Our Kids Play Hockey
Our Kids Play Hockey is a podcast that focuses on youth hockey, offering insights, stories, and interviews from the hockey community. It provides valuable advice for parents, coaches, and players, covering various aspects of the game, including skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, and creating a positive experience for young athletes. The show frequently features guests who share their expertise and personal experiences in youth hockey, both on and off the ice.
The show features three hockey parents, who all work in the game at high levels:
- Christie Casciano-Burns - USA Hockey Columnist, Author, and WSYR Anchor
- Mike Bonelli - USA Hockey Coach and Organizational Consultant
- Lee M.J. Elias - Hockey Entrepreneur, Author, and Team Strategist
In addition to the main podcast, there are several spin-off series that dive into specific aspects of youth hockey:
1.Our Girls Play Hockey – This series highlights the growing presence of girls in hockey, addressing the unique challenges they face while celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to the sport. Each episode of Our Girls Play Hockey is also hosted by Sheri Hudspeth who is the Director, Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development for the Vegas Golden Knights.
2.The Ride to The Rink – A shorter, motivational series designed to be listened to on the way to the rink, offering quick, inspirational tips and advice to help players and parents get into the right mindset before a game or practice.
3.Our Kids Play Goalie – This series is dedicated to young goalies and the unique challenges they face. It provides advice for players, parents, and coaches on how to support and develop young goaltenders, focusing on the mental and physical demands of the position.
Together, these shows provide a comprehensive platform for parents, players, and coaches involved in youth hockey, offering insights for all aspects of the sport, from parenting, playing, or coaching to specialized positions like goaltending.
Our Kids Play Hockey
The Ride To The Rink - 7-Time Stanley Cup Champion and NHL Hall Of Famer Bryan Trottier
Welcome back, hockey skaters and goalies! On this special edition of The Ride to the Rink, we are honored to have a true hockey legend joining us—NHL Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier. As one of the top 100 NHL players of all time, Bryan has an impressive resume with seven Stanley Cups under his belt—six as a player and one as a coach. Today, he shares valuable insights on the importance of being resourceful in your training and how overcoming challenges can lead to success.
Key Takeaways:
•Resourcefulness Over Resources: Bryan emphasizes that success isn’t about having the best resources but being resourceful with what you have. Whether it’s practicing stick skills in a barn or finding ways to play in a remote community, it’s all about making the most of your situation.
•From Small Town to Big League: Growing up in Valmarie, Saskatchewan, a town with a population of just 250, Bryan faced many challenges, including homesickness and limited opportunities. Yet, he made it all the way to the NHL, proving that determination and resilience can take you far, no matter where you start.
•The Power of Community: Bryan talks about the importance of community and family support in achieving your goals. He draws parallels between his own upbringing and the close-knit indigenous communities he often visits, highlighting the shared values of teamwork, humility, and mentorship.
•Mentorship and Legacy: Bryan reflects on how mentors, whether they are parents, coaches, or teammates, have played a crucial role in his journey. He also discusses the significance of giving back and inspiring the next generation of hockey players.
•Inclusion and Representation: As a proud grandfather of seven granddaughters, Bryan is thrilled to see the increasing participation of girls in hockey. He applauds the efforts of female athletes who are paving the way for the next generation, including his own granddaughters.
Tune in to hear Bryan’s inspiring story and gain insight into what it takes to succeed in hockey and life. And don’t forget to check out his full episode on Our Kids Play Hockey, available now on all podcast platforms.
Thank you for joining us on The Ride to the Rink! Enjoy your day, enjoy your hockey, and always remember to keep skating.
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Hello hockey skaters and goalies around the world and welcome back to another edition of the Ride to the Rink. Got a really special guest for you kids out there today Brian Trottier, nhl Hall of Famer. He's in the top 100 NHL players of all time. He's won seven Stanley Cups six as a player, one as a coach and he is going to talk to you a little bit about the need to be resourceful when it comes to your training. Again, it's not about resources, it's about being resourceful. Let's hear what he has to say.
Speaker 2:I think the thing for me Neil, you mentioned it with the challenges is the remote communities. So I come from a remote community in Saskatchewan. I made it from a population of 250 people to Long Island population, 4 million people. And when kids can see that, okay, they're a little shy, they're a little nervous to leave home, and I was. I was homesick all the time and I tell these stories and I tell them about some of the challenges I faced with no money.
Speaker 2:You know, remote Saskatchewan, who's going to see me and I can make it all the way to the NHL, have some fun successes, win some Stanley Cups and make some great friendships. And then I can always go home, I can always come back. You know, you can always bring these experiences back and and people, you, you become reality. All of a sudden they see you on TV, they see you on Google, they, you know they can. The internet is helpful for me because, yeah, the parents and the grandparents know me, but the youngsters don't. But they can go on the internet, they can see you play and all of a sudden you're real, you're in front of them and you're talking to them. You're telling some of the challenges you face, some of the same challenges that they face. You know, maybe it's lack of funds, maybe it's, you know, being remote, maybe it's, you know, uh, who am I going to play with? Not enough kids their age. And you find a way and communities do, and I'm always impressed, you know, they find ways to fundraise, they find ways to get their kids to where they got, to get going. So those things are some of the challenges they have to overcome, just like my parents did, just like coaches finding the right coaches that support you and give you the right kind of ice time and and help you grow and skills and. But there's a lot of practice time. There's a lot of, a lot of uh hours and hours of practice that you have to do, not just on the ice, but for me it was, you know, having a stick and a ball going down to the barn to do chores and you know that thing bouncing around and you know, and that was fun for me that was fun, it was just practicing my stick skills and you know, and that ball bouncing, and you know my sisters and brothers being in the net and taking shots at them, and you find a way, and you just find a way, to keep practicing your skills, and when you get on the ice, you practice your skating skills.
Speaker 2:And those are the things I talk about when I get into the communities and much like I appreciate and respect all the things that I'm getting while I'm there the good energy, the welcome, the hospitality and the foods and all this. I want to bring something to them and I want to bring a story. I want to bring something that they can relate to and our indigenous roots aren't that far apart. You know, talk about the foods that I grew up with my grandparents, talk about the hunting I did with my grandfather, my dad, and talk about some of the horseback riding I did and training animals and being around. You know, uh, you know that that that family atmosphere, the love of family and, uh, community and those are important aspects to the indigenous folks and, um, I'm proud of it. I'm proud that our hockey guys in general are all about it and we see that we appreciate it.
Speaker 2:We all come from kind of similar backgrounds in a sense but at the same time, that appreciation factor, a little bit humbleness about us, but we're so team oriented, right, and, uh, I think that's kind of the common glue amongst hockey guys is, you know you're team oriented. It's not about me, it's about us, it's about you know my success is about team success. That's the same with the Indigenous folks. They're not a me kind of people but you know they take pride in the fact that they can bring something to the table, and maybe it's athleticism, maybe it's strength, maybe it's you know, their knowledge and all these things you know are powerful things that the next generation they watch and they see and they become that person.
Speaker 2:And so mentoring is a big, big factor in the Indigenous communities, much like it is for me having my parents be my mentors, having coaches, having teammates that supported me through the thing. But yeah, there's challenges but there's ways to overcome them and my story, I hope, the next generation helps the next generation. And the more of us that get out there, the more of us that get you know more kids. And now we see the girls playing and the girls participating. We see, you know, the, the gals have been just wonderful ambassadors of the game at the, at the, the ladies that played the Olympicslympics, and I just so proud of the hockey girls that are that are doing it, because I have seven granddaughters and one of them's playing hockey and two of them are playing soccer because of the ladies that are that are bringing awareness that there's.
Speaker 2:These girls are very athletic and you know we want participation by everybody.
Speaker 2:We want everybody playing and you might not be athletic but you know we want participation by everybody. We want everybody playing. You might not be athletic but you know just the fact you're participating and you're part of something is helping you. Your teammates and people don't forget that you become a. You know you become a factor in everybody's lives and you know that step that they might need to help them go and they'll come back and help you, maybe with your stuff, maybe you're in music and you need a drummer and you're a great drummer, but you'll try to be a drummer, you know, and at least playing guitar. Those things all pay off. So it's helping each other all the way through some of these challenges At the same time.
Speaker 2:You know me from remote Balmory, saskatchewan, the metropolis 250 people, I think it's down to 120 people, but it's a proud place to come from. I love the people back there. It was a great place to grow up. Hockey was a big part of our fabric and still is. You know there's not a lot of kids anymore, but they find a way. They got to drive to another town. They form teams, you know, with all the local towns around there so they have enough kids playing. I'm amazed. You know what we do as parents and grandparents to help the next generation, and it's the same thing in the indigenous communities, and that's why I'm so proud of the game of hockey and I'm so proud of the people that are involved in the game, because everybody finds a way to grab a hold of the road All right, that's going to do it for this edition of the Ride to the Rink.
Speaker 1:We want to thank Brian Trottier for taking some time today to come on this show to speak directly to you. You can check out his full episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, which is available now wherever podcasts can be heard. But above all, my friends, enjoy the day, enjoy your hockey, and always.
