Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast

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, and why he literally stands alone at the rink. He tells an all-time story about shutting down a loud parent so hard that the whole rink went silent whenever his son touched the puck. Then Mike flips into the stuff most people don’t bring up: why the Finland game was the real make-or-break moment, and the stat that explains how that team actually won, they outscored opponents 16–3 in the third period, and the “best 20 minutes” they played all year was the final 20 against Finland. In this episode:Mike’s youth hockey origin story (pom-poms and a simple path) Why he avoids the stands: “they can’t hear you”… and you can’t control it anyway The silent-rink story: why nobody yelled when his son had the puck The “16–3 in the third period” stat that explains the 1980 team’s edge His leadership definition: trust + respect (not “I’m the best player so I’m the leader”) If you’re a hockey parent living in the stands, chasing ice time, or yelling “PASS!” through the glass… Mike’s message is blunt: stop trying to control it, support it.Partners:https://hockeytraining.com/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

The must-listen follow-up to Episode 50Scott 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, should determine where players belong. He also addresses misconceptions around control, outlines how clubs are selected, and why USA Hockey wants closer alignment with programs to raise development standards across the board.In this episode:What parents and coaches are getting wrong about the Development LeagueWhy “open borders” are intentional and how the marketplace is supposed to workHow USA Hockey plans to hold clubs accountable (yes, there are “teeth”)Why DL is about sharing best practices, not labeling teams “elite”If Episode 50 explained what the Development League is, this episode explains how it’s going to function in the real world. If you’re a parent trying to make sense of the noise...this one matters.Partners:https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

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 practices are short and highly intentionalWhat parents should look for in a skills coach or programWhy confidence and hockey IQ separate players long before speedThis episode pulls the curtain back on how the best players train and why doing less, better, is often the real edge.Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

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:What surprised them most after nine months of recordingThe moments, guests, and stories that resonated with hockey parentsWhy honesty, humor, and saying the quiet part out loud actually workedGrounded, grateful, and forward-looking - this episode is a pause to appreciate what’s been built and a reminder that the best stuff still comes straight from the rink.Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

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 forced to look in the mirror instead of blaming coaches. He explains how those moments, not early dominance, shaped his confidence, work ethic, and long-term success.The conversation dives into what Jeff sees now after 18 years training thousands of players: why parents rush too early, how over-scheduling hurts development, why competition and discomfort matter, and how mentorship, not micromanagement, changes outcomes.In this episode:Getting cut and why it was the best thing that happened to himParents who didn’t call coaches and why that matteredThe danger of trying to build the “best 10-year-old”What real development actually looks like over timeIt’s an honest reminder for hockey parents everywhere: the path isn’t clean, progress isn’t linear, and the kids who learn to struggle early are often the ones still standing at the end.Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

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 there, he breaks down what families misunderstand about skating, development, and the “race” they think they’re in.In this episode:Why mite kids quit when they can’t skate and how games like tag and Superman dives keep them hookedSweden & Finland’s model: three sports, one club, no team-hoppingFigure skating vs. hockey and why the mechanics don’t translateConcise, sharp, and myth-busting, this is the skating conversation every hockey family needs before spending another dollar.Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551

Surviving one of the wildest hockey paths you’ll ever hear.Scott and Jamie sit down with Alex Kim - former pro, Colorado College standout, and now Director of the Jr. Ducks to unpack a hockey journey unlike anything in the sport.Alex walks through growing up in non-hockey Southern California under a tiger-mom who preferred harpsichord, abacus, and speed-reading over slapshots, negotiating just to play the sport, and leaving home at 15 for the Soo - where culture shock, racism, and sheer grit shaped everything that came next.He also shares the twists that defined his career: turning down Ivy League offers, transferring colleges, and playing professionally in Europe and Korea. It’s a raw look at development, identity, sacrifice, and how much parents shape the journey without even realizing it.In this episode:Growing up outside the traditional hockey pipelineFacing cultural and racial adversity in MichiganBillet challenges and the mental toll of leaving home earlyWhy parents chase the wrong milestonesThe “hockey as a vehicle” philosophyIf you want perspective, humility, and a real look at what development actually requires… Alex delivers.Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazy.hockey.dadsX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576627751551