Our Kids Play Hockey

🏒 What if your young hockey player could get individualized feedback, video analysis, coach collaboration, and a season-long development plan—all without adding another practice to the calendar?
In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias sits down with longtime coach and player-development expert Mike Bonelli to introduce Mike’s new Player Advising Program, designed to give youth hockey players and families something that can be hard to find during a busy season: consistent, individualized feedback.
Rather than focusing on playing time, rankings, or where a player should play years from now, Mike’s approach starts with a much simpler question:
Where is the player today—and how can we help them make meaningful progress throughout the season?
With more than 40 years of experience in player development, coaching, mentorship, recruiting, and player advancement, Mike has built a program that combines professional evaluation with practical, season-long guidance. He also works directly with each player’s coach so that the feedback supports—not conflicts with—the player’s team environment.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Why the beginning of the hockey season is such an important time to establish a player-development baseline
How individualized video review can help players actually see what coaches are asking them to improve
Why Mike communicates directly with the player’s coach throughout the process
How comparing a player’s film with higher-level players can create clearer teaching moments
Why skate hollow, blade profile, radius, and overall skate setup can make a meaningful difference in performance
How outside feedback can sometimes help young players hear the same lesson in an entirely new way
Why development should be measured across an entire season—not one tournament, practice, or weekend
The Player Advising Program includes an initial one-on-one intake meeting, six individualized player progress reports—including a baseline evaluation, four in-season reports, and a final report—access to a private video portal, professional skate and blade review, and two private speaker-series programs.
💰 Our Kids Play Hockey introductory offering: $225 per player
The program runs from September through February, and space is limited.
👉 Ready to register? Complete the Player Advising Program form here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch6ZRzHEpzAEHKd5ZDjjbhxwGBGbVSHNg23MUckydf93VOHQ/viewform
📅 Have questions or want to speak with Mike first? Schedule a quick consultation here:
https://calendly.com/mike-mikebonellihockeysolutions/30min?month=2026-09
If your young player would benefit from more individualized feedback, better understanding of their game, and a clearer development path throughout the season, this episode will show you exactly what that process can look like.
Listen, learn, and keep helping your player enjoy the process of becoming the best version of themselves.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyCoaching #HockeyTraining #HockeyIQ #YouthSports #MikeBonelli
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
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!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 Dreaming about playing college hockey someday? The work doesn’t start when recruiting begins—it starts with the habits you’re building right now.
On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Kiersten Sires, creator of 2aDays, to help young hockey players understand what they can do today to prepare for the opportunities they hope to have tomorrow.
And here’s the good news: you don’t need to be emailing college coaches or worrying about recruiting rankings at eight, ten, or twelve years old.
You need to start becoming the kind of person and player coaches will want on their team.
Kiersten shares why college coaches pay attention to much more than goals, assists, and skating ability—and why your grades, body language, communication skills, consistency, and treatment of teammates can eventually separate you from other players.
🏒 In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why strong daily habits matter long before college recruiting begins
📚 Why your grades can open—or limit—future college hockey opportunities
What coaches notice about your body language and behavior away from the puck
Why being a great teammate matters when you think nobody is watching
How introducing yourself and communicating confidently builds an important life skill
Why young players need to learn how to advocate for themselves instead of always relying on parents
How effort in school, chores, practice, and everyday life helps build your compete level
❤️ Why having fun still needs to be part of chasing big hockey dreams
The message for every young player is simple: work hard, learn something, communicate, be a great teammate—and enjoy the ride.
Wherever you are in your hockey journey, keep building the habits that will help you on the ice and everywhere else.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Want to Play College Hockey Someday? Start With What You Do Today.
🎧 Listen now, share this episode with a young player who dreams of college hockey, and check out 2aDays to learn more about Kiersten Sires and the college sports experience.
#YouthHockey #CollegeHockey #HockeyRecruiting #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyPlayers #YouthAthletes #HockeyParents #StudentAthlete #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyLife #TheRideToTheRink #2aDays
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
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!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them?
For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another question becomes even more important:
Is this really the right place for my student-athlete?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Kiersten Sires, Founder and CEO of 2aDays, to unpack what families should really be thinking about during the college recruiting process.
And one of the biggest lessons? Don’t let “D1 or bust” thinking—or your ego—make the decision for you.
Kiersten explains why choosing a college should go far beyond the logo on the jersey. Families need to consider academics, potential majors, location, finances, coaching style, team culture, expected role, institutional stability, and one powerful question:
If hockey disappeared tomorrow, would your child still want to attend that school?
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
🏒 Why Division I isn’t automatically the “best” college hockey opportunity
🎓 Why academics and career preparation need to remain central to the decision
🔍 How families can research programs before the recruiting process heats up
👀 What coaches notice about players—and their parents—away from the puck
🤝 Why body language, character, communication, and self-advocacy can separate recruits
📱 How social media, streaming, and a player’s digital footprint have changed recruiting
💰 Why families shouldn’t automatically dismiss Division III or ACHA opportunities
🏫 How to evaluate coaching culture, roster turnover, facilities, campus life, and even the financial health of a school
✍️ Why personal communication with coaches matters more than copy-and-paste recruiting messages
🧭 How 2aDays helps student-athletes and families research coaches, programs, schools, and the overall college experience
Kiersten also shares why parents need to understand something coaches already know: people talk. The way a player treats teammates, responds to adversity, communicates with adults, and carries themselves matters. And yes—the way parents behave in the stands can matter too.
This conversation isn’t only for families actively being recruited. The habits that create recruitable student-athletes—communication, accountability, academics, independence, character, and self-advocacy—start years before the first college coach ever calls.
Whether your player dreams of NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA hockey, or simply wants to understand what opportunities might exist, this episode will help your family approach college recruiting with clearer priorities and better questions.
🎧 Listen now, share this episode with another hockey family navigating the college conversation, and remember: the goal isn’t simply to find a college that wants your player. It’s to find a college where they can grow as a student, athlete, and person.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: College Hockey Recruiting Is About More Than Hockey
#OurKidsPlayHockey #CollegeHockey #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyRecruiting #YouthHockey #StudentAthlete #CollegeAthletics #HockeyParents #NCAAHockey #Division3Hockey #ACHAHockey #CollegeRecruiting #2aDays
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
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!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 What does it really mean to “grow the game” of hockey?
Is it getting more kids to pick up a stick? Building more elite teams? Selling out professional arenas? Or is the real work making sure that once a young player discovers hockey, they feel like they belong enough to stay?
On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dig into what growing hockey actually looks like—from grassroots programs and community outreach to the small choices coaches, parents, organizations, and players can make every day.
Inspired by Lee’s recent experience helping introduce hockey to young players in Puerto Rico, the conversation explores why simply putting a stick in a kid’s hands isn’t enough. There needs to be a pathway forward.
🏒 In this episode, we discuss:
🌎 Why hockey can belong anywhere—from traditional rinks to Puerto Rico and beyond
🏒 The difference between expanding elite hockey and truly growing the grassroots game
📈 Why retention matters just as much as recruitment
💰 How cost, equipment, ice access, and early specialization can shrink the game
👧 How coaches can make girls feel like hockey players—not outsiders—on co-ed teams
🤝 Why welcoming a new family at the rink can have a bigger impact than you realize
⭐ How PWHL players and professional athletes inspire new players simply by being visible and accessible
🧒 Why older players helping younger teams can build stronger athletes, better people, and deeper organizational identity
❤️ How fun, belonging, community, and connection keep kids coming back
Hayley also shares what she sees when young girls encounter professional women’s hockey up close—including the story of a young player who started hockey after watching the Minnesota Frost play the Ottawa Charge in Raleigh.
And the message is simple: you do not need a national platform, professional title, or massive event to grow hockey.
A coach can invite younger players onto the ice.
An older team can help at a learn-to-play session.
A parent can introduce themselves to the new family standing alone at the rink.
A player can make sure the new kid gets the pass that leads to their first goal.
Those moments matter.
🎯 The challenge: Find one thing you, your team, or your organization can do this season to make hockey more welcoming, accessible, and fun for someone else.
And if you can, go watch a PWHL game—live or from home. Let the next generation see what is possible.
If this episode gets you thinking, share it with a coach, parent, player, or hockey leader who can help grow the game in their community.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Growing Girls Hockey Starts With Something Bigger Than Recruitment
Have a story about how you’re growing hockey where you live? Send it to team@ourkidsplayhockey.com and keep the conversation going.
#OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #GrowTheGame #YouthHockey #PWHL #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaches #GirlsInSports #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyCommunity #WomenInSports
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
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!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 Made a bad play? Had a rough shift? Feeling nervous, angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel has a message for you: those emotions don’t have to control what happens next.
On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL player Kurtis Gabriel for a practical conversation about one of the most important parts of becoming a hockey player: learning how to manage your mind when the game gets difficult.
Kurtis introduces young players to a simple breathing technique called the psychological sigh—a tool he used during his own playing career when he needed to calm down, reset, and prepare for his next shift.
But the conversation goes deeper than breathing.
🧠 How do you recognize what fear feels like in your body?
💪 How can you respond differently when pressure shows up?
🎮 What if understanding your emotions is like unlocking a map in a video game?
🔥 And how much could worrying about what other people think be holding you back?
Kurtis encourages players to start “mapping” their emotions—learning what fear, excitement, pressure, and confidence actually feel like physically so they can recognize those feelings when they arrive.
Lee also shares a powerful story from his own playing career about feeling so much pressure during a game that his legs suddenly felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. What changed wasn’t the situation—it was his understanding of what the pressure meant.
Instead of thinking, I can’t handle this, he learned to recognize:
I feel pressure because I care. I feel pressure because this moment matters. How great is it that I get to be in this position?
And Kurtis leaves young athletes with another challenge: break out of the “cringe prison.” Don’t let fear of what teammates or friends might think stop you from working on yourself, believing in yourself, or chasing what matters to you.
In this episode:
🫁 Learn a simple breathing reset for difficult moments
🧠 Discover how to recognize and “map” your emotions
🏒 Understand why staying even-keeled is a hockey superpower
💭 Reframe pressure instead of running from it
💪 Build confidence without comparing your journey to someone else’s
🔥 Stop allowing other people’s opinions to dictate your effort
❤️ Remember that no matter what happens in hockey, you’re going to be okay
Young players: you have more control over your response than you may realize. Like shooting, skating, or stickhandling, managing your emotions is something you can practice.
Wherever you are on your hockey journey, believe in your ability to learn, grow, reset, and attack the next shift.
Skate hard. Have fun. Go learn something.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Hockey Players Can Reset, Handle Pressure, and Believe in Themselves with Kurtis Gabriel
#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyMindset #KurtisGabriel #MentalToughness #HockeyConfidence #HockeyDevelopment #YouthSports #HockeyParents #MentalPerformance #HockeyPlayers #OurKidsPlayHockey
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
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!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube