The Hockey Think Tank Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The State of Youth Hockey: 2025 Edition - EP 396 Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

This week Topher and Jeff fly solo to talk about the state of youth hockey. We get so many messages from parents, coaches, and players; so we thought what better way to close out 2025 than to address the 5 biggest things we hear about the most in youth hockey.

In this episode we talk about:

— The need for more ice rinks

— Too much focus on elites

— Lack of parent education

— Early professionalization

— Not enough collaboration

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!

HTT MERCH

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FRIDAY FACEOFF - HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR INJURED PLAYER?! Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to discuss a listener's question about supporting your player through an injury. Maybe this is the first time they are experiencing an injury, or maybe your player has battled several injuries. Either way, we’re here to help guide you through how to handle this difficult time.

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 - CONSTRAINTS LED APPROACH Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about a topic one of the coaches in our HTT Coaching Mentorship group brought up: demystifying the Constraints Led Approach. What is it and how does it help your players?

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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Show Me Your Circle & I’ll Show You Your Future with Guest JJ Howland, Wrestling Coach - EP 395 Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

This week Topher and Jeff talk with Jacob “JJ” Howland, USMC Vet and wrestling coach. With over half a million followers on Instagram, Howland inspires athletes of all sports to be the best version of themselves.

In this episode we talk about:

— Not having to be the most skilled, just consistent

— Coaching each athlete differently according to what they need

— Reframing situations to help fuel you instead of hurt you

— Howland’s huge announcement

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!

HTT MERCH

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

FRIDAY FACEOFF - HOW TO MAKE A CAREER OUT OF COACHING?! Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to discuss a listener's question about making a career out of coaching full time. Maybe you don’t have the confidence, maybe you don’t have high-level playing experience, or maybe you don’t even know how to get started. That doesn’t mean you can’t be a great coach. Let’s talk about what you can do if coaching is the dream and how to get yourself out there.

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

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

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

SHORT SHIFTS - ADDING VERSATILITY TO YOUR GAME Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about a topic one of our listeners submitted: adding versatility to your game by improving your “B Game.” We talk about how to make yourself more marketable to coaches you’re playing for.

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.

5 Keys to Earning Your Confidence Daily - EP 394 Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

This week Topher and Jeff fly solo to talk about a huge thing hockey players, and athletes alike, struggle with: confidence. Listen for the 5 things you should do every day to build your confidence and become the best athlete you can be.

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!

HTT MERCH

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

FRIDAY FACEOFF - SPLITTING GAMES FOR GOALIES?! Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

On today’s FRIDAY FACEOFF episode, Toph wants to discuss a listener's question about splitting games for goalies when there is a skill discrepancy, but both pay the same amount of money to play. Should it be 50/50 and how should it be communicated to the goalies and their families?

TEN MINUTES ON THE CLOCK STARTING NOW!

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

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

SHORT SHIFTS - TRAILING IN THE THIRD Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

On today’s SHORT SHIFTS episode, Toph wants to talk about what you should do when you are down a couple goals and are heading into the third period. How do you handle trailing and should you change anything?

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.

A Deep Dive into Coaching with Guest Darryl Belfry, NHL Player Development Author, Analyst, & Consultant (Rerun) - EP 393 Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of the Hockey Think Tank podcast, we bring on hockey development pioneer who works with some of the top names in the game, Darryl Belfry. Darryl's client list includes the likes of Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews, John Tavares… among others of the NHL's elite. Darryl also just came out with a book, "Belfry Hockey: Strategies to Teach the World's Best Athletes."

On this podcast we cover so many great topics, including:

— Darryl's journey to working with the top players in the world

— Can you teach offense?

— Manipulating failure and success rates in your coaching

— Linking transition hockey with hockey sense

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!

HTT MERCH

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