growing up in the game, playing overseas in the KHL, and what it’s actually like being that guy when things boil over. Mirasty talks fighting, respect, culture shock, langu...

We were down at Harmon Golf in Rockland, MA — unreal setup, private club, golf + fitness, big-league vibes — and the chirps were FLYING. We had Lou Merloni in the barn… former Boston Red Sox, longtime WEEI voice, and NESN guy. Hometown kid from Framingham who actually lived the dream. Lou walked us through his first game at Fenway, the ENTIRE city of Framingham showing up like it was a holiday, wh...

We’re talkin’ to Mike Pitt about where this whole thing started — the Peter Frates ALS Foundation , built off the back of a beauty of a human who battled like a first-line grinder every single day. Kid had wheels, heart, and more compete than half the league combined. Then boom — Ice Bucket Challenge hits. Absolute wagon of a movement. People dumping buckets on their heads like it’s a Game 7 celly...

Fish from Shoresy — rolls through and gives the full story: how a hockey guy ends up in front of the camera, what it’s like sharing ice with legit NHL legends, and how the character everybody knows actually got built from real hockey blood, bruises, and locker-room life. It’s hockey stories, behind-the-scenes stuff, and the kind of honesty you only get from a guy who’s lived both sides of it. Then...

🎙️ Chirping Zebras Podcast — Episode: Don Gavin (The Godfather of Boston Comedy)The barn doors are open and this one’s an absolute heater. We had the godfather of Boston comedy himself Don Gavin in studio — comic, actor, road-dog legend and certified OG of the scene. If you’ve ever wondered how Boston became a factory for absolute comedy killers, this is one of the guys who helped shape it before...

This one’s got more bite than a two-hander behind the play. The boys sit down with Alby, aka Andrew Alberts, and immediately start wheel-snipe-chirping his whole journey — from grinding it out in Boston during his college days, to pulling on the Spoked-B and officially becoming a Boston Bruin. Then it gets a little uncomfortable when he talks about being a Vancouver Canuck in 2011… yeah, while Bos...

Big Guests & Even Bigger Chirps – The Boys Close Out the YearThe refs are out of the box, the tape’s fresh, and the boys are buzzing harder than a beer-league locker room with free Bud Lights. In this episode of Chirping Zebras, the crew takes a lap around the year that was — holiday stories, on-ice chaos, behind-the-scenes madness, and the kind of moments that only happen when you’ve got mics...

On this episode of Chirping Zebras, Mark Riley, Gino Binda Jr., and Josh Dolan are joined by Bruce Cassidy — former Boston Bruins head coach, current bench boss of the Vegas Golden Knights, and an actual Stanley Cup–winning beauty. Cassidy comes on and does not waste time. We’re talking room-building, standard-setting, and how you coach grown men without treating ’em like peewee players. He breaks...

Buckle up, ya beauties — this one’s a heater . On today’s pod, the boys dive into a ripper of a conversation that somehow covers Mario Lemieux saving the entire sport , Tom Brady aging backwards like a Benjamin Button mutant , and the absolute wagon of a life story belonging to actor Lillo Brancato . Lillo rolls in like he’s back on the block, just casually dropping truth bombs about addiction, tr...

Buckle up, boys — we’ve got Tim Lovell in the house. Absolute wagon of a human. The guy turned Lovell Hockey into a full-blown factory for weapons, beauties, and certified mutants on the ice. From Hingham roots to pro barns across the world to running one of the biggest hockey development outfits in North America — this guy doesn’t miss.🔥 SPONSORSDamon Financial LLC24+ years of straight-shooting...

The Zebras sat down with Gigi Marvin — Olympic gold medalist, NESN hockey brain, Minnesota legend, and the mastermind behind Rink Rat 19 Hockey School — and buddy… she absolutely wheeled on this one. We get into EVERYTHING:🥇 Winning Olympic Gold and the insane rivalry with Canada🏒 Girls growing up with real pro hockey dreams🎒 TJ Oshie going to the same high school (Warroad’s basically hockey Ho...

Alright ya pigeons, buckle up — this week on Chirping Zebras we’ve got the man, the myth, the voice smoother than a fresh sheet at Warrior Ice Arena: Billy freakin’ Jaffe from NESN. And the beauty shows up with stories colder than your ex’s heart. Billy takes us back to Fairbanks, where it was 54 below, which is the kind of temperature where you open the door and immediately reconsider every decis...

Chirping Zebras Podcast – Jared “Jedi” Baker (Maine Cabin Masters & The Woodshed)The boys are BUZZIN’ as Mark Riley, Gino Binda Jr., and Josh Dolan welcome Jared “Jedi” Baker — long-time hockey guy and one of the celebrity faces behind the hit TV show Maine Cabin Masters, as well as co-owner of the legendary Maine hangout The Woodshed. If you’re into hockey podcasts, locker-room storytelling,...

This week the boys get real hockey nerdy with the one and only Pierre McGuire — ya know, the guy who knows every player’s junior billet mom and what stick curve they used in Bantams. Mark Riley, Gino Binda Jr., and Josh Dolan get into it with Pierre about everything from the chaos of NHL officiating to the beauty of the 2010 Olympic gold medal game. They’re talkin’ refs, linesmen, chirps from the...

Alright boys and girls, strap in — this week’s Chirping Zebras episode is a beauty. Mark Riley, Gino Binda Jr., and Josh Dolan sit down with Kevin Flynn — former pro soccer player, stand-up comic, and absolute weapon of a guy! The boys dive into the real stuff — the culture of hockey players, the gong show that is youth sports these days, and why every dad behind the glass thinks they’re Scotty Bo...

A Boston Bruins legend — Rick "Nifty" Middleton — a guy who’s number 16 hangs in the Boston Garden's rafters joined the boys for an amazing rap session. He tells stories from his playing days with the Bruins and talks about winning a Gold Medal as the coach of the 2002 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team at the Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nifty got his nickname because of his silky mitt...

The boys sit down with a real beauty — former pro hockey player and coach Graham Townshend — a guy who’s been through the grind, lived the dream, and is still shaping the next generation of players. Absolute legend of a chat, full of stories, laughs, and some serious perspective. You’ll want to hear this one. Big thanks to Damon Financial LLC for backing the pod — if you want no-BS, straight-shoot...

Alright ya absolute beauties, strap in ‘cause we’re goin’ deep into Pats history here. We’re talkin’ the whole ride — from the days when nobody gave a shit about ‘em, to flipping dynasties on their heads. Ownership chaos, coaching moves, and games that had ya screamin’ at the TV like a donkey. We chirp about Tom Brady’s glow-up from underdog to GOAT, Gronk vs. Russ Francis, and all the boys who ma...

The boys are buzzing this week, looking back on some absolute weapons we’ve had on the pod, mixing in a couple health curveballs, and talking shop about getting out in the community. Refs in youth hockey? Buddy, it’s a minefield. The chirps, the parents, the kids — it’s all there. We’re breaking down the grind, the good, the bad, and the beauty of it. Plus, the boys are fired up for the new season...

The fellas had Fran Doyle on Chirping Zebras this week — absolute wagon of a guest if you’re into the stripes side of sports. Fran’s a lacrosse ref who’s seen it all: youth parents losing their minds, box lacrosse turning into a warzone, and the politics that come with officiating. They chop it up about how lacrosse culture stacks up against hockey, what refs actually get paid (spoiler: not much),...

This week the boys are buzzin’—we got former NHL’er Mark Mowers hoppin’ on the mic. The guy laced ‘em up for the Bruins, Red Wings, Preds, and Ducks, and now he’s scouting talent for the Minnesota Wild. We get into it all:-The trip out to Bozeman, Montana (yes, there’s stories, yes, they’re hilarious)-NHL tales from back in the day—locker room stuff you won’t find on Google-What it’s really like b...

The boys sit down with retired Navy SEAL Jon Echols — absolute weapon of a guy. He takes us through Hell Week, wild stories from deployment, and how he found a new team through hockey and Warrior for Life. From near-death calls to locker room laughs, this one’s got it all — military grit, NHL chirps, and what it really means to find purpose after service. Smash that subscribe, drop a comment, and...

The boys took the show on the road for a live episode of Chirping Zebras right inside Gillette Stadium — and who better to join us than New England Patriots legend Matt Light. We cracked some cold ones and chopped it up about life after football, the dynasty years, wild locker room stories, and what it’s like to play for Belichick and Brady during the Pats’ golden era. Matt doesn’t hold back — and...

The boys sit down with two former Boston Bruins, Ken Hodge and Kenny Hodge (they are not Sr and Jr they have different middle names). This is our first father/son combination and it was awesome. Ken talking about playing with Bobby Orr and what it was like back in the 70's. Kenny discussing having a legend for a dad and the current state of hockey and the NHL. Whether you're old or young you will...