The Rink Shrinks

Latest Episodes:

Mailbag + Physicality Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

Episode 254- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a new mailbag episode this week on The Rink Shrinks! Before all of your questions and stories Motts shares his story about a tough loss over the weekend and the guys hit on a bunch of NHL stories including Alex Ovechkin scoring his 900th career goal. Then the boys dip into the mailbag and give their reactions to your questions and stories which include:

Throwing the body around at 6U
Gaining confidence with the puck
Finding the diamond in the rough at different levels
+ more!

BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, BY gives Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Jason Guerriero of USA Hockey Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

Episode 253- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back on The Rink Shrinks with an interview with now two-time guest, Jason Guerriero! Before the interview the guys recap their weekends around the rinks and hit on some NHL topics including some new contracts and milestones. Then BY sits down with Jason for a great chat about:

From coaching to college hockey to coaching more youth hockey
Second year of working for USA hockey
Working with the parents
Drawing up plays and drills, check for understanding
Town leagues rising in popularity, coaching, and skill
+ More!

BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, BY gives Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Mailbag & Brad Marchand Tribute Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

11:47 - Brad Marchand tribute discussion
- Character development and becoming a leader
- Accountability
- Skillset that he had
16:55 - Learning from your teammates (positive and negatives and learning from mistakes)
- Motts learning from Paul Martin
- “Stealing from your teammates”
19:30 - Matthew Schafer’s hot start in his rookie season
- Talking about Matt Martin
26:50 - As a coach you don’t have to rush through the practice
- As long as you're getting your reps in
- If the time is being utilized correctly
- Can mix in a lot things in one practice
30:10 - Show some situational type highlights
- Look at the shifts
- Highlight the strengths
- Good decisions
- Positioning
- Good backchecks
- Have a variety, highlight some goals
- Re-enforcing some things, positives and negatives, how do recover
35:35 - How do we improve without the video as well
41:15 - It’s at an age where there is separation
- It’s sometimes not as beneficial as you think to put 5 forwards on the PP and can also develop Defense as well
- Practice/ice times to practice as a team is different for each team
- It’s situational
48:30 - The ability to separate, are they maintain speed where they should and when to use your speed.
- Being an effective skater on the areas of the ice you need to be
- Brad Marchand’s edge work
- Puck protection
- It varies on how it’s implemented, there are not many “elite skaters”
55:20 - If you’re there to watch, don’t yell at your kids from the stands, let the coaches coach
BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, Motts gives his Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!
Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Torey Krug Interview Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh episode of The Rink Shrinks featuring an interview with Torey Krug! Before the interview BY & Motts catch up on their weekends around the rinks, the Rangers struggles at home early in the season, the Canadiens contract extensions, The boys welcome to discuss his path to the NHL and more including:

How he fell in love with the game
Decision to go to Michigan State
His time with the Bruins
Decision to go to the Blues during Free Agency

more!
BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, BY gives Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Mailbag With Murph Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

Episode 250- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh mailbag episode this week featuring friend of the program, Brian Murphy of Neutral Zone! Before the mailbag, BY & Motts catch up on their weekends around the rinks and they chat about some new extensions for some superstars in the NHL. BY, Motts, and Murph then dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions and react to your stories.

BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, Motts gives his Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Glenn Hefferan: Commissioner & President of the USHL Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

Episode 249- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh episode of The Rink Shrinks featuring an interview with the Commissioner and President of the USHL, Glenn Hefferan! Before the interview BY & Motts catch up on their weekends around the rinks, the Red Sox versus the Yankees in the Wild Card, and NHL superstar Kirill Kaprizov signing a massive deal with the Minnesota Wild. Then the boys welcome in now two-time guest Glenn Hefferan to discuss his new role and more including:

What it takes to be the Commissioner of the USHL
A strong USHL is good for the NHL
Building relationships with other leagues
Developing at your own pace
There’s 500 D1 spots up for grab every year

BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, BY gives Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Mailbag + Motts Is Back! Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

Episode 248-Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh mailbag episode of The Rink Shrinks this week! Motts is back in Chicago fresh off his first two victories in the USHL and BY gives a recap of his weekend around the rinks down in Connecticut. Then the boys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions and react to your stories which include:

Suggestions for a kid who is on the bubble of making a AAA team
Finding a balance of playing two sports in the same season
Off ice workout suggestions
+ more!

BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, BY gives Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Topher Scott of 'The Hockey Think Tank' Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

Episode 247- Brian Yandle is carrying the load this week riding solo while Motts makes his first step behind the bench of the season for this episode of The Rink Shrinks! Before BY brings on our guest he provides an update on his two older sons that are playing at Cushing Academy then he touches on some NHL news ahead of NHL training camp opening up. Then, BY sits down with friend of the program Topher Scott of 'The Hockey Think Tank' to chat about everything hockey and more including his take on the state of Massachusetts youth hockey.

BY wraps up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, BY gives Motts’ moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Mailbag + California Youth Hockey Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

Episode 246- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh mailbag episode of The Rink Shrinks this week! Before getting to all of your questions Motts gives an update on the Chicago Steel, BY recaps his weekend on the ice, and the guys chat about some NHL news. Then the boys dip into the mailbag to answer all of your questions and react to your stories which include:

The importance of passing
A “little league” hockey world series?
California hockey
+ more

BY & Motts wrap up the show answering the My Hockey Rankings question of the week! Then, Motts gives his Motts moment lock of the week presented by FanDuel!

Thank you for listening! Please rate, review, and subscribe!

If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please reach out to us by email or DM us on Instagram!

Leave us a voicemail: 347-6-SHRINK

Email: RinkShrinks@gmail.com

Instagram: @TheRinkShrinks

Twitter: @RinkShrinks

Website: www.therinkshrinks.com

Join the community! https://community.thehockeythinktank.com/signup?am_id=rinkshrinks

Youtube: www.YouTube.com/Bleav

Today's Episode Was Sponsored By:

TSR Hockey

Franklin Sports

My Hockey Rankings

Neutral Zone

Bando Performance

FanDuel

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

Frank Nazar & Jonathan Sigalet Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

Episode 245- Brian Yandle and Mike Mottau are back with a fresh episode of The Rink Shrinks featuring a dual interview with Chicago Blackhawks center Frank Nazar and former professional hockey player and friend of the program, Jonathan Sigalet! Before the interview, Motts gives an update on how training camp is going in Chicago and the guys give praise to the recent USA Hockey Hall of Fame inductees which includes our good friend, Scott Gomez! Then BY brings on Frank and Jonathan for a great chat about both of their careers and more including: