Before Rich Cohen wrote Pee-Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent , he thought he understood youth hockey parents..then he became one. Scott and Jamie sit down with the bestselling author to discuss the real story behind Pee-Wees , the emotional pull of youth hockey, and how even self-aware parents can get caught up in rankings, team placements, and the pursuit of "what's next." Rich shares stories from his own playing days, his son's hockey journey, and the lessons he learned after realizing tha...
Jun 17, 2026•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 74
The former junior player trying to make hockey cheaper. Scott and Jamie sit down with Zechariah Thomas , founder and CEO of Swift Hockey , to talk about the rising cost of hockey and why more families are getting priced out of the game. Zechariah shares his unconventional hockey journey - starting at age 10, playing major junior and pro hockey , and building businesses while still playing. He explains how seeing teammates struggle to afford equipment inspired him to start Swift Hockey and why he...
Jun 10, 2026•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 72
Why development, confidence, and culture matter more than systems. Scott and Jamie sit down with Princeton Head Coach Ben Syer for a conversation about what actually helps kids develop in hockey. Ben shares the youth hockey lesson he learned from his own daughter, why confidence comes from teaching rather than yelling, and how coaches can help players compete regardless of size or physical maturity. The conversation also dives into what Ben looks for when recruiting players , why culture and ene...
Jun 03, 2026•2 hr 23 min•Ep. 71
Scott and Jamie sit down with Keith Mondillo - longtime college coach, athletic director at Gwynedd Mercy University, and recruiting expert for a brutally honest conversation about recruiting, NIL, youth sports pressure, and what families are getting wrong. Keith explains why the biggest recruiting mistake parents make is waiting for coaches to “find” their kid, why most early offers are hype, and why families need to understand where their player actually fits instead of chasing unrealistic lev...
May 27, 2026•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 70
No guest. Just Scott & Jamie going old-school CHD. In this episode, Scott and Jamie talk spring hockey overload, expensive programs kids barely attend, parenting teenage boys, and the reality of trying to balance development, burnout, and family life. The conversation also drifts into hilarious childhood stories, digital parenting, and why today’s kids can’t get away with anything the way parents used to. In this episode: Why spring hockey scheduling is chaos Paying for skates and clinics ki...
May 20, 2026•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 69
Scott and Jamie sit down with Larry Robbins - hedge fund founder, former Chicago Steel owner, builder of Longwood Hockey, and the driving force behind the Florida Surf - for one of the most honest youth hockey conversations CHD has had yet. Larry pulls back the curtain on how he went from a self-described “bad hockey player” to helping build powerhouse development environments that produced NHL stars like Lane Hutson, Macklin Celebrini, Adam Fantilli, Owen Power, and Alex Laferriere . But this e...
May 13, 2026•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 68
Scott and Jamie sit down with Connor Jones , assistant coach at Princeton , and Kellen Jones , assistant coach at Holy Cross , for a raw look at twins, recruiting, compete, and what college coaches actually notice. The Jones brothers talk about growing up in a small-town hockey environment with no spring hockey, no summer hockey, no power skating, and no early hype - just hard work, other sports, and a family standard built around competing. Now on the recruiting side, they explain what really j...
May 06, 2026•2 hr 19 min•Ep. 67
How hockey parents accidentally make the mental game harder. Scott and Jamie sit down with Dr. Alicia Naser , behavioral scientist, board certified behavior analyst, and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology , for a parent-first conversation about pressure, confidence, mistakes, and the ride home from the rink. Dr. Naser explains why kids need space to make mistakes, why parents should be careful about watching every practice, and how constant feedback can quietly damag...
Apr 29, 2026•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 66
Why most youth hockey development is completely backwards. Scott and Jamie sit down with RJ Burns , Co-Owner of TopLine Hockey , and this one hits a nerve for every hockey parent. RJ breaks down why “just skating around cones” isn’t development , why kids need to think the game instead of memorize drills , and how the obsession with reps, travel, and “more ice” is actually hurting players long-term. He shares blunt truths about parent pressure, over-scheduling, and kids who clearly don’t even wa...
Apr 23, 2026•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 65
Why youth hockey development is getting misunderstood. Scott and Jamie sit down with Heather Mannix , Manager of Education & Player Development at USA Hockey, for a deep dive into what development actually means and where parents and coaches get it wrong. Heather explains how parent pressure impacts even the most informed families , why so many are rushing kids toward the wrong goals , and why the most important thing at young ages is simple: kids have to love the game. She also breaks down ...
Apr 15, 2026•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 64
Scott and Jamie sit down with USHL Commissioner Glenn Hefferan for a blunt, parent-first conversation on what actually matters in youth hockey. Glenn explains why kids play better when the pressure is off, why parents need to focus on “love and fun” , and how over-involvement can quietly hurt development. He also breaks down the realities of junior hockey and why the jump from youth to juniors is the hardest step , what the USHL actually demands, and why chasing exposure and spending more doesn’...
Apr 08, 2026•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 63
When the game starts to feel like a job. Scott and Jamie sit down with Pat Shea ( IG @pshea25 ) former University of Maine Black Bear, pro hockey player, and creator behind Hockey House and Full Ride for a raw conversation about identity, pressure, and walking away from the game. Pat opens up about a turning point many players don’t talk about: realizing that what was once fun started to feel like work. He explains how losing passion at the college level, combined with a growing interest in crea...
Apr 01, 2026•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 62
What really matters in recruiting… and what quietly kills it. Scott and Jamie sit down with Jason Tapp , Dartmouth College's assistant Men's Ice Hockey coach, live from Lake Placid ahead of the ECAC semis, for a candid look at how college recruiting actually works (and what families get wrong). Tapp breaks down the three non-negotiables they look for in players - character, compete, and hockey IQ - and why talent alone isn’t enough to make it at the college level. He also shares a blunt reality:...
Mar 25, 2026•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 61
Scott and Jamie are on location in Lake Placid ahead of the ECAC Finals, soaking in the atmosphere and breaking down what makes this moment different for players, parents, and everyone around the rink. From the energy in the building to what it actually takes to perform on a stage like this, this quick-hit episode captures the feel of big-game hockey in real time. Partners: https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/ https://hockeytraining.com/ https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydads https...
Mar 21, 2026•28 min•Ep. 60
Why most kids don’t actually know what a “good game” is. Scott and Jamie sit down with Sandy Cohan (Mental Edge Hockey) for a deep dive into the mental side of youth hockey and why so many players struggle with confidence, focus, and pressure. Sandy explains that most young athletes can’t even define what success is , yet their confidence rises and falls based on it. He breaks down why results (goals, points) are the wrong scoreboard, and why real development comes from actions, behaviors, and c...
Mar 18, 2026•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 59
Scott and Jamie sit down with Scott Bartlett , NHLPA-certified agent at Bartlett Hockey, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the hockey development path actually works. Bartlett represents more than 30 NHL players, including stars like Cale Makar . Scott explains why most families rush the process, especially when it comes to agents and exposure, and why most players don’t need an advisor before junior hockey age . Instead, he believes the focus should be on development, not exposure , and letti...
Mar 11, 2026•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 58
Scott and Jamie sit down with Topher Scott of The Hockey Think Tank for a candid conversation about the pressure surrounding modern youth hockey. Topher explains how tryout season and early recruiting have shifted the focus away from development, creating stress for families and players. He shares why youth hockey can feel more like a recruiting culture than a development culture , why parents need to help kids live in the moment , and how to actually evaluate whether a coach or program is helpi...
Mar 04, 2026•2 hr 38 min•Ep. 57
The system isn’t as simple as you think. Scott and James sit down with Matt Dumouchelle, who spent over a decade working inside junior hockey, for a candid look at how the development ladder really works. Matt explains why families often misunderstand the pathway, how junior teams actually evaluate and move players, and why “exposure” doesn’t guarantee opportunity. The conversation dives into how perception, timing, fit, and relationships shape careers just as much as talent and why blindly chas...
Feb 25, 2026•2 hr 21 min•Ep. 56
Scott and James sit down with Andries de Villiers, CEO of Titan Battlegear , for a blunt breakdown of what cut protection in hockey really means and why a lot of gear parents trust may create a false sense of security. After a tragic local on-ice incident, Andries dove deep into testing standards and discovered that many products marketed as protective weren’t stopping skate blades at meaningful levels. He explains the ANSI A1–A9 scale , why he calls A6 the “Mendoza line” for real protection, an...
Feb 17, 2026•2 hr•Ep. 55
The Miracle on Ice captain delivers a youth-hockey reality check and then drops the “missing chapter” of 1980. Scott and Jamie sit down with Mike Eruzione , and the conversation goes way past the headline everyone already knows. Mike starts with a story that’ll make today’s hockey parents wince: he didn’t start skating until age nine , wearing his sister’s white figure skates with blue pom-poms . From there, he hits modern youth hockey straight on: the cost, the entitlement that comes with it, a...
Feb 11, 2026•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 54
Scott and Jamie sit down with Jim Dowd for a no-nonsense conversation that cuts straight through modern youth hockey panic. From growing up a true rink rat to winning a Stanley Cup , Jim explains why early AAA, nonstop showcases, and year-round hockey aren’t what actually separate players. Dowd shares how he developed on free ice with buckets of pucks, why he didn’t play AAA until midgets , and how his own kids followed a similar slower, multi-sport path and still earned college opportunities. H...
Feb 04, 2026•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 52
The must-listen follow-up to Episode 50 Scott and Jamie sit down with Ken Martel , Senior Director of Player & Coach Development at USA Hockey, to clear up some confusion surrounding the new USA Hockey Development League and directly follow up on their conversation with Bob Mancini in Episode 50. Ken explains what the Development League is actually designed to do, why “open borders” matter, and why USA Hockey believes long-term scouting and accountability, not a single combine or draft, shou...
Jan 28, 2026•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 51
What it is, why it exists, and how it’s about to change the path. Scott and Jamie welcome back Bob Mancini , Assistant Executive Director of Hockey Development at USA Hockey, for a rare, detailed breakdown of the USA Hockey Development League straight from one of the people building it. Bob explains why the league was created, what problems it’s designed to fix, and why it’s not a replacement for Tier 1, high school, prep school, or juniors - but a reorganization of the development path. He walk...
Jan 21, 2026•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 50
How intentional reps, decision-making, and efficiency drive real improvement. Scott and Jamie sit down with Ryan Murphy, Skills Coach for the New Jersey Devils , to break down how development actually works at the NHL level. Ryan walks through his path from New Jersey youth hockey to prep school, the U.S. National Team, Boston College , pro hockey, and now working daily with NHL players. His message is simple and consistent: when time is limited, every rep has to matter. In this episode: Why NHL...
Jan 13, 2026•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 49
Why doing less - more often - actually works Scott and Jamie sit down with Coach Kevin, founder of hockeytraining.com , for a much-needed reset on youth hockey training. Kevin shares his own winding path getting cut late from AAA, stepping away to play football, finally breaking through at 20 and how those experiences shaped his no-nonsense approach to development. The conversation centers on one simple idea: most kids don’t need more sessions, more teams, or more chaos... they need consistent, ...
Jan 08, 2026•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 48
Why building it from the rink up is the reason this thing worked. Scott and Jamie sit down for a reflective, end-of-season check-in after nine months of Crazy Hockey Dads - a podcast that started as two dads venting and turned into a global conversation with hockey parents in 38 countries. From forgotten skates and waxed-lace debates to the lessons pulled from guests and listener stories, this episode is about how the pod (and the community around it) grew by keeping things real. In this episode...
Dec 31, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 47
Why rushing hockey is the fastest way to get it wrong. Scott and Jamie sit down with Sadie Lundquist - Minnesota-grown, former college and pro player, and now Deputy Director of College Hockey, Inc. - to talk about what development looks like when you don’t rush it. From growing up in Cloquet and playing with her brothers to choosing fit over flash in college, Sadie brings lived experience and real data to a conversation full of unnecessary panic. In this episode: Growing up in Minnesota’s commu...
Dec 23, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 46
Why the kids who struggle early often last the longest. Scott and Jamie sit down with Jeff LoVecchio - former D1 and pro player, longtime Hockey Think Tank co-host , and founder of GMBM: Give More Be More to unpack a hockey journey built on getting cut, staying patient and learning how to own your development. Jeff walks through growing up in St. Louis with grounded parents who refused to fight his battles, getting cut from teams, playing one or two shifts a game his first year of AAA, and being...
Dec 17, 2025•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 45
How a COVID accident became the biggest vibes-driven hockey brand in the game. Scott and Jamie sit down with Jonny and Austin, two of the original Hockey Guys , to break down how a group of college teammates stuck in online classes accidentally built a brand that now partners with more than half the NHL. They walk through the real story: Ontario and Manitoba childhoods , leaving home early, billet adventures, injuries, and the mental grind that shaped them long before TikTok. Then they explain w...
Dec 10, 2025•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 44
From Queens to the NHL - and why most of youth hockey is overthinking it. Scott and Jamie sit down with Angelo Serse - ProStride Elite founder, New Jersey Devils skating coach , U14 Youth Devils national champion, and Ozone Park kid who nearly quit hockey on Day 1. Angelo shares his unique path: immigrant parents staring at a $2,500 AAA bill, his mom driving to Plattsburgh in snowstorms because he loved the game, and a late-blooming college opportunity that didn’t hit until his senior year. From...
Dec 03, 2025•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 43
