This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena. Hello, hockey skaters and goalies around the world. Welcome back to another edition of The Ride to the Rink. Uh, got the full crew here today, Lee, Christy, and Mike here. And our friend Patrick Rissmiller is here. Played in the NHL for a long time, played college hockey, had a great conversation with him on the big episode this week. But kids, get this. He's an NHL scout. He's an NHL scout. He scouts for NHL players. I know what you're thinking. This is the guy. This is the person we've been waiting for. So, Patrick, why don't we start with telling the kids what your thoughts are as an NHL scout on what the things they should be looking for at youth hockey and developing in youth hockey are?
SPEAKER_03Uh have fun. Play a lot of sports, be a kid, ride a bike, um, you know, go swim, um, have a childhood, and honestly, have fun and enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02But Patrick, that can't be it. I mean, what about the Michigans and the goal scoring and the stat line and the websites and the everything? Isn't that what they should be paying attention to?
SPEAKER_03Well, you go out in the street and do it, or your backyard rink everyone has. Um, honestly, I I not enough unstructured stuff these days, but um, you know, I think have fun if you have a little extra and you want to do a little extra, go for it. But, you know, I I I really stress being a child, and those are the because those are going to be the best memories you have growing up.
SPEAKER_01Patrick, talk to the kids directly. What are some of the important things these they're bundles of energy right now and they want to be really good hockey players, but what else should they be concentrating on? And what should they focus on when they are on the ice?
SPEAKER_03You know, I I mean, I'll tell tell the kids, I'm assuming younger kids, what I'll tell what I've told my own kids for years, just be a great teammate and be coachable, work when you're on the ice or at practice and enjoy it, have fun. I mean, it really that's always uh what I've told my my kids. Um, you know, and and you know, if you hey you have some time to go out, shoot some pucks in your driveway or go down the street and throw a lacrosse ball off the wall, go for it. Right? Do it on your own, enjoy it.
SPEAKER_00You know, you know, most of us that have kids and and we try to guide our children and and really, you know, just like you're doing with your own kids and the players that you work with at the youth level, you know, just that as far as like all the little things that you need to do to become a better hockey player, a lot of it has nothing to do with hockey at all. Can you talk a little bit about what you would say to a player and what advice we could give to our young athletes that that aren't getting up in the morning and shooting extra pucks, that aren't getting, you know, using their free time to get better at hockey, uh, and their parents are driving and driving, like, you have to go to this, you have to go to that. Can you just talk about like their inner, their inner self, like their inner voice of saying, you know, at some point, if they're not driving themselves, if they're not the ones exploring how to get better, you know, mom and dad can't get them where they where they think they want to get to, right? I mean, where where what advice would you give to that player?
SPEAKER_03It's not, it's gotta come from the kid, it's not the parents. Um, you know, I I can I can tell my kids to go out and shoot pucks every day. I can make them, but I know what's gonna happen. Eventually, no, I'm not gonna do it and I'm not gonna play. Uh, I think at the younger ages, again, go do other things because though, you know, it's like that saying was absence makes the heart grow fonder. If you pull them away a little bit from it for a little bit, they're gonna come in with a full of energy and excited to be a part of it and practice hard and they're gonna be excited to go to practice. When you're going nonstop, when you have a day off, take the day off. Go with your family, go to the movies because it it just becomes a job. And when it becomes a job, they're not gonna really work too hard at it. And as they get older, there'll be a time for it, and I think they'll they'll start to fiddle a little bit more. More distractions now than ever, than when we grew up. Um, but there's still time, the kids can still make time, you know. Maybe it's wiffle ball, maybe it's shooting pucks on their own. But the younger ages enjoy it and take the days off when you can. And um, you know, it it's not gonna make a difference because your child didn't shoot pucks this one day or skipped practice this one day. You're never gonna think twice about it after it happens. But you'll have probably a happier kid.
SPEAKER_02You know, kids, for you listening out there, we gave you a lot to chew on. Parents sitting next to the kids in the car, we just gave you a lot to chew on, too. Like at the end of the day, kids, if you love it, if you love it, you can't get enough of it, you want to play it. Listen to what Patrick's telling you, right? The belief has to come from within, and it's okay for you to do other things. Other things are gonna absolutely absolutely make you not just a more well-rounded athlete, but a well-rounded person. And Patrick said this at the beginning: you have the right to your childhood, all right? So just make sure, kids, you're vocalizing that, you have a voice too, right? And and you should be able to do these things. And if that dedication and that belief is there, you want to be in the garage, you want to be shooting, go do it. All right, but he said it. It's got to come from you, all right, kids. And I'm gonna end this the same way we always do by saying we believe in you, but you should too. All right, it's gotta come from you. All right, that's gonna do it for this edition of the Ride to the Rink. Patrick, thanks so much for being here. Mike Christie, my best friends in the world, as always. I'm Lee Kids. We'll see on the next episode of the Ride to the Rink. Have fun, go learn something, and be a great teammate. We'll see you soon.