The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we reached out to YOU to see what your hot button topics are in the game of hockey and you delivered with some awesome questions and issues! We addressed what triggers you about the hockey world and got a little heated ourselves! We talked: -The "Me" Attitude of players today -Coaching communication struggles -Anonymous message boards (re...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic! Jeff is Trent's strength coach during the summer and we had a blast catching up with him. In this conversation, we talk: -The "Cup Check" from Ovi -Being 1 of 5 first round draft picks from St. Louis in one year -Boston Bruins culture -Adapting to different roles as a player -Much More! Th...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Brian Yandle...awesome hockey guy and the #rinkshrink you've heard on his podcast and Spittin Chiclets.  This was an awesome conversation that will resonate with a lot of parents and coaches talking about the most important aspects of youth hockey development.  We talk:   -It's a marathon, not a sprint. -The importance of playing multip...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring 6x World Champion and 3x Olympic Medalists Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux! They will go down as two of the top Women's Hockey players of all time, but their impact on the game of hockey, especially for women, has been game-changing. On this podcast, we talked... -Growing up in a hockey-crazy household. -How they became top 5 women's colleg...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the creators of the App and website PROJECT HOCKEY, Danny Heath and Evan Karambelas.  This was a fun episode where we talk... -Growing up playing in non-traditional areas -How to "do the extra work" -How competition breeds excellence -Danny and Evan's PROJECT HOCKEY community of players pushing each other to get better. Check out projec...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Head Coach at the University of Vermont, Todd Woodcroft! Todd has worn so many hats during his career coaching and scouting at the highest levels of hockey including stints with the Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, LA Kinds, KHL, Team Sweden, Switzerland, and Belarus!! Quite the resume! We talk about h...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Rich Cohen...a New York Times best selling author who just came out with his latest book book "Pee-Wee: Confessions of a Hockey Parent". This episode was a lot of fun where we discuss the craziness and hilarity of being a hockey parent through the lens of Rich's book where he chronicled an entire youth hockey season. This episode was fu...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank Podcast, we bring on Head Coach of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit Chris Lazary! This conversation was absolute GOLD! We talk: -Development vs. Winning Games -Player and relationship centered coaching -Coaching the top young players in the world -MUCH MUCH MORE We LOVED this conversation with Chris, and we think everyone will take a ton out of his experiences work...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on former Army Ranger and now Team Building and Leadership consultant JB Spisso. JB has worked with many organizations and teams, including the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Montreal Canadiens, on building culture and leadership. This was an awesome conversation where we dive into: -Building Leaders -Defining and building ment...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Sport Psychologist Dr. Cassidy Preston to talk about the mental game as a player and how to get the best out of your team as a coach. This was a really informative conversation where we cover: -Mental Toughness -The importance of building resiliency -How to make "Getting 1% Better" sexy -Optimal Levels of Energy/Arousal -The importance...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Assistant Coach with the Austrian National Team currently at the World Junior Championships...Philipp Pinter. It was great going behind the scenes with an underdog coaching staff during their quest to upset the bigger named countries during the International Championships.  In this conversation, we talk: -Austrian Development -The diffi...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on current University of Michigan Assistant Coach...and Assistant Coach for Team USA at this year's World Junior Championship...Kris Mayotte! With World Juniors starting this week, Kris brings us inside Team USA's walls to show us what it's like being a part of the experience at the tournament.  In this episode, we tackle: -Coaching the be...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we answer your questions! Thanks to everyone who submitted questions on social media...and here's what we covered: -When should my kid make the jump to AAA? -How can I keep my kid engaged during Covid so they don't feel like they're getting left behind? -How can we build team culture with the player point of view at the forefront? -What is our favo...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on hockey development pioneer who works with some of the top names in the game, Darryl Belfry.  Darryl's client list includes the likes of Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews, John Tavares...among other of the NHL's elite.  Darryl also just came out with a book, "Belfry Hockey: Strategies to Teach the World's Best Athletes." On th...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on 10 year pro and one of Jeff's college teammates Brent Walton. Brent comes from a small town in Ontario and he takes us through his journey into becoming one of the top scorers in the NCAA and then a long professional career. We talk: -When to make the move to AAA -The ups and downs of transitioning to professional hockey -The decision t...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on one of my favorite players that I've had the opportunity to coach in Cole Bardreau.  Cole's story is one of major ups and downs throughout his career, and it culminated last year getting his first NHL call up with the New York Islanders and scoring his first career goal on a penalty shot. Cole played for the USA NTDP, then came to Corne...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Katie Strang, a fantastic hockey and investigative reporter for The Athletic. Katie is a prominent figure in hockey journalism, and we spend most of this podcast talking about a story she has written extensively on regarding a youth hockey coach's history with sexual abuse of youth hockey players.  Katie wrote her first article on this...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher go through their greatest hockey memories. From skating on the backyard rink at their Grandma and Grandpa's house, to their first college and professional games, to overtime winners, to favorite off-ice memories with their teammates...this episode has a lot of heart and is full of fun. And speaking of backyard rinks... We bring onto...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on one of the top hockey strength and conditioning coaches in the world, Matt Nichol.  Matt is based out of Ontario and trains some of the top players in hockey, along with Olympic athletes in many other sports. This was an awesome conversation where we hit on the importance of strength and conditioning, but Matt also brings us into the mi...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on NHL veteran of over 700 games and a former 4th overall draft Bryan Allen! Bryan has some amazing hockey experience and is bringing that as a passionate youth hockey coach now, and we get into some really thought-provoking conversations around the state of youth hockey today.  This is a great episode for all involved in the youth hockey...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on one of the most inspiring guests we've ever had on in so many different ways, Craig Cunningham. Craig defied the odds to make it to the NHL as an undersized player, but an incident while he was playing in the AHL for the Tucson Roadrunners changed his life forever.  During a game, he suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the ice. Mir...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring back on Patrick O'Sullivan, former NHL player now working in hockey development with youth all the way up to the NHL levels.  Patrick is one of the smartest hockey minds in the game, and we all will get better from listening to this one! We talk: -How to find space on the ice -What it really means to play well defensively -Developing to a...

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE HOCKEY THINK TANK!!! We have made a Hockey Parent Survival Guide for all hockey parents out there looking for some guidance on the craziness that is youth hockey. As a former college recruiter, I've gotten the chance to speak with hundreds of families...and one of the biggest sources of their stress is that they all have trouble navigating their son or daughter's youth h...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Drew Laine...and get educated about the world of hockey equipment.  We live at a time where the cost of equipment is pricing people out of the sport, but Drew and his colleagues created a company to combat the problem and creatively brought the hockey world together in the process.  This was an inspiring conversation in so many ways, an...

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on one of our most inspiring guests, Ben Eaves.  Ben comes from an amazing hockey family and lead an incredible hockey career that included National Championships at the youth level with Shattuck St. Mary's and in college at Boston College. In this episode, we talked to Ben about: -Growing up and having support from a great hockey family....