🚗💨 What if not being “identified” as a top player early… actually worked in your favor?

On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by their good friend Matt Dumouchelle, creator of Hockey Factories and a global student of hockey development. Matt has traveled the world studying how different countries develop players — and what he’s learned challenges a lot of the North American mindset around early selection, elite teams, and “being picked.”

Together, they dive into one of the most important messages young players and families can hear:

👉 Being selected at 10, 12, or 14 doesn’t determine how good you’ll be — but your habits, mindset, and effort absolutely will.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why European hockey development focuses on developing everyone, not just early standouts
• Why being cut from a team is not the end of the road
• How work ethic, attitude, and energy outlast early talent
• Why your role as a player will (and should) change every year
• How playing different positions builds hockey IQ and long-term success
• Why consistency and commitment matter more than highlights

🏒 Whether you’re an 8-year-old just starting out, a teenager chasing your next opportunity, or a parent wondering how to support your child through the ups and downs — this episode is packed with perspective, reassurance, and motivation.

💡 Remember: You don’t have to be the best player right now. You just have to keep showing up and getting better.

🎧 Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Youth Hockey Development: Why Early Selection Doesn’t Define Success

#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #LongTermDevelopment #TrustTheProcess #HockeyParents #YouthSports #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyLife

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🏒 Are we building great hockey teams… or just chasing superstars way too early?

In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined once again by hockey development consultant and writer Matt Dumouchelle for a deep, thoughtful, and at times uncomfortable conversation sparked by the World Junior Hockey Championship.

After watching Canada eliminated by Czechia for the third straight year, Matt shared a post that stopped a lot of people in their tracks — and it raised a question every hockey parent, coach, and administrator needs to hear:

👉 What if smaller hockey nations aren’t developing better players — but better teams?

With fewer resources, fewer rinks, and far fewer registered players, countries like Czechia, Finland, Sweden, and Latvia continue to punch above their weight on the world stage. Meanwhile, North America pours massive resources into identifying and developing a very small percentage of players at increasingly younger ages.

This episode dives into:

• The difference between team development vs. early superstar identification
• Why many European models are forced to develop every kid longer
• The hidden cost of early selection, constant movement, and “elite” labels
• Why hunger, cohesion, and shared identity still matter in modern hockey
• How youth coaches and organizations can shift focus without abandoning competitiveness
• What parents should actually expect at each age level — and why benchmarks matter

💡 This is not a Canada vs. Europe debate. It’s a conversation about how we grow the game, keep kids playing, and help more players reach their potential — on and off the ice.

If you care about development, culture, and the future of youth hockey, this one’s a must-listen.

🎙️ Listen. Reflect. Share the conversation.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Are We Developing Hockey Players Too Early? Lessons from World Juniors & European Models

#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #WorldJuniors #TeamOverTalent #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyParents #CoachingYouthHockey #GrowTheGame

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Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

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💭 Do you ever feel guilty for missing hockey?
Missing a practice for school. Saying no to a tournament. Choosing family time, another sport, or just a much-needed break. If that knot in your stomach feels familiar, this episode is for you.

In this powerful conversation, Lee Elias and Hayley Scamurra tackle a topic that players, parents, and even coaches experience — but rarely talk about out loud: the guilt of not always being at hockey.

From youth hockey pressures to elite-level perspective, Lee and Hayley unpack why this guilt exists, where it comes from, and how it can quietly lead to burnout if left unchecked. They also share practical advice for players and parents on how to communicate with coaches, recognize signs of overload, and create healthier expectations around commitment and balance.

✨ In this episode, we cover:

• Why missing hockey doesn’t mean you care less
• The difference between commitment and burnout
• How family, school, and other interests actually help development
• What healthy communication with coaches really looks like
• Signs your player may need rest — physically and mentally
• Why guilt shouldn’t be the driver in youth sports decisions

This episode is a must-listen for families navigating packed schedules, emotional pressure, and the belief that hockey must always come first. Because sometimes, the healthiest choice is stepping away — and that’s okay.

🎧 Listen in, reflect, and let us know what resonated with you.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Is It Okay to Miss Hockey? Navigating Guilt, Balance, and Burnout in Girls Hockey

📩 Have a topic you want us to tackle? Email us at team@ourkidsplayhockey.com
or click the link in the show notes to submit your question.

#OurGirlsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #GirlsHockey #SportsParenting #AthleteWellbeing #HockeyLife #AvoidBurnout

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Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

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🧠 What if your thoughts and emotions were actually your biggest teammates?

On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, hosts Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined live from Sweden by sports psychology experts Johan Fallby and Henrik Cronebäck for a powerful conversation just for young hockey players.

Together, they break down simple, practical mental fitness tools kids can use:

• On the way to practice 🚌
• Before a big game 🏒
• Even before a test at school 📚

💡 You’ll learn why feeling nervous is completely normal — and how to use those feelings to your advantage instead of fighting them.

🔑 Key takeaways for players:

• Why thoughts and emotions are your friends, not something to avoid
• The SOAL method (Stop, Observe, Accept, Let Go) for managing nerves and pressure
• How mental training is just as important as skating, shooting, and puck skills
• A simple “Top Three” nightly habit that boosts confidence, well-being, and sleep

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents, this one’s for you too — these tools work for kids and adults.

🎒 Two golden nuggets. One short ride. Tools you can use for the rest of your hockey journey — and life.

🏒 No matter where you’re at on your journey, we believe in you. You should too. Skate hard. Get better. Have fun.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Mental Strength for Young Hockey Players: Simple Tools to Build Confidence Before the Game

#TheRideToTheRink #MentalFitness #YouthHockey #HockeyMindset #MentalStrength #SportsPsychology #GrowthMindset #HockeyKids #ConfidenceBuilding

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Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

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Happy New Year, hockey friends and families! 🎉

We’re kicking off 2026 by reflecting on how far Our Kids Play Hockey has come, thanking the incredible community that made it all possible, and sharing a few important updates as we head into our sixth year of the show.

In this special New Year’s episode, Lee, Mike, and Christy talk about the growth of the podcast, the lessons learned along the way, the amazing guests and topics that continue to shape the show—and why listener feedback has always been the fuel behind it all. We also look ahead to a huge milestone year, including our march toward Episode 500.

📣 Programming Update for 2026:

• Main Our Kids Play Hockey episodes will now release on Thursdays

• The Ride to the Rink moves to Saturdays, perfect for weekend drives to the rink

We also share why our annual stats recap is coming a little later this year and how Buzzsprout is helping us tell that story in a new way.

Thank you for being part of this journey—from first-time listeners to families who haven’t missed an episode. We’re excited, grateful, and ready for everything 2026 has in store.

Happy New Year. We’ll see you on the next episode of Our Kids Play Hockey. 🏒💙

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Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

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⏰ This is it. The final reminder.

In this short but important episode, we’re officially in the last 24 hours of our massive year-end Wraparound Roundtable Grand Prize Giveaway—and we don’t want a single hockey family to miss their chance.

🎁 One lucky family will take home an unreal prize pack, including:

• A Sparx Skate Sharpener

• Personalized hockey puck lamp

• Heads Up Hockey lifetime subscription

• Helios Hockey Core Sensor

• BladeTech custom blades + swag

• NHL Sense Arena $50 credit

• Team Clix hockey sunglasses

• Hockey Wraparound prize pack (Wraparound, pucks, MYBALL, and more)

• Team set of Extinct Bomb deodorizers

• Best Damn Tape sampler set

~

✔️ Entry is 100% free

✔️ Giveaway closes in 24 hours

✔️ Winner announced immediately after

~

👉 Head to HockeyWraparound.com, find the Wraparound Roundtable button, and enter now. This is truly the last call!

Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!

Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

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🟦 Feeling tired, burned out, or just plain stuck halfway through the hockey season? You’re not alone.

This episode lands right in that in-between space — after the early-season excitement fades and before playoff hockey really begins. The skates might be hanging in the garage, the coffee intake is way up, and families everywhere are wondering how to make the final stretch of the season actually matter.

In this conversation, Lee, Christie, and Mike dig into how players, parents, and coaches can reset, refocus, and rekindle their hockey experience heading into the most important months of the year.

💡 In this episode, we cover:

• Why reflection matters before pushing forward
• How coaches should redefine roles, standards, and “wins” mid-season
• What parents can do when their child is on a losing team — or feeling burned out
• Why records don’t define development (and never have)
• The importance of communication, confidence, and culture
• How to make January and February feel like a fresh start, not a grind
• Simple mindset shifts that help kids love the game again

❤️ Whether your child’s team is winning every weekend or struggling to find momentum, this episode is a powerful reminder that youth hockey is about growth, connection, and long-term development, not standings.

🎧 Listen now, reset your perspective, and make the rest of this season one your family feels proud of.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Reset, Refocus, Rekindle: How Families Can Make the Second Half of the Hockey Season Matter

📩 Have a question or topic you want us to cover? Email us or tap the link in the episode description — many of our episodes start with you.

#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #YouthSports #HockeyCoaching #HockeyParenting #LoveTheGame #PlayerDevelopment

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Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

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🎙️ Hockey friends and family — Happy Holidays from our team!

In this special, lighthearted holiday episode, Christie Casciano is joined by her two favorite cohosts, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli for a festive check-in with the Our Kids Play Hockey community.

Between laughs, movie references, and holiday banter, the trio delivers an important reminder parents and players often need to hear this time of year: it’s okay to step back, say no, and simply enjoy the season. Whether your family is skating through tournaments, navigating three-on-three invites, or choosing rest over ice time, this episode reinforces that balance matters — especially during the holidays.

🎁 In this episode, we talk about:

• Why the holidays don’t have to revolve around hockey
• Giving yourself permission to skip extra skates and tournaments
• Finding joy, rest, and perspective during a busy season
• A sneak peek at upcoming episodes focused on the final stretch of the season
• Ending the year with gratitude, humor, and hockey community spirit

As the calendar turns and the season heads toward its final push, this episode is a warm reminder that hockey is important — but family, fun, and well-being always come first.

🏒✨ From all of us at Our Kids Play Hockey — happy hockey holidays!

#OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyHolidays #YouthHockeyLife #HockeyFamily #HolidayBalance #RinkLife #HockeySeason

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Our Kids Play Hockey is powered by NHL Sense Arena! 🏒🥽

Heading into 2026, hockey families are asking: How do we get better? More ice time isn’t always realistic — but smarter training is. Sense Arena uses VR and mixed reality to build hockey IQ, confidence, and decision-making for skaters and goalies at their own pace.

🎯 Visit SenseArena.com/OKPH and use code OKPH to get 50% off plus $25 off an annual plan or headset bundle.

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

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