The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

Latest Episodes:

SHORT SHIFTS - SMALL AREA GAMES FOR SCORING MORE GOALS Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about our favorite small area games that are tailored toward scoring more goals.

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repair

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Finding the Value in Hockey Beyond Scoring Points with Guest Matt Ford, Former Pro Player - EP 382 Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Matt Ford, former professional player and current owner of Ford Hockey School. Ford experienced a ton of adversity throughout his long and impressive hockey career; however, he joins us to talk about how that adversity is exactly what made him successful.

In this episode we talk about:

— Finding value in things other than scoring goals

— The importance of finding the best coaching first when picking a team

— Not trying to remove adversity for your players

— Recognizing everyone’s role in winning, not just the goal scorers

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Thank you to our title sponsor IceHockeySystems.com, as well as Train-Heroic, Helios Hockey, and Crossbar!

And thank you to our AMAZING LISTENERS; We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

JOIN HTTU TODAY!

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FRIDAY FACEOFF - GOALIE SHORTAGE?! Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about an issue that is plaguing our sport: goalie shortages. We have fewer and fewer kids playing goalie every year, and it is a serious problem we need to address. So let’s talk about it.

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

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SHORT SHIFTS - TOP LIFE LESSON Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to ask Vechs about the top life lesson he has learned on his hockey journey that has helped him in every aspect of life.

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repair

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The Top Hockey Minds of Strength & Conditioning Training: Vechs’ Mount Rushmore of Coaches - EP 381 Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

This week we celebrate Vechs’ HUGE 40th birthday by bringing on his Mount Rushmore of strength and conditioning coaches in hockey. Michael Boyle, Matt Nichol, Brian Galivan, and Patrick Galivan join us to talk all things dryland training for hockey.

In this episode we talk about:

— The massive shift we’re seeing in dryland agility in today’s kids: better hands, but worse in the gym

— Trying to sample as many different movement patterns as possible

— Being realistic on what kids have access to nowadays

— How much parents are wasting on expensive strength & conditioning coaching

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Thank you to our title sponsor IceHockeySystems.com, as well as Train-Heroic, Helios Hockey, and Crossbar!

And thank you to our AMAZING LISTENERS; We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

JOIN HTTU TODAY!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FRIDAY FACEOFF - USA HOCKEY COACHING EDUCATION CHANGES?! Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph brings on guest Zack Nowak, Coordinator of Coaching Education Program for USA Hockey to talk about the new changes coming to USA Hockey’s coaching curriculum.

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

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SHORT SHIFTS - DRILLS WE DID AS KIDS THAT WOULD BE LAUGHED AT TODAY Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about some of the drills we did when we were kids that would be laughed out of the rink today. Let us know on our socials which ones we missed!

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repair

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How to Make Your Hockey Community Better by Taking Inspiration from the Minnesota Model with Guest Mike MacMillan, USA Hockey Coach-In-Chief - EP 380 Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Mike MacMillan, National Coach-In-Chief for USA Hockey and Minnesota Hockey's High Performance Director. We talk all things community model, its benefits for player development, and why Minnesota hockey is so successful.

In this episode we talk about:

— How playing experience isn’t what the best coaches have in common

— How everyone has to have a seat at the table to encourage hockey growth

— Building programs, and not just creating individual teams within a program

— How it’s not what you coach, it’s how you coach

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Thank you to our title sponsor IceHockeySystems.com, as well as Train-Heroic, Helios Hockey, and Crossbar!

And thank you to our AMAZING LISTENERS; We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

JOIN HTTU TODAY!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FRIDAY FACEOFF - BAG SKATES?! Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to talk about a super controversial topic in the hockey world: bag skates. Are they useful? When do you implement them? And how do you do it right?

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

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SHORT SHIFTS - GETTING LOW IN YOUR STRIDE Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about getting low in your stride and the value of teaching kids this body positioning from a young age.

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

We appreciate every listen, download, comment, rating, and share on your social sites!

Shout out to this Short Shifts supporter: SkateTech Skate Sharpening & Equipment Repair

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.