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A relatable and honest podcast about the highs and lows of being a youth hockey parent. Join us as we share real stories, struggles, and wins from the rink, offering insights and support for parents navigating the world of youth hockey.
This is for the sled dogs in the trenches. Real hockey parents, real stories. The Good and the Gong Show. No filters, no sugarcoating, no politics, just straight hockey talk, and the best guests around the barn. Welcome to the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast.
Intro:Alright, boys. Grind them corners, chirp responsibly, and bring that savage fire.
Scott:Welcome everybody to episode 89 of the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast powered by Pacific Rink, the unfiltered podcast for hockey parents. No politics, no sugarcoating, just real talk for hockey parents in the trenches.
Jamie:What's happening?
Scott:What up? What up, dude?
Jamie:So your power finally came back on.
Scott:That was strange. I was... I... So just so everyone knows, I was sitting here for, like, on line with Jamie, and he took a phone call that lasted probably forty five minutes. And while I was waiting for him Sorry.
Scott:The power went out and... Which is probably good that you took that long call. Otherwise,
Jamie:it would have
Scott:been a
Jamie:It would have interrupted us.
Scott:An editing challenge.
Jamie:Agreed. Perhaps. Yes. That kind of worked out well.
Scott:Kind of. But now my, yeah, my son's on his way home from school. Excellent. But nonetheless, here
Mike:we are.
Jamie:They canceled school because of the power outage.
Scott:Yeah. Because if you don't have power, I guess you can't teach.
Jamie:I was gonna say, so they... How long was your power out for? Would you say an hour or maybe not even?
Scott:Yeah. Let's just call it an hour. Plus minus a little bit.
Jamie:Right? Like, not long. And they couldn't keep kids in school for an hour without without, like, power?
Scott:Well, I don't think it was that one hour. I think it was the prospect of not having power for the rest of the afternoon. Fair. So in any event, the power came on faster than the power company suggested
Jamie:or Right.
Scott:Thought. Anyway, here we are. We're we're recording episode 89 and And we have power. We have power. So, you wanna do some sponsors, partners?
Jamie:We can. Yeah. You want me to start off?
Scott:But don't forget to thank Big John Dangles.
Jamie:That's right. BJD. Go check out Big John Dangles over on Instagram. He does our great intro. So thank you to BJD.
Jamie:Go check him out. He's got some really cool stuff.
Scott:Absolutely.
Jamie:Yeah. Go ahead.
Scott:No. No. You go ahead.
Jamie:Maybe you should go first this time just to switch it up a little bit.
Scott:Are we gonna do the other... Oh, man. That's gonna catch me off guard. I'm not used to saying
Jamie:I know. I know. That's why I kinda did it just to see if, like, you Oh, were ready to
Scott:that... That's... Wow. Talking about a curveball.
Jamie:I know. Right?
Scott:Totally not prepared for
Jamie:that. Maybe.
Jamie:You don't have to. I I could do it, actually. But what I did what I did wanna say is before we actually start our partners, I actually wanted to say, for those of you who like listening to this, do us a favor, hit pause right now and go over and give us a review. Reviews are so hard to come by, and they actually help us out, like, a lot. So if you're listening on Apple, Spotify, or whatever platform you guys are listening on, go pause this.
Jamie:Go give us a review, please. Five stars is the appropriate is the appropriate star ranking. But no. Seriously, in all seriousness, you guys like what you're hearing, you like what we're doing, because Scott and I keep seeming to be putting more and more time into this, which is great. It's growing like crazy, which is wonderful.
Jamie:Scott and I are traveling to a bunch of different places, which is awesome. So it takes time and effort. So if you guys can go give us a review, it really helps us in the algorithm and helps more people find us and stuff like that. So if you guys can go do that, that would be much appreciated.
Scott:Yep. Ditto that. Yeah. Thanks in advance to anyone that does it.
Jamie:Yes. Thank you in advance is right. Well, good call. And with that being said, go check out Howie's Hockey. Use our discount code, Crazy 10 for 10% off all your Howie's Hockey gear.
Jamie:They have some awesome stuff. Their their tape is great. Their laces are great. Scott loves the the the candle, the scented candle. I love the yellow handled scissors.
Jamie:They cut everything in anything, literally everything. So go check out how we talk. They have some really cool gear as well. Not just... They're not just...
Jamie:They actually came out with mini sticks. Do you see that, by the way?
Scott:I do not.
Jamie:They have a whole mini stick line now, buddy.
Scott:Something tells me mini sticks make companies a lot of money.
Jamie:Yeah. And they obviously saw what Bauer is doing, and they're like, holy shit. NCCM. NCCM. But, like, maybe we're missing the boat here.
Jamie:You know, speaking of, I feel like I feel like it's mini stick season.
Scott:Oh, of course, it is. It's tournaments. It's the holidays, it is a 100% mini And if I had to guess, people should start stocking up early because those things, if I remember correctly They disappear. Sell out. They disappear pretty quick.
Scott:So, especially on a new release from a new company, you're probably gonna
Jamie:wanna get
Scott:your hands on those pretty quickly.
Jamie:100%. Yeah. So if you guys if you guys see a mini stick display anywhere in a rink near you, do not wait. Because you go to go back to grab them because you want, like, stocking stuffers for Christmas or something like that, and they're gone.
Scott:Yeah. I think that those are the perfect thing to just get a few extra to have on hand because there might be like a secret Santa or like you said, a stocking stuffer or, you know, whatever. So definitely have a few on hand.
Jamie:Johnny's friend Joey needs a birthday present.
Scott:Absolutely.
Jamie:Right? I mean, easy stuff.
Scott:Yes, sir.
Jamie:So... Yeah. So so... Yeah. So So how is hockey is now in the mini sticks.
Jamie:Go check... They have some cool clothing too or some really cool clothing. The blackout sweatshirt they they sent Scott and I is sick. So go check out Howie's hockey. Use our discount code crazy 10 for 10% off all your Howie's hockey gear.
Scott:And we also wanna thank our partners at hockeytraining.com. Now I've been using their workouts and stick handling programs, and what I like is that everything is designed specifically for hockey players. The workouts are easy to follow. They can be done at home, focus on building strength, conditioning, and skills that transfer onto on ice play. So the...
Scott:Also... Yeah. And there's also stick handling classes, live stick handling classes that you can catch through the Hockey Training HQ app. They would... You know, their drill is designed to improve both hands and IQ.
Scott:So visit hockeytraining.com for all of your off ice training needs, and check out hockey training HQ on Instagram.
Jamie:Yeah. They have a cool Instagram. Super robust. And then go check out Titan Battle Gear. You can find a link in our show notes, titanbattlegear.com backslash Crazy Hockey Dads.
Jamie:Scott and I trust our kids in Titan Battle Gear. We think they have the best protection on the market, along with some of the best styles out there. So go check out Titan Battle Gear. They have the three point o base layer, which is out. I'm hoping they come out with a bottom base layer shortly.
Jamie:So, again, go check out Titan Battle Gear. Use our discount code, crazy dads 10 for 10% off all your Titan Battle Gear.
Scott:That's it. And if anyone out there is still thinking about adding video and analytics to your team but assume maybe it was gonna be too complicated or expensive, check out athletic performance insight. You know, API gives coaches, players, parents detailed hockey specific information that can actually be used for development. Visit athleticperformanceinsight.com, request a free demo. Eric will be more than happy to tag a game for free so you can see exactly how it works.
Scott:And if you mention Crazy Hockey Dads, James, what happens?
Jamie:Uh-huh. $100 value.
Scott:That's pretty nice. Get 10% off your season subscription, which equals
Jamie:A $100 value.
Scott:A $100 value. Not the worst thing in the world.
Jamie:Mean Negative. Pretty shortly, that will be like 5% of a new stick.
Scott:Yeah. Sticks are... So it's interesting. So the... On on the hockeytraining.com app, there's like a a locker room talk section, and one of the newer members was just asking if they needed to get a new stick looking, you know, for something that was on the, you know, more, you know, inexpensive side.
Scott:Didn't wanna pay for that, you know, top end stick. So I actually made a few recommendations, which included Swift hockey. You know, we had Zachariah Thomas on. So if anyone that's interested in learning more about hockey sticks, check out... I forget the episode number, but we had the CEO of Swift Hockey talk about hockey stick making and kind of some more details behind the scenes stuff.
Scott:So that was a great episode. But, yeah, a 100% hockey sticks are crazy expensive, but there are some good alternatives out there.
Jamie:There are. Yes. So you told them, yeah. No. That was good.
Jamie:I mean... And I know there's some sticks out there, especially for you adults that play. I know there's some, like, blackout sticks, which just don't have the wrapping on them. Right?
Scott:Yeah. That's why I actually use... You do that. There's a... And, you know, they're not a sponsor or anything like that, but Hockey Stick Man is think
Jamie:they should be.
Scott:Is a website. Yeah. Sure. Hockey stick hockey stick man. Yeah.
Scott:HSM, hockey stick man. They've got... He's got... Or they, I don't know, whatever, have, like, an inventory of, like, probably sticks that were left over from the end of seasons. So they sell inventory of pro stock sticks, a wide variety of different sticks, but they also have their own blackout stick line.
Scott:So I bought... I have one of those that I use. And I also have another stick that I got from them, which is like an older Pro Stock that was just a, you know, a reasonable discount. But, yeah, that's a good one. Blade Tech also.
Scott:Blade Tech Hockey. They sell sticks. Auto uses one of those. Yeah.
Jamie:I know Dom's
Scott:gone through a bunch. Yeah. Yeah. So those are some good alternatives also.
Jamie:Yeah. The the blackouts, are they just not wrapped? Is that what they are? It's just it's just the plastic? The no wrapping attached?
Jamie:Is that what it is?
Scott:Yeah. There's no wrap. It just looks, you know... Yeah. Exactly.
Jamie:It's all black.
Scott:Okay. Just all black?
Jamie:Yep. Gotta tell you. I'm I'm pretty pretty sure they're all made in the same factories.
Scott:Well, what... There's... What did Zachariah say? There's probably like a like a handful, like maybe three to five maybe factories over in Yeah. But I I think Warriors are made in Mexico, if I'm
Jamie:not mistaken. Oh, are they?
Scott:Yep. I'm pretty sure I remember seeing Echo and Mejko written on their sticks.
Jamie:Interesting. Tom's never used a warrior, actually, now that you mentioned it.
Scott:You know, I don't know where trues are made.
Jamie:I don't either. He's... We... He's used the true, but never never never the warrior.
Scott:You know? I had a warrior for a little bit.
Jamie:Are they big on gloves too? I've seen their gloves.
Scott:Warrior Warrior's got a full line of of gear. I actually have a pair of warrior pants or or... No. No. Not pants.
Scott:Breezers. I've got warrior breezers.
Jamie:Shout out, Reed Cashman.
Scott:That's what's up. And... Yeah. So... No.
Scott:They have a full line of of gear, helmets, gloves. They came out with skates too.
Jamie:I've never actually looked at... Did they really? Are they good? Are they any good?
Scott:I actually don't know much about them. Warrior as a brand?
Jamie:I mean, obviously, I've seen it for years, but I've never... Dom's never used any of their stuff. I'm actually on their website now. A lot of sticks. A lot of goalie sticks.
Scott:I'm pretty sure Warrior first entered in the hockey space. I mean, the lacrosse space. Like, even as far back as when we were
Jamie:I think
Scott:that's true. High school. Remember having, like, a titan... Like, a warrior titanium shaft for my lacrosse stick.
Jamie:Yeah. I remember them being... Starting as a lacrosse company, if I'm not mistaken. And then I guess they got into the hockey space because it was just easy. Right?
Scott:Well, you know what? And, like, if... Like, when we were talking to Zachariah, the... One of the things that seemed pretty clear is that any any sport that has some kind of, like, stick club, like a shaft of some sort probably
Jamie:Easy there.
Scott:What? A shaft?
Jamie:Yeah. Talking about talking about shafts.
Jamie:Oh, I mean It's a family
Jamie:family friendly show. Come on now.
Scott:My head's not in the gutter like yours, apparently. But if you have a shaft... No. But I... You would think that, like, the manufacture...
Scott:The the companies that, like, manufacture them, the... Like, just to go from, like, one design to another. They've got, like, the the the machinery, the infrastructure to, like, kinda produce Yeah. All different sorts of
Jamie:Yeah. They're very similar. If you look at them, they're very similar to Lacrosse stuff. So yeah. Yeah.
Jamie:I've... We've never actually, for whatever reason, we've never bought Warrior stuff, You know? And for no no... And I don't have a good reason for either. I I have seen they...
Jamie:They've... At Pure Hockey, they have some pretty colorful gloves. I have noticed that.
Scott:Yeah. Super color. Yeah. Right. They've got like the...
Scott:Like, give me... Like, what was that stick that you had? Like, was it Bauer or I think you had like a Miami style?
Jamie:Yeah. It was the Miami Vice, like,
Scott:graphics. Right. So I've seen, like, warrior gloves with that graphic. I think I've seen, like, camo warrior gloves.
Jamie:Yes. So big camo, big digital camo in, like, pink and, like, blue and, like
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie:I I think that is true. I I think I've seen that as well. Yeah. I'm sure they're great. I I...
Jamie:We've just never used them for whatever reason. Word.
Scott:You know? Word. Anyhow, what's up? Another week. Another week...
Scott:Weekend of hockey in in the books. What...
Jamie:Hey, man.
Scott:You got a story from the weekend perhaps?
Jamie:So we were pretty busy this past weekend. We were down in, like, the, like, Princeton ish area, like, South Jersey area, like, around Rutgers. Yep. For those of you who know the area, we had a showcase. So what's nice about as your kids get older, your games don't start or they shouldn't start at like 8AM for the most part.
Jamie:Right? So we had two games Saturday, two games Sunday. Didn't have to stay over in a hotel Friday night because we... Our first game was at, like, noon or, like, one on Saturday. So we had a one and, like, I think we had a one in, like, in, was it 08:40?
Jamie:So late. So one in the afternoon and 08:40. So we all had to stay over Saturday, not Friday. So we drove down Saturday, had like a call, like a early afternoon game and then a late game. So we had, a 01:40 and a 08:40 or something like that.
Jamie:So we did well. We went... We we won both of those games, which was great. And then on Sunday, we had a... What the hell time was our game?
Jamie:Wanna say it was, like, 10:40 or something like that.
Mike:Okay.
Jamie:You know, ten, eleven, something like that. And then we had like a six. So so, you know, you you find yourself getting home later. I will say that since games aren't early as your kids get older, but it was good. We went four and o on the weekend.
Scott:That's awesome.
Jamie:You know? Yeah. Walked into a really nice rink, by the way, that East Brunswick that East Brunswick buddy. I mean, for those of you who know our area, you know, or those of you who are kinda in our, you know, Philly, New York, New Jersey metro area, that East Brunswick rink is beautiful. Like, spectacular.
Scott:I've never been.
Jamie:Same. My fur... My first time walking in, we had two games there. Awesome. Sweet.
Jamie:Real nice. Yeah. Real, real nice.
Scott:They have a... Is there like a restaurant situation over there?
Jamie:Is there a restaurant situation there? I think there's like a little snack bar.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:You know, apparently, they're waiting for a liquor license from what I I gather.
Scott:But, man. That's good.
Jamie:I mean, beautiful rink. I mean...
Scott:Spacious locker rooms for the boys and girls?
Jamie:I didn't see the locker rooms. I have not walked into a locker room in a couple years now because my kid's older.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:You know? But, yeah, man, the facility was, like, spectacular.
Scott:That's awesome. Did Dom say anything, like, about, I don't know, his experience there in terms of it being, like, any better than, you know, the other ranks that are local?
Jamie:No. He didn't say anything. You know? But but I... I'm pretty sure it was it was not...
Jamie:It was built by the town. So the town put money into it, and they put up, like, in... Like, it has to be anywhere from 8 to $10,000,000. Had to be. You know?
Scott:Yeah. Sure.
Jamie:I would think
Scott:But $2.02 sheets.
Jamie:Two sheets. Two sheets. Got a cat a catwalk on both sides. So you can watch from down low. You can watch from up top.
Jamie:They have like these like these like swivel chairs up top that you could sit in and watch the game. Like, it was nice, dude. Yeah. It was it was actually a really nice facility.
Scott:That's awesome. Do you know who like the likes... So who plays out of there? Like, what are the teams that are?
Jamie:You know, I I think the Mercer Chiefs use it and buy ice out there. Right. I think. I think. So Black Bear...
Jamie:From what I understand, Black Bear doesn't Black Bear doesn't own it, but I think but they had an office upstairs that said BlackBear office. Right? So... But I'm pretty I'm pretty sure they don't own it, though. I'm, like, 99% sure they do not own the rink.
Jamie:Okay. The the town of East Brunswick, I'm pretty sure owns the rink, and maybe BlackBear operates out of it.
Scott:Right. Or maybe Black Bear bought the town of East Brunswick.
Jamie:Makes you wonder. Right? Yeah. So... But...
Jamie:Yeah, man. Wait till you go down there, like, really nice rink. Like, really nice.
Scott:I don't think... I mean, actually, I have no idea if we're scheduled to play there or not. I haven't Yeah. Taken a look at the rinks. But...
Scott:Yeah. Okay. So that was... That's good one. And and Dom Dom, how'd you do this weekend?
Jamie:Dom had a nice weekend. He had, like, seven points in four games. Yeah. He had a good weekend. Yeah.
Jamie:That's it. Told him
Scott:Dahmer McDavid?
Jamie:I I told him if you if you if you actually... I I looked at him. I go, buddy, I go, can you imagine what you could have done if you actually, like, really tried hard?
Scott:Not... Nothing like a backhanded compliment.
Jamie:No. Listen. He he he was... I didn't say anything. He was very not happy with himself as he came out.
Jamie:He was he was happy with himself in game four. He realized that he he upped his his effort game four. Yeah. And listen. When I say that, I don't mean that my kid never gives effort.
Jamie:He does. Okay? But it's, like, when he wants to. Right? Right.
Jamie:You know, it's it's it's not all the time. Once he figures out how to do it all the time, I think he'll be like a frightening hockey player. That's my opinion.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:It it would definitely serve him better.
Scott:Well, I'll tell you the... Your... The the clips that you sent me of him, I was... Yeah. He he looked he looked very dangerous.
Scott:I mean, obviously, he was... You know, you sent me some clips of him scoring goals, but just, you know, the the the moments leading up to the goals, just like how he, like, attacked right off the face off, just how he was, like, you know, aggressive on the puck, you know, skating with purpose to some of those shots, man, boy, like, they seem to come off at tougher angles, like, just, you know Yeah. Yeah.
Mike:It was
Scott:it was it was definitely some some skilled skilled stuff for sure.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. And listen, he's got a lot of ability. Right? No.
Jamie:It it was never really his ability. It was always kinda like his head and where his head was. Mhmm. Right? Mhmm.
Jamie:So it seems like he's starting to maybe figure it out a little bit, you know, so so we'll see. He... He's on a nice little upswing right now, which is great. You know, my... Nancy was so mad at him, Scott.
Jamie:After our third game, she was, like, ripping pissed with him. You know?
Scott:Yeah. You had mentioned that, but, like, it wasn't a... And you... It was more like the body language stuff because she kinda had a... Because of the rink, the way...
Scott:And his attitude, but, like, the way the rink was set up. You... I think you mentioned, like, the catwalks, you kinda parents had a, like, a kind of a bird's eye view of what was happening on the bench. Right?
Jamie:So that East Brunswick rink that I had mentioned before, the new rink in East Brunswick, the way it's set up is that, you know, the the catwalks, at least... I don't know what the right rink looks like because we only played on the left rink when you walk in. Yep. But the the left rink, the catwalk, they're right over the bench, the benches, and the scorer's box and belly are right below you.
Mike:Right.
Jamie:Right. So, like... And and it's funny because, you know, a couple of our parents were in the scorer's box, and I was, like, throwing some stuff in there. Like, you know, like, you could... I mean, it's, right there.
Jamie:You just kinda, like, you just flops You were dropping
Scott:stuff from above into the
Jamie:I did. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:That doesn't sound like appropriate conduct.
Jamie:It wasn't during the game. It was before the game.
Scott:Okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. What were you dropping in there?
Scott:Like, an order of wings? What were you... What did you have to air mail into into the, into the penalty box?
Jamie:Into into into the scores box? Alright. So, alright. So there's like there's like a few... A feud between two parents on our team.
Jamie:Okay? Okay. And they like
Scott:assuming... Yeah. Go ahead.
Jamie:They they play pranks on each other.
Scott:Because they... Like a legit... Okay. Yeah. Okay.
Scott:I'm with you.
Jamie:Sorry. It's not like a real feud. They they play like practical jokes on each other.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:Okay? Yeah. And when one does something, the other has to retaliate, and it just keeps going back and forth.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:Okay? And it's all in good fun too. So, like, for instance, my buddy, Matt, walked into walked into, like, a party. Our our goalie... It was our goalie's bar mitzvah last year, and our whole team went.
Jamie:And and Matt had, a a button down shirt, and he lifted up his button down shirt, and it was
Scott:a picture of this other of this other parent on a t shirt. Okay?
Jamie:So I'm I'm not sure if that's how it exactly started, but then the retaliation to that was was when we went into the urinals at sport... At Sportarama, the rink that both our kids play out of
Scott:Okay. Yeah.
Jamie:You were peeing on a picture.
Scott:I remember you told me that. Yeah. He put pictures of the parent in the urinal. Yes. Oh, boy.
Scott:Oh, boy.
Jamie:As like, almost like as like the urinal cakes, you know, the things that they put in there. Yeah.
Scott:Yeah. So...
Jamie:And and it was just kinda sitting in the urinal. Like, I remember when one of our dads came out of the of the bathroom, he's like, did I just piss on Matt's face? He's like, what the fuck?
Scott:Oh, it was Matt's face that was
Jamie:in It was Matt. Yeah. So Matt
Jamie:and Kurt
Jamie:Matt and Kurt,
Jamie:two of
Jamie:our parents. Yeah. Yeah. So they've been going back and forth for a while now. Okay?
Jamie:So like... So so the the retaliation this time is... So this time, we we were... We got... When we got to the parking lot, we were handed a a beer koozie for a beer bottle or a beer can with Matt's face on it with a unibrow, like like painted on.
Jamie:So so Matt was in the box doing the music, so I lofted the koozie like into the box.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:You know what I mean?
Scott:Just as a friendly reminder that
Jamie:Just just fucking around. Okay.
Mike:You know
Jamie:what I mean? Yeah. Because you... Again, we're right above them. So so so anyway, so so the re...
Jamie:How we got onto this topic was so so the moms were standing over our bench of our kids, and Nancy was not happy about his attitude. He did not think he was playing very well. And he wasn't playing badly, but he... Listen. Was he was he giving a lot max effort?
Jamie:No. You know, maybe he was fifty fifty, call it. You know? But he was getting mad at himself when he when he, like, when he turned the puck over and he wasn't getting back on defense and that type of stuff. So she was mad at him.
Jamie:You know? So she... You know, which I... My wife normally doesn't get mad at him.
Scott:I think that's the first time in all the years that we've been talking that you mentioned that she got mad at him.
Jamie:Yeah. She was mad at him. And she doesn't like his... Because she didn't like his attitude.
Scott:Well, let me ask you this. Do Do you think... At least I know how it works in my household, that oftentimes if one parent's kind of on the warpath, the other one plays good cop. Right? Do you think since you've been...
Scott:You're you're a I guess, a I'm a I'm a hockey dad, you know, whatever.
Jamie:I'm like recovering like a Recovering? Recovering crazy hockey dad. So now I'm being calm. You think she's taken on, like, the role of, like, the the tough one now?
Scott:I'm, you know, I'm wondering.
Jamie:So it's funny, like a bunch of parents. So one of them, Stacy came up to me and she's like, oh my god, your wife is so mad at your son. And I immediately thought like my older one, I'm like, wow. What did Luca do? She's like, no, not the older one.
Jamie:She's like, the
Mike:younger one.
Jamie:I was like, okay, here we go. For what? You know? Yeah. And then when I got to Nancy in lobby, she's like, Jamie, she's like, she's like, I...
Jamie:She's his attitude. She's like, the way he was acting. She's like, not okay. And she's right. Yeah.
Jamie:You know, he was being a baby, you know, and you gotta not do that. You know? You can't do that crap. And he he he knows that. He couldn't control it at the moment.
Jamie:Right? But he knows that. And, you know, he obviously apologized to Nancy, and he's like, listen. Because she's like, dude, you can't carry yourself like that. And she's a 100% right.
Jamie:So, Scott, I didn't even need to say it.
Scott:There you go.
Jamie:Didn't need to do it.
Scott:Yeah. Well So Yeah. Go ahead.
Jamie:No. No. I was just saying, I didn't I didn't need to do it. I was off duty.
Scott:Yeah. Nice. We need you, like, you need to get, like, a gone fishing t shirt.
Jamie:Yeah. The missus picked up the slack. I didn't even say 100%. So so I I didn't say anything to him about about effort on the weekend. He knows what he did and what he didn't do.
Jamie:Yeah. Listen. He's still productive. Right? He was still very productive on the weekend.
Jamie:Very. You know? But I... As I always tell him, I'm like, buddy, like, just because you had points doesn't mean that you had a good game.
Scott:Right.
Jamie:You know?
Jamie:Right. Like, you know, like, you... There's there's sometimes where you can not have points and then have a really good game and and do something that just doesn't show up on the score sheet.
Scott:A 100%.
Jamie:Right? Points are nice. We all love points, but I would rather him, like, really bust his ass and create turnovers and stuff and, you know, block shots and stuff that doesn't show up on the score sheet.
Scott:Well, I mean, just to kinda give a sneak preview, right, to our... We interviewed Reed Cashman, head coach at Dartmouth, who was also saying that, like, you know, it's all about the habits. Right? And they praise habits, and the team could lose a game. And, you know, the score sheet might look pretty bad, but they'll be in the locker room if they had good habits, good details throughout the game and it just didn't go their way, like, they're they're celebrating those habits.
Scott:And I think that's something that, you know, parents also need to... My son was calling me, of course.
Jamie:Very well said, by the way. You're a 100% right.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. And and that was like, you know, for me this weekend, you know, auto auto... We only had one game this weekend, and, you know, I I... Truthfully, I I I walked out.
Scott:I walked out at the beginning of the second period. I had just had enough. I had enough. And, you know, what I wanted to say about that when you were talking about how, you know, that you didn't need to say anything on the weekend. I think...
Scott:Well, Nancy said it for you, but... Or, you know, you know, on behalf of both of you. But I... My point is that, yeah, like, I I have not... I've been generally, like, this season and the majority of last season, been relatively calm and rational.
Scott:And even if I'm pretty bent out of shape, like, I just kinda stuff it and, you know, recognize that he's a kid. It's a learning process, and I don't need to rip into him. I usually try to, you know, praise the the good things and... But, you know, I think everyone's got, like, they've got a limit. They got a limit on how much they can they can, like, observe and and not say something.
Scott:And, again, it's not about the fact that, like, his technique was poor or whatever. You know, for me, it's a lot of it comes to effort compete, like being that dog on the ice, being a piece of shit to play against, being a pain in the ass, and, you know, it's just... I was... On Saturday, I I literally... I I was like, I can't I can't I can't I can't.
Scott:I... I'm I'm done. And then, apparently, he scored, like, at the very end of the game, which I did I did go back and watch. It was a nice goal. But I told him, was like, I don't give a shit about your goals.
Scott:Like, I really don't. I I just wanna see you out there competing. Like, take away time and space. Make it difficult for others to play against you. Like, move...
Scott:Skate as hard as you do to back check and forecheck as you do when you think you're, like, on a breakaway. Like, look, a 100% of the time is that gonna happen? Probably not. But, like, I I need I need more than what I'm seeing. And I I...
Scott:And and I I know I'm not being overly critical. Like, it's it's it's really... It's tough. So in any event, I I definitely definitely laid into him after the game and said it's unacceptable. Like, this can't continue.
Scott:You know? Like, you tell me that you want, you know, to be, you know, a player, you want this, you want that, and it's like, well, you gotta start doing the things that those people do, you know, and I'm I'm not seeing that right now. So, you know, you gotta make a choice, buddy, but this is this is unacceptable because, you know, the lack of effort, like, not only are you letting yourself down ultimately, like, you have a whole team around you that's counting on you. Right? Like, so, like, if you're not gonna do it for yourself or for your parents or whoever, like, do it for your teammates who are out there busting their ass.
Jamie:You know, it's funny. I I at this point in my life, I'm not sure that some of them realize that yet. Right? Obviously, there's some, you know, some players that do realize that. Right?
Jamie:I'm not convinced that the 12 year old brain has the capacity... Some people, not all. Right? I'm not convinced that most of them have the capacity to do that yet.
Scott:To do what exactly?
Jamie:I know they understand that they should be taking away time and space, but do they really understand why they should be taking away time and space? Right? Think I think I think that comes with... Because, again, I'm just thinking back on my child. Right?
Jamie:Like, Dominic just started to do this, and he's 14. Okay?
Scott:And he's do what? Take away time Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah. Just started to realize... And he still doesn't do it sometimes. Sometimes he does it. Sometimes he doesn't.
Jamie:Right? And sometimes he's he's out there forecheck, and he's like waving a stick in between two people. I'm like, buddy. I'm like, just pick somebody with the puck and pressure them. Like...
Jamie:And and don't just wave your stick at them. Like, get on them. Like, touch them. Like, get to the point where you can put your hands on them. Right?
Jamie:And and create a turnover. You know? So so he just started doing that. So I think you might be a little early. I know you want it as a parent.
Jamie:I get it. Because when I was... When Dom was age, I wanted it too. Dom wasn't ready to do it at that point. And he's still, I'm not sure he's ready to do that yet.
Jamie:He's starting to.
Scott:Listen, I I think it's pretty clear, like, if if... Dude, I I mean, I hear you. Yeah. And and if I'm being, you know, like, part of part of my frustration that I've been saying the same thing since, like, he was, like
Jamie:I
Scott:a get it. Squirt and a mite.
Jamie:Tell me.
Scott:And there's examples of his peers on the ice doing that. And it's, you know, other people have told him that, and I'm not looking for a 100% of the time, but ultimately, like, the point of the game, like, you're playing this game to win. In order to win, right, you could probably need to put the puck in the net. Right? In order to put the puck in the net, your team has to have the fucking puck.
Scott:If the other team has the puck, you probably wanna get it from them. So, it's like like, I I don't I'm... I don't
Jamie:disagree I don't disagree with anything you're saying. Right? As parents, I think it's really easy for us to say that because we're older and more mature, and we understand how the game works. I'm not sure that the 10 year old, 12 year old, even 14 year old brain think that yet. Some do.
Jamie:Don't get me wrong. Some certainly do. But but I think some people figure it out in different places along the journey. Right?
Scott:I I can accept that. I can accept that. I Yeah. I then need to just tamp down. But, like, here's the thing.
Scott:I I think not not... There's... I don't know. There's probably plenty of buts, and at the end of the day, I... I'm not disagreeing with you because people get things when they get them.
Scott:Maybe he'll... You know, some people never get certain things. But when we have conversations about what he wants from the game or where he... What he wants to achieve in the game, there are some fundamental things that need to be... And it's just, like, been that same conversation for such a long period of time, the inconsistency and this and that that, you know, it's like you kind of feel like you're just beating your head against the wall, you know.
Scott:What's the definition of insanity? Right? Like, doing the same thing over and over again and getting the the same result and it's like, you know?
Jamie:No question about it. No question about it. And so I'm curious. Maybe... I get that Otto is saying that.
Jamie:Right? And Dominic said it too. Dom's like, I wanna do this. I wanna do that. I wanna play in college.
Jamie:I wanna I wanna do this. Right? They they all say the right things. But are they really ready to put out what it takes to get to those things, right? Mentally, physically, It's both, easy for us as parents to say, right, because we are adults and we can control our brain better than kids can, You know?
Jamie:So if we... As parents, it's easier to actually, like, go do it. As kids, I'm not so sure that they are ready to... They say a lot of things, but when it comes to acting on it, I'm not so sure that they're ready to to pay the price for what they're really... What they really want at the moment.
Jamie:Not saying it's not gonna happen, but at the moment, they might not be there yet.
Scott:Okay. Well... And I agree. I accept that as... Yeah.
Scott:Okay. Then I'm
Jamie:not saying I'm the end all be all either. You know?
Scott:No. No. I I know. I guess, you know, it's just another example of like, oh, I don't know. But the the the the struggle is that, like, as a parent, like, sometimes you just gotta fucking call.
Scott:Like, you see it. Like, I'm, you know, I'm not
Jamie:gonna at all.
Scott:Yeah. How many times am I going to just, like, overlook, you know, one of the things that is pretty glaring to me? And, you know, like, at some point, it just... There needs to be that feedback loop. Now maybe I...
Scott:You know, and and I... It's like a balance, like, volume, like, how many or or or I... How many times do I say? Do I say it every week softly? Do I say it once a month loudly?
Scott:Loudly? You know, like like, what's the... Like, what's that, like, formula look like? And there's no right answer. But for me, I've generally been quiet.
Scott:I've generally just kind of, like, been focused on praising the good things that I see. And ultimately, this past weekend was just a tipping point for me, and I... You know, look, I I didn't, like, berate him. That's not what But I was I was firm, and I was direct, and he saw I wasn't happy. He apologized, and he said he'll work on it, and he said the right things, and that's great, but the proof is in the pudding.
Scott:And, you know, we're going into a tough weekend. We're up in Massachusetts for the exposure cup, Eastern exposure cup, and we're gonna be playing some some pretty good teams. We're we're down one of our top players. So it's gonna be... It was gonna be a tough challenge to begin with.
Scott:It's gonna be even harder missing one of our top players, and I know that it's gonna be a challenge on my end just to, you know, to manage... To stay calm because, you know, I... Whatever. It's... I I need to...
Scott:And my whole family's going there, which is fine, but it also adds a layer of, like, whenever with my wife
Jamie:A layer of stress.
Scott:Well, yeah. It's... Like, if I'm by myself, I just stayed... I keep to myself. But when my wife's there, it's...
Scott:I'm more likely to kind of vent to her, and then, you know, it's just a good Then
Jamie:she then she gets mad at you?
Scott:Well, you know, I think she's got her she's got her... She doesn't necessarily disagree with me on on, like, the points that I make. But like everyone else, like, you you know, it doesn't even have to be about hockey. It's... You know, and pick any life topic in general, and it's like, you know, parents have their...
Scott:You know, between them, it's like you can only take so much. Like, you know, she's probably feeling some of the same feelings, and I'm piling on top of that, and she's trying to be a good cop if I'm the bad cop. You you know what I'm saying?
Jamie:I do. Mm-mm. Anyway. Unfortunately, I do. Listen.
Jamie:It... It's... Yes. I I understand what you're saying. I I experienced a a similar thing this weekend, you know, when, you know, people kept coming up to me and telling me that Dominic's playing so well.
Jamie:And I looked at them and I'm like, I don't think he's playing well. I'm like, he's not back checking at all. I'm like, he's not playing defense. I'm like, that's not playing well. Like, yeah, he's scoring goals.
Jamie:I mean, that's great. But like the whole other half of the game, like, doesn't wanna participate in. And I'm I'm and I'm I'm I'm I'm really, like, being dramatic. He played a little bit of defense. He did.
Jamie:Right? You know? But, like, could he have played more? Absolutely. 100%.
Jamie:Could he have given more effort? Absolutely. A 100%. Could he back check more and caught some kids and, like, and not had a couple shots go on net? Absolutely.
Jamie:A 100%. Right. You know? So they're all enamored with the goals and stuff like that, which is great. It's part of the game.
Jamie:Buck needs to go in the net. You know? But if you wanna be like a, you know, well rounded player, like, you gotta play, you know, a 200 foot game. You can't just play in the offensive zone. Yeah.
Jamie:You know?
Scott:No. I agree.
Jamie:So people look at me like I'm nuts, and They're going, wow, Dom had a great game because he had two goals. And I'm like, I thought he played like shit.
Scott:Right. And and
Jamie:and And I look like a crazy person, Scott. I do. I look like an insane person when I say that
Scott:to them.
Mike:Right.
Scott:Right? You know? Yeah. But... And I think a little bit of...
Scott:Oh, I don't know. Like, for me, at least, I'll say, I'm not looking for auto to be, like, you know, have, like, super high end, like, hockey IQ. You know, like, the the team is, like, they're getting better at positioning, and I know the coaches are working with them on that. You know? But really, for me, it's like, you know, like the stops and starts.
Scott:It's the taking away time and space. It's just like that sense of urgency to, you know, get the puck on a retrieval or, you know, try to beat that guy in a foot race if he... You know, like, you can tell, like, if, you know, sometimes there's a loose puck and then, you know, they start skating and then one kid realizes he's probably not gonna get it and then, like, lets off the gas. It's like, just maybe don't let off the gas. I don't know, man.
Scott:And as we talk about this right now, I feel like I sound a little bit crazy, but ultimately, I I, you know, I think I want I want I want I want my I want my son just to to improve, and in some of the areas where there's been less improvement than I would like, I'm... I get frustrated. And
Jamie:So my my guess is he's just not there yet. That's my guess.
Scott:Yeah. You know? Well
Jamie:That's my guess is he's just not there yet. And I don't think Dominic's all there yet. Dominic's farther down the line than Otto because he's two years older. But, you know, as long as there's improvements, Scott, over the years, it's really hard to look at something like year over year. You know?
Jamie:When you look at it over a longer period of time, there is growth. Right? If you if you look at it from like one year to the next, you may not see anything. But if you look at it over like a longer period, like, you know, mites to bantams, you know, there's a lot of... Dominic was doing a lot of things as a first year squirt that made me wanna pull my hair out that he's obviously not doing anymore.
Jamie:You know? Like... So some this just goes away naturally. You know? Yep.
Jamie:So for hockey parents out there, I would say just relax and just let the game kinda play out. You know? Because in retrospect, like, you know, yelling at a kid for, like, having a stick turned upside down where the where the blade's facing down, like, it's like a hook facing down to the ice, right, is not the correct way to hold your stick. Right? But, like, how many times can you yell at a kid for having the...
Jamie:Not holding their stick the right way? As they get older, that stuff kinda goes away.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. Listen. I I hear you. I don't know.
Scott:Anyway, it's I get it. I get it, Angela.
Jamie:I went through it, so I get it. I get it.
Scott:Yeah. Well, listen.
Mike:I think
Scott:we're also going through it, and and and it's it's not easy. It's not easy, and some days are easier than others, and other days. Know, and listen, I I will actually tell on myself also. And one of the things that I did not have going for me that day... This past Saturday, which didn't help the situation, is that I played pickup early that morning.
Scott:I did not get to sleep early the night before, so I probably went to sleep at, like, I don't know, between 11:30 and midnight. And then I was up at 4AM, and I played, you know, a pickup game from 05:30 to seven. And then I came right home and then, you know, a couple hours later, like, took him to the game and I was
Jamie:So you were exhausted.
Scott:Fucking beat. Like, I was Yeah. Yeah. You were exhausted. Struggling.
Scott:And I... That did not help me keep my cool. You know what I mean? Which I should have recognized, to be honest with you, that, you know, I I probably wasn't in the right headspace, generally speaking, and I should have just kept my mouth shut. But that said, I also don't think I said anything that was dishonest or inappropriate.
Scott:No.
Jamie:I'm sure you didn't. Yeah.
Scott:I'm sure you didn't. I I... You know, I I... Anyway, so that... That's another thing.
Scott:So parents, like, also check yourself before you say something because if you know that, you know, you're hungry, tired, whatever, like, maybe get get get some get some rest, get some food before you say something.
Jamie:Right. Cranky, tired, worked hard at school. Yeah. I mean, you've never seen that, have you?
Scott:No. I just said, yeah, because I didn't know what to say.
Jamie:It's all over Instagram. It's like a little it's like a little kid from like, I'm gonna guess, like, Arkansas.
Scott:You
Jamie:know, like a Southern... Or like Texas. And he's... And it's an Instagram video. I'm sure most people have seen it.
Jamie:It's a little guy and and like his dad's talking to him, and he goes, no. No. Leave me alone. I'm cranky, tired. I worked hard at school.
Jamie:He goes, he goes, why? He goes, I'm cranky. I'm tired. I worked hard at school. And he's like, okay.
Jamie:He's like, what? He's like, so so what? So late... You you don't wanna wrestle? And he's like he's like, you don't wanna wrestle later?
Jamie:And the kid's like, well, maybe. May... Maybe if I'm not quanky and tired.
Scott:A what a mature kid.
Jamie:Oh, the kid was, like, six when he said it. You know what I mean? Like
Scott:Right. He was just, like, kinda, like, repeating, like, things he hears his parents say maybe?
Jamie:Maybe. He had these, like, longer hair, like, down to, his shoulders, I would say, blonde. Yeah. A boy from down south. He's like, I'm quanky.
Scott:I'm tired of
Jamie:working hard.
Scott:In the rear?
Jamie:Exactly. He's like, I'm I'm quanky. I'm tired. I worked hard at school. So now when when Nancy comes home from work, she's like, I'm quanky.
Jamie:I'm tired. I worked hard at school.
Scott:Okay. Well, mean, listen. That's... Awareness is usually half the battle or a good first step on
Jamie:It's it's hard it's hard to it's hard to... When you're... When parents are stressed, when you're, like you said, when you're hungry, when you're exhausted, it's hard to... It's easy to snap at your kids.
Scott:Right? Totally.
Jamie:Right. Totally. Right.
Scott:Yeah. Especially We've all been there. We've all been You know? But Anyhow.
Jamie:Not easier said than done. Right?
Scott:Sometimes, yes. For sure.
Jamie:To to control yourself. Anyway.
Scott:Anyway, so anything else to recap from last week?
Jamie:I think that's pretty much it. I will say this. When your kids get to the bantam level, and for those of you who have bantams or have had bantams already and your kids are even older, there are a lot of injuries. Like, injuries... I was...
Jamie:I remember saying, like, from, like, teams around us, wow. Why are they taking four lines of forwards? Like, I wouldn't want my kid playing on a team with four lines of forwards. Right? Because he's Mhmm.
Jamie:Really get all the playing time. But I must tell you, we have get... We've been bit by the injury bug. Like, I can't even tell you. We had a...
Jamie:To open the season, we had a back injury and a skate cut to the arm. One one of those kids are back. One is coming back this weekend. We had a knee injury. We had a shoulder injury.
Jamie:We had a wrist injury. Dude, we have not played with a full team yet. We've not had all of our kids on the ice yet.
Scott:No shit.
Jamie:No. We've we've been two men down for most of the season. We've been two men down for most of the season.
Scott:Wow.
Jamie:Yeah. So we've been running like... So we had one defenseman playing forward and playing with like five d. Yeah. So one came back, two came back, then another one went down.
Jamie:I mean, it's crazy, dude.
Scott:Wow. Yeah. And and how much... Yeah. I mean, we've actually...
Scott:So we... Otto's got 10 forwards on his team. And at first glance, it was like...
Jamie:So do we, by the way.
Scott:Why why the extra forward? You know? And and I I understand. I I mean, like, it's no secret that, you know, like, more depth is is coming as you get older, but I just didn't think Yes. We were there yet.
Scott:But, like, you know, truthfully, we've... So we... We probably put... We're second year Yeah. So they'll be hitting next year.
Scott:But, like, we had one kid go out with a concussion. Yeah. So he was out for, like, two weeks. We had an... You know, there was an illness.
Scott:So there was there was definitely more than a handful of games that we've played so far where we've we've had nine forwards because we were down one person. You know?
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. I I definitely see the... I definitely see it at the bantam level. There's no question about that.
Jamie:Yeah. Pee wee pee wee's... I I could, like, take or leave. Like, if they take an extra one, okay. And if they don't, okay.
Jamie:Right?
Scott:Yeah. No. I agree.
Jamie:But but I must say at the bantam level, when the hitting starts, I mean, they're... And it's funny too because, like, none of our
Scott:What you have? You have 10?
Jamie:We have 10. Yeah. Yeah. The funny part about it is is that none of the injuries of any of the kids that we've had happened on the ice. One happened on the ice.
Jamie:One. One one was a scooter that got flipped over where the kid hurt his wrist. One was one was playing hockey in the preseason. Right?
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:Like like in the summer, like before the season started, that was a back injury. One was a skate cut to the forearm. Right? So, like, I mean, they they did happen on the ice, but they happened before the season started. Right?
Mike:Right. Right. Right.
Jamie:We've had we've had all these crazy injuries, but, yeah. So I get it. I I I now see why other teams take, you know, a fourth line of forwards at this age.
Scott:Yeah. No. It's it's it's definitely it's definitely a thing, and especially if, you know, you're down more than one player. Like, in your case, like, you know, it starts getting complicated.
Jamie:It does. The the kids have to be flexible, you know, moving from d to forward or vice versa.
Scott:Yeah. And that's and and, you know, like, I'll say that now that you mentioned that right now and, like, know, for parents listening, like, any any parent that has got a kid that's, I don't know, squirt, might, and, you know, a coach has them playing defense, and you don't want them playing defense. Like, it's definitely not bad for any kid and to have experience playing all different positions because when you get older and there are injuries, you might need a kid to go play and fill in fill in on defense if he's a forward, and then, oh, look. John... You know, Johnny Johnny played defense.
Scott:You know, he has experience. He he has some idea of what to do. So, you know, you might be getting your kids some more ice time. And also, when you get even older, you know, you have you have coaches that say, you know what? Oh, you're a center?
Scott:No. I don't think so. I think you're a left wing on my team. You know? It's true.
Scott:It's very true. So, it's not a... It's... I I I think it's great that, you know, kids get meaningful reps at different positions. I mean, even though Otto, the...
Scott:You know, whatever, when he played with Wolfpack, he played defense for probably, I would say, like, three quarters of the season. Right. And, you know, I... He doesn't get called on to play defense much, but if he ends up in a defensive position because the... You know, one of his d joined the rush and he's on the blue line, he's not like a fish out of water.
Scott:You know?
Jamie:Right. No. I think it's great. Dom played some d last year. You know?
Scott:Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's right.
Mike:Right. Totally.
Jamie:Different perspective on the ice. I I think he's great. The younger ages, I think everybody should play every position. Maybe other than goalie. Right?
Jamie:You know, because that's kind of a little specialized, but, like, you know, play all the forward positions, play all the deep positions, and just kind of Right. Figure it out, and... Because there's plenty of time to pigeonhole your kid, for coaches to pigeonhole your kid as they get older.
Jamie:Right.
Scott:You know? Totally. Yeah.
Jamie:No. Yeah, man. But it was a good weekend. No complaints. We...
Jamie:Season is in full swing. Our team started off a little rocky. We're doing better now, which is great. I think we're nine, four, and one. So, yeah, it was a nice weekend.
Jamie:Four wins, no losses. Good.
Scott:Yeah. That's awesome, man.
Jamie:No no complaints.
Scott:Alright. Well, you you wanna say you wanna kick it over to today's interview?
Jamie:Yeah. Good. After you, buddy.
Scott:Yeah. Alright. So, today, we got Mike Busconi, director of Islanders Hockey Club and coach at the Wichitahn School, if I'm not mistaken. Private school. Right?
Scott:Private school. And just to give everyone an idea, the the Middlesex Islanders finished last season. It's the number two ranked youth hockey program according to my hockey rankings. So In what birth year? What?
Scott:In what... In every person? Organ... No. The overall organization.
Jamie:Oh, is that right?
Scott:They have the organizational rankings.
Jamie:Oh, that's legit. I didn't know that.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. They're a top five ranked, you know, organization in the country. And so, you know, he's definitely... Yeah.
Scott:That's... You know, he's he's a big part of that. And currently, I think their twelve u team is currently ranked number one in the country. And I... Their fifteen u and I think their eighteen u prep team, they're both ranked in the top 10 tier one.
Scott:So he's got, like, a front row seat into nearly every, like, age group. Right. And, you know, find the right team or navigate the higher end, you know, prep schools, etcetera. So so, you know, we had a great conversation with him, super knowledgeable, great guy, and, you know, really glad that he had some time to to join us. So why don't we kick it over to Mike?
Jamie:Alright. Enjoy, everybody.
Scott:Alright, everybody. Welcome to another interview here at the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast. We've got Mike Busconi on from the Middlesex Islanders, one of the top youth programs in the country, and just wanna welcome to the pod. What's going on, Mike?
Mike:Thanks. Thanks for having me, guys.
Scott:Oh, it's our pleasure. So, you know, we just recently had a conversation, you know, with Danielle Ward over at the Mid Fairfield, and it's just, you know, we're really excited to talk to more of the elite programs across the country. If you could just give us, you know, like, your current role over at the... With the Middlesex Islanders and just a little bit about the program and kinda like what's going on there right now.
Mike:Yeah. No. For sure. So I... I'm the director for Islanders East.
Mike:We have Islanders West and Islanders East. So the East program runs out of Merrimack College, and it's primarily our elite team, like tier one top level teams. And we, you know, EHF has different levels of teams. Right? So we have, you know, elite platinum, upper gold, and gold.
Mike:And, yeah, I mean, we have probably, you know, a little over 30 teams on the East. So... And we run from... You know, we have a mite development program too that, you know, runs separately through Chris Collins. He does a really good job with that.
Mike:But, like, we run from, you know, 2019. So this year, our, you know, first year mites. And we'll have our u 18, you know, split season prep school teams. You know, that's, you know, o eight and o nine. So, yeah, we kind of have full, obviously, sled the teams and, you know, run...
Mike:We have multiple teams at every level too. So, yeah, it's kind of a... It's a, you know, a little crazy hockey world. Right? But we...
Mike:Know, teams at every level might... Superheroes, peewee, phantoms, and, you know, midgets. And... Yeah. And it's...
Mike:So that's all good.
Scott:And and you're also coaching at prep school. Correct?
Mike:Yeah. I coached at Washington School. You know, I've been... I just finished on my third year there, and so I'm going on year four. And I went to the school to to graduate, and I keep saying it was ten years ago, but like it's...
Mike:Yeah. I keep saying ten years ago, but now we're like almost coming on like fifteen years So it's like... So... And we were talking to a family, I'm like, yeah, went there like ten years ago. I graduated in 2013.
Mike:I'm like, I actually, I was almost
Jamie:50 shit.
Scott:That's not ten years. Yeah. Yeah.
Mike:Yeah. But
Scott:And I also failed the math program.
Mike:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I wasn't the highest level student there. That's for sure.
Mike:So
Jamie:Most of us weren't. Okay.
Mike:Yeah. No. But yeah, no. Prop school's a big thing here in in, you know, Mass and New England. So, you know, it's it's good because you have Islanders and we, know, a lot...
Mike:You know,
Scott:we do get a lot
Mike:of the Islanders kids to come to the school at, you know, at some point. Right? So, yeah, it it kinda... They go together pretty well.
Jamie:I'm I'm curious, Mike. Before we get into the fun stuff, is it hard to... Because there's a there's a lot of programs up by you. Right? You have, like, the Worcester Railers.
Jamie:You have the Miniman Flames. You have, whom I forget, the BC Junior Eagles.
Mike:Right? Eagles.
Jamie:Yeah. Is is Terriers. I'm sure there's a point... You're right. The Terriers.
Jamie:Is is it tough to to get families to kinda come and stay? Because we know what we've noticed about the hockey space that, you know, people decide to jump quite a bit from team to team to team. At least they do down here by us. Does that happen up by you guys? Is there...
Jamie:Or... And is it hard to retain families?
Mike:It it depends. Like, you know, it all depends on, like, how the team is too. Right? Like, if a team's good, usually people don't wanna leave. If we have a team who's maybe not towards the top, then, like, yeah, kids can start to leave.
Mike:But there's a lot of competition. Like, we're, you know, we're on the North Shore. Right? So North Andover, like, you know, Top Gun's Right. Twenty minutes north.
Mike:You know, the eagles are twenty five minutes
Scott:south. Know,
Mike:king Right. You know? Right. The the kings and the terriers and, you know, they're a little further south. Like, so we really don't compete, you know, for players there.
Mike:But like Eagles and us, like,
Scott:in Top Gun are kind
Mike:of all really within, like, a 35 mile radius. And that's just CHF. Like, they're the e nine too, which you have the Wizards and all those other teams in the railers. So Right. And the flames are a little more central mass.
Mike:Right? So like, you know, but, you know, it's... We've had kids drive from North Shore to to Marlboro or, you know, Marlboro to to Merrimack. Right? So it just depends on the year.
Mike:Right? Like, and, how the team is, how the coaches, how the families are, right? So it's, for the most part, I feel like we do a good job of keeping people in the program. But nothing's perfect, kids and can leave whenever... You know, like, it's...
Mike:Every family's different. Every team's different. But we do our best to, you know, to keep... You know, our you know, our team's obviously competitive, but, like, keep the families here who who should be here too.
Jamie:Right. And you think... Do you think that that... Do you think that a competitive team is is the kind of like the main driver for what these families are looking for as opposed to, like, let's say you have like a like a like a a middle to a middle tier team. Right?
Jamie:Say, like, a little better than 500, but a really good coach. Do you think you see families that are really shooting for those, like, really high end teams as opposed to, like, maybe a team that's not so high end but with, a really good coach? You know what I'm saying?
Scott:Yeah. I mean, I think it can
Mike:go I think it can go any way. Like, I think Yeah. You have people who just care about, like, status and like, I have to be on the best team. Right. You know?
Mike:But like, you know, but like, hey, if your if your son is, yay, you wanna be on... You know, we talked about, you know, twenty fourteen Elite before we started. Like, hey, you wanna be in twenty fourteen Elite, but like, you have a fifteenth player on the team. Is that best for you? Right?
Mike:Like, I don't... I... You know, probably not. Right? But, like
Jamie:Right.
Mike:It's like if... And if you are like, hey. You have some parents who are like, my kid's a better player. I'm like, you know, we have teams who are, you know, sometimes just in the middle of the league. Like, hey, he's gonna be a better player on this team, but the coach is great.
Mike:Right? Like, it depends on the family and what they want. You know what I'm saying? Like, do they care about like winning every game? Or do they care about like getting better?
Mike:Right? And I think like at the end of the day, you have to keep getting better. Right? So it's hard to tell people what to do. Like, no one really listens to you when you tell them.
Mike:But like, they ask for advice, that's like For sure. They do the exact opposite. So it's like, why'd you even ask? And they don't tell
Jamie:Yes. Right.
Mike:You know? But like, everyone's different. Like I said, people wanna be on the... Some people wanna be on the best team. Some people rather be on an okay team.
Mike:And, you know, it's like, it may be an okay team and the the coaching's really good. But, you know, even... Like, can have a
Scott:really good team with really good coaching.
Mike:You know? It's... That happens the time too. Right? So just the path, like
Jamie:Yep.
Scott:I agree.
Mike:There's no, like, right answer or right science to it. Right? It's whatever people wanna do. Yeah.
Scott:Yes. Well, let me let me ask this, though, because we... We've definitely talked this... About this a bunch, and it just kind of occurred to me. So I...
Scott:Right now, we're talking about, like, the development of a player and, like, you know, b... We talk... You you were just saying how being, like, the fifteenth player on, like, the top team versus maybe being, like, a top six player on a lesser team. Right? But...
Scott:So, like, on one hand, in that instance, okay, it's like, well, maybe you go for the better coaching or you or you go for the the more playing time piece. Right? But then we also have conversations where it's like, you know, the games are not where players are developing. It's in the practice. Right?
Scott:So, like, that... I guess, like, how do you... I guess I'm just trying to think this through and talk out, like, okay. If I'm choosing between a team where I'm gonna get maybe a higher level practice because the kids are better, it's the upper team, but my kid's gonna get less playing time during games versus getting more playing time during games of being on, like, a lesser team. Like, what...
Scott:Like, kinda how how would you navigate that if a parent was kinda asking you which way to go?
Mike:Yeah. I mean, I think there's
Jamie:like
Mike:a ton of... Yeah. It's like a ton of different ways you can go there. Right? Like, can you say like, hey.
Mike:You're you're on... Let's just say you're on the best team, and you're a bottom third player on that team. But you think the the coach is great and the practice is really good. If you can't keep up in practice though, like, you're not getting... Because you...
Mike:You know, you're gonna get short of... Let's be real. You're gonna get shorter than situations and games. Right? So like, you're already getting shorter there.
Mike:But if if you're in practice and you can't keep up with the top guys or the top half and you're chasing it, you're not getting better in practice either. I get it like, Hey, I want to be there for the practices. There could be a team where like, Hey, your bottom third is close to your middle, and hey, they're all pretty close together. It just depends. Usually, there's a drop in every team.
Mike:Let's let's be real with it. Just depends how big the drop is. Like, if you're a bottom third player and like, you you know, I'm big on like smaller games in practice and like battling, making plays, and competing. I think that's the game. And if you're never having the puck in those small area games, and you're just chasing around and standing in space, like, you just went through two practices a week, and you didn't...
Mike:You got minimal reps, you didn't get better because you can't keep up with who's around you. Right? So it's just finding that balance. Know? Like it's finding that balance and like, I always like, if you can be on a good team and you're in the middle of it, where you're not the bottom, but like you're closer to the top, like, and you have to kind of grind to get to the top, I think
Scott:that's a really good place to be, you know?
Mike:But it's it's hard. Because like said, you're in practice, you're great. But hey, if you're a bottom player on a top team, and you're kind of chasing it the whole time, you can go to a team who's in the middle of your league and be a top half player, and you're touching the puck all the time in practice, you're controlling the smaller games and practices. Right? I think that's important.
Mike:Right? So there's just a balance of are you getting good quality reps in practice? Right? Even if you're a bottom player. But, know, so it just...
Mike:It's hard. It just depends.
Scott:Yeah. And as far as... But how does... How do you factor in goalies on that one? Right?
Scott:Because, obviously, if you're a goalie on the top team in the country, you might not be getting that as many shots, right, especially in league play. Non league play, you'd assume you're playing high end competition. But league play, you probably have at least, I don't know, 30, 40 games maybe league play. And then Yeah. So how would you got a goalie on that one?
Mike:It... That's hard. Right? That's even harder than a player because Yeah. It's like
Scott:Yeah.
Mike:No. Let's be real. These teams are practice... You know, playing 60 to 70 games a year, every every top team. Right?
Mike:So... And you're practicing, you know, at least two times a week. And how long is the season? Right? Is it eight months the season?
Mike:So how how many practices? Are you are you practicing more? Are you playing more? Right? Your practice reps are awesome.
Mike:They're awesome. Right? Your game They're reps awesome. Are definitely taking a toll. So I think at that point, you have to figure out, like, you know, what's the balance?
Mike:Like, is... Do you feel like the low low low game rep is worth the high practice rep? Right? Or that's where you kinda have to, you know, figure that one out. I know, like, you'll, you know, listen to goalie people all time.
Mike:Like, oh, you wanna be on a, you know, a lower level team, you know, get more game reps. Right? But then, hey, your practices might not be as good, right, either. So I think it's finding the balance. Like, if, you know, your two practices a week are, like, high reps and you're battling the whole time and you're having to make saves, I think that...
Mike:Does that outweigh, you know, maybe, you know, let's be real, like, you know, 40 to 50% of your games where you're like, only a couple shots a game at, like, low quality shots. Right? I think you also have to value, like, is there a goalie coach? Like, like, we offer GDS for our goalies. They can go once a week.
Mike:Right? Like, is... You know, in some teams, like, they have a parent who who played the position that can help the goalies too during practice. Right? So I think that's part of it too.
Mike:Like, the the... Is that value? Like, do you have... Are you... Do you like to own a GDS and, like, you know, some teams?
Mike:Like, you know, is it worth, like, the goalie coaching during practice? Right? So it's... That one's a little bit more tricky than the player. Right?
Mike:But it just depends. Right? Like, what do you feel is the best? I think that... Like, if I had a goalie, I...
Mike:And I... That that would be going through my head. Like, are the practice reps, they outweigh, like, you know, maybe 40, 50% of the game reps aren't as high. But, like, obviously, fights towards peewees, the gap's huge. Right?
Mike:And it gets smaller every year from the top to the, you know, the middle and the bottom of teams. And then when you get the bantam, though, and midget, like, obviously changes. But but you
Scott:still have to continue to get better over the course of those years. You're not gonna be on the team in Phantoms.
Jamie:You know, it it... It's funny you mentioned goalies because I don't I don't think we've ever actually talked about this, Scott. Right? So so here's a question. So so do so do the Islanders try to to to to hire like a goalie coach?
Jamie:And if they do, at what age does that kinda come into play? So like you... I don't have a goalie. Thank God.
Scott:But Yeah. You know, but but
Jamie:if I but if I did, it would be something that I'd I'd be thinking about when I was trying to choose like an organization. Right? So, like, is there an age where, like, goalie coaches kinda come online? I guess the team that that my son plays for is lucky because our assistant coach was a goalie. Right?
Jamie:So he... They just got...
Jamie:The the goalies on our team just got lucky, but, you know, now that I'm thinking about it looking back, I'm pretty sure that we didn't have a goalie coach until, like, second year Pee wee. I may be wrong
Mike:about that. You know? Ours... So as soon as you sign... Like, our mics this year, 2019, is, like, everyone can go to VDS.
Mike:Like, we do it. Like, you get your practice time.
Jamie:Okay.
Mike:And then all all the goalies go sign up for a GDS session on a... They can go the same day
Scott:to practice
Mike:like before.
Scott:Start intro. Yeah. Sorry to interrupt. What's GDS?
Jamie:Yeah. You should explain that.
Mike:I actually don't know the full name of it, but it's the GDS. It's like a it's
Scott:a a goal... Goalie.
Mike:It's like Steve Masters runs the program. Like, he's one of the assistant coaches at UMass Amherst. He's a goalie coach at UMass Amherst. So, g, it's just like a outside... Outsourcing goalie company.
Mike:It's like the same thing as stopping goaltending. It's in North Andover. So Steve... And they have one on Exeter too. So, like, there's two locations you can go to.
Mike:But if you're an Islanders goalie, you basically... You can go one time a week to go get goalie training on top of like your Yeah. Two practices a It's part of your choice. Situation, Mike? Exactly.
Mike:Yeah. Exactly. Great.
Jamie:Yeah. Can you go... Can they do that from from mites on? Can they do that when they first kinda
Mike:Mites.
Jamie:Put the pads
Jamie:on?
Mike:Mites all the way through through bantam. Yeah.
Jamie:That's great. That's awesome. I... I'm pretty sure that Yeah. When Dominic was a mite, there
Jamie:was a goalie coach in the building,
Jamie:but it definitely was not... I'm pretty sure it was not... Right, Scott? Am I wrong? With the avalanche, the goalie was not included in tuition.
Jamie:Am I right?
Scott:The goalie coaching?
Jamie:Yeah. At the Avs?
Scott:No. There was. But they would... Like, they they would go and coach on staff that works mostly with the higher... Like, the older age groups.
Scott:But once a week in practice, he would work with the goalies. So if we had two practices a week, he would come on for, like, the first, like, twenty minutes
Jamie:Right.
Scott:Of the practice to work with the goalies, and then Got he would he would hop off. Yeah.
Jamie:That's pretty cool, though.
Jamie:Like, you guys have, like, a dedicated goalie school that you guys send kids to. That's great.
Mike:Yeah. It's great. You know? And, like, you figure, like, whoever's coaching the team... And sometimes there's goalie...
Mike:Former goalies coaching our teams. Right? But it's more players. Right? So it's like all these kids, the 50, whatever, 12, 13, whatever amount of kids are on the ice are getting coaching.
Mike:Right? And the goalie is not. Right? They need something. Right?
Mike:So that's where Right. You know, I think it's a good little part. They can go to GDS one day a week and, you know, for whatever. I think it's sixteen or twenty week program, so it's great.
Jamie:That's huge. That's great.
Scott:Yeah. So I just want to kind of switch gears a little bit, Mike. And obviously, you're, you know, you're working with one of the the top, you know, youth programs in the country. You know, you played college yourself. And if you could just, like, you know, would love to hear your story and how, like, you know, just you got into the game.
Scott:Love to know if, like, you had crazy hockey parents, like, youth hockey journey. Were you, like, afraid of the car ride home? Like, what what what was it like for you growing up?
Mike:I mean, growing up, so I played for the Middlesex braves growing up, which not even around anymore. But it was weird. When I was a kid, you would play, like like, club hockey was like a a 50% commitment. Right? You would play in your town.
Mike:So I'm from Watertown. So, like, I play for Watertown youth hockey, and I play for motorcycle braves. And that, like, ended probably, like, around peweeze maybe. So, like, mics and squirts, like, you're playing town hockey with, you know, kids in town. You're playing club hockey too.
Mike:And that's kinda how it worked. Right? And I started... I probably started playing the braves and maybe, like, mites or squirts. I don't even remember.
Mike:But... Yeah. Like... And then I I played all the way through there, and I got to high school. And I I was kind of a late grower, I guess.
Mike:I went to Watertown High, and remember playing at Watertown, like, as a ninth grader. I'm like, program wasn't great. Right? So it was like... But there was no, like...
Mike:Back then, full season hockey was, like, nonexistent either too. Right? So I'm like, five two or five three. I'm tiny. My parents sit on the stand to worry about me getting killed.
Mike:And, you know, I just... I played at Watertown High. Like, I hit my junior year. I finally grew and graduated from Watertown. I went to Wenchenin for a postgrad year.
Mike:And then went to Westfield State my freshman year, played there, and I ended up transferring to Southern New Hampshire. Just like a little bit closer to home, and I, you know, I knew a lot of the kids there. I played with kind of, you know, over the course of my career. Right? And after that, I graduated from college and, you know, was basically graduated.
Mike:Didn't really know what I wanted to do. I was, like, kinda, you know, running some summer teams and stuff like that. And, you know, I remember getting a phone call. It's, like, late August. Probably around this time, I ran out of college and, from Tom O'Connor.
Mike:He works for Seattle now in scout, and he was was working at large academy assistant coach, and he was working at NHL Central Scout, he called me like, hey. Like, I took a job at Buffalo. I need someone to kinda come in there and and help be the assistant and and recruit and take my job over. And, you know, I can get you an interview at NHL Central Scouting as well.
Scott:And I'm like, yeah, I mean, I mean, don't... I didn't have a job
Mike:lined up. You know, like, I always say timing is everything in life, and I lucked out. And I
Scott:Let's go.
Mike:I worked at Lawrence for three years, and worked for Robbie, and did all the recruiting, and kinda... And when I got there, year before they were like number one team in New England, Lawson, the elite eight. And I'm like, oh my god. I have to, like, figure out how to recruit, like, really quickly here. Like, this is gonna...
Mike:You know? So you you learn on the fly. I I remember I I interviewed with Dave Gregory, NHL Central Scouting. And, you know, I remember at first, I'd, like, I didn't get the job, and then they call me back, like, two months later and they're like, hey. Like, you know, we have a part time position open.
Mike:So I started working for NHL Central Scouting, like, you know, local guys here in the New England watching them for the draft list. I was coaching u 14, the Ponce Valley River Rats as well. So I was kind of this all on the hockey. I did that for, like... I worked at Lawrence for three years.
Mike:I worked for the Rats for three years. It might have been two, actually. I forgot. But then I... The Islanders called me when he come to the NCDC was going and like, hey.
Mike:We need an assistant coach. I moved over to the Islanders. I started coaching NCDC there. Still working for the NHL at the same time, which is great. And, you know, doing the NCDC, is great.
Mike:Junior hockey, totally different world than youth. Like, was, yeah, like, kids are kids are coming in and out, and I'm like, oh my god. This is wild. So just figuring everything out there. And, like, in the middle of my first year, like, the the o six team had, like, Cole and Teddy on them, and they're like, hey.
Mike:Like, we need someone to kinda step in from our senior coach team. So I I started coaching the o six team for the rest of the year. We're like, Eisen and Steeger and, like, JJ Montario, really good team. I'm like, this is like, this is wild.
Jamie:Have been cool. Wow.
Mike:Yeah. I mean, just to kinda see, like, from then where they were to, like, now it's it's crazy. But... Yeah. And then, like, ownership changed at the Islanders.
Mike:I went from coach NCDC to, you know, program director. And then I started... It was more involved in the youth. Like, I was coaching our, you know, 2,000 tens for... I coached till 10 for, like, four years or five years and did the twelves on top of that for one year.
Mike:And then, like, three years ago, you know, when Shannon job opened up, and I went there. And, like, I wasn't, like, entirely sure I wanted to do it because, like, I couldn't live there. It's an hour from my house. So I drive back and forth an hour, just about every day.
Scott:Oh, wow.
Mike:Yeah. So I kind of step into that and here we are today. Right? And know, when shooting islanders, it's a... I always say, like, tie...
Mike:You know, I always said it earlier, but, like, timing's everything, and I got a little lucky for sure.
Jamie:Right. So now you're, like, in Good. Entrenched in, like, in, like, youth hockey everywhere between a hockey director, the Middle Six Islanders, and prep school, coach. I mean, you're like
Mike:Yeah. And this is, like, now it, like, ramps up school because school starts in, like, a month. And then we have to, like, get, like, USA hockey rosters going, like, transfers going. So it's like... I was just doing emails before we got jumped on this, like, trying to get everything going.
Mike:But, yeah, now, like, August, it really picks up. Like, it's a little quiet after tryout.
Scott:It was good, but, you know, it picks up now for sure.
Jamie:Right.
Scott:So what's... So as far as, like, the summertime and, you know, kids in the Islanders program, like, what what type of advice do you give families? Because, you know, we were talking about this a bunch, just like, you know, hanging up the skates for the spring, summer, you know, spending time away doing other things. Like, you know, for the Islanders organization, is there a lot of, like, spring hockey, at least on the tier one level? And then likewise, like, over the summer, like, you know, is is there any, like, team organized, like...
Scott:Or are there any, like, teams going to tournaments as, like, their fall winter team, like, over the spring and summer?
Mike:I mean, we don't, like, mandate anything. Like, we have dynamic skating, but that's at the rink that a lot of the Islanders kids do. They don't have to do it, but, you know, we try to Meramec a couple days a week, and it starts in July. Like, spring... We do we do, like, some spring teams, like, a lot of the super series stuff, like, well, like, the kingdom spring and the quadrant tournaments.
Mike:Like, we'll... Like, have Boston Hockey Club too. So we we don't have, like, all Islanders kids in the team because there's so many different programs that are pulling kids to play. But, like, we do have a good amount of Islanders kids who play, you know, there in the spring and summer and do do tournaments and stuff. Like, everyone's different.
Mike:Right? Like, some kids won't... You know, I I do think once the season ends in March, late, it is good to take a break or, like, definitely, like, hey. If you're not... Most kids are in the season or practicing twice a week.
Mike:They're probably picking up an extra skate somewhere, I bet, and they're playing two games in the weekend. Right? It's like, you know, I think it's good to get off the skates for a bit or and def... Or definitely at least reduce what you're doing because, like, you're gonna be... You wanna have, like, a spark when you come back at the same.
Mike:Like, I'm excited for Islanders to start. I'm excited for hockey again. Not like, oh, we're going to the brink again. You know? So I think it's finding that balance of, like, what's what's right for your kid and, like, to have them, like, you know, obviously, you wanna continue to get better.
Mike:Right? But, like, it's finding a balance of, like, getting better, having a life, having a summer, you know, and being excited to come back, you know, in September to play again. Right? And if there is not that excitement to come back and play, then, like, you probably did too much over the spring and summer. Right?
Mike:Yeah. Every kid's different, though. Some kid might wanna go play, you know, six tournaments a summer, and, like, there's still gonna be jazzing to play in September. Some kid might be like,
Scott:I only wanna do one or I wanna do zero. And, you know, some kids might not wanna skate at all, and they show
Mike:up in September and they're, you know, getting their legs back under them. It just just depends on... Like, I do think it is good to play other sports. They'll play baseball, play lacrosse, play golf. And...
Mike:But also, I think the thing that's lost, not for really young... Younger kids as much, but the older kids, it's you're only 14, 18 years old once. Right? Be a kid too. I think that's an important thing.
Mike:Be a kid, have friends, go hang out, have a summer. And I do believe you can get better at things by taking a break too. That's a... I feel like that's a real thing. You know, just just resetting...
Mike:The reset button for a bit.
Jamie:Yeah. No. It's true. And and and it's it's... Yeah.
Jamie:We say it all the time. You know, we we we like, you know, other sports. A coaches lot we talk to, whether they're NHL coaches or college coaches, they're all looking for athletes. Right? You know, you know, very few of the guys they recruit are...
Jamie:Listen, of course, there's like, you know, the 1% who plays like, you know, twelve months out of the year, right? But they're looking for athletes. They want guys that have played baseball, football, basketball. Right? I mean, I I I forgot what the number is, Scott, but it was a very high percentage of guys, of of of, like, multisport athletes that these coaches recruit, college and and and pro.
Jamie:It's wild.
Mike:Yeah. I mean, to be in a... It's like a real thing. Like, it's... I agree.
Mike:Like, I think as you see... Like, I feel like it's as low as it's ever been where kids are just, like, playing multi sports. Like, everyone's, all hockey, hockey, hockey. Like, for, like, prep school, like, I always ask them, like, do you play another sport? And, like, a lot of the kids do.
Mike:You know? Like, but there's kids... There's plenty of kids like, I just play hockey. Like, I'm like, you don't play golf. You don't do, like, you don't do it.
Mike:Like, you know, so there... You need a balance in, like, your life. Right? You're gonna get, you know, at some point, like, you're gonna get, like, if you keep just playing hockey twenty four seven, like, you're gonna get sick of it
Scott:at some point.
Mike:You know, you really are. Like, I'll even say,
Jamie:like Yeah.
Mike:When I was done in college, like, I was just like, I'm done. Like, it was an anime. I'm like, I am done. I couldn't play another game. You know?
Mike:And, like, I wasn't the kid who played, like, spring and summer hockey when I was growing up.
Scott:Yeah.
Mike:Wasn't like a huge thing. Like, I remember, like, we would just kind of maybe skate here and there, go around the cave, hang out, do... Like, be a kid. You know? But there wasn't, like, a ton of
Jamie:Yeah.
Mike:You know, spring summer hockey. And, like, my parents were, like, very, like, normal when it came to, like... My my mom, like, barely, like, knew what was going on in the rink. My dad, like, I mean, if I came back on the car, I was, hey, either good game or, hey, you stunk today. Like, nothing more than that, really.
Mike:You have to steal, like, hey, don't waste my money anymore. But, like, it was nothing like... I would get in the car and be like, you know, the one time... Hood, I forgot my helmet one game. I forgot Hockey Town USA.
Mike:My grandfather was here from Florida, and I forgot my helmet. That's the one time I was scared for my life. But other than that, like, it was pretty, like, pretty normal, like, pretty normal living. So
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. It it... Yeah. Look at that, Scott.
Scott:No. I was I was just gonna say, like, you know, you're reflecting obviously on what it was like when you were younger, but, like, in terms of, like, the the youth hockey landscape and the changes that you've seen now, like, being on, like, the the other side of things as a a hockey director, what are what are some things that stand out to you for better or worse?
Mike:I I think, obviously, like, when I talk... Like, when I was a kid and I played, it was different. It was like a town and club thing. Right now, it's just, oh, club hockey. Like, I would I I don't even know what town hockey looks like at this point anymore if it's...
Mike:There's probably still a town hockey, but it's I probably always a little think there is for the most part. I just don't know what the product really looks like. But I think, like
Jamie:Yeah. Right.
Mike:That... That's, you know, I think that's, like, the biggest thing. Like, club hockey is... I mean, there's so many teams, especially here. There are so many teams now than what they used to be.
Mike:Go back five years ago, ten years ago, fifteen years ago. It's just... It's... There's so... Everyone's playing club hockey now instead of, you know, where, like, it's town hockey or whatever it may be.
Mike:And there's full season options now with, you know you know, at
Scott:the midget level. Right? So, like, you have
Mike:the full season academies, which, like, those are never around when I... You know, we were younger. They weren't around... You know, I think they're probably
Jamie:Oh, right.
Mike:Maybe to go back
Jamie:to seasons. Right?
Mike:Yeah. Mean, we we still run... Like, we have full season mid to teams that are run out of our IHE West. Like, our IHE East teams, we have split season. Like, we have u four...
Mike:You know, u fifteen, u sixteen, u eighteen. But, like, they... That, you know, it's still... That's not what
Scott:it used to be either. You know?
Mike:Like, because everyone's going to junior hockey earlier than they ever used to. Everyone's... You know, they go to academy u fourteen, and they don't leave the academy option until they go to junior hockey. Right? So it's just like there's so many more options for kids now than there ever was at youth at Yeah.
Mike:And at mid... And at in high school. Right? So it's just... It's...
Mike:That's... It's totally... It's just totally different than what it used to be because of those, you know, those... Like, it's... There's so much more for kids to do.
Jamie:Yeah. I'm curious, Mike. You being the hockey director probably can answer this pretty intelligently. Do you think that in your area, right, and just obviously talking about your area, I could tell you about our area, but I'm curious. Do you think that AAA hockey is watered down in the mass area,
Scott:or are
Jamie:there are there enough kids that that that it can handle it? You know?
Mike:I mean, the top teams are still have... Like, if you just go through, like, a random scored age, like, the top three teams Right. Primarily have... Still have... Are still really good.
Mike:It's just after that, it's very watered down. Right? Like, I think the top teams are still your top It
Scott:crushes everything
Jamie:else below it.
Mike:Yeah. Yeah. Because then then there's like a pyramid. Right? Like, talked about earlier.
Mike:Like, does everyone wanna try to get to those top teams? Right? So, like, you know, let's just use our our twenty fourteen team, like, for example. Right? They're really good as a pyramid.
Mike:The kids, like, kids wanna come here every year. Right? So if if you're the fourth place team and you lose your best player to... Here, that team takes a hit. Right?
Mike:You know what I'm saying? Because then they're gonna have to go fill it from somewhere else, and that team's gonna take a hit. Right? So it's like Right. And then
Scott:there's like, you have EHF.
Mike:You have ENAT. Like, so there's just so many elite level teams. And, like, at once, it kinda gets into, like, the mid level teams,
Scott:and it's like very, very, very watered down for sure. Right. That's interesting. You know, the... Yeah.
Scott:And and I I I think that, you know, down here, you you have the same thing. I think there's less there's less... Whatchamacallit? There's less teams that, you know, for the kids to really kinda balance between. But you even see, like, on the on the elite end, like, you were talking about your twenty fourteen teams.
Scott:I mean, like, you have people relocating from, like, different states, right, to to play for those elite teams. So it's it's it's wild at at the lengths at which people will go to to play on these best teams. And like you said, and we've talked with others, like, that's not necessarily always the best fit for that kid. Right? And sometimes it's just the parents that are really pushing their agenda, which, you know, might be at odds with their kid's development, which sounds crazy, but, you know, we know that kind of thing happens.
Scott:But one thing that came up for me and I was curious about was... You were talking about the split season teams, where you are... If a kid's playing, let's just say, public high school hockey and then also playing club, how how... Do the high schools allow kids to prioritize club hockey? Is...
Scott:Or how does that work by you?
Mike:Like, if you're playing prep school in split season, like, that's all you're doing, you're playing, you know, midget hockey from Labor Day to first week of November, and then your, you know, prep season starts. If you're playing like MIAA, like a public school or Catholic conference, that starts after Thanksgiving. So you're you're playing on a a fall team, and then your high school season starts. I actually don't know the exact rule. I'm 90% sure your high school team, m I double a, is your first and only commitment, and you can't play
Jamie:Oh, wow.
Mike:On top of that. Yeah. So that's... I'm pretty sure unless they change the role, and I'm not aware, but, like, if you go to, you know, Catholic Memorial or Malden Catholic or, you know, whatever, Watertown High, like, and you're playing... You sign up to play on the u fourteen Islanders for the full year, like, and you make the varsity team, I'm pretty sure, like, you only can play on your varsity team, and you can't...
Scott:Your your commit... Your Islanders commitment is now over. That's the rule.
Jamie:Oh, wow. Woah. That... That's shocking. That's not like that by us.
Jamie:It's almost the opposite... The exact opposite, which is crazy why it's got me And
Mike:you guys can go to dual ways. Club by us. Yeah. So you could play like, Northridge
Scott:and dual ways. Like,
Mike:you can... Like, in Jersey, you can play for, like, go to Bergen Catholic and play for, like, or Don Bosco and play for and play for the, you know, the New Jersey abs or Woodbridge. Our high school teams here, I might have a way. They practice every day, and they play two games a week. So it's like a...
Mike:It's every single day. You know? I don't know how it works. So, like, down by you guys up high school is, like, every day or it's a couple of days a week or whatever... How it is.
Mike:No.
Scott:Yeah. It's definitely not every day.
Jamie:Yeah. But it... They definitely prioritize club over high school here even if even if you're playing at Bergen or Bosco or Joe's. Yeah. Right?
Mike:Really? Yeah.
Jamie:So I almost feel like... Scott, tell me if I'm wrong. Right? They... I think they...
Jamie:But they actually schedule around some club games, if I'm not mistaken. Right? The high schools?
Scott:They they play a lot of games, and there's actually kids that have, like, you know, would stop playing high school. Like, I know one family where the kid was playing Don Bosco and u fifteen Avs. And then for the sixteen year, he played 16... U premier, but then stopped playing high school because he was just too much hockey. He's like, I I I...
Scott:It's too much. I don't I don't want it. So he just focused on playing club hockey as opposed to high school, and now he's playing, he's going to the Null this August next month, I think. So in any event... But, yeah, it's it's a lot.
Scott:The game the game... I mean, even... Forget the the prioritize... Prioritization of, like, which club gets dibs, but it's also like a load management thing. Like, these kids are playing a ton of hockey.
Mike:And it's hard. It's demanding. Like, it's physical games. Right? Like, it's it's a bit of a grad.
Mike:I I will say, like, the experience of playing high school hockey is really cool. You're playing in front of your town or school. Like, there's a community there. Like, I I always say, like, that is... You know, it gets lost on people, like, experience of, like, the whole process.
Mike:Right? Like, I think that... It is it is really cool. Like, you go, you know, you go watch the MIAA, you know, whatever quarter final game at where, know, stone them rank. Like, the ranks, you know, banged out, and, like, there's 2,000 people in there.
Mike:Like, that's... You know, like, those kids, they'll remember that. Do you know? Like, for... You know, even if you do it for a year and then you move on, you know, to a prep school or whatever you want after that, like, I do think it's a cool experience to do.
Jamie:Yeah. You know, it's it's funny you say that, Mike, because you guys have a little bit of a different experience up there in Mass than we do down here. I almost feel like you guys are more of, like, the Minnesota high school avenue because here by us. Because like in Minnesota, they're they're all pumped up to play for their local their local team or their local high school, and sounds like you guys are the same way. So here by us, they barely can...
Jamie:They can barely put a public team together. So what you see is you see two high schools or three high schools co opting Yeah. Together just to put a hockey team together. So I guarantee you, you don't get those crowds like you guys did. Right?
Jamie:There's a couple teams here like Northern Highlands, you know, a handful of public teams that are like... That are that are good, but the rest of them have a really hard time putting a full team together,
Jamie:which is nuts. You know? So that's why a lot of the
Jamie:kids prioritize club round here because high school hockey... I wanna say it sucks in our area, but it sucks. It's not as strong.
Mike:Yeah. Yeah. It... There's there's that here. Like, m I double a here, like, you're seeing more and more of that.
Mike:Like like, I'm from... I put a Watertown High, and, like, Watertown's combined with Wayland now. Like, just cause they needed to have enough kids. Gotcha. Right?
Mike:So, like, you're... Like Okay. That's Catholic school from the better publics. You're not seeing that. But, like, if you're a mid to low level public school or an MIAA school, like, not huge enrollment, like, you see that for sure for hockey.
Mike:Like, they're they're combined, you know, combined towns like Co op. Okay. Gotcha. Similar.
Scott:Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. Well, not... I mean, yeah, it's like similar over here, obviously.
Scott:But I just wanna switch gears a little bit and and talk about parents. And I'm sure you've had plenty of interactions with parents within your in your position. I mean, kind of like a a broad broad question, but, like, feel free to go in any direction. But, like, what what do you think parents get wrong when it comes to approaching their kids', like, you know, hockey experience?
Mike:I feel like... Hey. Because that can go, like, in a ton of different ways. Right? So, like
Scott:Of course.
Mike:You know, like, I I think, like, people are doing this for, a means to an end. Instead of like... Like, talk about the experience of it all the time. Like, hey. Like, you know, we're gonna do this, this, and that.
Mike:And hopefully, at the end of the day, gets us to... You know, does followership to college. Right? Like, I think when you're looking at it like that, you're just applying so much pressure on the kid. You know what I'm saying?
Mike:Like Yes. And I do think, you know, I think there's, like, you know, into, like, competition. Right? Like, oh, my kid has to be better than this kid. My kid has to get on this team because it's like, it'll know, internal, like, feeling good about yourself, I guess.
Mike:But, like, I I feel like if if you let your kid wanna enjoy the experience, he'll wanna go to the rink every day, and he'll wanna put in extra work when he has to. And, like, those kids are usually the kids who'll who'll who'll be the best at the end of the day. Right? Obviously, like, genetics and all that other stuff has to play out. Right?
Mike:And, like, you need some... You need a lot of luck with it too. But, like, when you're applying so much pressure to your kid at, like, such a young age, it... Like like, they're gonna be... Like, are they gonna be scared to leave the rink because they don't know what that can be said to on the car.
Mike:Right? So I think it's just like, hey. Let the kids play. Put them in the right situation where, like, they can get pushed and challenged. You know, like, let's not, you know, you have a coach for a reason, right?
Mike:I feel like we have really good coaches here. Like our coaches know what they're doing. Like, let them coach. Right? And like, if you want to coach and you feel like you can coach, that's fine.
Mike:Hey, come approach me, come approach a coach, I want to help. Like if that you feel like you can help, sure. And they feel like you can help, that's great. But let the coaches do their thing. Because most of them know what they're doing, which is an important thing.
Mike:Right? And it's just like, let the kids enjoy it. And they're gonna get better. Natural progression is a real thing. You know, you know, you could put your kid on, you know, the ice and mites and have him skate twenty hours a week.
Mike:Yeah. Sure. He might blow by kids and mites and squirts, but by the time he gets two weeks, he could be sick of us. And like, it's like, what did I do all that for for nothing? Right?
Mike:So it's just like, that's regression. Let them get better at the rate they're going to get better at. And most of the time, I feel like a kid ends up where he's supposed to be at the end of the day.
Jamie:Right. That's well said. That's all really well said. Yeah. We talk about that a lot, and that was actually really, really well said.
Jamie:You know?
Mike:So I just feel like if a kid is going to play Division I hockey at the end of the day, and they're kind of in the right... Obviously, you have to kind of be in the right situation all the way through. But if they they wanna push and challenge themselves and they they wanna continue to get better, they'll be where they're supposed to be at the end of the day. Right? Especially at the higher levels.
Mike:I've learned that, know, immediate... You're getting recruited by the junior teams and the colleges that you're supposed to be recruited by. Right? Right. BU is not missing a kid.
Mike:You know you know? Yeah. Yeah. Like, BU is not missing on a kid that they haven't seen in Massachusetts that's supposed to be that good. Right?
Mike:Like, just... It is what it is. Right? Like, it's... But, yeah, like, I...
Mike:I'm being like, hey. Let them... Let the kids do their thing. Put them in the right situation. Like, that they can get pushed and challenged.
Mike:If you feel like, hey. Your kid's over his head, that's where you kinda have to make a step back. Hey. Maybe he's not on the right team. Right?
Mike:And and put them where they need to be. Like, parents have to parent. Right? Coaches coach, parents parent. You know what saying?
Mike:Players play. Right? I think that's a big thing. Right? And if you can go about, like...
Mike:I always say, like, the experience, like, let them enjoy the experience all the way through because, I mean, I... Like I said, I coached the 2,000 tens squirt major. They're on u sixteen this year. Like, the time flies. Right?
Scott:Yeah.
Mike:So let them enjoy it. And and they're gonna... The... I I... I've...
Mike:I'll say it again. I firmly believe a kid ends up where he's supposed to be at the end of the day. If they put the
Jamie:proper amount
Mike:of time into it that they need like that they're supposed to without cutting corners.
Jamie:Right. Right. There's enough people in hockey, and there's enough of a... I don't wanna say a business or of hockey now, but hockey is big enough where if your kid's good, somebody's going to find him. Right?
Jamie:I mean, Larry Robin said that to Scott. Like, somebody will
Scott:find him.
Jamie:Right? A 100%. Actually watched that.
Mike:I watched that.
Jamie:A kid's not going get lost today. Oh, yeah. So, yeah, a kid's not going to get lost in today's day and age. Like you said, he's going
Jamie:be recruited and go to the school he's supposed to
Jamie:go to at that time along his journey. Right?
Scott:Yes. Like, you're not gonna lie. Journey is.
Mike:A kid... Yes. Like... And, like, obviously, the road's a bit longer now than it ever has been with, like, the... You know?
Mike:I I do think the NCAA role is good. It'll it'll, like, make college a bit younger again, which I think is needed. Mhmm. But, like, if you... Yeah.
Mike:There's agents, advisers, teams. There's all 49 and TP, all those films, social media, like, a kid is not gonna get missed. Right? Kids name could pop him in Instagram reel, and, like, whoever could see it. Right?
Mike:And, like, I'll I'll go check that kid out. Like, he... Maybe he's good or maybe he's not good, but, like, you're not gonna fly under the radar here. There's too much too much to see. Right?
Mike:You know? Like, it's just... It is what it is. And like I said, everyone gets attention from and where they're supposed to get attention from. And some peep...
Mike:Might be divisional college. It might be division three college. It could be major junior. It could be USHL. And guess what?
Mike:It might be nowhere. Maybe it was just... You know, you know, he's not gonna play past U18 or high school hockey, and that's... It's what it is. It happens.
Mike:Believe me. Happens more than a time
Jamie:than opportunity. It's it's...
Jamie:Yeah. You read about that. It's funny you just mentioned, you know, division one, division three. You know, we've had the conversation a couple times, you know, that that division three... And and like you said, the the the road is long.
Jamie:Right? Mean, I kids can play club hockey now. We were... We've talked about going down to the University of Alabama and playing in front of 6,000 people club hockey and having an insane experience down in Alabama for four years. Right?
Jamie:We've talked about, you know, d one, d three. Right? And I think a lot of parents don't realize that if if you can you can use hockey, and Alex Kim said this, you know, one of our early interviews from the Anaheim Junior Ducks, if you can use hockey as a vehicle to get your kid, whether it's into a prep school that he wouldn't have got into academically, right, whether it's a division three school like a Hobart or a Trinity or a Middlebury, right, and get a sick education, right, or if hockey's gonna get your kid into University of Alabama when he wouldn't have got into academically, like, people can use hockey as a vehicle. It doesn't need to be a d one scholarship. Right?
Jamie:If it is, great. Yeah. That's fantastic. You know? But, like, you know, if you...
Jamie:Know, would you wanna go play at... I don't know. Mary... Is Maryville the new school that's coming online, right, in Saint Louis?
Mike:I don't even know where it is. Right.
Jamie:I think it's
Jamie:in Saint Louis somewhere or, like...
Jamie:Or or Stony... Or would
Jamie:you wanna go play at, like, you know, Middlebury and get a sick education and leads you right to Wall Street? You know? So hockey can be a vehicle, and I think a lot of parents miss that, unfortunately.
Mike:Yeah. I I a thousand percent agree with you. Like, these... In the last whatever, just say six... Year and a half, division three hockey has gotten so...
Mike:It was already good. It's gotten so so much better in the last year and a half. Like, just forget about the top teams. Like, the mid level teams. Like, there's...
Mike:I I saw kids that are, like, from the Quebec major junior league and, the BCHL going up division three colleges. I'm like like, you know, it's just... It's very competitive. It's very... There needs to be more teams if, like, the...
Mike:Because there's very good players who wanna play club hockey. Right? Which is totally fine. Club hockey is still a really good level of hockey. But, like, it's so good, and it's so competitive.
Mike:Like, everyone's, like, d one, d one, d... Like, guys, you know how hard it is to play division one college hockey right now? It is so hard. There's not a lot of teams. Yes.
Mike:There's not a lot of spots every year because of a kid... Like, the transfer portal, like, this... I I... I'd actually be curious to see what the number is on incoming, you know, recruited players to the division one college hockey this year that came from junior hockey or came from high school hockey. I would love to see what that number is, but I bet you it's
Scott:not very big.
Jamie:Yeah. There's there's not a lot of division one hockey programs yet. Right? Hopefully, they they keep coming online. Right?
Jamie:I know they're starting to come online. Obviously, Penn State's a good example. Arizona State's a good example, right, of of teams that kind of transition from club to a d one program. Right? And hopefully, I hope the SEC comes online.
Jamie:I would love to see Alabama.
Mike:Oh, it would be awesome.
Jamie:Tennessee. That would... Florida. That would be insane. Right?
Jamie:That would be so good for the sport. But I think you're right. You know? And I think I think especially now with you have Canadian kids coming down, you know, I think the division three, you know, product of ice hockey will get better, you know? And again, if you can use as a parent, if you can use that as a vehicle to get your kid into a school and an education that maybe they would have not gotten into academically on their own, and it's any sport, it's not just ice hockey, right?
Jamie:It's baseball, football, whatever it is, you know, we're obviously talking about ice hockey, but, you know, at the end of the day as a parent, right, you know, you need to try to set your kid up to have, you know, the most successful future down the road. Right? As a parent, everybody wants that for their kid. So, you know, we talk all the time as hockey being a vehicle. Right?
Jamie:And it is.
Jamie:It kind
Jamie:of take off the blinders and use it the right way.
Mike:Yeah. Yeah. Like, if if your kid can go apply, like, any... Like, these are not special. They're so good.
Mike:Like, if your kid can go play there, like, you should be, like, very, very excited and feel like that's a great achievement. Like, for your kid to be able to go play at some of these... Any division three school. Play college hockey now, you should be excited about it. Like, it's just like, they're like Right.
Mike:A level of arrogance and entitlement. Like, my kid plays here. He should be playing here. He played with... No.
Mike:Like, no. Yeah. No. Like, it's not how it works. It's, you know Right.
Mike:Like I said, he ends up... They end up where they're supposed to be. And then there's just some, you know, people who are just like, like, what are we doing? You know? Like, if you can play division three hockey, that's great.
Mike:You know? It's great. Like, those teams are so good. I watched that... Are you guys?
Mike:Jim Dowd was on here talking about, like Jim Dowd. Yeah. I was like, he is 1000% correct. Like, go watch those teams fly and then come back, and let me know what you think. Yeah.
Mike:This is gonna be way better than you thought. You might not even be able to play at some of those schools.
Jamie:That's right. And the education is huge at those schools. Right?
Mike:Yes. It's a sick
Jamie:degree if you graduate.
Scott:Yeah. Right. And I think that's part of what, like, the the conversation of using that as a vehicle. I I think, you know, when we started just talking about this right now, was like, you know, parents will have blind... Jamie, I think you said blinders, but it was like, you know, parents can be delusional about setting d one as, like, the the goal for their kid.
Scott:And, like, you know, in in that scenario, yeah, hockey's the vehicle to get to d one, but I I think you need to be more realistic or not necessarily realistic is maybe not the right word, but open your eyes to, like, you you... Your car, your vehicle can go to to to anywhere. Doesn't have to be to a d one school, and that's okay too. You can have, like, tons of great opportunities just, you know, you have to go on, you know, to the left instead of the right and the fork in the road. But, yeah, man, I I don't think it's like d one or bust.
Scott:Right? It's Yeah. Sure it's not. And I I I think that's part of what people may maybe don't don't think about too critically is like, oh, like, what's the best d three school my kid could go to where they can have wonderful academics and they can play, you know, great hockey? Like, I think people are get too fixated on the the the upper upper levels.
Jamie:Let me ask you a question, Scott. I mean, Mike, you don't have kids yet. Right? You know, if you
Jamie:do one day, I'm sure you...
Jamie:You'll probably think along the same lines. But, Scott, if you... If if Otto could go to to the University of Alabama and have a... Have an insane time and get a sick degree, you know, from the University of Alabama and play club hockey for four years, would you be would you be anywhere even remotely upset about that outcome?
Scott:No. No. But but here's the here's like the... As as long as he's having... Like like, as he wants to do it, you know what I mean?
Scott:Of course.
Jamie:Of course.
Scott:Yeah. So
Jamie:Yeah. But if you want... Let's say wants to play in college, and he's just... And and he could just play club. Right?
Jamie:Which is fine. Right? Because you get a set
Scott:of You
Jamie:make friends, hopefully lifelong friends, and it puts you on the path to whatever you're gonna do for the rest of your life. You know? And you roll with it.
Scott:Yeah. You know what I Right.
Jamie:I guess roll
Jamie:was appropriate because we were talking to Alabama. Roll tide.
Scott:Roll tide. Yeah. That's funny. But let let me ask this. Like, in terms of, like, you know, we're talking about, just using hockey as a vehicle and and where it's gonna go, I I think part of, like, that equation is also how many reps are you putting in.
Scott:And, like, you hear, you know, parents of younger kids, especially... I I feel like there's, like, at the younger ages, like, there's this real insanity. And then, like, parents are in it for a couple years, and then, like, they maybe mellow out, maybe not a little bit, or just have more perspective. Some. But, like, what's your take on, like, all of the, like, the extra, like, out of practice, skills clinics, privates before school, all the extra work that kids are putting in on the ice?
Scott:Like, kind of what's your what's your thought on that? What's your take on it? When do you think it's appropriate to really kinda start putting in those extra hours? And and kinda how do you, you know, guide parents on that?
Mike:Yeah. I mean, like I said, I think every kid... It's what your kid can handle too. Right? But, like, I think...
Mike:Just say, like, you know, our season starts up... Practice starts September 1. And, like, just skiing twice a week. You know, some of these teams, they'll ski, know, whatever. The kids will do...
Mike:They'll let your team practice somewhere. They'll do a three on three somewhere. They'll do whatever. And that goes all year long. Most likely, by the time you hit January, you're gonna be exhausted.
Mike:You know? Like, you will be exhausted. Right? I think maybe there's a time point like, hey. You guys wanna kinda do an extra three on three, you know, for the first or whatever, extra skill session, whatever it may be for, you know, September, October, November.
Mike:Like, by the time Thanksgiving around, like, you're... They're gonna hit, like, a little bit of a wall for sure. Right? And, like, their play is probably gonna tip-off a bit. Right?
Mike:So it's finding that, like, that balance of, like, hey. What's too much? You know? I I think everyone's doing more than their two per action a week. Like, I'll just be real with you.
Mike:Like, I don't think there's any any, like, saying to anything to anyone that, like, they're gonna do less, you know, like, they're just gonna do two per actions a week. You know? Like Right. It's just like, what are you doing outside of that? Right?
Mike:Like, we offer Friday, you know, skills. It's basically every two to three weeks you get you get Friday skills. Right? But like, no... You'd be shocked.
Mike:Like, no one really goes to the skills. Right? Like, they all do something else on their own that they go and pay for. You know? Like, it's And it's part of
Jamie:their tuition, the Friday
Mike:skills? Yeah. Part of their tuition. Oh, wow. Know?
Mike:There's very low numbers. Whoever goes, they're getting good reps because not a lot of people there. You know?
Jamie:Yeah. For home runs
Scott:for them.
Jamie:Absolutely. It's private.
Mike:It's like getting touches, like shots, touches, moving your feet. Like, I think that's a, you know, that's a big thing. But, like, I I feel like if you're going at it, like, you're playing 60 games or however many games you're playing, and you're doing four days a week all... Like, and you take one day off, like, it's way too much. I think three days a week, like, is probably fine to a certain point of the year.
Mike:I think when you get to, like... Because, like, what do you get... Like, you get into the middle of January. It's cold out. Like, it's like the kids are at school all day.
Mike:Right? Like, like, they're gonna be exhausted. Right? And, what's their play gonna look like on the weekends? Right?
Mike:So I think I think an extra day of week is fine depending on what it is, but I think it has to end at some point during the year, like, without hitting, like, the wall at the end. You know? Like, where you want you want it, like, you know, like, let's be real. These teams play for something all year long. Right?
Mike:Like, you know, Peoria, Quebec this year. They're gonna... If they're gonna skate and, like, they're gonna go right to Quebec. Like, they wanna be playing their best hockey when they go there. Right?
Mike:Right? That's just... Let's be real then. Like, the rest of the teams, like, EHF playoffs at the end of the day.
Scott:You wanna
Mike:be playing their best hockey when you get to that point at the end of the year and not be, like, you know, bragging ass coming in. Right?
Jamie:Like, that's
Mike:Yeah. Like, yeah, we're like, you just not even rush. You're just exhausted, right, from, like, what you do.
Jamie:Yeah. That's
Mike:true. So it's, you know, it's just like... You know, like, you just wanna be playing your best team hockey, your best individual hockey at the end of the year. Right? And some people...
Mike:Maybe some kids can handle skating every day. I think the before school stuff is a little bit, like, out there. Right? Like, I just think a kid's gonna be exhausted by the end of the day. But, like, even a prep school, like, we don't...
Mike:Like, some... Sometimes, like, we'll have, like... There'll be, like, a morning goalie session if, like, the ice is tied up later in the afternoon, and, like, kids will go and shoot. But, like, we don't practice in the morning. We practice
Scott:in the after... Like, very rarely will we go
Mike:in the morning. Like... And it could be, once a season. Like, kids can't wake up and do that every day. You know what saying?
Mike:They're gonna be exhausted by, you know, by the time they're in study all at night. Right? So it's, I don't it's just finding that balance. Like I said, I think an extra week's fine. Extra day a week is fine.
Mike:Just like, I don't think they can go all year because I think you're gonna be tired by the end, especially for like a mite and squirt, even a peewee.
Scott:Yeah. Right. Right. That was like... It's interesting that you say, like, putting it, like, cutting it off, and you brought...
Scott:You you talked about, you know, playing for something at the end of the year. Because when we we we spoke with, Danielle over at Mid Fairfield in the 2012 team that won Quebec, they took a very meaningful break, like, between Thanksgiving and Christmas Yeah. Just because they knew they were playing for a lot later in the season. She said it was interesting because some parents were just, like, didn't know what to do with themselves. Like, they thought their kids were gonna get behind, but it was it was very intentional and purposeful just to make sure that the kids had stuff in the tank later in the season.
Scott:You know? So that's a real good good call out. Yeah.
Mike:Yeah. It's a real, like For sure. You need you need, like, it's balance. Right? You need to find a balance.
Mike:Like, in a break in the middle there, like, you're in the middle point of the year, and they're probably going hard all year. Right? Like, it's... You need you need time off like you do. You need time off.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. I'm curious, Mike. Have you seen any, like, insane parents
Mike:in the ring? I mean, mean, James. I mean,
Scott:like, what... Obviously. Obviously, I knew
Jamie:the answer was coming. Right?
Jamie:I mean, like, you guys ever been able
Scott:to throw anybody out of
Jamie:the building? Because you're just being, like, such an asshole.
Mike:I mean, thrown out of the building?
Scott:Like, I've never had a allowed back. You know what I mean? Like, like, they're not allowed
Jamie:back because of the shit they pulled.
Mike:Islanders parents, no. We haven't. But we've had other, you know, other parents that, like, have been not welcomed back before. Yeah. For sure from other programs.
Mike:Like, it's say... Like, you know? But, like, it happens everywhere. You know what I'm saying? Like, people yelling and screaming at the ref.
Mike:They get thrown out. It's like, what are what are we doing? The ref's not gonna change his call. And the more you yell at him, he, like, he's just gonna be... If it's a younger kid, like, they're just gonna be nervous on the ice.
Mike:It's just gonna make it worse, really. Like, it's just gonna make everything worse. Like, I get it. The refs are human. They're gonna make bad calls.
Mike:Their call isn't gonna change. I've been coaching hockey for whatever, you know, ten to ten, twelve years. I have never seen a call change on the ice. Right? Like, no matter what you say from the bench or from the stance, it's not gonna change it.
Mike:Right? Like
Scott:That's right.
Mike:But, like, yeah, I mean, there's plenty of there's plenty of insane one. You know? Like, it's, you know, it's been a while. It's a...
Jamie:Oh, sticks out in your mind?
Scott:Yeah. I mean put you on the spot.
Jamie:I'm just curious.
Mike:I mean, like, me personally, like, I don't... Like, we've had a, like... You know, we change our coaches sometimes. Like, sometimes that goes well. Sometimes it doesn't go well.
Mike:It says one of this, but it's more like when, like, a kid gets cut at the end of the year. Like, all parents take a different... Like, some, like, some guys just like a loser. They call the coach of the yelling scream at them. Like, some guys will go berserk on the rink at them.
Mike:Like, it's just like... And they'll just, like, be obnoxious. But, like, like, it's... I don't have any specifics I'm gonna share, but, like, it's like if you get to, like, February Right. You know, in in Massachusetts when, like, you know, teams start to change and cuts start to happen, like, you can make a TV show probably.
Jamie:Yeah. Oh my. A 100%. You could do a reality show about this shit. If you guys have cameras following around like a bunch of teams, I guarantee you that would be like a Netflix, like, ridiculous hit.
Mike:Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like, it's it's just... But it's just an awkward time for everyone because, like, the coaches are, like, doing what's best for the team. And, like, unfortunately, that, you know, means like, hey.
Mike:Some kids are getting Right. You know, are not gonna be us back, and the parents take up their son. You know? Like, some parents are like, yeah. I could see it coming.
Mike:Some people go absolutely wild. Right? It's just that everyone reacts to it differently. It just depends. Like, does the parents have...
Mike:Like, do they know where their kid stands in the team? Can they see what's in front of them? Right. And like, you know, I've had kids before. Like, well, first time, like, it was just like like, people are, like, shocked.
Mike:I'm like, like, I don't know what you're like... Do we... Are we watching... Like, kid... Like, back to the thing.
Mike:Like, your kid isn't getting better here. Right? Like, he's not touching the back of the games. He's chasing it in practice. Like, he's like, I I...
Mike:You know, like, I'm just like
Jamie:Right.
Mike:Alright. Well, we can agree agree to disagree. Like, our decision isn't changing. Like, you not being on the steam next year is gonna be better for your son long term.
Jamie:Yes. Right.
Mike:If he has a chance to play at a higher level.
Scott:Yep. And and not only that. Not only
Jamie:that not only that where they can go somewhere else where they can maybe get some more touches or more playing time, right, and and kind of develop better and quicker, but the... I think a lot of parents try to insulate their kids, and failure is not a bad thing. Cut Right? Is not I mean, it it should... I mean, I I want my kid...
Jamie:Obviously, it's happened already. I wouldn't want my kid to experience failure for the first time at, like, 19 years old. Like, there's no growth there. Right? Right.
Jamie:You you want them to figure it out young. Right?
Jamie:And and and grow from it because when you get cut, you get knocked down. You get back up. You grow from that. So I don't know why parents try to insulate their kids from this stuff. It...
Jamie:It's a good thing. They may not see it in in in the in the short term, but long term, it's a good thing.
Mike:Yeah. Like, you... I I feel like, you know, there's times where the kid's like the best player of mites, and he's the best player at the end. There, I don't think that... I think there's a few.
Mike:There's not a lot. I think everyone needs to go through... Like, I'll use Eisode, for example. He was the best of mites, and he was the best at the end. Right?
Mike:Like, he's... Look at him now. Right? But, like, there's kids who go who go through rough patches, like, in the middle. Right.
Mike:Like, whether it's peewee, bantam, or, you know, beginning of midget, like, I'll use, like, you know, winch in the show, like, Charlie Pugliese. Like, he was a... In 2008, played... He's from Albany. He was a Mid Fairfield kid.
Mike:You know, growing up, like, we caught Adam in a few summer tournaments. I got to know him, like, really, really good. Like, played the right way, competed, like, had had everything. What... It wasn't like a one trick pony by any means.
Mike:Right? Like, didn't really grow. You know, kinda stayed the same size, but could ski really well, so it was fine. Like, we got to a point like u 14, u 15 didn't grow. So we went from like one of the best players around to like a player who just like, you know, like, he...
Mike:And he would say this if he was sitting next to me, like, kinda probably blended in a bit and started to struggle a bit. He came to school after, you know, after his u fifteen year. He was fine his first year. Like, he had 20 points in, you know, whatever, 35 games. And then he grew.
Mike:He got stronger. He went to nationally. He did... He made select 15 camp, didn't make select 16 camp, went to select 17 camp, was... You're getting recruited.
Mike:He's coming to the Cornell. Getting recruited out of there, Showed up in the fall was good, and then like, it's 76 points this year.
Scott:Wow.
Mike:Draft in the seventh round in Nashville. Like, so like, everyone goes through it. Wow. He's playing to Kitchener next year. Like, everyone goes through it at like a different point.
Mike:And I do think it is important to go through adversity over the course of your career. Because if you just... If you're always like, hey, I'm always the best player. And at the end, you're not the best player. How can you handle it?
Mike:Right? It's hard to deal with that. I think if you can... You're know, one like, of the best players might choice POEs, like, you don't grow maybe in bantams. You struggle with bantams, but trying to find different ways to have success on the ice is really important.
Mike:Like, hey. Like, there's kids who are just barely strong than everyone right now. Like, I don't... Sometimes that doesn't translate at the end. Right?
Mike:The kid with the brain and can make a play and plays the right way. Like, hey, they have to survive off that for a bit. I bet Right. I'll I'll bet on that kid at the end.
Jamie:Right. Yeah. Because they've had to figure it out along the entire path where the other kid just uses brute strength. Yeah.
Mike:Yeah. Hey. Pure strength runs out. Everyone become... If, you know, if you're, you know, six feet of the pee wee, everyone everyone gets close to your size at some point.
Mike:Right? So if you're just relying on pure strength and speed and your shot, everyone kept... You know, you're gonna get caught up to. Right? If you have a brain and you might be a little bit smaller and you can skate and you play the right way and you compete, like, I'll take back it every day at the end to be a good player.
Mike:Yep.
Scott:Yep. Well, so is it... We're talking about tryouts also in this conversation about getting cut. And and it just... You know, that's always something that's just...
Scott:On one hand, you know, people... Like you were saying, people go... Start to go nuts because they get concerned. They're afraid their kid's gonna be on the team, not gonna be on the team, or not gonna be on the team that they'd be concerned. But...
Scott:And so many of these teams are, like, also... Like, we know... Like, the coaches know ahead of time who's on the team. To get some teams at the youth level, you gotta, like, make commitments to people before the tryouts even happen. Yeah.
Scott:And I obviously, you know, it's it's... It can be a sensitive subject, but just in terms of, like, how, like, mid... The Middlesex Islanders, you know, operates, you know, in terms of, like, in, you know, better talent for some of these teams. Like, kinda like, what... What's the process over there and kind of like, what are some of the things that Middlesex from a cultural standpoint, like, you know, would say to families, like, as to why they should join the Islanders organization as opposed to going to another team.
Mike:Yeah. I mean, like, I am... I don't believe in, like, selling a kid a sport to come... Like, either you wanna be here or you don't wanna be here or you know the kids on the team. You know who's coaching the team.
Mike:Like, if if a coach has to call him, like, you know, whatever and convince a kid to come here, like, then it's gonna be high maintenance when they get here. Let's be real with it. Right? Like, you want kids who wanna be here. Right?
Mike:Right? Like, you like, you don't wanna deal with headaches. Like, if you're chasing a kid to come, like like Yeah. No. Like, I saw him, but you were not chasing the kids to come.
Mike:Right? Like, hey. You reach out. You wanna come do a skate? Sure.
Mike:Come skate. See where you fit. You feel like on the team, the coach wants to bring you in, like, sure. Great. But, like, you you know what?
Mike:You know where we play. You know who's on the team. You know who the coaches. Most of these people who are reaching out have done more research than anyone could imagine on the team and the coach, probably, to an extent. Right?
Mike:So, like, there shouldn't be a need of, like, hey. Like, chasing people down to come play here.
Scott:Right.
Mike:Right? Like, you want people who wanna be here. I think that's I value that a lot. A a kid who wants to be here, maybe who's a smidge below, or let's just say he's like a b, and there's a a kid who's like a b plus or an a minus that you have to chase to get here. It's probably not worth chasing that kid who's an a minus or a b plus because there's probably some sort of high maintenance there that you don't wanna deal with.
Mike:And guess what? If you got to a point in the year, you know, hey.
Jamie:You're playing in high maintenance parents.
Mike:If you're playing in the tournament, like, in... Like, you feel... I'm big on, like, when the line roll all game. The lines roll. The lines roll.
Mike:Like, get to the end of the game last couple of minutes, and you you just... Like, sure. Hey. Go with your guys. Right?
Mike:Whoever you feel, like, can help you do it, the win. Right? Like, in this competitive environment, I get that. Right? But, like, I don't think kids should be sitting on the bench for five, six minutes at a time at any point.
Mike:Right? So you get to the of the game, hey. And that kid's not on the ice at the end of the game, and and your phone's ringing in the parking lot. Is that worth it? No.
Mike:Probably not. Totally. You know? It's not. It's not.
Mike:So, like, it's like I I... I've, you know, I've I've seen it all. I've been through it. Like, you know, I go... If I can go back and...
Mike:When I first started coaching and, like, changed what I would do, like, I I absolutely would. You're like, you live and learn on You live and learn day by day, year by year doing this. Right? Like, and how kids react to things and and how parents react to things. And, yeah, it's...
Mike:And I don't think it's... I'll... It's not worth chasing a kid. Even I say it to preacher all the time, like, we're not gonna chase this kid to come here. He either wants to be here or he doesn't wanna be here.
Mike:Right? If he wants to go play junior hockey, hey. He wants to go do that. If he wants to be at one student school, it... We we want him here.
Mike:But... And they know that, and they can decide to come. Right? Like, it's... I think that's a big thing.
Mike:Getting people who wanna be here and buy into, like, what pay... What your team philosophy is, you as a coach and and, you know, the families you have.
Jamie:So much for the twenty four hour rule. Your phone's ringing five minutes later in the parking lot.
Mike:Like I said, put a set of rules out there. Like, nobody even listens to them. Right? Like, it's twenty... And there's people who, like, I I say forty eight hour rule because still twenty four hours, you could still be pissed off.
Mike:Right? Forty eight hour. I always feel like I was coached. That's even better. Forty eight hours.
Mike:Well, like, you have people who abide to buy, and then you have people who blow you up like you get in the parking lot.
Scott:You just
Mike:don't even answer those people. You don't answer them for two days. Yeah. And then
Scott:Yeah. And generally, their kid doesn't have a spot on the team the next year for the most part.
Mike:Yeah. Exact... But the rational ones, they just have a they have a blackout moment, and, like, they'll they'll text you, like... They usually text you within, like, a a couple hours after, like, hey. Sorry.
Mike:Like, that was just on golf or, like, like, a rational parent, you know, ends up doing that. They blow up. Yes. Oh, what did I do? And then they, you know, look on to their senses.
Jamie:Yeah. Need more rational
Scott:Let me ask this one. From from your perspective, when when should parents, like, you know, step in and and kinda like when should they stay out? And of course, that changes with the age groups, especially when kids should be advocating for themselves. Right? But, like, let's just say for the ages where kids shouldn't be advocate...
Scott:Or, yeah, are not expected to advocate for themselves. Like, kinda like, what are some of the things that you think is appropriate for a parent to step in on and and, you know, things that they should definitely stay out of that maybe they are reaching out a lot about?
Mike:Yeah. I mean, it depends what, like, the issue is. Right? Like, if there's... If it's like ice time issues, like, there shouldn't be ice time issues on mites.
Mike:Like, let's be real. Like, everyone should be playing just about the same. If we're, like, if we're being real with it. Scourge that can change a little bit, I feel like it can get a little more competitive maybe at the end of the game. Like, these five are going on instead of that five.
Mike:Right? Like... But, like, still, like, there shouldn't be, like, a ice time discrepancy at either one of those levels. If there's like, hey. The kids are young, so, like, like, you know, like, push and slide, whatever.
Mike:You know? Like, maybe, like, some sort of, like, behavioral thing. Like, the parent, like, reaches out or whatever, but, like, like, I have... There'll be a prayer call. You'd have to listen...
Mike:Hear from the parents at all. Right? But, like, I feel like like, when you get the Bantam and Op, like, parents should only be reaching out. Like, hey. Bantam, you're starting to look at high schools.
Mike:Like, hey. Can you help me with this? Where do you think... If it's if it's about ice time, absolutely not. Kid is a 13, 14 year old kid.
Mike:Whatever. He can go talk to a coach. Hey, coach. Why would I have the power play? Where do I have where do I have to be better?
Mike:Right? Like, I feel like even in pee wee's, like, a kid, you should be able to approach a coach, you know, and talk to and talk to him. Right? They're 11, 12 years old. They're in middle school.
Mike:Right? Like, they should be able to talk to him and, like, hey. Like, coach, how do I play a little bit more in, you know, here, here? Like, that's, you know, the... Like, in terms of ice time, are honestly, like, you know, depending on how the teams run.
Mike:Like, if it's egregious and, like, you know, the coach is playing six guys all game of mates, like, then, yeah, sure. Reach out. But, like, if it's within, you know, fair margins, like, there really shouldn't be any, like, hockey discrepancies with the parents reaching out. The parents should just be reaching out like, hey. Maybe, like, I always say, like, tell the coaches, like, in the middle of the year, you might wanna do, like, midterm meeting with the parents.
Mike:Like, hey. This is how he's doing. This is where we feel he is. Just so I always did it when I coached. I thought it felt like at the end of the year, like, if there was a hard conversation or if, like, when you're building a team, you know, going to the triumphs, you talk to a guy in the middle of the year, hey.
Mike:The ride doesn't work or, hey. Like, we don't like this. Like, then you know and you can, like, you know, see if you have to fill a spot at the end. But, like, I always feel like a parent meeting at the end of the year is good, like, in the middle just to kind of, you know, have a conversation. Like, hey.
Mike:You know, this is where he is, so I feel like he's doing it. Like, what the parent ask you questions, right, like, within reason? But, like, within, like, ice time or discrepancy, like, I feel like they should never be reaching out. There shouldn't be ice time disturbances at young ages, I feel like. And then peewee is the kid can go talk to the coach.
Mike:And in Bantam, the only conversation is be like, hey, can you help me navigate the landscape a bit? Is it like that? No. Not at all. But that's how it should be.
Jamie:Right. Right. It's definitely not like that, but
Scott:it should be like that.
Mike:That's funny.
Jamie:Yeah. I I have one more question, and I know Scott's got some rapid fire stuff for you. Yeah. I meant to touch on this before, and I totally forgot. You should kinda reminded me again by mentioning prep school.
Jamie:So, you know, it's funny. I happen to like the prep school route. So just kinda talk about the benefits of, like, a prep school, you know, as opposed to, like, your regular, you know, Catholic schools. You know? I'm I'm just curious to hear your thoughts on because you you went.
Jamie:Right? You went to it. Now you're coaching at it. So I'm curious to hear.
Mike:Yeah. I think it's great. Like, we're... I'm gonna talk about us because, like, I... That's what I know best, right?
Mike:We're a smaller school. We have two fifty kids. So our class size is anywhere from six to eight kids. You're basically getting a one on one learning essentially. You can't hide.
Mike:You gotta show up to class prepared. So the night before, hey, you gotta have your ducks in a row to show up to a history class in the morning and give a presentation. Because if you don't, you're gonna like a dope in front of eight people, right? No one wants to do that, right? Right.
Mike:Yeah. And, like, I... And I think it's just like a lifestyle standpoint. Like, we have our ice in, you know, all school year. We skate during the week.
Mike:We play together on the weekends as a team. We work out together after school. Right? Like, everything is there. There's a social scene.
Mike:There's boys, girls. Like, there's an experience to it. Right? Like, you're part of a school. You're part of a community.
Mike:You know, rather than like, hey. Like, you're going to the rank, and you're doing school in the rank, and you're just around the same people all day. Like, I'm a big like, hey. Like, experience is everything, and it prepares you for real life at the end of the day. Right?
Mike:Like, the level is still a really good level of hockey. It has everything you need. Gym, practice from the week, skills, dining hall, class, whatever you need from a life standpoint. It has everything you need from a hockey standpoint. Right?
Mike:Like, so I I feel like it's great. You know? Like, travel's super limited. We we travel by bus, like, an hour for a game. Was not far at all.
Mike:Like, we do, you know, an overnight trip or two. Like, nothing crazy. Like, you know, New Hampshire where, you know, we're on Lake Placid this year to play Northwood.
Jamie:Oh, nice.
Mike:But, like like, it's like... I think it's great. Like, I believe in it from a hockey standpoint. I believe in it from a life standpoint. And I think, like, I think it gets lost on people.
Mike:Like, this is an experience as much of it is in hockey. Right? Like, you can still go to, you know, at school or prep school. We had a kick at draft for this year. We're gonna have, like, anywhere from, like, three to five kids playing major junior next year.
Mike:Like, you can still come there and get to where you have to go to after. I firmly believe it.
Jamie:Yeah. It's it's a nice And you guys have a rink on campus. Right?
Mike:Yeah. Right on campus. Everything's there. Like, you walk from your dorm to the gym. Yeah.
Mike:It's three minute walk from the gym to the rink. It's two minutes. Know? Like, it's great.
Jamie:Yeah. No. I think
Jamie:it also
Jamie:makes kids mature quicker because they're kind of living by themself and kind of have to figure stuff out. Right? You know? So it
Scott:might be You have you
Mike:have to figure
Jamie:it out. Growth.
Mike:Yeah. It's like every... But, you know, like, maybe it's not right for a 13 or 14 year old kid right away, but like a 15 year old kid or 16 year old... Like, everyone's ready to do it at a different time. You know?
Mike:Like, it's... You're not on the ice all day every day. But I don't I don't believe in that you need to be on the ice all day every day. Yeah. Like, I think there's a balance to everything.
Mike:Right? Like, you're going to school, you're gonna go to the gym, and then you're gonna skate after school. Like, hey, we have ice during the day. If you have free block to go do skills, like, you can do that. Like, it's just finding, like, that balance for kids.
Mike:It's different than the full season traditional model. Right? Where could we do an online school? You could be skating all day. Right?
Mike:But some people wanna do that. You know? Like, and that's what they wanna do.
Jamie:Yeah. It's true.
Scott:Yeah. The... And when I was a kid, that was one thing I I wanted to do badly. I wanted to go to prep school. I wanted to do a PG year.
Scott:Yeah. That definitely never happened. And I maybe or maybe not, maybe definitely resent my parents still, but, you know, that's okay. In any event. But, no, but one one thing I did wanna wanna just check-in about before rapid fire was if you could just share a little bit about, like, your experience, like, working at the Middlesex Island...
Scott:You know, with the Middlesex Islanders, Kinda a little bit about, like, you know, the the organization's overall, like, philosophy, you know, like, on player development and just, like, you know, just a little bit about the organization itself.
Mike:Yeah. Totally. I mean, we definitely, from like a, you know, owner down, right, like it's... We want our teams to be competitive. Like, that's not a lie.
Mike:That's that's... You can see that with, like, how our teams are. We want our teams to be competitive. In the EHF, we want them to be competitive naturally. That it is what it is.
Mike:That's how we feel. Right? We wanna make sure we have good coaches that are running the teams properly. Like, coach is gonna run their team differently. I'm gonna run my coach different than Marty Hughes or Matt Collier.
Mike:I'm gonna run it differently than them, which is fine. There's a bunch of different ways to coach and a bunch of different ways to run a team based on who you have. So we want good coaches who are gonna push and challenge the kids and make them better, and provide a good experience for them. Hey, with your HF play, your practice, your skills, your... How to turn them and play as well.
Mike:Provide a good experience for all the families. Push them, challenge them. Put the best team you can on the ice losing the culture of your team. That's my biggest thing. Like, don't lose the calls of your team.
Mike:Don't bring the crazies in if it's gonna sacrifice culture. Because it's not gonna make your team that much better. Believe me. It's not. Right?
Jamie:That's for sure.
Mike:So Yeah. That's like a big thing. Like, the culture... I always say the culture of the team don't... You know, there doesn't need a...
Mike:I said that earlier. You don't have to bring an a minus in if it's gonna sacrifice the culture when you can just have a b plus who's already there or a b. It's gonna they're gonna... It's gonna even ought to be the same thing. Right?
Mike:So, like, obviously, we wanna see the kids get better. We wanna see them push and challenge. We wanna see the teams be competitive on a year on year basis. Right? And...
Mike:But providing a good experience, and we don't wanna, you know, we don't wanna be listening like, hey. The parents complained about you all year long. Because that's that's a... You know, like, we don't wanna hear that either. Right?
Mike:Because if they're doing... If everyone's complaining about you, something's wrong. If there's two, three, happens all the time. It's just the bottom of the team. Yeah.
Mike:Right?
Jamie:Yeah. So Yeah. And where can everybody find you guys, Mike, if they're looking to look you guys up online if they're in the Mass area? Or not in the Mass area. Where can they look you guys out?
Scott:New Hampshire. Yeah.
Mike:Yeah. Yeah. We're at North Norramec College, North Andover, Mass. We have, like, our website social media going. Like, we're getting better at the social media than we have before.
Mike:But, like, I think we're islanders off flip.com. Everything's there. Yeah. And social media, we try to do our best with, like, make sure the teams are out... Get on social media, like the Instagram reels and stuff like that.
Mike:Right? And just kinda get them out there. Right? But, yeah, we try to promote the kids as best as we can. You know?
Mike:And we feel like, least over the last couple of years, for sure, last four or five years, we didn't really have a presence at the U14. Our youth teams are great for mites. Our mite development program is awesome. So we start off in mites really strong, mites squirts, peewies. And after first year, bantam, we we're just starting to, like, lose kids all the time.
Mike:Losing?
Jamie:At the end?
Scott:I don't know.
Mike:Did you hear me?
Scott:I think it is.
Mike:Yeah. Can you hear me?
Jamie:No. Gotcha. Gotcha. Good.
Mike:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:So we just started you got.
Mike:Yeah. Alright. Good. Like, we would start to lose kids at, like, u thirteen. You know?
Mike:Like, after u thirteen to academy and, you know, different, like, you know, teams who play in our league. And, like, we put and, like, we put a big, like, presence on, like, hey. Keep them through u fourteen. And then, like, hey. If they're gonna go to prep school, like, 15, yeah, for sure.
Mike:If they wanna go to academy after that or, like, full season option after that, that's fine. But we put... We definitely try to make our presence, you know, known in the u fourteen in in the midget space for sure. Like, our u eighteens have been super competitive. Last three or four year, grade u sixteen, u fifteen have gotten better each year too.
Mike:So that's a big thing for us to make sure our midget teams are as strong as our youth teams. And you don't wanna see the kids move on. Right? Like, we wanna see the kids... There could be a kid who comes from here through u fourteen.
Mike:Like, they wanna go to Mount Saint Charles to play u fifteen after because they don't wanna go to prep school, or they don't they don't wanna go do their public high school. Sure. That's fine. He, like, you know, stayed there through fourteens. You got a good, you know, u 14 experience.
Mike:That's total... Totally fine if you wanna do that. Like, hey. But maybe the kid... He's like, I don't wanna go do split season and play at winter in school.
Mike:Fine. Not for everyone. Right? Like, I wanna go do a full season academy. Right?
Mike:Which is totally fine. So, like, that's a big thing. Like, we wanna get the kids through u 14. And then after that, like, you know, we have a bunch who stay and do split season, but we also have kids who go off and do, you know, a cat... You know, whatever academy model too.
Mike:So it just depends on what they wanna do. But, like, we wanna see the kid move on, develop, and, know, get to the highest level they possibly can. Right? And and we feel like we've done that, you know, the Islanders have been around forever. So we're just...
Mike:We're trying to keep it keep it moving for sure.
Scott:Yeah. Well, I'll I'll definitely... Like we talked about the fourteens, the twenty fourteens is a... That team's a wagon. I...
Scott:For sure. And and, you know, that was, like, know, for for myself and my son when we went up and started, you know, played... Started playing teams that were up in the fed and, like, even, like, Boston Advantage as well. It just, like, there's tremendous hockey up there, and it's it's always, like, you know, you're going up to some of these tournaments up there and, like, you know, at least for my son's birthday, it's like, so you're here in for some heavy duty hockey up there. So, I mean, hats off to what you guys are doing up there.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. And and and before, Scott, before you start firing away
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Mike, isn't there a really good restaurant down the street from you guys? You you pull out. You you make a right, and the school's on your right, and there's a place down on the left. It's like an... Like, it looks like an old school diner inside.
Jamie:It's got, like, some crazy boost. Do you know what I'm talking about? I I... For the last time, I'm
Mike:not gonna remember. So you pull out of, like... When's the last time you've been out? Probably a couple years. Right?
Mike:So It was a couple years old. Got the main
Jamie:got the main gates, go right, go right again. You're passing the school, you're passing Merrimack on the right, and it's down on the left, and there's some, like, crazy diner that has, like, really
Mike:good Oh, it's Friendly Toast or something Yeah. Like
Scott:Friendly Toast. Yeah. Yeah.
Mike:Breakfast place. Yeah. Yeah. I know
Jamie:all the food places
Scott:up there.
Jamie:Yeah. I I I figured I figured you would know
Jamie:what I'm talking about. Yes. That's a pretty cool place.
Jamie:So if you guys are ever in the in the area of Merrimack, go check that place out, especially if Just like the go stop there.
Mike:We've got breakfast and lunch. Yeah. There's a bunch of good place up there. I'm a big, like, caulifepers person. It's, like, above a racquetball court.
Mike:Best pizza and wings around for sure.
Scott:Ah, nice. Alright.
Mike:Alright. So next time you're up
Scott:there, make you go there. The food rack.
Jamie:Yeah. You have to check
Jamie:it out next time we're up there, awesome. Yeah. Nice. I like it.
Scott:Alright. Alright. So, Mike, listen. First and foremost, thank you so much for hanging out with us for so long. Do some rapid fire.
Scott:We're gonna wrap this one up. Okay? Yeah. Alright. Keep it easy to start.
Scott:Favorite NHL player growing up? Joe Thornton. Oh, wow. Good one. Alright.
Scott:Best youth hockey rink.
Mike:No one on sports center.
Scott:Oh, that's funny. That's what I said to myself when I was thinking
Jamie:about it.
Jamie:Yeah. Alright.
Scott:That's what I would have said. Good one. Alright. Coffee or energy drink?
Mike:Coffee.
Scott:Alright. Hardest skill to teach?
Mike:Hardest skill to teach. Compete competitiveness.
Scott:That's a good one. True. One So true. One thing every player should do every day.
Mike:Push ups and sit ups.
Scott:Push ups and sit ups. Alright. Most underrated hockey skill?
Mike:Most underrated hockey skill? Catching a puck on your backhand.
Jamie:Oh, yeah.
Jamie:I like it, though.
Scott:And I like that. I like it. Alright. Best advice you ever received?
Mike:Best advice? Is this supposed to be short or long winded?
Scott:Doesn't matter. But... Yeah. Just go with your gut.
Mike:Yeah. When I when I when I graduated from Wenchen, PG, my youth hockey coach called me. I was like, I just wanted to go play junior hockey. And I was like, you're not playing junior hockey. You're going to college.
Mike:You have an option to go to college to play. You're gonna go do it. I obviously don't wanna listen to my dad. My youth hockey coach called me. He goes, why do you wanna go play juniors?
Mike:Are any of these, you know, higher level division three schools calling you? I go, no. None of them. He goes, yeah. You're gonna go to college.
Mike:You're gonna have an opportunity to play next year. So that honestly, best advice I've got. Like, I mean, there's plenty of other things, but, like, just, like, career, like where I am, like, it got me to college when
Scott:I was
Mike:supposed to go to college. And it got me out of college when I was supposed to. And if I... Who knows? If I wouldn't play juniors, maybe I'm not sitting here today with, you know, what I'm doing.
Mike:Right? So like Right. Everything happens for a reason, but like, that was like, he was just like, you know, he's like, you're you're going to college. You have an opportunity to play. Just go take it.
Mike:You're not gonna do much better than that. He was like, totally frank with me. He's like, you're probably not gonna do much better than that if you go play juniors for two years. And I'm like, fair. Was It hard to swallow, but, like, it was Right.
Mike:Yeah. That was the best advice I've gotten, honestly.
Scott:Okay. No. That's awesome. Alright. And if you could change one thing about youth hockey tomorrow, what would it be?
Mike:Jesus. This is
Scott:It's like a laundry list. We started easy.
Mike:I like... I would I I would cut cut back the amount of teams.
Jamie:Yep. Okay. We said before. Yep.
Scott:Oh, that's... Yep. That's a good one. Alright, dude. Mike, listen.
Scott:This was this was awesome. Thank you so much for hopping on with us, taking some time this morning, sharing sharing with us a bit more about the Islanders and, like, what you've gone... You got going on up there. It's it's really awesome, dude.
Mike:Yeah. No. Thank you, guys. This is great to meet you. And if you're ever up in the area, for sure, reach out, and we can meet up.
Jamie:Definitely. Absolutely. Together. 100%.
Scott:That would be that would be awesome.
Mike:For sure.
Scott:Let me
Jamie:know if
Mike:you guys
Scott:are up there. For sure.
Jamie:For sure.
Scott:Thank you, Mike. Alright. Yeah. And listen, best of luck to you guys to
Jamie:the Islanders.
Scott:The teams. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and looking forward to reconnecting as the year goes on.
Mike:Yeah. For sure. Nice to meet you guys, and hopefully, see you guys soon.
Scott:Likewise, Mike. Thank
Mike:you. Alright. Alright. See you guys. Bye bye.
Mike:Hi,
Jamie:everybody. Welcome back for our interview with Islander Hockey Club director Mike Busconi. Mike's a good dude. That was fun.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. No. It's... It...
Scott:You know, and just listening to him, like, you know, he's obviously on a... Like, on the younger side, but, like, you know, just being entrenched in, like, the the prep school scene up there and just, you know, really having boots on the ground and, you know, he's a... He he definitely seems like, you know, the right person to be in that position.
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. No. I agree. I think he's doing a really good job there.
Jamie:I'm not gonna lie. I like the prep school route. I am a big I'm a big fan of that. Yeah. I'm a big fan.
Scott:Yeah. Well... So, I mean, like, in terms of, like,
Jamie:that score out.
Scott:Right. You know? So... No. Without a doubt.
Scott:But is there anything in particular that that you... Well, like, what is it that you like about that in particular?
Jamie:So I like I like the all boys school. I like them living away from home. I like the, like, alumni base of those New England prep schools. I like the location of them. I like that they all have their own hockey rink.
Jamie:I like everything about them. You know, I like the ease of getting into college through them, but I think those schools definitely carry some weight in admissions offices and colleges, You know? So I think that if parents have the financial ability to do those things, and you can, and you don't mind your kid living away from home in high school, I think it's a nice option. I do. Especially for hockey players.
Scott:Yeah. I I think, you know, especially for the Northeast, right, where, like, prep schools are prevalent. Like, when I was a kid, that was definitely a lot... Like, a route that a lot of people talked about. Like, I remember, like, telling my parents that's what I wanted to do, like, after...
Scott:You know, if they weren't gonna send me, you know, for my first four years of high school, send me there for a fifth year. Right. But the the piece that I don't even think we've actually, like, talked about so much or made this comparison, though, is that, like, your kid get... Goes away from home, but they're still in a structured environment with supervision. And not to say that, like, you know, kids when they're billeting aren't, but I think there's a lot of, like, you know, it's...
Scott:Look. Everything has a pro and con. I get it. But all I'm saying is that, like, your kid goes off. He's in an environment...
Scott:An academic environment. He's not relying on on online school, which isn't for everyone, most likely. And, you know, you're you're with your peers. You have roommates. You've got...
Scott:You know, it's not... I I feel like it's a different kind of stepping stone Right. Than going out and being a billet. And, like, if your kid is not... Doesn't necessarily...
Scott:Maybe doesn't have, like, the maturity level to be, like, in someone else's home, you know, without some more structure, I think it could be a really a really good alternative if that's the route that you're looking to do, like, to get away from home to play better hockey for whatever reason. You know?
Jamie:Yeah. Yeah. I'm a I'm a I'm a fan. I am. Yep.
Jamie:As long as as long as a scenario doesn't happen, like in the movie Toy Soldiers when we were younger, as long as that scenario doesn't happen, I'm good.
Scott:Yeah. Well, sure. That was a good movie. You know?
Jamie:Oh, you do remember?
Scott:No. I I totally... Yeah. Mean, they... Like, I when don't I don't have, like, such a good working memory, but I
Jamie:mean But you remember what I'm talking about.
Scott:A 100%.
Jamie:Right? When those when those terrorists took over the boys prep school. I think it was called the Regis School or something like that.
Scott:Could be.
Jamie:And the dude who... The main character was Mikey from The Goonies.
Scott:Oh, yeah. Yeah. Totally. Yep. Sean.
Scott:You're asking the wrong dude.
Jamie:Shit. Sean. Oh, come on. He was Mikey from The Goonies, dude.
Scott:Yeah. But why should I know his name? Like his real name?
Jamie:Can you look it up for me while I'm struggling to figure it out?
Scott:Yeah. Jamie, I will do that for you.
Jamie:For those of you who have not seen the movie Toy Soldiers with Sean Austin? Sean Sean... Sean... Maybe it's not Sean. Maybe it's Austin something.
Jamie:Mike... We're play Mikey from The Goonies.
Scott:You got it. What? You got it? His name is Sean Austin.
Jamie:Oh, it is. Okay. So there you go. So so Mikey from The Goonies. Right.
Jamie:No, for those of you who have not seen the movie, you should go see it. They're a bunch of rejects from a boys school, I don't even know where the boys school was, but a bunch of terrorists take it over to kidnap, I don't know, like a judge's kid or something.
Scott:The Regis school.
Jamie:Regis school. Right. I don't know what prep school was shot at. They obviously used our prep school to shoot that.
Scott:I can tell you, it was at the Miller School of Albemarle in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Jamie:Oh, okay. Got it. Good movie, by the way, man. Really good movie.
Scott:Yeah. That I haven't... Wow. That that was a good one. 1991.
Jamie:Is that what it was? I would've guessed later. Okay.
Scott:Yeah. 1991.
Jamie:Yeah. I was a big fan when he was when he was sneaking booze into the mouthwash. Oh, yeah. They all they all go down to the basement, and they they clipped into the phone line, and they called that, like, 1800 sex line.
Scott:Yep. Yep. Yep. Totally. Wow.
Scott:Wow. Do you remember that? Yeah. Yeah. It was a good movie.
Scott:Mouthwash for sure. I don't think I remember Yes.
Jamie:Remember the
Mike:name
Scott:of the sex line thing.
Jamie:They they were in the basement, and they... And Sean Austin's character clip... I don't remember I don't remember what the name of his character was.
Scott:It was Billy.
Jamie:Billy. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. There you go.
Jamie:It clipped into the the phone lines in the basement, him and his buddies. Yeah. And they were drinking mouthwash while they were down there listening to some, like, some chick on the on the wine.
Scott:So funny.
Jamie:Yeah. But... Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, as long as that doesn't happen when you send your boys away to a boy school, you're good to go.
Scott:Yeah. Well, yes, that's probably unlikely, but I guess you never know nowadays.
Jamie:Hopefully,
Scott:Given the you're insanity that happens and,
Jamie:know, This
Jamie:is cool true. Yes, yes, but hopefully that never happens. But yeah, so... But I like the boys school route, I do. I like the prep school.
Jamie:I also think that something like that forces a child at a younger age to obviously be very self sufficient. Right? And you have to manage your time, you have to manage your laundry, you have to manage your work, You have... And those schools, if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure they want you to play multiple sports. Mhmm.
Jamie:Like, I think they want you to play, like, a sport every season. Yeah. So you gotta figure something out to go do. Right? They want you to be busy, which I think is great.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. And and again, the structured environment, I think, can be a real plus for any kid that's just learning to be away from home. I mean, there's plenty of kids that, you know, have issues, like, when they go off to college, just being away from home for the first time, you know, it's hard to send a kid off to anyway. Correct.
Scott:Kinda just repeating the same thing. But... Yeah. No. I think, you know, Mike's Mike's interview was great.
Jamie:He was great. Yeah.
Scott:Appreciate him coming
Jamie:on with us.
Scott:You know? Yeah. You know, I'm actually think I'm gonna see him this weekend when we'll be up at the Eastern Exposure.
Jamie:Two. Can you give me, like, the top five?
Scott:I'll I'll look I'll look it up. Yeah. Sure.
Jamie:So so my hockey rankings ranked... I didn't realize that. They ranked the organizations?
Scott:They always have organizational rankings. If it started at the same time. But so you... So it starts... They call it association rankings.
Scott:So I'll go to USAUs.
Jamie:What do they base it on?
Scott:Yeah. Middlesex Islanders is currently second. Okay. I can tell you. So the the rank for the 25, 26, so it's not the 20...
Scott:This is last year. Right? Year's
Jamie:rankings, Can guess? Number one was Yeah.
Scott:And I think it's interesting, but go... Yeah. Go ahead. Is it... So is it
Jamie:on, like, win... Like, winning, or is it on, like... Do you know what I'm basing my guesses on?
Scott:Yeah. Well, let me see a resource. Do you want me to find out the definition?
Jamie:If you could find it. Sure. By looking at them, what do you think it is?
Scott:I I I could be way wrong, though. I'm I'm looking... So I'm looking at how does My Hockey Rankings compute its ratings, and it doesn't say... It doesn't differentiate between the the team rankings versus the organizational rankings or the association's rankings. So it says my hockey rankings are computed mathematically with no subjective weighting or human determined values.
Scott:My hockey ranking race team based upon how well they play against other teams and how good those teams are. These two factors are average goal differential and schedule or strength of schedule. The AGD, average goal differential. Yeah. I'm not gonna read this whole thing, but Okay.
Scott:Alright. That's that's the gist.
Jamie:Okay. I'm gonna guess the top five. Okay? And do you want me states? Okay.
Jamie:They only give you five. Okay. Do you wanna give me states, or or should I just start firing off ones that I think are in the top five?
Scott:Whatever. You... Whatever you want.
Jamie:Okay. So I'm gonna say that Chicago Mission is there.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:Am I right?
Mike:Are you gonna
Scott:give me more than five? Or
Jamie:I'm gonna give you... As long as they're in the top five, I'll guess the top five, as long as you tell me they're in the top five.
Mike:So I'll
Scott:say yes or no when you guess them.
Jamie:Yeah. So
Scott:Chicago stop guessing when you feel like stop... You wanna stop.
Jamie:Okay. So Chicago mission. No. Wow. Okay.
Jamie:I'm gonna say the BC Junior Eagles. Yes. I'm gonna say
Scott:Currently number three.
Jamie:Okay.
Scott:So they're in the
Jamie:And Islanders Hockey Club is two. Correct. Middlesex Islanders are two. BC is three. Okay.
Jamie:I'm gonna say, are there any in New Jersey? No. I didn't think so. Okay. And the Chicago Mission are not one of them.
Jamie:Okay.
Scott:Do you want me to give you the states in order?
Jamie:You can. And I... Yeah. I mean, I was gonna say like Little Caesars.
Scott:Yep. They're number one.
Jamie:Okay. So I have one, two, and three. I'm looking for four and five. Mhmm. I don't think it's anybody in Minnesota because Minnesota Minnesota plays like town and high school at the younger ages.
Jamie:Not Minnesota. Yeah. So not I'm not putting a Minnesota team in there. Let me think. I'm gonna say...
Jamie:I'm surprised the mission are not there. I'm not gonna lie. Gonna go with another mass team. I'm gonna guess
Scott:Let's go.
Jamie:Not the not the Worcester Railers, not not the... I
Scott:was gonna say
Jamie:you out.
Scott:Go ahead. Go ahead. Say what? Go ahead, and then I'll...
Jamie:I was gonna say Minutemen flames.
Scott:No. There's no more masked teams. The two teams for masked are the Islanders and the Eagles. And the BC Junior Eagles.
Jamie:Okay. Alright.
Scott:I'm surprised you... There's one that I'm surprised you haven't guessed yet.
Jamie:I wanna say, like, I mean, I was gonna say mid Fairfield, but but but I I
Scott:bet They're number five.
Jamie:I was gonna say... I I wasn't sure because they don't have a whole lot of teams. You know? Like like, they only have, like, some elite teams. Okay.
Jamie:So they're five. Alright. And I'm looking for four. Right? Is it on East Coast?
Scott:I mean, I don't know if they're... I don't know if I technically call them East Coast, but they're on the Eastern part of the country.
Jamie:Okay. Then I'm gonna say the Penzley. Yes. There you go.
Scott:There you go. So Caesars, Islanders, Junior Eagles, Penns Elite, Mid Fairfield.
Jamie:There you go. Yeah. No, listen. And that list changes every year apparently.
Scott:So... But here here's something that's interesting, just for what it's worth for anyone that follows the ratings. So they they they put out the ratings, like, it's out of a 100. Right? And so they've taken out three decimal points.
Scott:Little Caesars is ranked... The rating is 97.277. Middlesex is 96.296. Got it. Junior Eagles are 96.212.
Scott:Okay. Kensley is 96.060, and Mid Fairfield is 96.015. My point is is that the difference... I didn't do all the math, but like the jump between one and two is, you know, almost the whole point.
Jamie:Right. I see what you're saying. Interesting. That's an interesting list, buddy. I mean, that was actually a lot of fun.
Jamie:You know? Yeah. Yeah. I'm not gonna lie. I'm surprised there's no, like, Rockets or Avalanche on there.
Scott:That surprises me. I don't know. I mean, I think your point is maybe well taken just about the number of teams that they have, like, that are playing in the tier one level. I mean, if that is in fact the way that they're doing it, aggregating all the teams that are playing at tier one for each organization and kinda figuring out how they Right. Like, you know, their average goal differential and their strength of schedule overall.
Scott:I Right. You know, teams with less and more elite teams or organizations with less teams and on the more elite side of things are, I would imagine, just gonna be ranked better.
Jamie:Yeah. Interesting. That's cool. I... I'm glad you glad you stumbled upon that, actually.
Scott:Yeah, man. You know?
Jamie:Actually Yeah. Yeah. No. So Mike was great. And I always like going up and playing, you know, the Middlesex Islanders.
Jamie:We haven't done it in a while since we've been tier two. We have not run into them in a while. But I always remember going up to... And I don't know if you've done it yet, but they have... One of the rinks that they use is Merrimack College, where you play on the Merrimack College rink.
Jamie:You play the Merrimack College campus. Yeah.
Scott:No, we played at that like Skate 3 Ring, which is right on the New Hampshire border there. But I will say this about the Middlesex Islanders, and I didn't tell this to Mike. I meant to, and I totally blanked. But one of the tournaments that we were in earlier on, we lost in the finals to the Middlesex Islanders, except they were the twenty fifteen Middlesex Islanders who beat our twenty fourteen Saints.
Jamie:Younger kids.
Scott:Yeah. If that that puts things into perspective.
Jamie:I will say this, now that we're talking about, like, you know, know, like Massachusetts teams, like New England y teams. Yeah. New England has a lot of hockey teams. A lot
Scott:of really high end Got
Jamie:a good hockey team.
Scott:Specifically Massachusetts, dude.
Jamie:The Worcester Railers, the Minutemen Flames, the BC Junior Eagles, whatchamacallit? You're on my... BU's got a team, right?
Scott:The Junior Terriers.
Jamie:The Junior Terriers, right? I mean, there's a lot of hockey up there, dude. There's Boston Hockey Club. There's like
Scott:There's Boston Advantage. Play Boston Advantage. Right?
Jamie:There's some there's some good teams up there, man. Like, the hockey up there. And I'm... And we're not even talking about
Scott:South Shore Kings. South Shore Kings Village.
Jamie:Right? And we're not even talking about like, then you can go over into like Providence and start talking about like some Providence teams. Right? I mean, there's some there's some good hockey up there.
Scott:There's also Top Gun, which is just over the... In New Hampshire, just over the border there. Top Guns legit. Right?
Jamie:Yep. Some really good hockey, man. You know?
Scott:Yeah. Absolutely.
Jamie:Some very, very good hockey. So, I mean, for those of you who live up there, you know, listen, we're not doing too shabby here in Jersey, but the hockey up there is pretty no joke. You know?
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:It's pretty cool. What's neat up there, dude, is that they... I remember when we played up... When we played for the Rockets, I remember running into a lot of kids that played for, like, the Minutemen flames and the Worcester Railers because they were Yeah. Across...
Jamie:They were across district lines. So they could they could like... They could double roster. So I remember actually... I remember playing the South Shore Kings one time.
Jamie:Yep. And they had, like, and they had, like, the Middlesex Islanders goalie or vice versa. It was something like that. You know? But they can play across county lines, which...
Jamie:Because they're all they're all right there. Right? Which is pretty sweet.
Scott:Well, I'm looking at... So I'm just... See, I'm looking at Otto's birth year right now, and I'm looking at the top 10 in my hockey rankings. One, two, three, four of the top 10 teams are out of Massachusetts.
Jamie:Yeah. I'm not shocked. Listen. That's a great hockey. Yeah.
Jamie:Yeah. It's got great
Scott:hockey. And then one one of the other ones is that... Is is Top Gun, which is right over the border there. So if you wanna lump that into, like, the same geography, half of the top 10 teams are from, like, the... Pretty much the Massachusetts plus a little bit area.
Jamie:Yeah. I'm telling you. I... That New England hockey is no joke. Yeah.
Jamie:You know? That whole area. If you're if you're a hockey player and you're up in that region, it's... You have a lot to choose from, which is cool.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. It's it's it's great.
Scott:So Yeah. Anyhow, what else what else is cooking? What do you got coming up for this coming weekend? I just shared with you. We're gonna be up in in Massachusetts.
Jamie:Right. You guys gonna be at a tournament or a showcase?
Scott:Tournament. Yours is
Jamie:a tournament.
Scott:Yours is a tournament. Proper tournament. Yep.
Jamie:So you're gonna be at a proper tournament. I think we have one game Saturday, and then unfortunately, we're going out to fucking Long Island.
Scott:Long Island. Pro. Yeah. Who are you playing?
Jamie:We're... Oh, dude. It's awful. We're playing the... We're playing PAL.
Jamie:So we're playing the Pal Islanders, and then we're playing some other Long Island team. But it's... Dude, our schedule is so rough. We have a... So Sunday, we have a 01:00 at Northwell Health, wherever the fuck that is on Long Island.
Jamie:And then I... We have to drive to Freeport to play another game at 06:15.
Scott:Same day?
Jamie:Same day. So we have a one You got a twofer. We have a twofer on Long Island.
Scott:Okay.
Jamie:Which is just awful, bro. Awful. That's awful. So we have five hours in between games, and we're not gonna get done until 07:45 ish. And then I'm get hammered in like Hamptons traffic coming home.
Jamie:Yeah. Wow. On a Sunday evening.
Scott:Yeah.
Jamie:Can't wait.
Scott:Alright. Gonna be fun.
Jamie:The things you do as a hockey pairing.
Scott:Yeah. Driving is definitely one of them. That's for sure. Anyway, what else what else you got on tap? Anything for this week?
Jamie:We have some really cool stuff kind of on the docket. Scott and I are gonna be going out to the... Did we mention this yet? To the CCM World Invite in Chicago?
Scott:Don't think we did.
Jamie:I don't think we did either. So I think I just let the cat out of the bag. So for all of you who are gonna be at the CCM World invite, Scott and I will be there. We're gonna be there for the the festivities, which is Thursday night. So for those of you who are gonna be out there, write us.
Jamie:We're looking for some things to do in the Chicago area. We already looked up Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Western Michigan, and there's no college hockey games out there.
Scott:And the Blackhawks are away?
Jamie:And the the... All three of those college teams and the Blackhawks are all out of town that weekend.
Scott:Yeah. I think... And what is it? The the the AHL affiliate is also out of town, I think?
Jamie:The AHL affiliate's out of town.
Scott:Rockford Wolves or something
Jamie:like that? Something like that. So we're... But we're gonna try to catch a USHL game.
Scott:There we go.
Jamie:Right. The Chicago Steel's got... So so Scott and I are gonna be bouncing around the Chicago area November 4 through the seventh. So write us if there's anything you think we need to do while we're out there. You know, let us know because...
Jamie:Or restaurants we need to try or bars we need to hit or any, like, food items that we need to sample. I know we wanna go to Portillo's. Right?
Scott:Must... Yeah. I'm down for that. Listen. I'm down to eat some hot dogs.
Scott:I'm down to eat
Jamie:some Hot dogs.
Scott:Right. Some deep dish. Absolutely.
Jamie:So so so maybe we'll see a Bulls game. Maybe the Bulls are there that weekend. Not sure. I gotta take a peek. Yeah.
Jamie:I know. I'm with you on that. Same.
Scott:I'm like, man.
Jamie:I'd rather go see hockey somewhere.
Scott:Yeah. I'd rather watch probably like a game at the World Invite.
Jamie:Than the Chicago Bulls?
Scott:Maybe.
Jamie:Wow. That's Santa Luna.
Mike:I
Scott:don't know if basketball fan.
Jamie:Yeah. No. I hear you. But it's still a cool experience.
Scott:Yeah. Sure. Fair.
Jamie:Listen. We'll figure something to do. So I'm sure you'll all see you'll all see stuff on our stories about what we're doing out there. But, yeah, hit us up. You know, if you...
Jamie:There's stuff you think we need to do in the area while we're there, you know, let us know. We're in the Naperville area, you know, for the for the world invite. So we'll be at the world invite for a couple days, and then we'll be bouncing around Chicago.
Scott:That's it. And You're
Mike:the lay
Scott:of the land. Right? One thing before we let this one go, we got Otto's birthday is this weekend. So I just wanna shout out Otto and say happy birthday, my man. Dude's turning...
Scott:Dude's turning 12 this weekend, so...
Jamie:Nice, man.
Scott:I don't know.
Jamie:Exciting stuff.
Scott:Yeah. No. It should be... Yeah. It'll be an interesting weekend.
Scott:We'll see. I'll be... I'm sure there's plenty to report when we come back, but looking forward to the things we got up on the horizon. We got the ECAC barn tour that we're gonna be... We're in the middle of figuring out Here we are.
Scott:World invite, like you said. So, we got a lot of good things in the hopper, dude.
Jamie:That ECAC tour is shaping out so nicely, by the way, buddy.
Jamie:Oh. I mean
Scott:I know it. I know it. We're gonna be at
Jamie:the Dartmouth Princeton tennis ballgame. We're gonna be at the Big Red Freak Out up there, and that kicks off Halloween weekend. Halloween weekend, we will be at RPI Friday, Saturday at Union. So
Scott:Let's go.
Jamie:Yeah, man. So we'll be in the Albany area, Halloween weekend catching the... Our our first two of of 12 ECAC Barnes.
Scott:Dude, I'm looking forward to it, buddy.
Jamie:Likewise, pal. Listen. Happy birthday to Otto.
Scott:And Thank you.
Jamie:I hope you
Jamie:guys all enjoyed. We'll see you on episode 90.
Scott:Oof, 90. All right, my man. Good stuff.
Jamie:All right, buddy. All right, buddy. I'll see you later. See you later.