Our Kids Play Hockey

Reading is a valuable asset for everyone!  In this 4 minute episode, Caroline Potolicchio, former Division I hockey player and director of Fan Development for the Washington Capitals, shares how adding reading to your hockey tool belt is important and the resources you have available to you to help you find something to read that interests you! Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep you...

There are a lot of ways to have a professional career in hockey aside from playing.  Our guest this week, Caroline Potolicchio, is a former Division 1 hockey player and is the current Director of Fan Development for the Washington Capitals where she oversees many aspects of hockey in the DC area including working closely with the Cap’s youth development department with a major focus on education. ...

In this week's under 4 minute episode of The Ride To The Rink, we wanted to share Rick Nash's Advice For Leaders that he shared with Lee and JB Spisso on WIN: Championship Traits For Life via Pivotal Moments Media. Blue Jackets legend and former captain shares details of what he learned when he was given a letter and how leadership is so much deeper than just having it on your sweater. C...

Expert Goalie Coaches Matt Tendler and Mitch Harris have built something that goes way beyond the crease for goaltenders in the South-East Pennsylvania area. We discuss mental fitness training, emulating other goaltenders, the need for fundamentals, and even goalie parent education on this episode. It is a longer episode, but be sure to leave us some feedback or questions for the next time we’re a...

In this two minute and ten second episode of The Ride To The Rink, Lee guides you through a pre-skate meditation to get you centered and focused before your next game or practice! Stay present with us, and have a great skate! Come Back To This Episode Before Every Game Or Practice To Get Present! Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena....

Matteau! (I’m not gonna shout it more than that).  We are honored to be joined this week by NHL Alum and NY Rangers Legend Stéphane Matteau. In this episode we dive into the trials and tribulations of being hockey Dad to two children who both played pro hockey in addition to serious talk about how he is working with local youth groups to discuss anxiety and depression, something he has dealt with...

Do you know a puck hog? Hopefully its not you! In this 2 minute 40 second episode, our favorite hockey mom, Christie Casciano Burns and her daughter, Sophia Burns, a recent graduate and D-1 hockey player, go over some quick tips and questions to know how to spot the puck hog on your team, and how to turn them around to be an asset. Enjoy this Ride to the Rink!  Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hock...

It’s the question almost every hockey parent wants to know, “how do you spot talent at a young age?”  In this episode Mike and Lee answer and explore the question while providing listeners with actionable items to make sure they progress in their hockey journey.  Remember to share this episode with your hockey family and friends and join our private Facebook group “Our Kids Play Hockey.” Click To...

Stop comparing yourself to others! On this 3 minute episode of The Ride To The Rink, Mike and Lee share why its better to be curious about what you can do to become a better hockey player rather than comparing yourself to others.  - Identify your own journey - Work on what’s going to give you the upper edge - Develop your own skill set Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your player...

Every chapter in this man’s book could be an episode title for one of our episodes. So naturally you are gonna love this episode.  Tim Cook played hockey at an extremely high level and now coaches at a high level in Northern New Jersey.  We were ecstatic to have him on as a guest this week! Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena. Save $...

Want some quick tips on how to impress your coach? In this 4. min episode, Lee quickly reviews three ways to improve both your communication and your approach in order to benefit everyone involved. ⁃Great questions demand great answers ⁃Phrase questions with intention ⁃Be accountable to feedback Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena. S...

This is one you will want to listen to with your kids.  Carter Hart, starting goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers and World Junior Championship Gold Medalist joined us for a chat filled with valuable insight for youth hockey skaters and goalies alike. We spoke about how professionals must stay present to be at their best, how sharing a team first mentality with great communication creates resul...

Do you take the time to pack your bag like a pro, or do you just grab and go?  In this 5 minute episode, Mike shares a pro-level equipment preparation routine to help you be ready to go for every ride to the rink.  Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at hockey. SenseArena.com/okph Have A Top...

Hockey has evolved more than most realize over the past decade.  Boo Nieves (Former NY Ranger) has seen a lot of these changes first hand during his career and as a coach/trainer at his gym, Top Line Hockey. In this episode we discuss how youth players must grow their games beyond just the talent needed to play if they want to be successful. Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your p...

Are you a hockey player who experiences nervousness or anxiety before games? Want to learn how to channel those feelings into a winning mindset? This week on "The Ride to the Rink" Lee shares powerful strategies to conquer pre-game jitters, stay present, and focus on what you can control. Discover how to use those tactics to further your potential on the ice and redefine your identity be...

How can you use the NHL playoffs as a coaching tool for your young athletes? We discuss the lessons that can be learned just from watching professional athletes perform in a high-stress environment like the playoffs, the mental side of the game, and how to react in high-tension situations. We also stress the importance of parents and coaches discussing the adversity, successes, and failures of pro...

Gratitude is the key to success in hockey and in life.  Join us on this week's edition of "The Ride to the Rink" as Lee shares his insights on how practicing gratitude can ground you and help you appreciate the important things in your life. From family and friends to opponents, learn how to be thankful for every experience.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to devel...

A lot of us want to change the game, but where do you start? Our guest today may be the perfect answer. John O’Sullivan is an award winning author, acclaimed speaker and the founder of the “Changing the Game Project” which has taken some incredible steps to push the conversation forward in youth sports. You’re not gonna wanna miss this one. Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team! Keep your pl...

In our first episode of our new micro-podcast, we cover the concept of "practicing like you play" and how your ability to maintain a mentality to give your best all the time, with everything you do, is a pathway to becoming a better person and athlete.  Runtime: Approx. 4 minutes Follow @LeeMJElias for more coaching perspectives on trust, teamwork, and sports.  Click To Text The Our Kids...

Imagine being thrown into net during an NHL game without any warm-up and very little heads up. Our guest, David Ayres, did just that - and won. Many of you will remember when he took over our hockey news feeds for a short time in 2020 after he stepped into a game for the Carolina Hurricanes as an EBUG. On today’s episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, we dive in deeper beyond that moment and into David’...

Who does your child get their work ethic from? In the Carmichael-Hart household there’s no shortage of examples of hard work for their children. Lauren Hart and Todd Carmichael are both Philadelphia legends in their own right, but beyond all their personal accolades they are hockey parents - and that’s exactly what we brought them on our show to talk about. -- Look what y'all did! Our Kids Pl...

How do you decide what kind of coach is the right fit for your kid? Mike and Lee breakdown some of the best qualities to look for when joining a new hockey program. Do you need a Level-5 USA Hockey instructor or is a parent volunteer coach the way to go? What factors will help you decide? Leave a comment in our group with your thoughts and let us know how you’re choosing the right coach for your a...

How would you summarize the 2023 youth hockey season? As this season comes to a close, we talk about moving up (or graduating - CONGRATS Sophia and Christie!!!), thoughts on coaching styles, adversities conquered, coaches gifts, and where our kids are headed next.  Be sure to join our Facebook group and share a post with your own season in review ! We want to know what went right, what went wrong,...

Are you on the path to college hockey? Topher Scott and Jeff LoVecchio of The Hockey Think Tank podcast talk with us this week about what you can do to set yourself up for success when working towards college hockey. Both Topher and Jeff are former NCAA athletes. Jeff played professionally after college and now impacts athletes of all ages through his personal training. Topher has worked both at t...

Is your kid(s) moving to the next age level this coming season? The gang dives right into how to prepare for that on this week’s episode of Our Kids Play Hockey.  -- Hockey friends and families, we need your help! We have been honored with a nomination for the 2023 Hockey Podcast of the year with the Sports Podcast awards. Like most things, we need our team community to help us win. Click this lin...