Our Kids Play Hockey | Hockey Stories & Teamwork Tips

🧠 Can hockey IQ actually be trained—or are some players simply born with it?
In this edition of Hockey IQ Talk with Albe, Lee Elias and Andrew “Albe” Alberts go beyond individual hockey IQ concepts and tackle the bigger question: How do players actually train their brains to see the ice, recognize options, and make better decisions?
The answer starts with three foundational skills: scanning, reading the play, and identifying cues.
Albe takes us behind the scenes of NHL Sense Arena’s Playmaker Mode, a new training experience designed to place skaters and goalies inside realistic hockey scenarios, pause the action at critical moments, and challenge them to identify teammates, pressure, open ice, threats, support options, and the best available play.
Instead of simply telling players what to do, the training asks them to see it for themselves.
🎧 In this episode:
🧠 Why hockey IQ can be taught and developed
👀 How scanning and pre-scanning change what players see
🏒 Why identifying teammates, pressure, space, and support matters
⚡ How players can learn to make faster decisions before receiving the puck
🎮 How Playmaker Mode creates game-like decision-making reps
🔄 Why hockey IQ training requires repetition just like skating or shooting
📈 How scenarios can be adjusted for different ages and skill levels
🥅 How goalies can train scanning, threats, depth, angles, and backdoor awareness
🧩 Why traditional practice cannot always recreate every five-on-five decision
🚨 How feedback after a wrong decision can become part of the learning process
💭 Why “muscle memory of the mind” matters as players get older
🏎️ How speeding up decision-making can prepare players for faster levels of hockey
One of the biggest takeaways is that the puck will always move faster than the players.
As the level rises, players skate faster and plays develop quicker—but the players who can process information earlier have an enormous advantage.
If you can scan before you receive the puck, recognize your options, identify pressure, and already have several possible decisions in your head, you are playing one step ahead.
And that is what hockey IQ development is all about.
The goal is not to tell players the answer.
It is to teach them what to look for, when to look for it, and how to make the decision themselves.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyIQ #HockeyIQTalk #AndrewAlberts #SenseArena #PlaymakerMode #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyTraining #HockeySkills #HockeyDecisionMaking

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🏒 What does it actually mean to be “elite” in hockey?
Is it the team you play for?
The logo on your jersey?
The level next to your name?
Or is it something you build over time?
In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by athlete-development expert Duncan Fletcher to speak directly to young players about what being elite really means.
Duncan explains that truly elite young players are incredibly rare—and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with still working toward that level.
The important part is what you do along the way.
🎧 In this episode:
🏒 What “elite” really means in youth hockey
⛸️ Why skating and puck skills still matter so much
💪 How pushing into uncomfortable situations helps you improve
📈 Why getting a little better every day is more important than rushing to the next level
🧠 Why persistence and mental toughness matter
🎸 How hobbies, school, music, and other sports can actually make you a better hockey player
🎯 Why elite behavior matters before elite status
❤️ Why your hockey journey does not need to happen overnight
One of Duncan’s most surprising lessons is that if you want to become a better hockey player, you should have something meaningful in your life away from hockey too.
That could be another sport.
Music.
School.
A hobby.
Anything that excites you and challenges you in a different way.
The best players are not always the ones doing hockey every second of every day.
They are curious.
They keep learning.
They keep pushing themselves.
And they understand that becoming elite is not one moment.
It is a long process built through small improvements.
So do not rush.
Keep working.
Keep learning.
Keep enjoying the game.
And focus on becoming a little better than you were yesterday.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Elite Is a Journey: What Young Hockey Players Should Really Focus On
#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #EliteHockey #HockeyDevelopment #DuncanFletcher #HockeyMindset #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyKids #HockeySkills #YouthAthletes #HockeyConfidence

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🏒 What actually separates the players who reach the next level from the ones who don’t?
Is it talent?
Work ethic?
Mindset?
AAA hockey?
More tournaments?
Or are we focusing on the wrong things entirely?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by Duncan Fletcher, Executive Director of Game Change, former Division I hockey coach, and longtime athlete-development professional who has worked with hundreds of professional athletes.
The conversation challenges some of the biggest assumptions in youth hockey—especially the obsession with being “elite,” playing more games, traveling farther, and chasing higher-level labels before young players have built the foundation they actually need.
Duncan’s message is direct: if a young player wants to get better, start with the basics.
Skating.
Puck handling.
Practice.
Persistence.
Self-awareness.
And above all, enjoying the game enough to stay in it.
🎧 In this episode:
🏒 What “elite” actually means—and why the label is wildly overused
⛸️ Why skating and puck skills are still the foundation of everything
📈 Why players improve in practice more than they do in games
🚫 Why more tournaments and more travel do not automatically create better players
🧠 How persistence and what happens “between the ears” separate players at higher levels
🎯 Why coaches should prioritize development over youth hockey wins
⚾ Why multi-sport athletes can build skills that transfer back to hockey
💪 Why getting comfortable being uncomfortable matters
🗣️ How youth sports can develop communication, courage, leadership, and resilience
🔍 Why self-awareness becomes critical for athletes as they grow
🌎 Why players need interests and experiences outside their primary sport
📱 Why parents should stop obsessing over labels, rankings, and what everyone else is doing
🔥 Why mistakes are necessary if players are going to learn how to actually play the game
One of the most important ideas in this conversation is that young players should be developed for who they can become at 16, 17, or 18—not optimized to win at 9 or 10.
That means giving them room to fail.
Giving them time to build skills.
Giving them other sports and interests.
And finding coaches who care more about development than the scoreboard.
Because the real return on youth hockey is bigger than a roster spot.
It’s learning how to do hard things.
How to respond to adversity.
How to work.
How to lead.
How to communicate.
And how to keep improving—even when progress doesn’t always feel like success.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: What “Elite” Really Means in Youth Hockey—and Why Development Matters More
#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #DuncanFletcher #PlayerDevelopment #YouthSports #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #MultiSportAthlete #HockeySkills #AAA Hockey #YouthAthleteDevelopment

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🏒 How do you follow up a year that included an Olympic gold medal and a Walter Cup championship?
For Hayley Scamurra, the answer isn’t about trying to “top” it.
It’s about continuing the journey.
In the first installment of Our Girls Play Hockey: Day in the Life 2026–27, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli reconnect with Hayley as she closes one unforgettable chapter and steps directly into another—Team USA camp, World Championship preparation, a cross-country move, and the launch of a brand-new PWHL team in Las Vegas.
Hayley reflects on the gratitude she feels for the year behind her while staying focused on what comes next. She shares what it was like to bring the Walter Cup home, celebrate with family, say goodbye to Montreal, and navigate the chaos of packing and moving across the country while still training at an elite level.
🎧 In this episode:
🥇 How Hayley responds to the question, “How do you top last year?”
🏆 What it meant to bring the Walter Cup home to family and young players
❤️ Why gratitude and forward momentum can exist at the same time
🇺🇸 How she is preparing for Team USA camp and the World Championships
🔥 Why winning again can be even harder than winning the first time
🎯 How elite athletes handle the pressure of having a target on their back
🚗 Inside Hayley’s cross-country move from Maryland to Las Vegas
🐶 The road-trip plans with her husband Nick and their dog, Lexi
📸 Why she is flying right back across the country for a PWHL photo shoot
🏒 What excites her about helping build the culture of a new PWHL franchise
🌟 How her role is changing as a veteran leader on a young team
🎟️ Why Las Vegas could become one of the most exciting new hockey markets in the league
One of the biggest themes in this episode is simple:
The journey is the goal.
A gold medal is a moment.
A championship is a moment.
But the work, the relationships, the next challenge, and the opportunity to keep growing—that’s the real story.
Hayley is entering a season filled with change, leadership, travel, pressure, and possibility.
And once again, she’s bringing us along for the ride.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: From Gold Medal to Las Vegas: Hayley Scamurra’s Next Chapter
#OurGirlsPlayHockey #HayleyScamurra #PWHL #WomensHockey #TeamUSA #LasVegasHockey #WalterCup #GirlsHockey #OlympicGold #HockeyJourney #FemaleAthletes #PWHLVegas

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🥅 What separates a goalie who keeps growing from one who gets discouraged?
Sometimes it’s not size.
It’s not skill.
It’s not even the result of the game.
Sometimes it’s belief.
In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli break down some of the biggest lessons from their conversation with former NHL goaltender Andrew “Razor” Raycroft.
The focus is simple: what can young goalies—and young hockey players in general—learn from someone who made it all the way to the NHL?
One of the biggest lessons is that goalies need to develop the ability to bounce back.
You are going to have bad games.
You might even have a bad stretch.
That does not mean you are a bad goalie.
🎧 In this episode:
🥅 Why mental toughness matters so much in the goalie position
🧠 How to self-assess without beating yourself up
📱 Why highlight reels are a terrible way to measure your development
👀 Why watching full hockey games can build your hockey IQ
💪 How belief can become a real separator as players develop
📈 Why getting a little better matters more than comparing yourself to someone else
🎯 How to identify what you did well and what you can improve
📚 Why being a lifelong learner can make you a stronger player
❤️ Why your hockey path does not need to look like anyone else’s
Andrew Raycroft’s journey was not built around being the best player at every age.
He simply kept moving forward.
He kept learning.
He kept believing that he was on his own path.
That is the message for young players:
Do not let someone else’s highlight reel become the standard for your game.
Learn from what you see.
Study the game.
Ask questions.
Evaluate yourself honestly.
Then get back to work.
Wherever you are in your hockey journey, keep learning—and keep believing in yourself.
#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #GoalieMindset #YouthHockeyGoalie #AndrewRaycroft #HockeyIQ #GoalieDevelopment #HockeyConfidence #MentalToughness #HockeyKids #PlayerDevelopment

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