Michael and Angela kick things off with a quick trip through This Week in Youth Hockey, including the college kids’ media day and their shiny new hockey jerseys. Meanwhile, the 12-year-old officially begins full-time practices for the new season—which apparently means missing one already because Mom and Dad have tickets to see Third Eye Blind. Priorities.Then we fire up the Pucked Up Parents Time Machine and head back to 2013, when Michael and Angela were wide-eyed, inexperienced hockey parents with absolutely no idea what they had signed up for. What would our 2026 selves tell those rookie versions of ourselves before embarking on the next 13 years of hockey?Would we warn them about the cost? The endless miles? The tournaments, hotels, equipment, early mornings and general insanity that comes with raising a hockey player? Would we tell them to enjoy it more, stress less, or simply buy stock in hockey tape?Michael also climbs back onto his favorite soapbox to once again rail against the lack of local media coverage for youth hockey, because apparently 13 years of experience has not made him any less salty.And finally, we look at how getting involved in hockey can evolve over the years—from coaching and volunteering to the ultimate leap: actually strapping on the skates and getting out on the ice yourself.It’s a look back at where we started, what we know now, and all the things we wish someone had told us before we became hockey parents.

Michael & Angela kick things off with their usual “This Week in Youth Hockey”, where Angela shares the highlights from the 12-year-old’s Welcome Back to Hockey parent meeting. The message from the hockey "powers that be" is pretty simple: parents, don’t be aholes this season. With the 2026/2027 hockey schedules finally coming together, it’s almost time to officially unleash ourselves back onto the rinks.Then it’s time to go WAY back.This episode tackles the history of hockey, tracing the game from its earliest roots in games like shinty to the organized sport we know today. Michael and Angela explore the days of homemade equipment, questionable hockey surfaces and even some truly disgusting early attempts at creating something resembling a puck—including the use of frozen cow dung.Yep. Hockey has come a long way.They look at the evolution of hockey organizations, including the rise of the NHL and USA Hockey, while also examining how the equipment has transformed over the decades. Skates go from simple strap-on blades to today's highly engineered, 3D-customized footwear. Sticks, protective equipment and pucks have all undergone their own incredible evolution as well.And naturally, Michael decides that 150 years of hockey history is the perfect opportunity to unleash dad jokes, much to Angela's increasing dismay.From shintys and cow pies to custom skates and modern hockey organizations, Michael and Angela attempt to cover roughly 150 years of hockey history in about an hour—because apparently that's all the attention span a hockey parent can spare.It’s history. It’s hockey. It’s educational. And unfortunately, there are dad jokes.

In this quick-hit episode, Michael and Angela tackle something every youth hockey parent will experience: your kid’s team either gets their ass handed to them—or they’re the ones doing the handing out.They break down what happens when a game gets ugly, from how players respond to how coaches manage a blowout and how the opposing team may react. They also talk about the parent side of things, including knowing when to chill out after goal #13, keeping celebrations in check, and showing some class when the game is clearly out of hand.Whether your team is getting smoked or lighting up the scoreboard, Michael and Angela discuss how parents can handle the situation, support their kids, and most importantly, know how to act when the game gets ugly—including what to say (and what not to say) after the final buzzer

The 2026/2027 hockey season is right around the corner—which means it’s time for hockey parents to get their lives, schedules, and sanity ready for another year of chaos!In this episode, Michael and Angela break down the preseason checklist for hockey parents: meeting the new players, parents and coaches, figuring out the practice and game schedule, planning around traffic, school, work and all the other commitments that somehow don’t care about hockey.Then it’s time for the gear check. What survived last season? What’s destroyed? What suddenly doesn’t fit? And what new team gear, custom equipment and hockey swag does your player absolutely “need”?From schedule juggling to equipment shopping, this is your official warning: hockey season is coming. Get prepared, get organized, and buckle up—because the chaos is about to begin.

Season 2 of Pucked Up Parents is here and to celebrate, Michael & Angela sit down with Rachel Steffen of the USA Women's National Sled Hockey Team for an inspiring and entertaining conversation about one of hockey's fastest-growing disciplines.Rachel shares her sled hockey journey—from discovering the sport and playing with the Cincinnati IceBreakers to earning a spot on Team USA. Along the way, they break down the equipment, rules, and gameplay, explaining what makes sled hockey unique while highlighting just how much it has in common with the stand-up game we all love.Whether you're a parent looking for a new opportunity for your child, a player interested in trying sled hockey, or a lifelong hockey fan curious about this incredible version of the sport, this episode is packed with insight, laughs, and a newfound appreciation for the athletes who continue to grow the game.

It may be summer, but class is officially in session! In this episode of Pucked Up Parents, Michael and Angela tackle Hockey Math—and trust us, it's not the kind you learned in school.From the science behind the game, including rink dimensions, shooting angles, puck velocity, and the geometry of the perfect pass, to the advanced calculations every hockey parent somehow becomes an expert in, they break down the numbers that make youth hockey possible.Learn how parents solve impossible equations like getting to a 6:00 AM game on time, stretching the family budget to afford another season, dividing weekends between multiple kids' schedules, and estimating exactly how much a road trip tournament is really going to cost (spoiler: it's always more than you think).Whether you're calculating shooting percentages or the odds of leaving the house without forgetting a piece of equipment, this episode proves that hockey parents deserve honorary math degrees. Grab a pencil, sharpen your skates, and prepare to laugh—because in youth hockey, the numbers never lie... but the budget definitely does.

On this episode, Michael and Angela dive into the ever-evolving world of Youth Hockey Style. They take a trip down memory lane, from the days when kids showed up to the rink in cartoon pajamas, mismatched clothes, and bed head… to the teenage years when it’s all about arriving in suits, sunglasses, headphones, and gold chains looking like they are heading to the NHL Draft.The conversation covers every stage of hockey drip—from picking the perfect jersey number and customizing helmets to rocking colored skate laces, tinted visors, cages with "hang", and the latest trends. Of course, Michael and Angela also talk about the parent side of it all: surviving the mullet phase, becoming the designated gear carrier, loaning out Dad’s suit and accepting that somehow your child now has stronger opinions about fashion than you do and it makes you feel 100 years oldWhether your hockey player still wears superhero pajamas to early morning practices or spends more time planning their pregame outfit than taping their stick, this episode celebrates the fun, funny, and sometimes expensive evolution of youth hockey style

From broken wrists and separated shoulders to the classic hockey smile after a puck knocks out a tooth, Michael and Angela dive into the painful reality of youth hockey injuries. They share stories about the bumps, bruises, and bigger setbacks that come with the game, while also discussing the illnesses that can sweep through a team—forcing players into unfamiliar positions, leaving benches short, or even causing games to be forfeited.The conversation covers the importance of properly fitted protective equipment, recognizing when an injury is more serious than "just shake it off," and what parents should do when their young athlete gets hurt. Whether you're dealing with a sprained ankle, a stomach bug making its way through the locker room, or your first trip to the ER after a game, this episode mixes practical advice with the humor that every hockey parent needs to survive another season.

In this episode of Pucked Up Parents, Michael and Angela sit down with Chris Holmes—a hockey dad, goalie dad, youth hockey coach, and the founder of Buffalo's Queen City Hockey Expo. Chris shares his journey into the hockey world, how his child unexpectedly became a goalie, and what inspired him to step behind the bench as a youth coach.The conversation then shifts to a large hockey community off-ice event y as Chris tells the story behind the creation of the Queen City Hockey Expo. He explains how the idea came together, the challenges of building the event from the ground up, and what families, players, coaches, and hockey fans can expect when they attend this year's Expo on August 9, 2026. Whether you're looking for the latest gear, training resources, hockey connections, or just another excuse to spend a day surrounded by the game, this episode gives listeners an inside look at one of youth hockey's most exciting community events.

This episode of Pucked Up Parents, Michael and Angela kick things off with a recap of the latest hockey happenings, including their 12Us experience at summer hockey camp, the was it worth it story of how Angela managed to crack her phone screen because of hockey, and a listener's story that reminds us why maybe... just maybe... we should cut referees a little slack.Then it's on to the main event: how youth hockey completely infiltrates every aspect of a parent's daily life. Before you know it, hockey isn't just a sport—it's become your measuring stick for everything. Hockey tape replaces duct tape, a hockey stick becomes the perfect tool for hiding and retrieving things from under the bed, and a spare helmet suddenly seems like appropriate protective equipment for unsafe household chores.Michael and Angela dive into the unmistakable aroma of that permeates hockey away from the rink including garages that smell like a locker room to vehicles that need a pine tree gas station scented air freshner. They discuss how hockey influences major life decisions—like buying a vehicle based on equipment storage instead of gas mileage, skipping non-hockey events—and why years of stay-to-play hotels have necessitated VIP 5-star vacation hotels.They also talk about how their closets and gift lists have been completely hijacked by hoodies, wool socks, team apparel, and hockey merchandise, proving that once hockey enters your life, there's no escaping it.Throw in an excessive number of comments about the current scorching Cincinnati heat, far too many Clark Griswold references, and plenty of stories that every hockey parent will recognize, and you've got another episode that proves hockey isn't just something your kids play—it's a lifestyle that quietly takes over everything.