He never made the NHL. He still built a decade-long pro hockey career.

Scott and Jamie sit down with former North Dakota and professional hockey player Brad Miller, now with Turtlebox Audio, to talk about a hockey path that took him from Atlanta to Shattuck-St. Mary’s, the USHL, North Dakota, and professional hockey.

Brad talks about growing up with nearly unlimited access to ice, spending hours playing unstructured hockey with his buddies, and how that helped develop creativity and hockey sense. He also gets into the jump to college hockey, unexpectedly moving from forward to defense, injuries, and building a long pro career without ever reaching the NHL.

In this episode:

• Growing up playing unstructured hockey in Atlanta
• The path from Shattuck to North Dakota
• Going from forward to defense in college
• Building a pro career without making the NHL

This one is a good reminder for hockey families: the NHL isn’t the only path to a successful hockey career.

Turtle Box: https://turtleboxaudio.com/
Pacific Rink: https://www.pacificrink.com/ discount code: CrazyDad10

Mo's Smile: https://mosmilefoundation.org/
CHD/MSK Donation Page: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/chdmsc2026

Partners:

• https://www.pacificrink.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/
• https://hockeytraining.com/
• https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydads
• https://howieshockeytape.com/
• https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/

Socials:

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcast
• X: https://x.com/Crazyhockeydads
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/

How one hockey dad turned a broken bag into one of hockey's most recognizable gear brands.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Pacific Rink co-founder and CEO Brad Serkin to talk about how a frustrating hockey bag experience sparked an idea that eventually grew into a brand seen in rinks around the country.

Brad takes us behind the scenes of building Pacific Rink, from prototypes and Kickstarter to getting into major retailers, and explains why the company refuses to launch products just to launch them. He also shares what's coming next, including a wheel bag they've spent years developing and new ideas designed around how hockey players actually use their gear.

The conversation also gets into surviving COVID, tariffs and supply-chain chaos, designing products through player feedback.

In this episode:

• How three broken bags helped spark Pacific Rink
• Why organization became central to the original design
• Going from Kickstarter to major hockey retailers
• Why Pacific Rink won't make a product just because competitors do
• The wheel bag they've spent years trying to get right

This one is a look behind a piece of hockey gear most of us never think much about and how two hockey dads built a business by obsessing over it.

Pacific Rink: https://www.pacificrink.com/ discount code: CrazyDad10

Mo's Smile: https://mosmilefoundation.org/
CHD/MSK Donation Page: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/chdmsc2026

Partners:

• https://www.pacificrink.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/
• https://hockeytraining.com/
• https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydads
• https://howieshockeytape.com/
• https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/

Socials:

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcast
• X: https://x.com/Crazyhockeydads
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/

The Stanley Cup champion who reached hockey's highest level while fighting a battle he didn't understand.

Scott and Jamie sit down with Stanley Cup champion Brent Sopel for a raw conversation about his NHL career, dyslexia, ADHD, mental health, self-esteem, and the way we teach kids in youth hockey.

Brent talks candidly about reading at a fourth-grade level in high school, being labeled “dumb, stupid and lazy,” and not discovering his learning differences until age 32. He explains why hockey became his source of self-esteem, why winning the Stanley Cup was also the “emptiest” feeling of his life, and how he learned to play hockey instead of think hockey.

The conversation also gets into why Brent believes “youth sport has become youth business,” what private training often gets wrong, the details today's players are missing, and why coaches need to become better teachers, especially for kids who learn differently.

In this episode:

• Why winning the Stanley Cup felt unexpectedly empty
• Growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD
• Why self-esteem matters so much for young athletes
• Why coaches need to understand how different kids learn

This one gives hockey parents something they need to hear: sometimes the kid isn't struggling because they can't do it, they may just need to be taught differently.

Sopel Foundation: https://www.sopelfoundation.org/
Brent Sopel IG: https://www.instagram.com/brent_sopel/

Mo's Smile: https://mosmilefoundation.org/
CHD/MSK Donation Page: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/chdmsc2026

Partners:

• https://www.pacificrink.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/
• https://hockeytraining.com/
• https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydads
• https://howieshockeytape.com/
• https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/

Socials:

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcast
• X: https://x.com/Crazyhockeydads
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/