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.
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.
Episodes
515 episodes
Our Girls Play Hockey: Should Your 9-Year-Old Play Up? (A Hayley Scamurra Mailbag)
🏒 Should your 9-year-old play up… or just play?This week on Our Girls Play Hockey, we tackle a question every hockey parent faces sooner or later—and it’s not as simple as it seems.A parent writes in with a tough d...
The Ride to The Rink: Why Checking In Might Be the Most Important Thing You Do on Your Team
🏒 What if the most important thing you do for your team today…has nothing to do with hockey skills?In this powerful Ride to the Rink episode, Lee, Mike, and Christie are joined by Rob to talk about a simple idea that’s making a BIG impac...
The Shoulder Check Movement: Changing Mental Health in Youth Hockey with Rob Thorsen
🔥 What if the most important thing in youth hockey isn’t winning… but noticing when someone isn’t okay?In this powerful and deeply moving episode, we sit down with Rob Thorsen, founder of the Shoulder Check Foundation and HT40 Fou...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Stathlete's Meghan Chayka On The Data Behind Greatness
🚨 What if the difference between good and great in hockey… wasn’t just talent—but data?This week on Our Girls Play Hockey, we’re joined by trailblazer Meghan Chayka, co-founder of Stathletes and one of the leading voices ...
The Ride to The Rink: The Secret to Playing 400+ Games in a Row 🏒 (Karl Alzner Explains)
🏒 What does it really take to show up every single day—no matter what?This week on The Ride to the Rink, Lee and Mike are joined by former NHL defenseman Karl Alzner, who played an incredible 428 consecutive NHL games
From NHL Ironman to Hockey Dad: Karl Alzner on Development, Leadership & Balance
🏒 What if the most important skill in hockey isn’t scoring… but being trusted?This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, we’re joined by former NHL defenseman Karl Alzner—a World Junior captain, Olympic-level competitor, and one ...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Life After Gold: Haley Scamurra’s Wild Return to the PWHL
🥇 What happens after you win Olympic gold?For most athletes, it’s a moment frozen in time. For Haley Scamurra… it was just the beginning.In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Haley takes us inside the whirlwind...
The Ride to The Rink: Mike Knuble’s Net-Front Scoring Secrets (Go Where the Goals Are)
🏒 Want to score more goals? It might be simpler—and tougher—than you think.On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, we’re joined by former NHLer and Stanley Cup Champion Mike Knuble, a player who made a career out of doing ...
The Secret to Hockey Success? Patience. (with NHL Veteran Mike Knuble)
🏒 What if everything you’ve been told about youth hockey development… is wrong?This week, we’re joined by 1,000+ game NHL veteran Mike Knuble—a Stanley Cup Champion who built his career the hard way: through patience, persistence,...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Inside the Olympic Experience & MORE with Hayley Scamurra (Part 2)
🔥 You asked. We delivered. The Mailbag Episode is BACK — and this one is packed with real answers from a real pro.In this special Q&A episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Hayley Scamurra sits down with Lee and Mike to an...
The Ride to The Rink: The 5-Minute Reset Every Hockey Player Needs (with NHL Veteran Bobby Ryan)
🏒 Ever walk off the ice feeling like you were either the best player out there… or the worst?This week on The Ride to the Rink, we’re joined by former NHL star Bobby Ryan (800+ NHL games, 2nd overall draft pick) to talk a...
More Than Goals & Assists: NHL Veteran Bobby Ryan on Raising Confident Hockey Players
🏒 What if the rink isn’t just where kids play… but where they feel safest?In this powerful and deeply personal episode, former NHL star Bobby Ryan joins us to share a perspective every hockey parent and coach needs to hear. From a...
Our Kids Play Goalie - Estela Vazquez On What It Takes to Be a Young Elite Goalie (At Just 14!)
🔥 What were YOU doing at 14 years old? Because Estela Vazquez was winning GOLD on the international stage.In this inspiring episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, we sit down with Estela Vazquez — a rising star goaltender for t...
The Ride to The Rink: NHL Veteran Scott Hartnell on the Mindset That Built a 17-Year Career
🏒 What’s the one thing every young hockey player can control every single day?On this Ride to the Rink, the hosts are joined by 17-year NHL veteran Scott Hartnell, who shares the mindset that helped him build a long, succes...
Why Roles Matter in Hockey (and Life) – Featuring NHL Veteran Scott Hartnell
🏒 What does it really take to make it to the NHL—and what lessons can young players and parents learn from the journey?In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christy Casciano-Burns are joined ...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Inside the Olympic Experience with Hayley Scamurra (Part 1)
🏒 What does it actually feel like to win Olympic gold?In this special Our Girls Play Hockey listener Q&A, Olympic gold medalist Hayley Scamurra pulls back the curtain on the Olympic experience — from the electric...
The Ride to The Rink: Hockey Tryout Tips - Preparation, Mindset, and Standing Out the Right Way
🚗 Heading to a hockey tryout or evaluation? Take a deep breath — this Ride to the Rink is exactly what you need to hear.Evaluations can bring out a lot of emotions: excitement, nerves, pressure, and sometimes even fear. But the tr...
The Tryout Survival Guide for Hockey Parents and Players
🏒 Hockey tryout season is here… and for many families, that means nerves, pressure, and a lot of unanswered questions.What are coaches actually looking for? How are teams really selected? And what should parents a...
Our Girls Play Hockey: Pro Hockey Secrets for Young Players | Mailbag with Hayley Scamurra (Part 2)
🏒 You asked… and the mailbag is back!In this special Our Girls Play Hockey Mailbag Episode, hosts Lee and Mike sit down with professional hockey player Hayley Scamurra to answer rapid-fire questions straight from you...
The Ride to The Rink: How to Stand Out Before Pre-Skates, ID Skates, & Tryouts
🚨 Think tryouts start on evaluation day? Think again.If you’re heading to a pre-skate or ID skate, this episode is your mindset reset before you walk through those rink doors.Lee and Mike break down what these “tryout befor...
Pre-Skates & ID Skates Explained: What Parents NEED to Know Before Tryouts
🔥 ID skates. Pre-skates. Early evaluations. Winter “select” teams. If you’re a hockey parent right now, your inbox is probably full — and your anxiety might be too.So what are ID skates really? Are they opportunit...
GIVEAWAY 🎉 Puck Hog 3 Is Here! Christie Casciano-Burns’ Trophy Thief Mystery
🎉 GIVEAWAY ALERT, Hockey Families! 🎉Something BIG just dropped in the Our Kids Play Hockey world… and we’re celebrating the best way we know how — by giving back to YOU.Christie Casciano-Burns — award-winning journalist, US...
Olympic Gold: Hayley Scamurra and Team USA’s Historic Run | 2026 Women’s Ice Hockey
🥇 She wrote it on the whiteboard for a year: “I am a gold medalist.” Now it’s real.In this unforgettable crossover episode of Our Kids Play Hockey and Our Girls Play Hockey, Olympic Gold Medalist Hayley Scamur...
The Ride to The Rink: A Parent’s Guide to Hockey Evals and Team Decisions
🚨 Parents — this one’s for you. 🚨Tryout season is here. Emotions are high. FOMO is real. And decisions made right now can shape your child’s hockey journey for years to come.In this special Parent Edition of The Ride to...
Habits of Hockey: Building Character, Discipline & Elite Development With Founder Jimmy Law
🏒 Is your child developing as a hockey player… or just playing more hockey?In this powerful episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee and Mike sit down with Jimmy Law, Director of Sports Performance at TPH Academy and f...