The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on acclaimed filmmaker Gabe Polsky...who produced and directed two major hockey films that have circulated the hockey world with "In Search of Greatness" and "Red Army". Gabe also was a hockey player himself, having played growing up in Chicago and then Division One at Yale University. In this conversation, we talk a lot about the film "In Search of Greatness" where Gabe interviews Wayne Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Pele, and other academic authors on why/how the Greatest of All Time became that way. We talk: -Sport Specialization -Passion -Building Hockey Sense/Game Sense -Providing the right environment for development -Much More!! This is a film that is a must-watch for any parent, player, or coach with dreams of achieving great things. Gabe does such an amazing job with this movie, and it was enlightening talking to him about it on our podcast. Thank you to all of our listeners for continuing to tune in, and thank you to our title sponsor GelStx for supporting our podcast! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this 100th(!) episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on ESPN Sportscenter Anchor and huge #cawlidgehockey advocate John Buccigross!!!! This was a phenomenal conversation and Bucci brings so much passion...we had an absolute blast. On this episode we talk: -His early career in getting to ESPN -The NHL2night days -His love for hockey, especially #cawlidgehockey -The origin of the #bucciotchallenge -The love of being a hockey parent -The unbelievably inspiring story of Brendan Burke We want to take this chance to thank all of you listeners. We literally can't believe we are at 100 episodes of this podcast. Your support has driven us to keep this thing rolling, and we really wanted a special guest for you for our 100th. Bucci absolutely brings it, and we're so honored to continue bringing you a little bit of education, and a little bit of inspiration, regarding THE GREATEST GAME ON THE PLANET. And thanks always for the support from GelStx as well...you guys are the best. *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 Head of Player Development for Frolunda in the top Swedish league overseas. Frolunda is highly regarded as one of the top programs in Sweden, and getting the chance to speak with Tobias did not disappoint! He has coached and developed the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, the number one draft pick overall to Buffalo a few years ago...and Lucas Raymond who is projected to go in the Top 5 of next year's NHL draft. In this conversation, we talk to Tobias about: -Sweden's development model for developing players. -Communicating with today's athlete and building trust. -The importance of competition and small area games. -What sets the truly elite talents apart from their peers. -Coaching the individual within a team structure. -Much, much more!!! Thank you to all of our listeners for your continued support for our podcast. Can't believe we're on episode Gretzky (99)! Thank you to our title sponsor, GelStx as well for your continued support for what we do. *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 go across the pond and speak to a Finland National Team Coach, Tommi Niemelä. This was such an amazing conversation speaking about Finland's philosophy on hockey development, and think it will be one of the most influential episodes that we've done. It's amazing what Finland has done in the number of NHL players it has developed...and also what they have done in International Play in winning some of the top world tournaments...with so much fewer numbers of players than their competition. In this episode, we talk: -Sport Specialization -An incredible view of coach education -Servant leadership vs. Authoritative leadership -Development of intrinsic motivation -Winning vs. Developing players -Playing with "rhythms" during a game -So.So.Much.More We are so excited to bring this episode to you and feel like you will learn A TON. Thank you to all our listeners for supporting our mission to educate and inspire the hockey world! And thank you to our title sponsor, GelStx, for supporting our mission as well! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 Harvard University Assistant Coach, James Marcou. James was an unreal player, who broke the career assists record for UMASS Amherst. After his junior year there, he signed with the San Jose Sharks before concussions unfortunately ended his career after his first season. He is a rising star in the coaching ranks and is currently in his first year at Harvard. In this conversation, we cover: -Playing for another crazy Russian coach growing up and the impact that had. -What it takes to make it as a smaller player. -What it means to "make players around you better." -The importance of honesty in recruiting. -Battling concussions as a hockey player. -The Cornell/Harvard rivalry. James is a great guy and a great coach, we know you'll enjoy this one! And as always, thank you to our title sponsor, GelStx...and thank you to all of our loyal fans for tuning in! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 take you out to Western Canada and speak to former college star and 9+ year professional player, Brandon Wong. Brandon grew up in beautiful Victoria, BC and played his college hockey at Quinnipiac University where he was a Hobey Baker candidate (he scored A LOT of points). After his career there he played almost a decade of pro hockey before returning to Western Canada to become a dedicated hockey skills coach. We talk a lot of great topics including: -The benefits of playing junior hockey -What differentiates the kids that "make it" -How much coaching to do on the bench during the game -Much more! Thank you to GELSTX, our title sponsor for supporting our show! And thank you to all of our listeners for keeping us going on this fun hockey podcast journey! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 what might have been the deepest conversation yet with acclaimed author and former college/professional hockey player, Ken Baker. Ken played college hockey at Colgate before figuring out that he had a debilitating physical disease that attacked his hormone levels. But after recognizing what was wrong...he put everything on hold (he was a celebrity reporter in Los Angeles and tells a few cool stories about that) to pursue his dream of being a professional hockey player! It's a really inspiring story, and we talk about: -Falling in love with hockey because of the Miracle on Ice in 1980. -The trap of the comparison culture. -The importance of having BIG dreams and goals. -The difference of being a dad to a girl and boy hockey player. -Celebrity culture and how it relates to hockey. This episode is brought to you by our title sponsor, GelStx! Head on over to gelstx.com, use the discount code "THINKTANK" and get a discount on the best training stick out there! Thank you to all of our hockey player, parent, and coach supporters...we couldn't do this without you! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 person you've all been waiting for... Topher's crazy Russian youth hockey coach, Stan Stopkin. This was an INCREDIBLE episode full of youth hockey gold...from a coaching, player, and parent perspectives. We talk about: -Coaching development in Russia (insane!) -Stan's first impressions of North American Hockey. -How to teach competitiveness and puck support (what we think are two of the most important attributes of a good hockey player). -Pushing kids outside their comfort zones and interesting ways to do it. -Reminiscing back on a year we won a youth hockey National Championship. And es, we talked about when we beat Jeff's St. Louis team where we played the entire game without a goalie too... This was an unforgettable episode that we are so excited to share with you. Thank you to all of our listeners for supporting our podcast, and thank you to GelStx for being our title sponsor! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 goaltender for the Tuscon Roadrunners (AHL affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes), Tyler Parks. Get ready to be inspired...because this guy's story is UNREAL. His resume includes being cut from AAA, his HS team as a junior in high school, junior teams...spent a year playing Division 3 hockey, cut in the ECHL and SPHL...but he absolutely persevered and now has earned his first callup to the AHL!!!!!!! Parsky's story is incredible and should be a must listen for any kid out there looking to follow their dreams! Thank you to Parksy for being so open with this conversation, we think it is going to change lives. Thank you also to all of our listeners for supporting our podcast, we couldn't do it without you. And thank you to our title sponsor, GELSTX...the best shooting training aid in the business!!! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 a little hockey! With the overwhelming positive feedback we got from the episode where we broke down the Power Play and Penalty Kill...we wanted to take another opportunity to talk about another concept in hockey that people are starving for information, THE FORECHECK. We go through different habits and reads, different structures and concepts, and how the forecheck vs. the breakout is one of the more fascinating chess matches in hockey. We hope you enjoy, thanks for tuning in and for supporting our podcast!! And thank you as always to our title sponsor, GelStx sports! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 continue with our Minnesota week and bring on Bloomington HS coach and New Programs Director for Minnesota Hockey (arm of USA Hockey) Mike Terwilliger. This was another great conversation into the depths of the state that produces the most players. We get into: -Playing on the ponds and building creativity -Playing for Pierre McGuire -Coaching and Teaching parallels -Community based models So much great information from Mike in this episode, thank you to everyone who tunes in! Thank you also to our title sponsor, GelStx.com...use the coupon code "THINKTANK" at checkout to get a discount on unreal weighted training sticks! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 kick off a two-episode week dedicated to Minnesota Hockey and bring on the Head Coach of Warroad High School, a powerhouse in the state. Jay grew up in Warroad, played at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and went on to a long pro career in the minor leagues before coming back home and becoming the head high school coach. Warroad is a town of close to 1800 people but has produced 5 NHL players, 7 Olympians, 80+ Division One players, and more. In this episode, we cover... -What makes the city of Warroad so special. -Playing for 2x defending National Champion Scott Sandelin at Minnesota-Duluth. -How big of an influence TJ Oshie, Brock Nelson, GiGi Marvin, and other great players have been on the kids in the town. -Much more!! Thank you to all of you that have tuned in, we love bringing you these conversations with awesome hockey people! And thank you to our Title Sponsor, GELSTX Sports! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 of the AHL's Binghamton Devils and one of the best people in the game of hockey, Mark Dennehy. Mark is widely known as one of the most respected coaches in the game. He spent 13 years as the Head Coach at Merrimack before now taking the Head Coaching job in Binghamton. On this episode we talk about: -Growing up outside of Boston in the Bobby Orr days -Hockey serving as a vehicle to teach life lessons -The importance of playing meaningful games in youth hockey -The difference between coaching in college and the pros -What private rinks can do in the summer to keep the lights on but not have the kids be on the ice all year. This was an awesome conversation! Thank you to all of the listeners for tuning in and thank you to our title sponsor, GelStx for your support of the podcast. *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 Director of Hockey Operations for the company 200x85, Justin Lewandowski. Many of you have probably been to one of their events or tournaments like the CCM Invite which brings in teams from all over the world to compete. We talk to Lewy about all things in youth and high level hockey, including: -Is toughness gone from the game today? -How are we teaching kids to handle adversity? -What to look for in a successful coach/educator? -How do you run a business in youth sports the right way? -Much, much more! This was an awesome conversation with one of the best hockey guys in the game who is running one of the biggest youth hockey businesses around. Tune it today, and thank you as always to our title sponsor GELSTX! 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 social media sensation Kane Van Gate (his real name is Keith Van Gels...) With over 30,000 subscribers on Youtube and over 40,000 followers on Instagram, Kane has made a name for himself as a hilarious Beer League goalie. His passion for the game is incredible and we have a great conversation about how his character started and how he's been able to grow the game. He has a new movie coming out shortly, "Hockey Journey," documenting a trip around the US and Canada showing the love of the game. Thank you to all of our listeners and thank you to our title sponsor, GelStx. We wouldn't be where we are without all of you! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 USA Hockey ADM Manager Bob Mancini. Bob comes back on the podcast to talk about all things USA Hockey...and he surely didn't disappoint. Some of the topics include how to build a youth organizational culture, what makes other countries development models so good, and a passionate back and forth about what happened to the US at the World Juniors this year along with some insight into the decision making at the higher levels of USA Hockey. This is one you don't want to miss...and Topher reveals a HUGE announcement that is going to continue to put the Hockey Think Tank on the map! Thank you so much to GelStx our title sponsor, and thank you to all of our listeners and supporters who continue to make this an incredible ride for us! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 DADS!! Hockey Dads are so critical to any player's career and enjoyment of the game and it was great to speak to our dads and reminisce about our journeys. We go through the ups, the downs, the lessons, and everything in between. They also provide some invaluable advice for any parent looking to guide their kid through the youth hockey process (mostly slow down and have fun with it!). We had a great time telling some fun and hilarious stories about how our dads shaped our own careers, and we certainly wouldn't be here without them. As always, thank you to all of our listeners who continue to go above and beyond in supporting our podcast and helping us grow. And thank you to GelStx our title sponsor...home of the best training hockey stick in the game! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 latest installment of our mailbag where we got questions from our listeners via social media...and our listeners didn't disappoint. Some of the topics we discussed include: -Ways to grow the game of hockey. -Coaching kids with ADHD or other behavior/developmental disabilities. -How to teach kids to not take shifts off. -How to develop a scoring mentality. -Evaluating your kid's coach. -Some of our best (and worst) hockey memories. And much, much more. We also had a guest host for the podcast in Topher's dad, Bobby Scott. For our last episode of 2019, we want to thank everyone who has supported this podcast! And we'd like to thank our title sponsor GelStx as well. Go to gelstx.com and use coupon "THINKTANK" to get a discount on the top training stick in the game. Happy 2020!! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) 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 media personality on everything St. Louis Blues...Andy Strickland. Andy covered one of the most amazing playoff runs and turnarounds we've ever seen last year, and he shares some great insight into an incredible season. Andy also tells us some great stories about being a youth hockey coach, what he learned from covering Jon Cooper when he was just a junior coach, and we discuss why we hate "NO BALL HOCKEY" signs in the rinks. Thank you to GelStx our title sponsor...if you'd like one of their training sticks go to gelstx.com and use the coupon code "THINKTANK" for a discount. And as always, thank you to all of our listeners for supporting our mission to make the hockey world a better place!! *Opening music: Forget the Whale - Take to the Skies (Instrumental) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.