The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Topher wants to tackle a topic that he was asked about recently -  divvying up ice time and managing the bench. Everyone has an opinion, so BUCKLE UP! TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network Hosted by Sim...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Topher and Jeff welcome Toph’s sister, Jessi Feld, on the podcast. Jessi is a hockey sister, a hockey mom to FOUR boys, and a long-time educator with a passion for identifying the ways kids learn.   Jessi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and Master’s Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction as well as Instructional Technology and has som...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs tackles a topic that every coach and parent has an opinion about - PHONES! The guys talk about the reality of players using their phones and how they can affect - negatively or positively - the team culture, productivity, development, and more!  TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your soci...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Topher wants to talk about BODY CHECKING! The guys tackle some of the best ways to teach how to hit, how to take a hit, and when to start introducing those concepts that will translate to success and confidence. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Topher and Jeff welcome back Dr. Cassidy Preston to talk some sports psychology. He is a performance coach, author, and speaker with a new book out called “Mindset First” - and we had a great conversation about a new way elite athletes and high-performers in all areas of life can mentally prepare. In this episode we talk about: — Overcoming the fea...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs wants to know what’s up with all the showcases these days?! The guys talk about the overuse of the word “showcase” (especially for the younger ages), and reminisce about how much they loved tournaments and the team camaraderie that comes from competing and winning them. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rati...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Topher asks Vechs to share some of his favorite small area games in practices. Since Vechs loves anything that encourages epic battles and competition, there”s some great stuff in here! TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The H...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, the boys are flying solo and talking all about building a strong youth organization culture. Topher has (re) kick-started The Hockey Think Tank and is ready to share what the team has been working on to offer support for youth organizations. In this episode we talk about best practices for: — Organization leadership & structure — Culture & Team Bui...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs wants to talk about tryouts! What the process should look like, how many tryouts are needed, how to handle posting results, what kind of feedback, if any, should coaches give players, and more!  TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph’s topic for Vechs is - How To Get Faster? Speed is such a huge part of the game and the guys talk about some of the ways that players can get faster, and things to remember along the way. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member o...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we welcome Gordie Stafford from Shattuck-St. Mary’s. After a successful professional career, Gordie has built the premier women’s program including 9 national championships, over 250 college players (including 3 Patty Kaz winners), 29 women’s professional players, and 8 olympians in his almost 20 years at the helm. In this episode we talk about: —...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode of The Hockey Think Tank podcast, Vechs wants to talk about using video for development, how and when to introduce it, what it looks like at different ages, and how players can get the most out of a video session. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph’s topic for Vechs is - D RETRIEVALS! Since having the ability to break the puck out is an important skill, they talk tips and tricks for defensemen to get pucks out of the zone. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hock...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on J.P. Nerbun, an executive coach, culture consultant, and author of the new book The Sports Parent Solution , it was an unreal conversation with tangible takeaways for coaches, business leaders, parents and anyone looking to be better. In this episode we talk about: — Culture isn’t just a box to check — Leadership strategies that transla...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs asks Toph his thoughts on bag skates. Are they useful? Necessary? Appropriate? TEN MINUTES… ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph’s topic is - NUTRITION. It’s such an important component for any athlete to reach their potential and Vechs HAS THOUGHTS that you’re not going to want to miss! TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Buffalo native and former second round draft pick (Philly), Mike Ratchuk in what turned out to be an incredibly powerful conversation. In this episode we talk about: — Playing juniors for the USNTDP — Winning a National Championship with Michigan State University — His experience at the NHL draft — What he’s able to pass along as an ass...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs asks Toph his thoughts on home video sessions and what’s important for a player to focus on when watching their own video to make a positive impact in their development. TEN MINUTES… ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Pod...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about consistency. What players, and coaches , can do individually (with preparation, routines, habits) to help with team consistency. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network Hosted by...

This week’s episode marks FIVE YEARS of the Hockey Think Tank podcast! To celebrate, the boys recorded this one LIVE and together in STL! Jeff and Topher reminisce about their start with the pod (while “murdering” protein shakes) before diving deep into five issues that are plaguing youth hockey: — Early sport specialization — The disconnect between parents and coaches — The privatization of rinks...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs asks Toph his thoughts on what age is “too young” to leave home. So many factors these days in kids deciding to leave home at younger and younger ages and the guys discuss in TEN MINUTES… ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hocke...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about the biggest distractions keeping today’s players from reaching their potential. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network (THPN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ad...

This week it’s a MAILBAG episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast! Jeff and Topher tackle the AWESOME questions sent in by listeners with some bonus (and unreal) stories about their most memorable special jerseys, their first hockey fights, and so much more! BUCKLE UP (and shoot us a DM if you have a topic or question for our next Mailbag episode)! Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, Train-Heroic, C...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Vechs wants to talk about how to win faceoffs. Keys, techniques and the importance of understanding it takes more than just the center to win possession. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network. Hosted by...

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about 5 on 6 situations and how to best set your team up for success. TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW! We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating and share on your social sites! The Hockey Think Tank Podcast is a proud member of The Hockey Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...