Never Far from Home

McKenna Hulslander joined the show, and shared wonderful stories about growing up in Montana. She talks about some of the challenges faced being in such a hockey remote environment. There was plenty of growth on the long drives, and plenty of tales that came from her time away from family. It all led her to college, and eventually overseas where she is currently tending net, professionally. Enjoy...

Adrian Dater grew up in the Northeast, and found a draw to sports through his connection to some Boston TV. He was lucky enough to grow in the game with names like Orr. We explore his youth, college, and eventual move to Colorado. There, he happened into a decent time with an NHL franchise who moved to Denver in 96. We go into a lot of storytelling. Enjoy. thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Brian Ripley was the first live show for Never Far from Home. We plan to have more in the future, and what those develop into may change, but it was a blast to host a small community event, and still tell some stories. Those included growing up in the Colorado Springs area, playing hockey through college, and finding coaching soon after. Enjoy the tales of a ranch hand. thegardensicehouse.com beau...

Sydney Bierwirth had some awesome tales to share, from growing up in the Detroit area, and falling in love with the game at the height of the Avalanche-Red Wing rivalry, to playing hockey in Israel. And the journey between. Enjoy her many stories, including the times she faced falling back in love with the game. Sydney has had a fantastic timeline, so far, with so much yet to come! thegardensiceho...

Dan Schramm and I sat down after a great lunch, and he shared many stories, from growing up in the Vail valley in a household already in love with hockey, to stepping away from the game for a piece of time, and finding it again with Blind Hockey. Inside of that, we also explore his passion for food, and we find a few rabbit trails that lead to good stories. Enjoy! thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis...

Drew Garza was an interesting story to listen to. He was sighted, and played hockey through his college years, then stepped away from the game for some time. He lost his vision in his late twenties, and as fate would have it, that was one of the things that got him back into the rink. We explore his timeline, and get into details from his youth, through his current escapade as a member of the blin...

Tristan Brooks was kind enough to join the show, and told some fantastic stories. We covered his youth, from Alabama to Oregon, to France. He shared tales of his childhood, and how he came to find the passion he still has for the game of hockey, eventually taking it to France's highest level, playing professionally for multiple seasons. Enjoy a saga full of turns. thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis...

Adam Young joined the show and we were able to explore his love of the game. From being a fan and enjoying the game on multiple stops around the country, to finding it in a playing capacity a little later in life. We get into some fantastic stories about how he started in sighted hockey, and then came to find blind hockey, and has worked his way into a USA jersey. Enjoy Adam's many tales! thegarde...

Jaclyn Hawkins kindly came on the podcast and shared some fantastic tales. From a big career and life moment when heading to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), to coaching, to European Pro hockey. We cover a broad range of topics, all focused on who Jaclyn is, and what she stands for. That, of course, includes large amounts of discussion focused on Women's Hockey Life, and looking at the women's game...

There was a special event on Never Far from Home today: a round table discussion with the Dawg Nation: St. Louis boys. Jared Schmierbach and Matt Heath joined the show to talk about the founding of the St. Louis chapter of Dawg Nation. We interject a few stories along the way, but it was great to hear about an up and coming piece of GIVING BACK! Enjoy. thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Justin Goldman did a fantastic job diving into stories as we explored his wild timeline, from a child playing hockey in Texas, through being an EBUG for the Colorado Avalanche. Enjoy the path that was not always straight for this goalie turned author. It was an absolute joy listening to the many varied tales he had to share. thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Justin Goldman did a fantastic job diving into stories as we explored his wild timeline, from a child playing hockey in Texas, through being an EBUG for the Colorado Avalanche. Enjoy the path that was not always straight for this goalie turned author. It was an absolute joy listening to the many varied tales he had to share. thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Declan Farmer joined the show and we get into his story. From finding the game of sled hockey around 8, all the way through his three gold medals to date with the U.S. at the Paralympic Games. His tale is a great one, filled with community, and finding a deeper and deeper love for the game. Enjoy! thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Sierra Natzke joined the podcast, and shared stories of falling in love with the game of hockey at a young age. She started in roller, and switched to ice. I tried my best to forgive her for being a goalie. We chatted about mental toughness, something she had to face multiple times through her career, which stemmed from youth hockey through college. Enjoy her tales, and my attempt to rekindle a pa...

Kelly Cook joined the show as one of the first people to have known about the idea of Never Far from Home. While she only started playing in the last few years, there has been a deep connection to hockey through her family. We explore some of her earlier stories of being a Red Wings fan, and also talk briefly on her time as a soccer player, and a Scottish Dancer. Enjoy the tales!   thegardensiceho...

Brandi Kerns came on the podcast and we barely scratched the surface on this hockey life. We explore some of her timeline, there are plenty of laughs, and we even go off mic to a third friend who was listening to the interview. All told, enjoy what was a memorable experience for all involved. Perhaps we can find more stories to record down the line…   thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Gary Russell joined the show, and while time kept us from going deep into some storytelling, we were able to explore his timeline of involvement within the community of the rink, and did get at least a few good tales in the show. He talks about his time playing, and then how it quickly translated to coaching when he wrapped up. Enjoy what is hopefully the first of a two part series with Gary!   th...

Andy Hudson came on the podcast with a history of being on a few others. We were able to get into his start within the rink community, and discussed how it all evolved, especially concerning the officiating side of things. After a brief exploration of the timeline, we dove into some of his techniques that have grown the pool of officials in the St. Louis area. Enjoy another great story-laden episo...

Pat Salvas joins the show and we have a good change of pace from the normal scene of Never Far from Home. While there is a timeline exploration, Pat and I are able to dive a little more into fandom, and specifically, his fandom of the Quebec Nordiques turned Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche. All of this while living on the East Coast, and being surrounded by Bruins fans. Enjoy the many tales...

Jenna Hoffman joins the show and talks about her time playing hockey in the Colorado Select organization. Her biggest impacts were the friends she made along the way. As decisions loomed for college, she chose to pursue lacrosse, but the rink was never far from her heart. Enjoy the tales of yet another rink rat…   thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Kendall Hanley talks about her hockey journey, one that has taken her all over the globe. She found the game, then after college, found reffing. It proved to be a great outlet to keep her locked in to the community, and also provided bountiful opportunities for travel, and gathering memories, along with friendships. Enjoy the tales of a traveler, woven together with the fabric of one of the best c...

Sydney Harris joined the show and spoke on her youth days growing up in Pueblo. It was there that she fostered a love for the game, and her journey since has taken her through numerous paths, including boys JR hockey in the RMJHL, and eventually leading to Elmira. We sat down in the first of a two interview set, and spoke to the hockey alone here, and I hope to have her back on to discuss the reff...

CJ came on the show as only the third guest that I grew up playing hockey with. That is always a special occasion for me, and hearing his tales, and connecting the dots, was a great experience for both of us. He tells of his early days in California, to his time in Omaha, and eventually, landing in Northwest Colorado. He regales about his Marine Corp service, and how he landed back in hockey as th...

Taylor Zion grew up in Texas, but was introduced to hockey at a young age. We explore what it meant to be a hockey player in a football-centric culture, and how that helped shape his youth. As is the case with travelers, things didn't stay in one place long. He found himself in Maine for JR hockey, and in Chicago-land for college. Enjoy his many tales!   thegardensicehouse.com beautyunis.com

Taylor Gross grew up in Colorado Springs, and regales us with stories from her days playing with the boys, all the way through some time with the Tigers girls program, and eventually speaks of her time with the Colorado Select. That was only the beginning. Taylor also talks about her college career, and how her post-college path has led her to where she is today, back in Colorado Springs, and back...