Our Kids Play Hockey

🚗🏒 What kind of hockey player are you becoming — and what kind of person are you becoming along the way? On this episode of The Ride to the Rink , powered by NHL Sense Arena , Lee and Mike are joined by former NHL player Doug Smith — a second overall NHL Draft pick and a member of the legendary Miracle on Manchester , one of the greatest playoff comebacks in NHL history. But today’s message goes...

🏒 What happens when the game you’ve built your identity around is suddenly taken away? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Doug Smith , former NHL forward, 1981 second-overall draft pick, Ottawa 67s standout, Bobby Smith Award winner, and one of the most powerful voices in hockey when it comes to resilience, recovery, and perspective. Doug’s story is extra...

🏒 Want to become a better hockey player? It’s not just about what you do during practice — it’s about the habits you build everywhere else, too. On this episode of The Ride to The Rink , Lee, Mike, and Christie are joined by Coach Andrew , a high-level junior hockey coach and former NCAA player, to talk directly to young skaters and goalies about what really helps players improve. Andrew breaks d...

🏒 What really makes a hockey player better — more ice, a higher-level team, a longer commute, or the right culture? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Andrew Trimble , GM and co-owner of the New England Wolves Hockey Club , founder of Scoring Concepts , and author of Beyond the Scoreboard . Andrew has coached from learn-to-skate...

🏒 What happens when you win a championship, celebrate the biggest season of your career—and then learn that your entire professional future may be changing? In the first Day in the Life episode of the new season, Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli to discuss her next major chapter: signing a three-year agreement with the PWHL’s new Las V...

🧠 What if you could begin preparing for your best game before you even stepped onto the ice? In this episode of The Ride to the Rink , Lee is joined by goaltending and mindset expert Pete to introduce young athletes to mind mapping —a simple but powerful exercise that can help players visualize success, strengthen their confidence, and prepare mentally for tryouts, big games, and pressure-filled...

🥅 What separates a talented goalie from one who consistently performs under pressure? According to renowned mental performance coach Pete Fry, the answer often begins with the picture that goaltender holds in their mind. Pete Fry—known throughout hockey as “The Goalie Mindset Guy” —joins Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns for a powerful conversation about confidence, visualization, resilience,...

🏒 How do young athletes develop the desire to win — without losing their love for the game? In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey , Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dive into one of the most important conversations in youth sports: how girls hockey players can build competitiveness, resilience, and a healthy will to win. Winning matters. Competin...

🏒 Does the newest, flashiest hockey stick really make you a better player? Or is the real difference-maker already in your hands? On this episode of The Ride To The Rink , Lee is joined by Zechariah Thomas, founder of Swift Hockey , for a straight-up conversation every young player and hockey family needs to hear: your gear matters, but it does not replace your effort, skill, strength, and commit...

🏒 What if hockey’s greatest lessons have nothing to do with goals, assists, or scholarships? In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli sit down with Zechariah Thomas , founder of Swift Hockey , former high-level Ontario player, major junior athlete, and international player for Team Jamaica . Zechariah’s story is a powerful reminder that there is no single path through...

🏆 What happens after you win the Walter Cup, celebrate in front of a packed Montreal crowd, meet the Buffalo Bills, and cap off one of the most historic years in women’s hockey? In this special season finale of Our Girls Play Hockey , we close out the 2025–26 “Day in the Life” series with Olympic gold medalist, Walter Cup champion, and Montreal Victoire forward Hayley Scamurra . Hayley takes us b...

🏒 Want to get better at hockey? Sometimes the best thing you can do is step away from the rink and go outside. On this episode of The Ride to the Rink , Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by longtime NHL forward Mike Knuble for a message every young skater and goalie needs to hear: go play. Not every rep has to come from a coach. Not every skill has to be built in a formal practice. And not ev...

🏒 What really separates young hockey players as they get older — talent, pressure, coaching, character, or the ability to keep loving the game through it all? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli welcome back longtime NHL forward Mike Knuble , who played over 1,000 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington...

🏆 What does it really feel like to win the Walter Cup — not from the stands, not from the broadcast booth, but from the ice? In Part 2 of our championship edition Day in the Life with Hayley Scamurra , Hayley takes us inside the PWHL Walter Cup Final as Montreal battles Ottawa in a razor-thin, emotional, and unforgettable championship series. From dramatic overtime wins to heartbreaking momentum...

🏒 What does it really take to coach youth hockey the right way? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns sit down with Coach Tre Berg , a youth hockey coach, hockey dad, police officer, and longtime player who brings a true “in the trenches” perspective to the game. Tre grew up playing hockey in the Syracuse area, played juniors and college hockey,...

🏒 What happens when hockey creators, roller hockey, youth hockey values, and a great cause all collide in Nashville? You get Team GG at the Wish Cup — and a conversation every hockey family should hear. In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee connects with Team GG live from the Wish Cup in Nashville, Tennessee , featuring hockey creators Kaxzi, Danny / DB16 Media, Hintzy, Keegan Oli...

🏆 What does it really take to win when the pressure is at its highest? On this very special Championship Edition of Our Girls Play Hockey , we sit down with Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra for part one of a two-part conversation about the Montreal Victoire’s unforgettable playoff run. And this is not just any championship story. Hayley became the first female hockey...

🏒 What should young hockey players actually do in the offseason? In this episode of The Ride To The Rink , Lee is joined by former NHL defenseman Andrew “Albie” Alberts for a motivating conversation every young player should hear before summer training begins. The message is simple but powerful: start with a goal, write it down, believe in it, and then take small steps every day to move toward it...

🏒 Should your young hockey player train all summer… or put the bag away and just be a kid? On this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias welcomes back Andrew “Albie” Alberts — nine-year NHL veteran, Boston College standout, and Hockey Development Director at NHL Sense Arena — for a timely, honest, and incredibly useful conversation about what youth hockey players should actually be doing in...

🧠 What if the most important hockey skill your child learns this season has nothing to do with skating, shooting, or scoring? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Angie Lion , author of Emerge: Rise from the Depths, Realign Your Soul, and Reclaim What Matters and co-founder/chief soul officer of Black River Performance Management , for a...

🏒 Ever feel nervous before a game, unsure of yourself in the locker room, or like your emotions are getting in the way of how you want to play? You’re not alone — and you’re not broken. On this episode of The Ride To The Rink , Lee, Mike, and Christie talk directly to young hockey players about something every athlete faces at some point: nerves, confidence, pressure, and emotional control . Whet...

🏒 What do you do when your child loves hockey, has the skill, makes the higher-level team… but freezes when everything feels new? In this fan mail episode of Our Kids Play Hockey , Lee Elias, Christie Casciano Burns, and Mike Bonelli respond to a heartfelt letter from a hockey dad in Connecticut whose 2019 birth-year player thrives once he’s on the ice — but struggles with nerves, unfamiliar team...

🏒 Our Kids Play Hockey is growing — and this micro edition is all about YOU. In this quick community update, Lee shares some exciting new ways hockey families, players, coaches, and listeners around the world can experience, connect with, and support the show. From video episodes now available on Apple Podcasts to a new and improved way to send fan mail, voicemails, hockey questions, team shout-o...

🎥 Most young hockey players watch highlights. The best players? They study the game. On this episode of The Ride To The Rink , Lee, Christie, and Mike welcome former pro player and youth coach Scott Howes for an important conversation about one of the most overlooked skills in hockey: Hockey IQ. From learning how to watch games with purpose to breaking down your own shifts on video, Scott shares...

🏒 What if not making the “top team” was actually the best thing that could happen to a young hockey player? This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee, Christie, and Mike sit down with former pro hockey player and coach Scott Howes for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about youth hockey development, adversity, confidence, and what really matters in the game. Scott’s journey is anything...