THE HOCKEY THINK TANK
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Youth Organization Blueprint
The Hockey Think Tank’s Organizational Blueprint is a comprehensive and holistic approach to your program. With a broad mix of services, resources, and deliverable tools, the Organizational Blueprint is designed to give clubs clear direction, purpose, and organization. No matter how you measure success — on-ice performance, player development, enthusiastic retention, or satisfied families and coaches — the Organizational Blueprint provides the map to spark positive changes, today.
Prep/Academy Services
The Hockey Think Tank was founded on culture-building, leadership training, and the idea that hockey provides valuable life lessons on and off the ice. The Prep/Academy Services concept is built upon decades of experience, perspective, and an understanding of the student-athlete lifestyle. Our on-site services and virtual training are tailored to fit your needs, challenges, and resources - we’ve conducted impactful seminars and activities with student- athletes, captains, and coaches from all sports, as well as entire student bodies and faculty.
About Us
At the Hockey Think Tank, we are an organization dedicated to educating and inspiring hockey players, parents, coaches, and organizations through a variety of resources. What started as a passion project in 2017 has turned into a movement in building community and creating change in the hockey landscape.
Through free resources like our industry leading podcast that has been downloaded over one million times, to our grassroots work with youth hockey organizations, our mission is to make the youth hockey experience better for those that love and are passionate about our game.
Navigating the youth hockey world can be stressful and confusing at times. As a former Division One college coach recruiting all over North America, I had the opportunity to speak with so many of you about that reality in the rinks. And through those conversations I learned that there is a huge need for way more education for players, parents, coaches, and organizations as a whole. I started the Hockey Think Tank to provide that much needed perspective and improve the game I fell in love with as a kid.
The Hockey Think Tank Community
Join us every week
Available, for free, everywhere you listen to podcasts
- New episodes every Monday!
- Short shifts live every Wednesday!
- Hot takes released every Friday!
Featured Episodes
Topher and Jeff welcomed NHL Hall of Famer, Stanley Cup Champion, and 2-time Olympic Champion with over 18 years in the NHL - Chris Pronger! Absolutely unreal episode with someone that has found success at every level, and drops knowledge that EVERY player and EVERY player needs to hear!
We brought on our first-ever guest, Brandon Naurato, to celebrate our 200th episode! We had a great conversation about what it's like to coach at the University of Michigan with some of the best young players in the world, how to coach the individual while still coaching the team, and so much more!
What a thrill to talk hockey with Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis! We spoke about battling setbacks and adversity, his Cup team in Tampa Bay, and his massive tree-trunk legs. We also got to talk shop: creating time and space, the difference between playing fast and rushing it, & teaching hockey IQ!
For EP 100 we brought on ESPN SportsCenter Anchor and huge #cawlidgehockey advocate John Buccigross! Bucci brings so much passion...we had an absolute blast talking about his early career, the NHL2night days, being a hockey parent, and much more!
NHL Hall of Famer and one of the top development coaches in the world, Adam Oates! Known as one of the best playmakers of all time, it was incredible being able to talk hockey - and playing fast vs. fast hockey IQ - with someone who has such amazing hockey sense.
On this episode Jeff and Topher talk about confidence: why it’s important, how to achieve it, how to regain it, and why it’s not an easy process. We touch on why confidence is such a huge part of development, strategies to regain it, and learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations!
Community Calls
Get direct, exclusive access to some of the brightest minds in sports.
Past Guest
Bob Mancini, Assistant Executive Director of hockey development for USA Hockey.
Past Guest
University of Michigan's head coach, Brandon Naurato.
Blog
The New Year Crunch: Is January Hockey’s Most Important Month?
Happy New Year — and welcome to January, the most chaotic, exhilarating, emotionally charged stretch of the hockey calendar. For most of the world, January represents calm after the holiday rush. A reset. A fresh start. A chance to breathe. But in youth hockey? January
Individual Player Meetings are the Gift that Keeps on Giving
By Marty Rubin Oh, the dog days of hockey are here. The cold sets in, the routine solidifies, and every week feels like another rink, another car ride. At this point in the season, the distance between coaches and parents can grow—often without reason. The
The Realest Post I’ll Probably Ever Write
I feel very fortunate and blessed to have built the following we’ve built at the Hockey Think Tank. I feel like part of the reason I’ve been able to connect with so many of you is I try my best to speak from the heart.
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