Two-time Walter Cup winning PWHL player Sophie Jaques joins the podcast to talk about breaking barriers, making the move from the Minnesota Frost to the Vancouver expansion team, and what she hopes her hockey legacy will be.
Tom Bark of the two-time, back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions the Florida Panthers sits down with the podcast. He’s Director of Hockey Operations and Player Evaluation with the team, and grew up in a family that loves hockey.
It’s a new season! Former NHL player and Stanley Cup winner Devante Smith-Pelly joins the podcast to talk about his playing career, his current work as an analyst with Monumental Sports, and a full circle moment on his day with the Stanley Cup.
Tennessee State University head coach Duante' Abercrombie joins us on this episode. We first met Duante' in Season 1 when he was finishing a coaching program with the Arizona Coyotes. He was hired soon after that to work with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now he is heading up the brand new hockey program for Tennessee State University. It's the first HBCU to have a hockey team, and we were excited to learn about his vision for this program.
On this episode, Jo Dabney tells us about her latest Black History Month collaboration with the San Jose Sharks. She’s an artist and designer based in Washington, DC who’s also done work for the Washington Capitals and many other professional hockey teams. We also discuss the Gr8 Chase and how it felt when her favorite hockey player wore her design.
Abbotsford Canucks head coach and former NHL player Manny Malhotra joins us on this episode. He was a first round draft pick and played professionally for 18 years. He tells us about his playing career, his shift into full-time coaching and what it’s like coaching current South Asian players. Also, Anar shares stories from her coverage of the Four Nations tournament.
We’re taking a little break to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. We’ll be back with new episodes in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
Author Renee Hess joins us to discuss her new book, “Blackness is a Gift I Can Give Her.” The Black Girl Hockey Club founder also shares upcoming events for that organization. Anar and Manashi share their 2024 highlights and their hopes for the new year.
Apna Hockey President Lali Toor shares his hockey history which compelled him to start the first hockey based organization serving the South Asian community. His love of the sport combined with his business background brings a fresh perspective to the community.
Abbotsford Canucks development coach Harry Mahesh tells us about his journey from minor league hockey player to NHL coach. He shares his insight as a hockey player of Indian descent, how he’s learned to embrace his culture and now finds joy in the sport.
We continue our discussion with Speekes’ founders Megan and Kevin Weekes in this episode. Kevin tells us about his experience playing hockey from youth leagues to the NHL as well as his journey into broadcasting.
Powerhouse duo Megan and Kevin Weekes tell us about their new media and advisory company, Speekes. Kevin is a retired NHL goaltender and current broadcast analyst for various outlets, including ESPN, CBC and the NHL network. Megan is a Chief Marketing Officer who’s worked with some of the biggest companies in the world, such as Tropicana, Major League Baseball, Revlon and the NHL. This is part one of our amazing chat with them!
New episodes coming on October 22! We will be hearing from entrepreneurs Kevin and Megan Weekes, Apna Hockey founder Lali Toor, Canucks hockey coach Harry Mahesh, author Renee Hess, and many others!
Our interview continues with Ice Hockey in Harlem's Executive Director Malik Garvin and Board President JJ Velez. They talk about the need for community partnership to keep a program like theirs thriving and how corporate sponsors, the NHL and local volunteers are all crucial to this mission. We also discuss the need for growing the game and bringing new audiences to it, and we share all of our favorite hockey memories on our last episode of Season 3.
Malik Garvin and JJ Velez tell us about their organization Ice Hockey in Harlem. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1987, and runs hockey and educational programs for lower income youth in New York City. Malik and JJ both participated in the program as kids, and now they are keeping the legacy going for the next generation.
We are taking a short break and will be back on March 26 with a new episode featuring Ice Hockey in Harlem.
On this episode, Alex Kim - Anaheim Junior Ducks' Director of Player Personnel and Head Coach - joins us. He also works as a scout for the United States Hockey League and is a founder of the Optimum Hockey Academy. He's working to grow the game for the Asian community through coaching, scouting and running a hockey Academy. He's even coached some current NHL players that you may recognize.
Sports agent John Kofi Osei-Tutu and professional hockey player Marc Johnstone join us on this episode. Johnstone made his NHL debut December 8, 2023 with the Pittsburgh Penguins when they played the Florida Panthers. They share their experiences navigating the sport and what it felt like to make an NHL debut after many years of dedication and hard work.
Bernice Carnegie is co-founder and co-chair of The Carnegie Initiative. Named for legendary Hockey Hall of Famer and social justice pioneer, Herb Carnegie, the organization focuses on inclusion and acceptance in hockey. Their upcoming CI Summit in Toronto is one not to be missed, bringing together changemakers within the sport ahead of the NHL's All Star events. Bernice speaks to us about her own extraordinary life, her involvement in the sport and what The Carnegie Initiative strives to accomplish.