Jared and Drew welcome hockey coach and entrepreneur Dale to talk Crystal Grip, coaching girls hockey, and a skating obstacle course so fun the players might forget they’re working. Yes, we’re absolutely stealing it.

Then we go from NHL fan panic to a question every youth hockey coach eventually faces: How do you keep a struggling team believing?

We discuss building confidence, recognizing the little plays, and helping families see development beyond the scoreboard. Add in Blues and Red Wings chirps, girls hockey role models, a MidStates Hockey Night in St. Louis preview, and some old-school NHL trivia, and you’ve got a full bench.

There’s also a college football argument. We tried to keep everyone on task. Results were mixed.

What does progress look like when the wins aren’t coming? Share your answer with us on Instagram @twomanymenpodcast.

Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode, leave a rating or review, and send this one to a coach or hockey parent. Watching on YouTube? Like, subscribe, and join the conversation!

More hockey, coaching resources, and broadcast information:

https://www.2manymenonthemic.com (https://www.2manymenonthemic.com/)

Presented by Vantage Credit Union.

Hockey is more fun the better you get at it.

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Stay connected with 2 Many Men on the Mic:

📸 Follow us on Instagram
@twomanymenpodcast

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Does a higher-level team always mean better development? Should your child leave home for hockey? And could fewer games create more opportunities to improve?
USA Hockey’s Bob Mancini joins Coach Drew and Coach Jared to explain the thinking behind the new USA Hockey Development League—and why the conversation matters beyond the players selected for it.
Bob breaks down the roles of 15U and 17U hockey, how Tier I fits into the development pathway, and why players need room to progress at different speeds. We discuss the pressure to chase AAA labels, the value of developing closer to home, and what coaches can accomplish when weekends include time for teaching, recovery and individual attention.
The conversation also explores USA Hockey’s grassroots coaching initiatives and a question every hockey family should keep asking: Is our child still enjoying the game?
Then, Jeff Gross takes us back to Sioux Falls, where his father and a determined group of families helped build a hockey rink. Parents put their homes on the line. Kids picked up shovels. Together, they helped create opportunities that reached far beyond their own teams.
Two conversations connected by one idea: growing hockey starts with giving kids a place to play, a chance to improve and a reason to keep coming back.
Plus, hear about our new partnership with One Hockey Tournaments.
Follow 2 Many Men on the Mic wherever you listen, share this episode with another hockey family, and watch the show on YouTube.
Learn more about the USA Hockey Development League:
https://www.usahockey.com/developmentleague
Presented by Vantage Credit Union. A Netfront LLC production.
With thanks to Afterlight Recovery and Five B Designs.

Support the show

Stay connected with 2 Many Men on the Mic:

📸 Follow us on Instagram
@twomanymenpodcast

🌐 Download coaching resources, drills, and practice plans
www.2manymenonthemic.com

▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full episodes, clips, and coaching content
http://www.youtube.com/@2ManyMenontheMic

Does tough coaching actually create tougher hockey players?
Following last week's discussion of the incident involving St. Louis Blues prospect Matthew Mayock at Arizona State, Drew and Jared turn from what happened to a bigger question facing hockey: Are we teaching mental toughness the right way?
Therapist and hockey mom Jenny Hoffman of Therapy & Wellness Collective joins the show to discuss fear of failure, confidence, self-advocacy and how coaches can challenge young athletes without creating a culture where players are afraid to speak up.
Then Jeff Brown of Mindful Hockey Club returns with the perspective of a former professional player and mental performance coach. Jeff breaks down the important difference between high standards and shame-based coaching, why fear doesn't equal mental toughness, and how accountability, communication and even fun can help produce more confident, resilient players.
🏒 When does "tough coaching" go too far?
🧠 What actually builds mental toughness?
💪 Can you demand more from players without coaching through fear?
🗣️ How do we teach athletes to say when something isn't right?
👥 Who should determine a team's culture — coaches or players?
🔥 Why sometimes the answer to a struggling team isn't pushing harder.
And because this is still 2 Many Men on the Mic, things eventually deteriorate into Drew and Jared challenging producer Grant to determine who actually knows more about their sport — hockey guys or the Mizzou football guy.
The result is far more competitive than anyone expected.
🎙️ 2 Many Men on the Mic — Presented by Vantage Credit Union
Hockey is more fun the better you get at it.

Support the show

Stay connected with 2 Many Men on the Mic:

📸 Follow us on Instagram
@twomanymenpodcast

🌐 Download coaching resources, drills, and practice plans
www.2manymenonthemic.com

▶️ Subscribe to our YouTube channel for full episodes, clips, and coaching content
http://www.youtube.com/@2ManyMenontheMic