The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the Academy Director of DC United Soccer Club, Pat Ouckama! We are huge proponents of playing multiple sports, and it was awesome to bring on someone with both a soccer and hockey background to speak about development. Pat runs one of the top soccer academies in the US, with his 16u team winning the National Championship this year. In this conversations, we talk:-The similarities of each sports game tactics-What he sees in players that succeed at the next levels-The value of studying other sports as a coach-MUCH MORE!Thank you to Coach Ouckama for taking time to come on our podcast! Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast company BlueWire Pods. And thank you most of all to all of our amazing listeners! We appreciate you so much and you are going to love this conversation. Enjoy! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on current Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman! Chris trains with Jeff in the summers and played for Topher when he was a grad assistant at Miami (Ohio) and this was a really, really fun and insightful conversation. On this episode, they talk:-Playing for Martin St. Louis in Montreal-Being grateful for the good and the tough times-The importance of a support system in reaching your goals-MUCH, MUCH, MORE!!Thank you so much to Wides for hopping on the podcast. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast company Blue Wire. And thank you most of all to all of our amazing listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring back one of your favorite episodes...especially for the hockey moms out there...with Topher and Jeff's Moms!! When we brought our podcast over to the BlueWire Network, we lost a few episodes in the transfer that were some of ours, and our listeners, favorites.On this episodes, we speak to Debbie Scott and Colleen LoVecchio and share some really fun stories about our childhoods and our moms talk about the joys of being a hockey mom. We had a ton of fun on this episode, we know you are going to love it!!Thank you so much to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and CuredNutrition. Thank you to all of our amazing listeners. And most of all, thank you to all of the amazing hockey moms out there...this one is for you!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on a veteran of over 1,000 professional hockey games Derek Nesbitt! What a career spanning over 16 seasons. In this conversation, we talk:-The benefits of growing up in small town Canada-Playing for both Jared Bednar and Derek Lalonde-The keys to longevity in the game-Challenges of being a youth hockey director-MUCH MORE!Thank you to all of our sponsors - GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and Cured Nutrition. Thank you to our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners for continuing to tune in every week!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the girl who stole all of our hearts as the St. Louis Blues went on their Stanley Cup run...Laila Anderson. We all remember Laila as the inspiration for the team as she was going through chemotherapy during the teams championship playoff season in 2019. From the viral videos of her mom letting her know she could attend the games in person, to her on ice celebration with the cup, to the entire city of St. Louis chanting her name at the parade...Laila was an inspiration to us all to keep fighting. In this conversation we talk:-Her journey through a potential terminal sickness-Her inspiring relationships with the Blues players, especially Colton Parayko-Getting to Boston for Game 7 of the Cup Finals-Bethematch.org, the organization that saved her life-An UNBELIEVABLE story with Brett Hull and Jon Hamm-MUCH MOREThank you to Laila (who actually trains with Jeff) for coming on the podcast! Thank you also to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you so much to all of our amazing listeners...you are going to LOVE this episode. It's one of our absolute favorites!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on 14 year professional player now leading a mentorship program for youth hockey players, Ryan Vesce! Ryan hails from Long Island, NY and played his college hockey at Cornell. He then went on to play 14 years pro over 7 different countries, including a stint with the San Jose Sharks where he scored his first professional goal on an assist from Joe Thornton (we talk about it on the pod). We also talk:-Developing a mindset for getting out of a slump-Some incredible prank stories-Scoring his first NHL goal in his hometown-The value of mentorship as you go through your journey-MUCH MORE!Thank you to Ves for this awesome conversation - you'll get a ton of insight into becoming an elite hockey player. Thank you also to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods.To check out Ryan's incredible Mentor Program matching up former and current professional and college players, visit https://matterhornmentors.com/And thank you to our amazing listeners...you're going to love this episode! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on bestselling author and one of the top motivational speakers and leadership consultants in the world Jon Gordon! Jon has worked with many major companies and professional sports teams on the power of positive leadership. His books have also inspired millions of people and organizations of all sizes all over the world.On this specific podcast, we speak to Jon about his book "The Hard Hat, 21 Ways to be a Great Teammate." This book chronicles the life of George Boiardi, a Cornell Lacrosse player who died tragically on the field as a senior captain after blocking a shot in his chest. This inspiring story of an amazing leader and the aftermath of his passing of a team trying to honor him by their play on the lacrosse field is one that is going to make you feel all the feels.For more on Jon's work, visit https://jongordon.com/.For more on George Boiardi's legacy and his foundation, visit https://www.boiardifoundation.org/Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners, get ready to be inspired from this podcast conversation with one of the most positive leaders in our world - on one of the most positive influences and leaders ever to walk the lacrosse field. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher riff on Part 2 of Topher's presentation that he gave at the NCAA College Hockey Coaches Convention on the 5 P's of Leadership. The three P's they talk on are:-Preparation-Perspective-PresentWe know you're going to take some tidbits out of this episode that you can use in leading your teams!Thank you to GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com for supporting our podcast. And thank you to the thousands of listeners who continue to tune in every week!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the new Associate Head Coach at Michigan State Jared DeMichiel! What an awesome conversation with one of the rising stars in college coaching coming off of a National Championship and turnaround at UMASS. In this conversation, we tackle:-Turning things around at UMASS leading to a National Championship-College recruiting and the transfer portal-The power of earning opportunities instead of guarantees-MUCH MORE!Thanks to DeMike for hopping on...and we have some other people to thank as well.Thank you to our sponsors GelStx (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company Blue Wire Pods. Thank you to all of our amazing listeners - if you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts you'll be registered to win one of Jeff's hip mobility workouts for free! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher talk about Topher's 5 P's of Leadership:-People-Perseverance-Perspective-Preparation-PresentAlthough...the two talked so much about PEOPLE that there is going to be a Part 1/Part 2 on these topics. On this specific episode, Jeff and Topher talk about the importance of investing time and effort into PEOPLE and the importance of PERSEVERING in tough times. Great leaders understand these two ideals and work hard to facilitate environments to bring both to the forefront.We love talking leadership on this podcast, and our goal is to provide you with things you can use in your journey as a leader that can help you be the best you can be!Thank you to our sponsors - GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com. Thank you to Blue Wire Pods. And thank you to our amazing following...we know you'll enjoy this one! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on former NHLer for the Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals - and now a visualization coach - Aaron Volpatti! Aaron has such a unique hockey journey...and such an inspiring story. We talk:-His near death experience with a fire and how it taught him resliency-How visualization helped him heal and helped him in his career-His journey to the NHL-Much more!!This again was such an inspiring conversation we are so thrilled to bring to you. Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our AMAZING listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on NHL Network host and analytics expert Mike Kelly! This was an amazing conversation on the use of analytics to make teams better and for us to better understand the game. We tackle:-The use of analytics to form team identity-The importance of the neutral zone-Peeling back the onion of how goals are scored-Some great stories of how players/coaches are using analytics for development-Much More!!Thank you to Mike for this awesome conversation...it's one you are going to love. Thank you to our title sponsor GELSTX. Thank you to sponsor TrainHeroic and IceHockeySystems.com.And thank you to our amazing listeners!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on NHL Hall of Famer and one of the top development coaches in the world, Adam Oates! Known as one of the best playmakers of all time, it was incredible being able to talk hockey with someone with such an amazing hockey sense as Adam. On the podcast, we talk:-Playing fast vs. Fast hockey IQ-Why players like McDavid, Ovechkin, and Crosby are so good-Building chemistry with teammates-MUCH MORE!What an honor getting Adam on the podcast to share his knowledge. We want to the GELSTX (gelstx.com) our title sponsor. We also want to thank TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and BlueWire Pods.Our biggest thank you goes to all of our amazing listeners! Thank you for all of your support for our podcast and we know you are going to get a ton out of this one! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on West Point graduate and United States Army veteran Joe Kramer! Joe played ACHA Club hockey at West Point and came on to share some of his hockey and leadership experiences with the armed forces. On this episode, we talk:-Leadership lessons learned in the military-How to bring a team together and build a bought in unit-How to create a "relationship with failure"-The benefits and experience of playing ACHA Club College Hockey-MUCH.MOREFirst and foremost, thank you to Joe for his service. Thank you also to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. This week we have another sponsor in Hello Fresh. Thank you to our podcast parent company, BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our amazing supporters and listeners!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the Co-General Manager of the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL and Detroit Little Caesars' 15O coach Jason Deskins! This was a great conversation as Jason has so much great perspective with all of the hats he wears in the hockey world. The boys tackle:-Using the downs to motivate you-What he looks for in players as a GM in junior hockey-How to get into the business as a young coach-GOAL SCORING-LEADERSHIP-So Much MoreThank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com...and thank you to all of our AMAZING listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Mount St. Charles Hockey Academy Director and 18u Head Coach, Matt Plante! Fresh off winning the National Championship, Topher and Jeff sit down with Planter and go through so many different awesome topics including:-Their National Championship Run-Coaching Kids at 18u who have gone on to play in the NHL and what made them special-A day in the life at a hockey prep academy-Why surrounding yourself with good people is important-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you to all of our amazing supporters out there...we love you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher come loaded with questions for one another - yet the other person has no idea what the questions are. The non-scripted Q&A between the two guys end up becoming a great resource for all hockey players. Questions include:-How important is developing a routine?-How can you develop a goal scoring mentality?-What is advice for players who are playing a 3rd or 4th line role on a team?-What does being "hard to play against" mean?This was a really fun episode for the guys and we think you are going to really enjoy it too! Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors - GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you to all of our amazing supporters!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the Head Coach at Dartmouth College Reid Cashman. Cash is a great coach who came to Dartmouth from being an Assistant Coach with the Washington Capitols and this was a fantastic conversation on hockey development and the hockey journey.Cash grew up in MN and played his college hockey at Quinnipiac where he was a two-time All-American. He played a few years professionally before going behind the bench at his alma mater Quinnipiac. From there he went on to coach in Hershey of the AHL, followed by Washington and now Dartmouth.This was an epic conversation where we tackle:-What defense development looks like-The importance of habit building in practice-What it was like coaching the best players in the world in Washington-MUCH MORE!Thank you to our sponsors for this podcast - GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. Thank you to our Podcast Family BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher take YOUR mailbag questions on anything and everything college hockey! With the NCAA Tournament in full swing, they take you behind the scenes of what college hockey is about. Jeff also takes you through his visit with to the USA National Team Development Program at their annual tryout showcase. Some questions the guys tackle on the podcast include:-What is it like to play in the NCAA Tournament?-How does University of Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandlin do it?-How do you get recruited and do summer showcases matter?-What are the best college hockey conferences?-What is the toughest college hockey rink to play in?This one was a lot of fun and made the boys really get nostalgic about their time playing college hockey.We want to thank our awesome sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. We also want to thank our amazing listeners and supporters! We appreciate you and know you are going to love this conversation on #cawlidgehawkey Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on a teammate of BOTH Jeff and Topher...Brian Bicek. Brian is from Chicago and played his college hockey at Western Michigan - before going onto a seven year pro career. He has been a youth hockey coach in Chicago now for almost a decade and we had an awesome conversation on all of our experiences especially coaching at the youth levels. Some of the topics we dove into include:-How to divvy up ice time and the problems that creates-How parents can best help their kids (and how not to hurt them)-Laying out a foundation as a youth coach or parent for the kids-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and a new sponsor through our podcast company BlueWire pods, HelloFresh. Get an awesome deal by going to hellofresh.com/thinktank16 and use the code thinktank16 to get 16 free meals...pretty sweet.And most importantly, thank you to all of our amazing listeners!! We love you and know you'll enjoy this one with Brian Bicek Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on our first ever guest to celebrate our 200th episode...Brandon Naurato!! Brandon is the current Assistant Coach for the University of Michigan and this was a conversation that didn't disappoint. We tackle:-What it's like to coach the best young players in the world.-Coaching the individual with coaching the team.-Teaching how to recognize and understand pressure with making plays on the ice-SO.MUCH.MORE!!!We want to thank EVERY SINGLE ONE of our amazing supporters and listeners. We honestly can't believe we are at 200 episodes of the Hockey Think Tank podcast. It's incredible and it's all because of your love and support for what we are trying to accomplish in adding some positivity to the hockey world. Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com and thank you to everyone out there that continues to listen from the bottom of our hearts.You are going to love this hockey coaching masterclass with Brandon Naurato! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher discuss how to navigate the end of a long season along with the finding the right avenues for spring and summer hockey. It's questions that they get ALL.THE.TIME from parents and thought it would be really beneficial to have a really open and honest conversation on what is happening in the hockey world during the spring and the summer. Some important topics they tackle include:-Early sport specialization and burnout-Using feedback as a tool for growth-The business of youth hockey in the spring/summer-FOMO-Much more!!Thank you to all of our sponsors including GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And special thank you, thank you, thank you to all of our AMAZING listeners!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on 13 year professional hockey veteran Cody Lampl! Cody is one of Jeff's former teammates that grew up in a non-traditional hockey market (Idaho) yet has had an incredible hockey career! We talk:-Cody starting out in figure skating and how that's helped him as a hockey player-The importance of mobility in your game-PASSING being an essential skill in hockey-His unique hockey journey coming from IdahoThank you to Cody for a really inspiring episode! Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TRAINHEROIC, and ICEHOCKEYSYSTEMS.COM. Thank you to Blue Wire Pods, our podcast parent company. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we are re-releasing the podcast where you get to know Topher! A few weeks ago, we re-released Episode ONE where Topher interviewed Jeff...and on this one the guys flipped the script and Jeff interviews Topher. Check out his journey through the hockey world...the good, the bad, and the ugly.Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors including GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com!And thank you to all of our amazing listeners! We wanted to go down memory lane with this episode...hope you enjoy! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher dive into MENTAL TOUGHNESS.-What is it?-How do you get it?-Why is it important?They share stories from their own careers (during and post-hockey), those from others they know, and detail strategies they have learned or seen that could lead to being a more mentally tough hockey player and person. Some of the areas they tackle include:-Handling adversity and success-The importance of a routine and preparation-Creating an accountability structure-SO MUCH MOREThis conversation had so much for anyone that wants to be more mentally tough!!!Thank you to all of our supporters and sponsors, including GelStx, IceHockeySystems.com, and TrainHeroic. And thank you most of all to all of our amazing listeners who continue to tune in with us every week! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we are getting nostalgic and throwing it back to EPISODE 1 where Topher interviews Jeff that was the start to this podcast journey. We will be hitting 200 episodes in the next few weeks and we wanted to brink it back to where we started to pay homage to the journey.For those that have been with us for a large part of our journey, you'll see how hilarious this first episode was where Jeff and Topher have NO CLUE what they are doing...but they get into some great conversation about Jeff's journey. You can see the seeds being laid for what was eventually to come.We love you guys, hope you enjoy!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher speak directly to all the youth hockey players with a dream of playing hockey at a high level. They go dive into stories of their own careers and those of others they know to give advice to all the players out there on what the journey may throw at them. Through this podcast episode, they answer three fundamental questions: When was there a time a coach was hard on you and what did you do to handle it? Who is a player you know that made it and what was it that got them there? What specific advice would you give to a kid that wanted to play junior, college, or pro hockey? This episode comes with a ton of insight for not just the players, but the parents and coaches who will guide those players through their journeys. We know it will be an impactful one for everyone that listens!!Thank you to all of our amazing listeners. Thank you to our amazing sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. We appreciate all of you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher take on Mailbag questions from YOU! They sent the bat signal out on social media and you guys gave us some great topics to dive into including...-Is burnout real?-Are there benefits to playing the off wing-Thoughts on International Tournaments getting canceled-Position specific skills for D and F-The nastiest goal they've ever scored-What separates good players from the best?-Much More!!!We love hearing from you...and thanks to everyone that submitted questions. We want to also thank our sponsors GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. We appreciate all the support from all of you and especially all of our amazing listeners!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we dive deep into OZONE PLAY! We bring on Ryan Ward, Robbie Murden, and our Director of Skills Karl Linden to talk anything and everything on the Ozone, including:-Getting the defense involved-Shot quantity vs quality-The importance offensively and defensively of F3-Using analytics to drive tactics-Puck Protection-A whole lot more!This was a fun, in depth look on scoring goals and we know you'll enjoy the banter! Thank you to all of you that continue to support our podcast and we hope you'll be able to take something from this one to use with your teams.Thank you to our sponsors as well, GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Director of Hockey Operations for the University of Wisconsin and Topher's former junior hockey teammate, Shane Connelly! Shane was a big time goaltender playing in multiple tournaments for Team USA and won a National Championship at the University of Wisconsin. He was a great player and now a great coach, and we dive into some really amazing topics including:-Coaching Cole Caufield at Wisconsin-Scoring goals through a goalie's eyes-The makeup of championship teams and its leadership-Coaching elite talent-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to Shane for coming on and for the awesome conversation! Thank you to our awesome sponsors - GELSTX (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you most of all to our amazing listeners!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher create a podcast surprise Christmas present for a few certain people that have been some of the best role models in their lives. Tune in to find out who and listen to a podcast full of love, family, and of course...hockey. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Topher and Jeff talk about what they can do...and what we all can do...to get the most out of our potential. They use the framework of Topher's "10 Commandments" of things he'd like to incorporate into his life....only later to be named the "Tophmandments" by Jeff. This was a really fun episode that will make you laugh, think, and reflect upon how you are getting the most out of yourself in your own life. Some of the Tophmandments include:-You are defined by your actions, not your experiences-Physical health is mental health and mental health is physical health-Perspective is power-Every day is a series of choices hinging on self-discipline-And More!!Thank you to all of our amazing listeners...we hope you have an amazing holiday!And thank you to our awesome sponsors in GELSTX, TRAINHEROIC, and ICEHOCKEYSYSTEMS.COM! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on former University of Michigan standout and current owner of the hockey development company TopLine Hockey Justin Selman! This was a really insightful and candid conversation about the journey to high level hockey with a lot of really open stories about the ups, downs, and everything that goes into the grind of getting better. We talk:-How being different isn't easy-How rushing the process comes with a major risk-Playing on a line with Dylan Larkin and Zach Hyman at Michigan-How doing the right things all the time can lead to opportunities-MUCH MORE!!This was so much fun, we know you are going to love it and learn something along the way. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you so much to all of our loyal listeners who continue to tune in with us every week! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Rob Rassey and Ryan Ward join Topher on the Windy City Hockey Roundtable to talk POSITIONLESS HOCKEY. We feel like it's a term that is used a lot but under-defined...but can have a positive effect on your team's play and individual player development. Some of the concepts we go over include:-Getting back and sorting out the Dzone-Developing versatile players-Rush and Ozone play-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to everyone that takes the time to listen to this episode, we hope that you'll be able to use this with your teams! Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, IceHockeySystems.com, and TrainHeroic. And thanks the most to all of our amazing listeners!!!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on former NHL referee Tim Peel! Tim is a veteran of over 1,300 NHL games, he reffed an All-Star game, and he also reffed at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. This was an awesome conversation where we talked:-How the game has changed in the decades he's reffed-The difference between reffing players like Gretzky vs. McDavid-The "Hot Mic" incident that cost him his job-Refs in youth hockey today-MUCH MUCH MOREThis was a really cool conversation on what it's like to be a ref in the NHL and building relationships with some of the top players in the world. Thank you to all of our amazing listeners, and thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and MyHockeySystems.com. You're going to love this one! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we talk everything TEAM CAPTAINS on the Windy City Storm Hockey Roundtable. We bring on former Asst Coach of Harvard, Detroit Red Wings scout, and current director of TPH Chicago Rob Rassey go detail player leadership and so many ideas and insights relating to team captains. We talk:-What makes a good captain?-How do you choose them?-The importance of secondary leadership-Best player/role player as captain-MUCH MORE!This was a phenomenal conversation we hope can stir up some ideas that you could use with your teams or businesses. Thank you to Rass again for coming on. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. And thank you thank you thank you to all of our amazing listeners who continue to ride this podcast train with us!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the two hosts of "NEXT SHIFT" podcast Sean Coffey and George Hughes. Sean is an NHL agent and George was an All-American defenseman and they teamed up to start a podcast on the stories of great people in the hockey world both during their careers and what they're up to afterwards.With their experiences in the game, we tackle some awesome subjects including:-Playing to play vs. playing for expectations and external rewards-Handling pressure - "Playing the game" vs "Thinking the game"-Lessons for life after hockey-MUCH MUCH MOREWe get vulnerable and share a bunch of stories that we think will be able to put things into perspective for a lot of hockey players out there, Sean and George are great hockey guys and we know you'll enjoy a lot of their stories!Thank you to all of our amazing supporters who continue to tune in every week. Thank you to our title sponsor GelStx, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we talk ENTRIES and RUSH!! What a fun episode this was...we bring on our Robbie Murden and Mike Monti to talk anything and everything regarding having successful entries. We go through...-How good defense leads to rush chances-Teaching predictability vs. creativity-The importance of entering through the middle of the ice-The give and take of Blueline turnovers-Net DriveMuch More!!We know you'll take a ton out of this episode that you can use with your teams....and hopefully get some more goals!We want to thank the people that support us, including our title sponsor GelStx (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic (app on your phone), and IceHockeySystems.com. And most importantly, thank you to all of our thousands of listeners who tune in with us every week. We so appreciate you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on firefighter, paramedic and aspiring professional hockey player Kevin Porter! What an inspiring episode with someone who is stopping at nothing to achieve his dreams, even in his 40's. So much positivity and so many uplifting stories of battling adversity on this one...we talk:-How to drown out the haters-How a near-death experience sparked his attempt to achieve his dreams-How a firehouse relates to a hockey locker room and culture-So.Much.More!!What a conversation this one was...we know you are going to enjoy the heck out of it. Thank you to our sponsors GelStx, IceHockeySystems.com, and TrainHeroic. Thank you to our podcast platform BlueWire Pods. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners who hang out with us every week! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we have our Windy City Storm roundtable detailing our ORGANIZATIONAL WEEKEND we executed the week prior. This ORGANIZATIONAL WEEKEND was an idea we tried getting all of our youth teams in our rink for a weekend to build our culture and get everyone excited about being part of the Windy City Storm family. Here's what we did:-Split practices and games with an older team and younger team on the ice at the same time.-Info sessions for our players and parents with our hockey directors-Info session with our strength coach on off-ice philosophy-Intrasquad games with older players coaching younger teams and vice versa.IT WAS AWESOME!! Our hope by doing this podcast is that other youth organizations take the idea and run with it. I think over the weekend we were able to build a camaraderie with all of our teams and families and taught the players that what the crest in front of the jersey means more than the names on the back.Check it out!!Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com. Thank you to our podcast platform BlueWire. And thank you to our amazing listeners. We know you'll get a ton out of this one!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on one of Jeff's former teammates who had an unbelievable journey to the NHL...going from an undersized and undrafted player to ultimately reaching his dreams of playing in the show. We talk:-Routine and preparation-Playing the role of an agitator as a smaller player-The grind of making it to the NHL.-MUCH MORE!!This was such an inspiring episode with a lot of nuggets for all kids that have dreams of playing at the highest levels of hockey.Thank you to all of our sponsors - GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com, and our podcast platform family BlueWire.And thank you to all of our amazing listeners!!!! We love you and can't thank you enough for all the support you've given us on our crazy podcast journey!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we tackle one of the most underrated development habit in hockey:Wall PlayIf you look at a heat map of where the puck is at during a game...much of the game you would see it is close to the boards. That's why it's so important to focus on building skills in our players along the boards. On this podcast Topher, Ryan Ward, and Rob Rassey discuss all things Wall Play...including:-The art of picking up a rim-Using the boards on retrievals for defensemen-Using the boards on the cycle in the offensive zone-Much More!!This was a fun roundtable episode that we hope you can take some things to use with your players and teams! Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, ICEHOCKEYSYSTEMS.COM, and thank you to all of our loyal listeners!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on the founder of Changing the Game Project, John O'Sullivan. This is a must listen for every coach and parent in sports as John has dedicated his life and business to providing coach and parent education. On this episode, we talk:-Transformational Leadership-How to be hard on players in a way that's demanding, not demeaning-The are of building relationships as a coach-The coach/parent relationship in youth sports-SO MUCH MOREThis episode is a game-changer (pun intended) and our listeners are going to get SO MUCH great information from John's experience and perspective.Thank you to John and Changing the Game Project (changingthegameproject.com) for all that they do. Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, ICEHOCKEYSYSTEMS.COM, TRAINHEROIC. And thank you so much to all of our listeners and supporters who continue to ride with us on this podcast journey! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Topher sits down with former Harvard University coach and Detroit Red Wings scout Rob Rassey to talk about the POWER PLAY. This was an exciting conversation full of talk on strategy, habits, tactics, and much much more on what makes a successful power play. They talk:-Mentality vs. Tactics-Skill sets for different roles on the PP-Data/Analytics of every PP goal scored in an NHL Year-So. Much. MoreThank you to our sponsors for continuing to support our podcast in GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and icehockeysystems.com. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners!!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on Zach Jordan. Zach growing up NEVER played AAA hockey but is going to his first NHL Main Camp just 7 short years after being cut from AAA Midget hockey. What an inspiring story!Zach works with Jeff off the ice on his strength and conditioning and has worked extremely hard to play Division One hockey at University of Nebraska-Omaha and just signed a deal in Columbus' organization with their AHL team in Cleveland. After never playing AAA growing up, it shows his perseverance and resiliency to make it to the big leagues.Thank you to Zach for coming on to our podcast to share your amazing journey! Thank you also to GELSTX (gelstx.com), TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com for supporting our podcast. And a big thank you to all of our amazing listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we are starting a new series that will air every couple weeks called the Windy City Storm Hockey Roundtable! In this series, Topher brings on a few people that he works with to really dive into a specific hockey topic. For the inaugural episode, Topher has on Rob Rassey and Ryan Ward!Rob played his college hockey at Northeastern. He then pursued coaching and had stops at Youngstown (USHL) and Harvard (NCAA). The last two years he has been a scout with the Detroit Red Wings and now Rob is the director of TPH-Chicago hockey academy. Ryan has coached at multiple levels and his stops include the Soo Greyhounds (OHL), New York Islanders (NHL), Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Selects Academy (Prep) and he is now the Director of Player Development for the Tri City Storm (USHL) and Hockey Director for the Windy City Storm.On this episode, Topher, Ryan, and Rob talk about TRACKING. The go through:-Why it's important-How it can help create team identity-Getting offensive players to buy into it-The X's and O's of why it works-Much More!We want to provide our listeners so new, fun, and innovative hockey knowledge...so here we go!We want to thank our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, and IceHockeySystems.com! And as always, we want to thank our amazing listeners who continue to support our podcast! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, Jeff and Topher come to you LIVE from Jeff's apartment! It was amazing to get in the same room to riff on what they believe are the most important attributes and actions of leaders in the hockey world. They talk:-The importance of making it HARD-Consistency is the key-What kind of coach would you want to play for?-MUCH, MUCH MORE!Thank you to all of our supporters who continue to tune in every week...you guys are going to LOVE this live episode. Thanks you to our sponsors GelStx, IceHockeySystems.com, and TrainHeroic. We love you all! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on one of our most popular guests in hockey development coach Brian Keane! Keaner is a development coach to some of the top players in the world including Patrick Kane, and works as a consultant with the Chicago Blackhawks. This was an amazing episode in talking hockey, where we go through:-How to develop better decision makers-The curiosity of the best players in the world and why that's one of their top attributes-Stimulating player development through failure and problem solving-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, IceHockeySystems.com and our podcast platform Blue Wire Pods. And thank you to all of our amazing listeners who tune in each week! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we MAILBAG it and take some hockey listener questions! We had a ton of fun with this one, including questions on:-How much hockey should kids do in the summer?-How would you approach a coach as a kid regarding an issue you may have?-As a coach how do you handle a parent asking you about ice time?-Many More!!Thank you to our sponsors GELSTX, TrainHeroic, icehockeysystems.com, and to our podcast parent company BlueWire Pods. And thank you to our amazing listeners who continue to support our show! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we talk to six Cornell Women's hockey alumni playing for Team Canada in this year's World Championships...Rebecca Johnston, Brianne Jenner, Jillian Saulnier, Kristin O'Neill, Jaime Bourbonnais, and Micah Zandee Hart!! Topher got to interview all six women as part of raising awareness for a charity hockey game at Cornell benefitting Racker, a school for kids with special needs in the area. What an inspiring conversation where we talked:-The thrill of playing for Team Canada-Importance of leaving the game better than where they found it-Building camaraderie in an international tournament setting-Advice for young girls with aspirations of playing for their country-MUCH MORE!!Thank you to these amazing women! Thank you also to our title sponsor GELSTX, icehockeysystems.com, TrainHeroic, and BlueWire Pods. You're going to love this episode!! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.