What makes a hockey drill fun?
Instead of asking coaches, we asked the players.
This week's episode features youth players from around St. Louis drawing and explaining their favorite drills using the Drift Hockey whiteboard. Along the way, they share why these games keep them engaged, what coaches may not realize, and even throw a little good-natured chirping at their coaches.
From fast-paced 2-on-2 battles and continuous backchecking drills to chaos in front of the net and competitive small-area games, this episode is packed with ideas coaches can immediately add to their practice plans.
You'll also hear about summer hockey, fishing, golf, vacations, goalie personalities, and why defensemen secretly wish they were forwards.
Featured Players
• Will "Mouth" Alexander
• Simon Leeds
• Evan Alvarado
• Gabe Dulotte
• Owen Acree
Download every drill discussed during the episode at www.2ManyMenOnTheMic.com.
If you enjoy the show, please:
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@twomanymenpodcast

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www.2manymenonthemic.com

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We're closing out our inaugural Best of Season 1 series with another collection of memorable conversations that celebrate the people who make hockey such a special game.
In Part 2, we revisit our interview with Kirk Kullberg of the Anchorage Hockey Association and learn what makes Alaska's hockey community so unique. We catch up with players Blake Warren and Blake Dorn as they discuss their hockey journeys, the transition to higher levels of the game, and the lessons they've learned along the way.
We also welcome Olympic gold medalist Guy "Goose" Gosselin, who shares his experiences representing Team USA and helping grow the game through USA Hockey. Then we celebrate the Twin Bridges 10U B1 Blue Note Cup Champions with the players and coaches who made it happen before wrapping up with one of our favorite episodes—our Hockey Moms Roundtable featuring Amanda Rodgers, Tracey Brown, Beth Hasek, and Kathryn Heitzenroederfrom the Affton Americans 18U CSDHL team. Their candid conversation about parenting hockey players, supporting their families, building lifelong friendships, and embracing the youth hockey journey resonated with listeners across the hockey community.
Thank you for making our first season such an incredible experience. Whether you've been listening since Episode 1 or just discovered the show, we're grateful you're part of the 2 Many Men on the Mic family.
If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe, leave us a review, and share the show with another hockey family. Your support helps us continue bringing meaningful conversations to players, parents, coaches, officials, and fans throughout the hockey world.
Remember...
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

It's hard to believe we've been at this for a full year.
With nearly 60 episodes in the books, we decided it was time to revisit some of the conversations that helped define our inaugural season.
In Best of Season 1 – Part 1, we highlight six memorable episodes featuring Bob Mancini (USA Hockey), Coach Bob Jakubeck's tribute to Colin Brown and 72 Acts of Kindness, Swedish and Finnish player development with Jon Lind and Pyry Lukkarila, the growth of girls hockey with Coach Rachel Bartlett, expanding hockey in the Florida Panhandle with Coach Carlos Villa, and the importance of developing resilient, confident athletes with Jeff Brown of The Mindful Hockey Club.
Whether you missed these episodes the first time or want to hear them again, this collection showcases many of the ideas, stories, and people that have made our first season so rewarding.
Part 2 arrives next week!
If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, leave a review, and share the podcast with a fellow hockey family. Your support helps us continue bringing meaningful conversations to players, parents, coaches, and fans across the hockey community.

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

It turns out the answer isn't winning.
In this episode of 2 Many Men on the Mic, Jared and Drew explore one of the biggest challenges facing youth hockey today: keeping the game fun while still helping players develop.
The conversation begins with lessons from the Stanley Cup, coaching philosophy, and one of the hosts' favorite practice games before welcoming Dr. Adam Gledhill of Loughborough University.
Drawing from his recent international research on youth hockey, Adam explains why effort, enjoyment, positive coaching, and healthy team environments matter more than many adults realize.
Together they discuss:
• Why children value trying their best over simply winning
• The biggest contributors to player enjoyment
• Why athletes leave sports during adolescence
• "Connection Before Correction" and modern coaching
• How parents can positively shape a child's experience
• Practical ways to create hockey environments players never want to leave
If you're a coach, parent, administrator, or player who wants hockey to remain a lifelong passion, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Enjoy the show?
Please subscribe, leave us a review, and share the episode with another hockey family. Your support helps us continue bringing conversations that make hockey more fun—and help more kids stay in the game.

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

The Stanley Cup Final may be over, but the lessons for youth hockey players and coaches are just getting started.

This week, Coach Jared and Coach Drew break down key moments from the championship series and discuss how Carolina's identity—relentless forechecking, committed backchecking, net-front presence, and team-first hockey—can translate directly into youth hockey development.

The guys analyze Jordan Staal's dominance around the crease, Jacob Slavin's elite defensive habits, and the collective commitment that helped Carolina capture hockey's ultimate prize. Along the way, they share practice drills and coaching concepts that can help players become more effective and help coaches build stronger team identities.

The episode also includes updates on the upcoming 2 Many Men on the Mic acoustic performance, support from Five B Designs, and the launch of the show's initiative to help make hockey more affordable through donated skates and sticks for youth players.

Topics Include:

• Stanley Cup Final analysis
• Team identity and culture
• Forechecking and offensive zone pressure
• Backchecking and defensive responsibility
• Net-front play and scoring habits
• Practice drills for coaches
• Growing the game and making hockey more affordable

Subscribe, follow, and share the show with a hockey family, coach, or player who loves the game.

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

How much does youth hockey really cost in 2026—and what can we do about it?
In this episode of 2 Many Men on the Mic, Coach Jared and Coach Drew dive into one of the most important conversations in youth sports today: the rising cost of hockey. From Learn-to-Play programs to travel tournaments, new skates, broken sticks, camps, and development opportunities, they break down the real numbers and compare today's costs to the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond.
But this isn't a doom-and-gloom episode.
The guys discuss practical ways families can manage costs, why diversification into other sports still matters, and how the hockey community can work together to remove financial barriers that prevent kids from staying in the game. They also announce a new initiative with RG & Luna Sports to help provide skates to players and families who need a little extra support.
Plus:
🏒 Stanley Cup Final takeaways and lessons for youth players
🏒 Why mistakes—even at the NHL level—are part of development
🏒 The "Five Tire Fire Drill" powered by Drift Hockey
🏒 How hockey families can help grow the game without breaking the bank
At 2 Many Men on the Mic, we believe hockey is more fun the better you get at it—and we want more kids to have the opportunity to experience that journey.

Connect With Us
🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Buzzsprout, or wherever you listen.
📺 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for full episodes, coaching content, game broadcasts, and interviews.
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🌐 Visit: www.2ManyMenOnTheMic.com
👍 If you enjoyed this episode:
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Your support helps us continue bringing great conversations, coaching resources, and stories from across the hockey community.
#YouthHockey #HockeyParents #StanleyCupFinal #HockeyDevelopment #USAHockey #YouthSports #HockeyLife #2ManyMenOnTheMic #GrowingTheGame

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

This week, Jared and Drew welcome Josh Holmes, Director of Adult Hockey for USA Hockey, for a conversation about adult hockey, Learn-to-Play programs, and how stepping onto the ice can completely change a parent's perspective.
The group discusses:
• Why adult hockey participation continues to grow
• The rapid growth of women's hockey
• USA Hockey's beginner and "Rusty" divisions
• How adult hockey creates better hockey parents
• The camaraderie that keeps players coming back
• The incredible 70+ and 75+ National Championship divisions
• Why hockey truly can be a lifelong sport
The episode also features a special announcement as Vantage Credit Union becomes the new presenting sponsor of 2 Many Men on the Mic.
Whether you're a hockey parent, coach, player, or someone considering giving the sport a try, this episode offers a fun reminder that hockey isn't just a youth sport—it's a game for life.
🏒 Hockey is more fun the better you get at it.
🎙️ Subscribe, follow, rate, and share the show wherever you get your podcasts.
📺 YouTube:
2 Many Men on the Mic YouTube Channel
🌐 Website:
2 Many Men on the Mic Website
#HockeyParents #AdultHockey #USAHockey #YouthHockey #MensLeague #WomensHockey #HockeyPodcast

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

This week on 2 Many Men on the Mic, Jared, Drew, and Grant welcome Blake Dorn to the show.
Blake’s journey from A-level youth hockey in St. Louis to playing ACHA hockey at Northwestern University is a story every hockey family should hear.
The guys discuss:
• Growing up in St. Louis hockey
• Playing for the St. Louis Rockets and SLUH
• Learning to truly love the game
• The importance of owning your development
• Balancing elite academics with college hockey
• The growth of ACHA hockey across the country
• Why there’s still a place in hockey for non-elite players
Plus:
• NHL playoff talk
• Hockey parent wisdom
• Locker room superstitions
• A possible live acoustic/cowbell performance from Grant
• Another classic Drill Draw segment
Whether you’re chasing college hockey, coaching youth players, or just trying to keep kids loving the game, this episode delivers a ton of perspective and laughs along the way.
Subscribe, download, rate, review… and please help us convince YouTube that hockey podcasts deserve love too.

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