Christie Casciano; Author of the Puck Hog Series and My Kids Play Hockey. Available now!

In this episode of Pucked Up Parents, Michael and Angela sit down with book author, USA Hockey Magazine colunist, news anchor and hockey mom Christie Casciano for a candid and relatable conversation about life as a hockey parent.

Christie dives into the inspiration behind her youth hockey parent guide, My Kids Play Hockey, sharing practical advice, hard-earned wisdom, and plenty of “you can’t make this stuff up” moments from the rink. She also highlights her lighter side with her preschool book series, The Puck Hog, designed to introduce the game to the next generation in a fun, approachable way.

The conversation goes beyond the ice, exploring how hockey has shaped their kids’ lives and the parent lives in unexpected ways—from building resilience through failure to influencing paths like law school and even poetry, to making life long friends at the rink. Christie also talks about writing for USA Hockey, sharing how her article came together and unpacking some of the key themes around parenting, pressure, and perspective in youth sports.

Throughout the episode, Christie reads excerpts from her work, giving listeners a firsthand feel for her voice and message—equal parts heartfelt and humorous.

In the “Hockey This Week” segment, Michael and Angela keep things real with a quick (and painful) story about a roller hockey mishap that led to an unexpected ER visit.

It’s an episode packed with insight, laughs, and a reminder that no matter how wild the ride gets, hockey parenting is a shared experience.

In this episode of Pucked Up Parents, Michael and Angela dive into one of the most overlooked species in youth hockey culture: the siblings—aka the legendary “rink rats.” From toddlers wrapped like burritos in oversized blankets to pre-teens living off vending machine snacks and chaos, they break down what it really takes to keep the non-playing kids alive, warm, and relatively entertained during those long rink days.

Angela shares practical survival tactics—snack bag strategy, layering like you’re prepping for Everest, and the delicate art of finding seating that’s within eyesight of your kid who just wandered off. Meanwhile, Michael takes a more… scientific approach, comparing rink rats to wildlife in a nature documentary. He narrates their movements like a National Geographic special—migrating between bleachers, clustering near power sources, and forming temporary alliances with other siblings.

They also get into the long-term outlook: does today’s rink rat become tomorrow’s hockey player, or do they run as far from the sport as possible? Michael and Angela talk about that fork in the road, sharing stories of their son who caught the hockey bug because of his older hockey playing brother.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Pucked Up Parents without the logistical nightmare discussion: divide-and-conquer parenting. Splitting schedules, managing overlapping games, and figuring out who’s driving where.

They recap their week in hockey life—highlighted by scoring a clutch Chipotle discount thanks to a hockey jerseys, plus both kids heading into tryouts at the same time.

Bottom line: raising hockey players is hard… but managing the rink rats? That’s a whole different league

In this episode of Pucked Up Parents, Michael and Angela take a brutally honest (and predictably sarcastic) look at the true cost of youth hockey—and spoiler alert: it’s not pretty.

At a high level, they walk through the endless list of expenses that hit parents before the season even really starts. It begins with tryout fees—because apparently you have to pay just for the chance to pay more—followed quickly by those “non-refundable” commitment fees that lock you in before you’ve even found your kid’s other glove.

From there, the costs pile up fast: league fees, ice time, tournament registrations, and of course, travel. Michael and Angela highlight how the “extras” are where things really spiral—team fees, coaching add-ons, skills sessions, fundraising expectations, and all the little surprise charges that somehow never make it into the original number.

Then comes gear—constantly replaced, constantly upgraded, and somehow always urgent. Sticks break, skates don’t fit, and helmets expire like milk. And just when you think you’re set, there’s team apparel, spirit wear, and the mandatory “optional” purchases that every parent knows aren’t actually optional.

Throughout the episode, they keep it light with humor and real-life anecdotes, but the message is clear: youth hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a financial lifestyle. The bottom line? If you’re getting into hockey, you better love it—because your wallet definitely won’t.