The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about his biggest takeaways from the recent Minnesota Wild’s Leadership Development Conference. Every year, the Wild invites captains from each high school in Minnesota to teach them about leadership. This year, Topher was asked to be one of their guest speakers and, in this episode, shares what he learned from the conference. TEN MINUTES ON TH...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about the new things Vechs is doing with his dryland athletes to develop their speed and power over the summer. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repair Follow us: IG: @Hockey...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Justin Selman, one of the owners of Topline Hockey. Selman played junior hockey in the USHL, college hockey at the University of Michigan, and finally a couple of years professionally. Now, he is a youth coach and joins us to absolutely nerd out on some hockey. In this episode we talk about: — Putting your money into what is actually going to make your kid bette...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about a listener’s question regarding their son’s ADHD and the struggles he faces in hockey because of it. Most coaches are not trained in properly supporting ADHD players, yet ADHD diagnoses are rapidly rising. Listen as we discuss how to better help our players that have, or may have, ADHD. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk all about defending 2-on-1s. Last week, we discussed 2-on-1s from an offensive standpoint, so this week we’re talking how to defend a dangerous 2-on-1. Let’s go! TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sh...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Tony DeHart, former OHL player, NHL New York Islanders’ draft pick, and professional hockey player. DeHart now works with youth hockey players in the St. Louis area on their hockey development at Stride and Celly Training Facility. In this episode we talk about: — The Ontario Hockey League and the experience of playing in major juniors — Breaking down the differ...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about volunteer burnout. Our sport wouldn’t be anything without every single person who gives their time in some capacity. With that said, volunteering can often be a thankless job and burnout is common. The problem is not that people don’t care enough, it’s that we keep asking caring people to carry too much. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk all about 2-on-1s. If you get a 2-on-1 opportunity, you have to bury the puck. Let’s talk about how to increase your chances of scoring. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repa...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Dave Moss, former 500+ game NHL player and University of Michigan alum. Moss was drafted to the NHL as a 7th rounder, but didn’t play Tier 1 hockey growing up - he only played AA and high school. Now as a youth hockey coach himself, he joins us to talk about his path to the NHL. In this episode we talk about: — Being careful to not strip confidence from young pl...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about new school vs old school styles of coaching. The best coaches incorporate a mix of both, so that they can lead their teams with high standards while creating great relationships with their players. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to thi...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about something that most people don’t like to talk about: politics in youth hockey. Sometimes politics are real, but often the perception of politics is the bigger issue. Join us to discuss the things you can do as a parent, coach, or organization to make the experience better for everyone involved. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appr...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with John O’Sullivan, founder of Changing the Game Project. O’Sullivan’s new book, “Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader,” is designed to help athletes learn how to lead. He joins the podcast to explain that leadership is a skill that can be obtained through hard work. In this episode we talk about: — How coaches can develop their leaders...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about our advice and perspective for coaches that don’t have higher-level playing experience. We use Jon Cooper, head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and recent winner of the Jack Adams Award, as an example of the success you can have, even if you feel like your playing experience is an obstacle. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appre...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about incorporating keep away into your practices and how valuable it is as a development tool. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repair Follow us: IG: @HockeyThinkTank X (Twi...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Sam Gagner, current Ottawa Senators’ Director of Player Development and former National Hockey League player with over 1000 games in the league. Gagner is what we call a “hockey lifer;” he consistently found new ways throughout his career to improve his game and remain valuable in the NHL for 17 seasons. In this episode we talk about: — Making every aspect of th...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph brings on HTT team members Matt & Steph to talk about how youth hockey doesn’t have a recruitment problem, it has a retention problem. Organizations spend a lot of energy recruiting new players, but then face challenges with loyalty from their families. We find that families more often leave because of the experience, rather than hockey reasons. The good new...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about momentum and its role in winning games. Listen for our best advice, whether you’re a player or a coach, on how to bring energy to your team and make sure the momentum swings in your favor. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short Shi...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with one of our favorite guests of all time, Jeff Lerg. Lerg is the epitome of what this podcast is all about: he battled through adversity as a 5’6” goalie and came out the other side, not only as a National Champion with Michigan State University, but more importantly as an incredible human. After 10+ years of playing professionally, he now runs his own goalie scho...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk directly to the parents of players that got cut from a team this season, in any capacity. We understand that tryouts can be extremely emotional, so let us help you navigate this stressful time. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Friday F...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about Jakub Dobeš, who trained with Vechs, and has an incredible story on how he got to where he is now. We talk all about what makes Dobeš special to highlight that everyone has a different path. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short S...

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Nate DiCasmirro, assistant coach of the recent Austrian ICEHL champion team EC Graz99ers. DiCasmirro played 17 years professionally, with 7 years in the AHL and 10 years in multiple European hockey leagues. He joins the pod to discuss the value in prioritizing relationships in coaching. In this episode we talk about: — Finding your niche at every level — The tig...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph brings on HTT teammate Matt Thomas to talk about how youth hockey organizations can better support their coaching staff. We discuss everything from communication and setting boundaries, to implementing standards and protection. Coaches are the backbone of youth hockey, and supporting them properly will help orgs be more successful. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK S...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about how important delays can be in creating offense on the rush. All elite players have an elite delay game, so let’s talk about this incredibly valuable skill. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites! Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate S...

This week Topher and Jeff fly solo to talk about how to play defense. A couple of weeks ago, we did an episode on how to score more goals, so now it’s time to talk about keeping pucks out of the net. In this episode we talk about: — Getting players to buy in to playing defensively — The importance of communication & effort — How defense is not just in the defensive zone — How to take time and spac...

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman’s recent statement on his leave of absence from the team due to mental health. Listen for our reactions to his statement and our thoughts on the importance of discussing mental health in hockey. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share...