The Ride To The Rink - Don't Be Like Wayne Gretzky: Unlocking A Champion's Edge Artwork

Our Kids Play Hockey

Our Kids Play Hockey is a podcast that focuses on youth hockey, offering insights, stories, and interviews from the hockey community. It provides valuable advice for parents, coaches, and players, covering various aspects of the game, including skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, and creating a positive experience for young athletes. The show frequently features guests who share their expertise and personal experiences in youth hockey, both on and off the ice.

The show features three hockey parents, who all work in the game at high levels:

Christie Casciano-Burns - USA Hockey Columnist, Author, and WSYR Anchor
Mike Bonelli - USA Hockey Coach and Organizational Consultant
Lee M.J. Elias - Hockey Entrepreneur, Author, and Team Strategist

In addition to the main podcast, there are several spin-off series that dive into specific aspects of youth hockey:

1. Our Girls Play Hockey – This series, co-hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist and Walter Cup Champion Hayley Scamurra, highlights the growing presence of girls in hockey, addressing the unique challenges they face while celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to the sport.

2. The Ride to The Rink – A shorter, motivational series designed to be listened to on the way to the rink, offering quick, inspirational tips and advice to help players and parents get into the right mindset before a game or practice.

3. Our Kids Play Goalie – This series is dedicated to young goalies and the unique challenges they face. It provides advice for players, parents, and coaches on how to support and develop young goaltenders, focusing on the mental and physical demands of the position.

Together, these shows provide a comprehensive platform for parents, players, and coaches involved in youth hockey, offering insights for all aspects of the sport, from parenting, playing, or coaching to specialized positions like goaltending.

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Our Kids Play Hockey

The Ride To The Rink - Don't Be Like Wayne Gretzky: Unlocking A Champion's Edge

February 15, 2024 • Our Kids Play Hockey • Season 1 • Episode 216

0:00 | 6:57

On this week's episode of The Ride To The Rink with host Lee MJ Elias, we explore Wayne Gretzky's first NHL level encounter with championship grit and what it truly takes to win when it matters most. This episode is a treasure trove for athletes, coaches, and fans, packed with strategies, historical insights, and the mental toughness required for playoff success.

Key Highlights:

Gretzky's Eye-Opening Experience: Discover the impactful moment when Wayne Gretzky learned a vital lesson from the New York Islanders after the 1983 Stanley Cup Finals. It's a deep dive into the sacrifices and dedication behind the Islanders' victory, setting the stage for the Oilers' future success.
The Essence of Winning: Lee unravels the key components that contribute to a team's triumph in the playoffs, blending talent, relentless effort, and mental fortitude. Learn from the experiences of hockey legends and how their lessons apply to today's game.
Building a Championship Mindset: This episode focuses on mental preparation and resilience, offering actionable advice for players to develop a winning mentality, handle playoff pressures, and maintain focus during critical moments.
Strengthening Team Bonds: Emphasizing teamwork and unity, Lee discusses strategies for creating a positive team environment that fosters trust, collaboration, and mutual support, crucial for navigating the challenges of playoff hockey.
Practical Advice for Peak Performance: Listeners will gain valuable insights into effective game preparation, performance optimization, and strategic planning, all aimed at achieving the ultimate goal—winning the championship.
Learning from Legends: Inspired by Gretzky's revelation, this episode also touches on the importance of recognizing and appreciating the roles of support systems within the hockey community, including teammates, coaches, and family.

This episode not only celebrates the journey to championship success but also imparts timeless wisdom from hockey legends like Wayne Gretzky, making it essential listening for those aspiring to leave their mark on the ice.

Catch this episode of The Ride To The Rink with Lee MJ Elias to delve into the heart of championship culture, inspired by the greatest names in hockey. It's your guide to mastering the playoffs with the spirit of a champion.

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Speaker 1 1:20

your head . Hello hockey players in Goli's around the world and welcome to another edition of the ride to the rank . Today we're talking about the postseason the playoffs , the big games , the championships , all of the big moments that are coming up in your seasons . You might be there year . Whenever you're listening to this , it's going to be valuable . This might be one of those episodes you want to listen to with your coaches and your entire team , because I'm going to drop some knowledge with you today about what it takes to compete in a championship atmosphere and what gives teams the edge in those environments . And it starts with the story . The year is 1983 . The New York Islanders are taking on the Edmonton Oilers and the Stanley Cup Finals . The Islanders had just won three cups in a row . This is their fourth appearance in a row and they're playing a team with a young player , a few young players one named Wayne Gretzky , one named Marc Messier . These are future Hall of Famers . One of them is going to be the greatest hockey player of all time in Wayne Gretzky . But at this time kind of like where Connor Baudard is at today a lot of hope , a lot of promise , but unproven no cups , no championships , not really any records yet at that point not any crazy ones at least . And here they are playing the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final and the game is being played at Nassau Coliseum , where the Islanders play and the Oilers lose the Stanley Cup to the Islanders in 1983 . And the way Nassau Coliseum was made at that time , the losing team had to walk by the winning team's locker room . And I talk about this all the time when I worked with teams . Wayne Gretzky had to get up , marc Messier had to get up that whole team and walk by the Islanders locker room and they went by . They couldn't help themselves . They looked into the locker room and what way you think that they saw ? Now the common answer I get here is celebrating champagne , shouting , screaming , people hanging from the ceiling because they won the Stanley Cup . Wayne Gretzky looked in the room . Stanley Cup was in the middle of the room and all the players were happy . But they were in their stalls with ice packs , with doctors , with people looking at them because they had played so hard they could not move . They had nothing left . They were cup champions for the fourth time in the row . Last team to do that . No team has done that since the New York Islanders have done that , but they couldn't move . And Wayne Gretzky said famously that's when I realized what it would take to win because I could still play three or four more games . That's where the start of the message is you have to be able to go through the playoffs and know and look at your teammates and look at your coaches and look at yourself and say at the end I gave everything I could give to try and win this game . Look , I hate losing . I don't like it . It's one of the things I like the least on this planet . But the only way I can handle a loss is if I know myself and my team did everything we could to win . If a better team comes along and beats us , it's fine . As long as I know we did everything we could . I have a real hard time when that's not the case . That's one of the things I want you to know as you go into the big games really any game you have to have the ability at the end of the game to look around that locker room and know we and I did everything we could to win . Today that is the ultimate team . The training for that starts at the beginning of the season and it culminates at the end of the season . But I'll tell you what it's never too late or never too early to start believing one another . You don't have to like each other , but you have to respect each other . That respect creates trust . Good communication creates results . Let's go back to the story . We're going to fast forward one more year , 1984 . Guess who's in the cup ? Final Oilers , islanders , gretzky against the same team . Fifth cup appearance in a row for the Islanders , except for this time they did not win . The young Wayne Gretzky led Oilers won their first cup . It would be the first of four and five years , and that he said because of that year before . That loss taught them how to win . Here is my challenge to you I challenge you to not be Wayne Gretzky , to not be the 1983 Oilers . I challenge you to learn now that you need to understand what it takes to win . You don't have to lose to win . If you understand what I'm talking about , even though losing is the greatest teacher , stand up for one another , believe in one another , look each other in the eye and know that that person is going to do everything they can to win and they know you're going to do everything you can to win . That is a championship secret and that is this week's ride to the rink . I hope you enjoyed it . You can hear all of the ride to rink episodes on ourkidsplayhockeycom . But obviously , I'm wishing you all the best . I don't wish luck . I don't believe in luck . You make your own luck . I'm wishing you all the best here in your post seasons , in your summers , in your regular seasons , whenever you're listening to this . This is a key to success . I'm Leo Elias and we will see you on the next edition of the ride to the rink . Skate on everybody . We hope you enjoyed this edition of our Kids Play Hockey . Make sure to like and subscribe right now if you found value , wherever you're listening , whether it's a podcast network , a social media network or our website , ourkidsplayhockeycom . Also , make sure to check out our children's book when Hockey Stops at whenhockeystopscom . It's a book that helps children deal with adversity in the game and in life . We're very proud of it . But thanks so much for listening to this edition of our Kids Play Hockey and we'll see you on the next episode .