Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast

The 2026 Hobey Baker winner on late growth, betting on himself, and chasing big dreams. Scott and Jamie sit down with Max Plante for a conversation that has surprisingly little to do with trophies and everything to do with development. Max shares how he was just 5'4", 120 pounds when he left Minnesota high school hockey for the NTDP , why many people questioned the decision, and how learning to co...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Justin Selman and Boo Nieves of TopLine Hockey for a brutally honest conversation about development, coaching, team-hopping, and what parents keep getting wrong.  Justin and Boo share their own paths through Michigan, pro hockey, the AHL grind , injuries, coaching, and building TopLine into one of the most trusted development groups in the area.  But the real meat of...

What college coaches are actually looking for in today's game. Scott and Jamie sit down with Sean Flanagan , Associate Head Coach at Cornell University , for a candid conversation about recruiting, development, and what separates players who keep advancing from those who stall out.  Sean explains how the recruiting landscape has changed with more teams, more leagues, and the transfer portal creati...

Before Rich Cohen wrote Pee-Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent , he thought he understood youth hockey parents..then he became one. Scott and Jamie sit down with the bestselling author to discuss the real story behind Pee-Wees , the emotional pull of youth hockey, and how even self-aware parents can get caught up in rankings, team placements, and the pursuit of "what's next." Rich shares stories...

The former junior player trying to make hockey cheaper. Scott and Jamie sit down with Zechariah Thomas , founder and CEO of Swift Hockey , to talk about the rising cost of hockey and why more families are getting priced out of the game.  Zechariah shares his unconventional hockey journey - starting at age 10, playing major junior and pro hockey , and building businesses while still playing. He exp...

Why development, confidence, and culture matter more than systems. Scott and Jamie sit down with Princeton Head Coach Ben Syer for a conversation about what actually helps kids develop in hockey.  Ben shares the youth hockey lesson he learned from his own daughter, why confidence comes from teaching rather than yelling, and how coaches can help players compete regardless of size or physical maturi...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Keith Mondillo - longtime college coach, athletic director at Gwynedd Mercy University, and recruiting expert for a brutally honest conversation about recruiting, NIL, youth sports pressure, and what families are getting wrong.  Keith explains why the biggest recruiting mistake parents make is waiting for coaches to “find” their kid, why most early offers are hype, an...

No guest. Just Scott & Jamie going old-school CHD. In this episode, Scott and Jamie talk spring hockey overload, expensive programs kids barely attend, parenting teenage boys, and the reality of trying to balance development, burnout, and family life.  The conversation also drifts into hilarious childhood stories, digital parenting, and why today’s kids can’t get away with anything the way par...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Larry Robbins - hedge fund founder, former Chicago Steel owner, builder of Longwood Hockey, and the driving force behind the Florida Surf - for one of the most honest youth hockey conversations CHD has had yet. Larry pulls back the curtain on how he went from a self-described “bad hockey player” to helping build powerhouse development environments that produced NHL st...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Connor Jones , assistant coach at Princeton , and Kellen Jones , assistant coach at Holy Cross , for a raw look at twins, recruiting, compete, and what college coaches actually notice. The Jones brothers talk about growing up in a small-town hockey environment with no spring hockey, no summer hockey, no power skating, and no early hype - just hard work, other sports,...

How hockey parents accidentally make the mental game harder. Scott and Jamie sit down with Dr. Alicia Naser , behavioral scientist, board certified behavior analyst, and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology , for a parent-first conversation about pressure, confidence, mistakes, and the ride home from the rink. Dr. Naser explains why kids need space to make mistakes, why...

Why most youth hockey development is completely backwards. Scott and Jamie sit down with RJ Burns , Co-Owner of TopLine Hockey , and this one hits a nerve for every hockey parent. RJ breaks down why “just skating around cones” isn’t development , why kids need to think the game instead of memorize drills , and how the obsession with reps, travel, and “more ice” is actually hurting players long-ter...

Why youth hockey development is getting misunderstood. Scott and Jamie sit down with Heather Mannix , Manager of Education & Player Development at USA Hockey, for a deep dive into what development actually means and where parents and coaches get it wrong. Heather explains how parent pressure impacts even the most informed families , why so many are rushing kids toward the wrong goals , and why...

Scott and Jamie sit down with USHL Commissioner Glenn Hefferan for a blunt, parent-first conversation on what actually matters in youth hockey. Glenn explains why kids play better when the pressure is off, why parents need to focus on “love and fun” , and how over-involvement can quietly hurt development.  He also breaks down the realities of junior hockey and why the jump from youth to juniors is...

When the game starts to feel like a job. Scott and Jamie sit down with Pat Shea ( IG @pshea25 ) former University of Maine Black Bear, pro hockey player, and creator behind Hockey House and Full Ride for a raw conversation about identity, pressure, and walking away from the game. Pat opens up about a turning point many players don’t talk about: realizing that what was once fun started to feel like...

What really matters in recruiting… and what quietly kills it. Scott and Jamie sit down with Jason Tapp , Dartmouth College's assistant Men's Ice Hockey coach, live from Lake Placid ahead of the ECAC semis, for a candid look at how college recruiting actually works (and what families get wrong). Tapp breaks down the three non-negotiables they look for in players - character, compete, and hockey IQ...

Scott and Jamie are on location in Lake Placid ahead of the ECAC Finals, soaking in the atmosphere and breaking down what makes this moment different for players, parents, and everyone around the rink. From the energy in the building to what it actually takes to perform on a stage like this, this quick-hit episode captures the feel of big-game hockey in real time. Partners: https://www.instagram.c...

Why most kids don’t actually know what a “good game” is. Scott and Jamie sit down with Sandy Cohan (Mental Edge Hockey) for a deep dive into the mental side of youth hockey and why so many players struggle with confidence, focus, and pressure. Sandy explains that most young athletes can’t even define what success is , yet their confidence rises and falls based on it. He breaks down why results (go...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Scott Bartlett , NHLPA-certified agent at Bartlett Hockey, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the hockey development path actually works. Bartlett represents more than 30 NHL players, including stars like Cale Makar .  Scott explains why most families rush the process, especially when it comes to agents and exposure, and why most players don’t need an advisor before...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Topher Scott of The Hockey Think Tank for a candid conversation about the pressure surrounding modern youth hockey. Topher explains how tryout season and early recruiting have shifted the focus away from development, creating stress for families and players. He shares why youth hockey can feel more like a recruiting culture than a development culture , why parents nee...

The system isn’t as simple as you think. Scott and James sit down with Matt Dumouchelle, who spent over a decade working inside junior hockey, for a candid look at how the development ladder really works. Matt explains why families often misunderstand the pathway, how junior teams actually evaluate and move players, and why “exposure” doesn’t guarantee opportunity. The conversation dives into how...

Scott and James sit down with Andries de Villiers, CEO of Titan Battlegear , for a blunt breakdown of what cut protection in hockey really means and why a lot of gear parents trust may create a false sense of security. After a tragic local on-ice incident, Andries dove deep into testing standards and discovered that many products marketed as protective weren’t stopping skate blades at meaningful l...

The Miracle on Ice captain delivers a youth-hockey reality check and then drops the “missing chapter” of 1980. Scott and Jamie sit down with Mike Eruzione , and the conversation goes way past the headline everyone already knows. Mike starts with a story that’ll make today’s hockey parents wince: he didn’t start skating until age nine , wearing his sister’s white figure skates with blue pom-poms . ...

Scott and Jamie sit down with Jim Dowd for a no-nonsense conversation that cuts straight through modern youth hockey panic. From growing up a true rink rat to winning a Stanley Cup , Jim explains why early AAA, nonstop showcases, and year-round hockey aren’t what actually separate players. Dowd shares how he developed on free ice with buckets of pucks, why he didn’t play AAA until midgets , and ho...

The must-listen follow-up to Episode 50 Scott and Jamie sit down with Ken Martel , Senior Director of Player & Coach Development at USA Hockey, to clear up some confusion surrounding the new USA Hockey Development League and directly follow up on their conversation with Bob Mancini in Episode 50. Ken explains what the Development League is actually designed to do, why “open borders” matter, an...