Jamie R.

Husband, Father, old goalie, #abide

[Jeff Marek @JeffMarek]

And if you are struggling, please reach out to someone or call 9-8-8.

We’re all imperfect, we all need help. Nothing is as it seems.

‘I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief’
-C.S Lewis

[Dave Starman @DStarmanHockey]

NCHC was essentially formed due to the B1G being created...little did the B1G know that their vision of their own hockey conference, which many felt would dominate college hockey, created the powerhouse @TheNCHC has become. Be careful what you wish for.

[Broadmoor Beauties @CCHockeyNews]

C’mon, this is getting ridiculous. Since the NCHC officially began play in 2013…

NCHC: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
ECAC: 🏆🏆
HE: 🏆🏆
AHA:
CCHA:
B1G:
Independents:

The NCHC owns 8 of the last 10 national titles.

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

KIDS (and parents): This is a must-watch clip from Jay Hardwick, head coach of state champion and elite player factory Warroad Minnesota, on what scouts ask him about regarding his players.

“They don’t ask a lot about hockey…”

[Jamie R. @RonayneJames]

@ClankoMedia The reality of marketing exposed.

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

“Parents aren’t the problem. Confusion is.”

Sometimes in youth sports, parents get an unfair bad rap. As a youth hockey association, if you aren’t consistently communicating with your parents on expectations, standards, and culture, you’re opening yourself up to dissent and parent pushback. The more you proactively communicate, the fewer fires you’ll have to put out during the year.

I brought my Hockey Think Tank team onto this week’s podcast to talk about the five biggest things we learned this year in youth hockey.

[Jamie R. @RonayneJames]

@BraumLincoln @johnpat007 Always love a Tombstone reference 👊

[Glenn Hefferan @GlennHefferan]

Wow. Very poignant.

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

I think the biggest problem minor hockey faces comes from two spots:

Parents and Coaches.

Amazing perspective from a great hockey mind in @CarloColaiacovo

We had an amazing conversation with Carlo and Luciano Aquino on our latest podcast out now.

[Rob Gucci @heatdaddy69420]

Excited for the 2026 Diddy Bowl tonight

[Mike Commito @mikecommito]

In honour of Steve Sullivan being named an assistant coach with the Leafs, here’s that unforgettable moment from his time in Chicago in which Sullivan got the last laugh with a fan who had been giving him a hard time earlier in the game 😂

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

Over the past week, I've been told stories from two people that have worked in the NHL about youth hockey and My Hockey Rankings...and they're too crazy not to share.

1. There was a U16 game where a team was down by two goals late in the third period. The coach of the team that was losing yelled for his goalie to come to the bench for the extra attacker. But the goalie would not come to the bench. The coach started screaming at the goalie to come but the goalie stayed in the crease disobeying his coach.

The team ended up losing, and after the game the coach confronted the goalie asking him why he didn't come to the bench. The goalie told the coach that if they lost by 3 goals it would really hurt their ranking in My Hockey Rankings so he didn't want to risk it.

Wild.

2. There was a 14u team that was in a tournament out east. Their team made the consolation game of the tournament, but the team that they were supposed to play against refused to play them in the consolation game because it would hurt their My Hockey Ranking. So they played an intrasquad scrimmage against each other since the other team refused to play. Traveled hundreds of miles for the tournament and earned a spot in the consolation game...but didn't get the opportunity to play because of it.

**A 16 year old that refuses to listen to his coach and a 14 year old team that refuses to play against another team in a tournament because it would potentially hurt their team ranking.

@MYHockeyRanking was started so teams from non-traditional areas can find meaningful competition. Not this stuff. Both of these stories are indicative of the youth hockey culture prevalent today where rankings and ego supercede development and growth.

We need to be better than this.

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

My post this morning will be a little bit different than what I normally post. My hope is that it will inspire someone going through the tough stuff to find the good. 🙏

🔗: https://t.co/uUa12OU5un

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

One of the best two minute conversations I’ve ever heard. On so many levels.

[Aaron Babicz '93 @DETROITCCAD]

CULTURE.
DYNAMIC FROM TOP TO BOTTOM IN EVERYTHING WE DO!!
S/O to @DCCEsports and the @ShamrockNation_
#CCpride #BasilianBuilt

[Barstool Sports @barstoolsports]

Filling up your high school gym for a Rocket League match goes so hard

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

KIDS: You can't give a good player a bad pass.

In practice - when you get a bad pass from a teammate - GOOD! It's an opportunity to make yourself better. Players at the highest levels can catch any pass put in their area whether it's on their tape or not.

Check out the replays of Pastrnak's second goal last night and how seamlessly he gets the puck from skate to stick and into the net. This takes an incredible amount of skill and reps to get good at.

When I was at Michigan, I probably passed Adam Fantilli thousands of pucks for shots. He never wanted a pass on the tape. He wanted them everywhere so he could work on corralling bad passes and getting it off his stick fast and accurately. 30 goals last year in the NHL.

I see too many kids get upset when they receive bad passes. It's an opportunity to get better! And when you watch NHL games these players are so good at it.

[Topher Scott @HockeyThinkTank]

For all the hockey parents out there:

A Division One Head Coach sent me this text today.

When we evaluate your kids, we’re not just evaluating them. We’re evaluating you too.

[Jamie R. @RonayneJames]

@Eags37 💯