From the sun-kissed streets of California to the frostbitten rinks of Boston, Chelsey Goldberg's odyssey is as remarkable as it is inspiring. She didn't just break the ice; she shattered expectations, carving a path from a hockey novice to a professional athlete and a vanguard in player development with the LA Kings. Strap in for the ride as Chelsey recounts the roller-to-ice transition she navigated alongside her twin, her collegiate battles at Northeastern University, and the life lessons learned en route to personal and athletic growth.
Imagine strapping on skates and gliding into the heart of adversities, where each setback is a set-up for a comeback. Chelsey doesn't just share her journey; she peels back the layers of an athlete's life, revealing resilience in the face of injuries, the embrace of identity away from the rink, and her strides in championing women's hockey on the international stage. Listen closely as she illuminates the intersection of faith and sport, playing hockey in Israel, and the undercurrents of personal care that buoy an athlete's spirit.
As the Zamboni smooths the ice for the final act, Chelsey delves into the ever-evolving realm of women's hockey, advocating for the next generation of girls dreaming of going pro. She underscores the enrichment gleaned from her lacrosse and swimming days, proving that diversifying one's athletic portfolio pays dividends. Beyond the arena lights, Chelsey's rhythm syncs with music production and echoes in halls where she motivates through public speaking—her story resonating with anyone chasing their passions, on or off the ice.
Want to see more of the AP? Subscribe to the AP YouTube channel.
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Check out Chelsey's stuff:
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Produced by Rise Virtually
***
Other episodes you might enjoy:
World Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper, Taylor Learmont (Little "T" Fitness), Bruce Boudreau (Vancouver Canucks), Rhonda Rajsich (Most Decorated US Racquetball player), Zach Bitter (Ultra Marathon Runner), Zion Clark (Netflix docuseries), Jana Webb (Founder of JOGA), Ben Johns (#1 Pickleball Player in the World), Jord
Check out our Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Tiktok | Spotify | Apple | Google | Youtube
From the sun-kissed streets of California to the frostbitten rinks of Boston, Chelsey Goldberg's odyssey is as remarkable as it is inspiring. She didn't just break the ice; she shattered expectations, carving a path from a hockey novice to a professional athlete and a vanguard in player development with the LA Kings. Strap in for the ride as Chelsey recounts the roller-to-ice transition she navigated alongside her twin, her collegiate battles at Northeastern University, and the life lessons learned en route to personal and athletic growth.
Imagine strapping on skates and gliding into the heart of adversities, where each setback is a set-up for a comeback. Chelsey doesn't just share her journey; she peels back the layers of an athlete's life, revealing resilience in the face of injuries, the embrace of identity away from the rink, and her strides in championing women's hockey on the international stage. Listen closely as she illuminates the intersection of faith and sport, playing hockey in Israel, and the undercurrents of personal care that buoy an athlete's spirit.
As the Zamboni smooths the ice for the final act, Chelsey delves into the ever-evolving realm of women's hockey, advocating for the next generation of girls dreaming of going pro. She underscores the enrichment gleaned from her lacrosse and swimming days, proving that diversifying one's athletic portfolio pays dividends. Beyond the arena lights, Chelsey's rhythm syncs with music production and echoes in halls where she motivates through public speaking—her story resonating with anyone chasing their passions, on or off the ice.
Want to see more of the AP? Subscribe to the AP YouTube channel.
---
Check out Chelsey's stuff:
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
---
Check out Dave's stuff on:
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
---
Produced by Rise Virtually
***
Other episodes you might enjoy:
World Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper, Taylor Learmont (Little "T" Fitness), Bruce Boudreau (Vancouver Canucks), Rhonda Rajsich (Most Decorated US Racquetball player), Zach Bitter (Ultra Marathon Runner), Zion Clark (Netflix docuseries), Jana Webb (Founder of JOGA), Ben Johns (#1 Pickleball Player in the World), Jord
Check out our Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Tiktok | Spotify | Apple | Google | Youtube
Welcome to episode 207. My name is Chelsea Goldberg, I am from Los Angeles, california, and I hope you enjoy.
Speaker 2:You're the most decorated racquetball player in US history world's strongest man, from childhood passion to professional athlete, eight time Ironman champion. So what was it like making your debut in the NHL? What is your biggest piece of advice for the next generation of athletes, from underdogs to national champions? This is the athletes podcast, where high performance individuals share their triumphs, defeats and life lessons to educate, entertain and inspire the next generation of athletes. Here we go.
Speaker 1:So I'm a California girl. Boston was great, but it's nice to be back, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Um you excited for this.
Speaker 1:I'm stoked, how many podcasts.
Speaker 2:Have you been on Chelsea?
Speaker 1:Oh man, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Too many to count, eh. Quite a few, for sure, you and who's the gal we just met? You're both famous Molly, molly, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, she's awesome, the man little Kings program. You guys got everything going on here down LA we do it's pretty. We're trying. It's pretty legit. This is a sick practice facility.
Speaker 1:Completely.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:That's why, when you're like, do you have any good spots in my head, I'm like we can do the beach. That would be a sick change up. You know what? I mean, but then I'm like the wind, airplanes, the ocean. Yeah so cool, but then I'm like this place. You guys would love this place.
Speaker 2:We're checking off boxes. Last time we were in LA is, and I'm you know we did it. On what is it? Is it Hermosa Beach? Yeah?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So that was sick, that was right on the water, that was cool. Yeah, wind was, it was, wind was OK, sun was a little bit of an issue, that's all right. And then cops airplane every five, 10 minutes. Only when he talked, though, so it was really unfortunate. But now he was a trooper, he crushed it. But this is legit, and you know, now we get to flex a little Kings logos in there yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, because you're part of player development too. These are the perks you get hit. Yeah, tell me about player development coming from an athlete. I mean, I first need to start. Chelsea Goldberg, you're perfect. I still need work. 205 episodes in. We're still making and figuring out what the heck we're doing here?
Speaker 1:You already got Conor McDavid again.
Speaker 2:I know twice. Yeah, Did you and Molly both think that? Just Molly?
Speaker 1:I was thinking that she said it.
Speaker 2:Fair, yeah, fair.
Speaker 1:So yeah, we both were thinking it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's on a tear right now, I know.
Speaker 1:He's on a heater. I do know that Both the Conors, both the Conors.
Speaker 2:I mean Badaard probably has a bit of a little gumption a little extra energy here after all that online hate. It's crazy what happens with social media, hey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Social media can be such a good thing but also such a bad thing. I'm not huge on social media. I am with work, but other than that I'm just a very in-person kind of person and I don't like the shade on social media at all.
Speaker 2:It sucks that the league's perennial next face of it is just riddled with this crap for a week. Let's talk about Chelsea Goldberg, though From the start. Hockey player. La Gal, as you said, not normally where people play hockey.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:And I hear, your parents didn't even know about hockey. Much Is that true.
Speaker 1:That's very true, yeah, which was kind of nice for me because it was less pressure. Right, it was like I have a twin brother, so I grew up playing with him and we could play our game. We played together, same team, same line growing up Funny story about that in a little bit but we'd play our game and then we get off the ice and it was like we're chilling, we knew if we had a good or a bad game, but we didn't hear it from the parents side of it. So I guess, less pressure at the end of the day. But yeah, my dad I mean I don't know if he still knows the rules or not He'll be like, oh, why'd the whistle blow? Whatever Could be offside Could be icing, I don't know. It's just your typical California family Soccer players Like I have two other siblings, soccer players. Mom was a swimmer, so I love swimming growing up actually, and lacrosse and soccer all the California sports Hockey was not in question at all for a long time.
Speaker 1:Until 12 years old.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what made that happen?
Speaker 1:Roller hockey. Our best friends growing up got rollerblades. So my brother and I are like, wait a second, let's get some rollerblades. So we did and started playing roller hockey. It got too hot outside and then moved to ice hockey, and then our coaches along the way just kept encouraging us to pursue it. We had the work ethic foremost, and then second, obviously, the passion for it. But we were talented as well. So, once we decided that we could take it somewhere. We both just head down focus and we both went to college for it.
Speaker 2:End up at Northeastern. Tell me about that experience.
Speaker 1:Oh, so much to say Boston is the best city ever. I love Boston.
Speaker 2:Even though you still want to be in LA. It's OK, I do I do Differences right.
Speaker 1:And I'm also like I just moved back to LA recently, so I'm still trying to figure out like as an adult with the LA life, because I was here, I mean 15 years ago. So I've been on the East Coast for 15 years. But Boston was amazing, northeastern's incredible. Couldn't have asked for a better school for me. Personally, I think just everything about it was great for my situation. If I could do it all over, I would still choose Northeastern at the end of the day.
Speaker 2:Winters weren't a thing. No big deal, they were a thing 1,000%.
Speaker 1:I still like, even in LA when it's 65,. You're in a short sleeve right now and I'm like, I'm in my sweatshirt, my whatever I'm bundling up Like that's cold, so I'm not used to it still.
Speaker 2:I'm sweating right now. I'm just so we're clear, and it's not just the nerves, but no, I'm kidding, I don't know. Callie's great though it's tough to. I can't believe you left for 15 years, isn't that crazy? There was something going on concussions.
Speaker 1:Like, honestly, every time I left California from the holidays I'd be like, what am I doing? And I'm like, oh, hockey, like I get it. And my life moved back there. So it was more than just hockey, it was work. It was obviously after college playing pro, and we all had to work full time. So like I had a real estate job back there. So it was like my life actually moved back there at the same time and my group of friends and everything like that. But yeah, they're completely different cities. I love them both, but I'm happy to be back for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and more vitamin D here. It's way better.
Speaker 1:Right and, like this amazing organization, it's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah so.
Speaker 1:Los Angeles born, that's me.
Speaker 2:How do you go from? Because you were a CWHL after university. You're playing there. You were considering potentially PWHL. I heard rumor mail and I know Carl said that you and your brother are basically the same and you had similar lives growing up. Basically followed steps, steps. You're inseparable, like that whole experience. I'm just curious, like how do you decide that, ok, I'm not going to pursue hockey to this for me personally, but now you're going to help other players develop?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's still an ongoing question in my head completely and I'm still figuring it out. I mean I spent oh gosh, I'm going to age drop myself right now I'm 30, spent the past 15 years in Boston. I mean I've been playing hockey for a long time, spent my life. But I also love giving back to what's given me so many opportunities. Hockey has been incredible for me. The opportunities I've gotten amazing, the people I've met incredible, and I want to give other people that same chance that hockey's given me. So for me it feels right giving back and any chance I can I do. Kings have been awesome with it.
Speaker 1:I've been doing some of my own independent stuff with growing the game, which has been amazing. Do a lot of public speaking, a lot of initiatives in other countries. So my goal at this point is to grow it everywhere, I guess and I'm not done playing, so I will say that Like I'm not officially announcing retirement or done playing, I'm just rerouting, I guess, in a different. I've been producing music, so there's a lot of layers of me that a lot of people don't know, probably because I'm not. I'm active on social media to an extent, but not crazy. So there's a lot of layers that I'm still diving under and figuring out and seeing where it takes me.
Speaker 2:That was one of the things. When I was chatting with Carly, you brought her up. I was like give me some dirt on Chelsea, what can I? Soak up before the conversation and she was talking about the fact that you've kept your doors open, and that's one of the things hockey players athletes in general sometimes struggle because they identify with their one sport and that's it, and maybe not the best case long term for potential growth.
Speaker 2:How have you been able to kind of manage everything Travel to different countries, it's actually great you bring that up.
Speaker 1:I have been known as a hockey player my whole life, but it's not something that I necessarily identify as and I don't necessarily want to be known as just the hockey player. Like, I'm a cool ass person and I want to be known as more than a hockey player. I love giving back. I have been through crazy adversity that has changed me as a person and I don't want to just be a hockey player. So I've always soaked up as many opportunities as possible and music has been a passion of mine for so long and I'm finally getting my feet in there and it's been amazing and off the record. I'll tell you my next big plan, but I have some plans in the making that I think would be a really cool balance of both.
Speaker 2:I love that. Ok, so where do you want to go? Fun story with your brother traveling to new countries. Oh, a good memory. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Fun story with my twin Twin brother. Obviously best friends shared a womb together Like we are inseparable. We live together in Boston, Like we've been in the same city and state our whole lives literally. He played college hockey in Boston too, so it was amazing. But growing up playing with the boys, I actually was captain of the boys teams for many years, no big deal.
Speaker 1:I mean, aside from that, it was one of those things where it's like I did get hit because I was a girl. Sometimes and I hate saying that, but it was just reality couple concussions, whatever. So I actually put my hair up in my helmet like my bun, my little bun in my helmet. People had no idea I was a girl. So we were on the same line and he was my assistant captain and people were like, oh, the Goldberg brothers, but they had no idea I was a girl. So then at the end of a game or a tournament I would take my helmet off on the blue line, let my hair down, and you could just hear everybody being like no way, it was great.
Speaker 2:That would be wild as an opposing player.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:To just see blonde hair flow out the back.
Speaker 1:Completely.
Speaker 2:What the? So, you guys were targeting you when you had the flow out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, or I don't know if it was like the girl thing or the captain thing. I worked hard, I don't know. It could have been a combo of all the above, but for me that was my way of protecting myself, and then at the end it was just like, ok, let it down, and then you could just hear everybody be like what.
Speaker 2:Was the bro covering for you If you got hit?
Speaker 1:was he completely, Completely, yeah he's the best guy in this whole world, but yeah, always has my back, always has his, I always have his, so it's amazing.
Speaker 2:That pity of the fool that hits her, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, brother coming in.
Speaker 2:You've also represented your country, talked about traveling to different countries. You want to shine some light on what you did there, because that was insane, just that whole experience.
Speaker 1:I want to let you share it. Yeah, it's crazy. Again, I'm huge on opportunity for others. Obviously, it's really cool being a part of it myself, but I think just sharing it with others is more important to me and having other people have the same opportunity. So back to my twin. He got the opportunity to represent USA and Israel in 2013. And I asked if I could play with the guys and they said no, a hard no, and I was like OK.
Speaker 2:Any reason.
Speaker 1:Just no, just no. And I was like, OK. And then in my head I grew up playing with the boys, played the cross, I can't even take a hit. And so, fast forward a few years. He got another chance in 2017. Same thing represent USA and Israel.
Speaker 1:So I asked again. I was like, can I play? Now, a few years have passed, no. And so I'm like, ok, let's do this for the girls. And so I tagged in with a few other people from the organization and we went to town. I had a spreadsheet for eight years of girls that I knew would be interested and other Jewish hockey players, and for eight years my spreadsheet kept growing from like 10 to 20 to 70 to 80. And then I had over 100 girls listed on my spreadsheet, canada included.
Speaker 1:And so, when I was a part of the CWHL, I actually met a player on one of the Canadian teams who is another Jewish female player, and she messaged me around the same time that I was growing all this and she was like I've been wanting to do this for Canada and I was like, let's go, you can help me on the Canadian side, I'll take the American side. And we learned that the Israeli team was already practicing and had girls interested, so it just kind of all kept falling into place. It took a long time, but it was like a snowball effect. Once we lined up certain things players, rosters, coaches we presented it to the organization and they stamped it and said all right, it's happening. And that's a short story, but it was amazing, the best experience ever. I think it was just the coolest thing knowing that we could make that happen. And now it's in the games now.
Speaker 2:You know what we'd also love to hear from you guys, specifically the males watching this Athletes Podcast episode what are you guys doing for your face? You guys are probably brushing your teeth every day, but are you washing your face? Are you applying the good every night to make sure that you're hydrated, moisturized, making sure that your skin looks young, youthful, glowing? I personally use Caldera Lab. I start off my day by washing my face with the clean slate. You can tell it's still wet. That's because I used it this morning. Then I follow it up. I throw on the nice little icon here in the middle underneath the eyes, keeps those black, dark spots away, and then, to finish it off, we use the beard product to make sure that the beard's looking nice and full. Check out calderalabcom. Use the code AP20 for 20% off yours. It's the best deal that they offer anywhere out there, and I can't recommend the products enough.
Speaker 2:I use Caldera Lab every single day. As you can tell, my skin's looking all right and I'm very happy with it, to say the least. I want to know, though, if you're using it. Let us know down below. Guys promise you're gonna love it. Almost a decade's worth of work Through your kind of hockey career going along at the same time during school. You're like I can't even wrap my head around the amount of work that would go into that on top of everything else. Who were the kind of instrumental individuals? If you wanna shout them out, were they a part of it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, the Polly family they're on the chair of Hockey Maccabi, so amazing family and also shared the same vision of getting women, giving women the opportunity to play there as well. So it was a combo of them, myself, the Canadian girls that helped me. There were so many people to thank within the organization itself, but it was a team effort for sure and I'm just so happy we were able to get it done.
Speaker 2:What was it like playing in Israel?
Speaker 1:Honestly, it gives me chills thinking back to it. It was so cool because I've always been so proud to be Jewish. It's been, that's been more of an identity for me than even a hockey player, like I've just always been one of the only Jewish players on every one of my teams my brother and I, and then on the female side, I was really like one of maybe two or just one of one on every team. So for me, my family is, I would say, pretty religious and so for me it's always been who I have been, and for me, to combine faith plus sports was just the coolest experience ever. The arena we played out was beautiful in Jerusalem. Amazing group of people that we were with Met so many cool people. It was just and Israel's beautiful. I don't know if you have any plans to go there at any point, but it's Jewish or not, everybody needs to see that place.
Speaker 2:I've heard it's on the bucket list for sure, and it's yeah, I mean we've been going at a million miles an hour. We just got back from Australia, so you know we got to figure out timelines, budgets, see if someone can pay for it. We might have a shot up. Might have Delta coming in helping us fly around.
Speaker 1:Who knows?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. You know you got to take advantage of opportunities when they come up, show up.
Speaker 1:Exactly, that's what I'm saying. Yeah, 100%.
Speaker 2:I'm always curious, like Emma Malte who we just had on the show was a. Canadian Olympic player. She played on the boys growing up as well. Was there any experiences that you'd provide to younger gals?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Insights, wisdom that you would say hey, if you're going to be playing with the boys, maybe make sure you're checking off these boxes, or maybe watch out for this.
Speaker 1:Honestly, I wouldn't suggest anything other than being yourself as a player and having fun. Make sure you're having fun. I had fun my whole career. I still. That's why I'm not ready to be done playing. I even breaking both my legs. That was crazy in itself and that was the hardest time of my life, but I never fell out of love with the game.
Speaker 1:And so for me I would just say, as long as you're having fun, that's the most important piece of the puzzle. Playing with the boys is amazing. I mean it's a fast game, the physicality is different than, obviously, the girls side, but I think it actually gives you more skills in the long run. I mean, going from boys hockey to girls hockey kind of, was not a bad adjustment. In fact I've almost felt like I had an advantage because it's a faster game, it's more physical, quick decisions, the whole nine yards. So I think advice would just be have fun with it. If you're not having fun with it, maybe reevaluate, but I wouldn't say change your game in any way.
Speaker 2:I mean Frig. If you're having to play against higher competition, you're at green skin elevator. Step up your game exactly and you're going to see an elevate and you're only going to be better off down the road yeah, completely. The you brought up breaking your legs. I was going to bring it up at some point. Can you walk us through, or maybe cross us through, what that was like?
Speaker 1:Yeah, crazy experience, honestly. I was out for four years with broken legs and just a whole different set of adversity that I faced. But so hockey took me back east of Vermont in high school and at that point in time I had known I wanted to pursue the college route. I was good enough. I was in the USA pool. I was top 10 forwards in the country at that point for my age group.
Speaker 2:You had no big deal.
Speaker 1:And I knew that Olympics was my goal. I wanted to be on the Olympic team, I wanted to get to college hockey, make the national team, et cetera. So I worked my ass off to get to where I was and fortunately I got exposure to a team in Vermont called North American Hockey Academy and they offered me a spot on their older team. They said we have one more spot left. I had already signed with a team in LA but I was like man, just the exposure that they get back east every weekend is crazy, and for me for my hockey decision it just made sense. Ended up signing with them back east and went. Their junior senior of high school Ended up breaking both my legs almost a year to the day.
Speaker 1:So the first broken leg I got tripped on a breakaway and just went feet first snapped. Knew instantly we were playing Canada actually, and so I had to wait till we got home to Vermont to go get X-rays and everything. It was pretty crazy, but I mean all part of the journey I guess, and then recovered from that six months later actually. But back up a little bit I had already signed with Northeastern at this point. So through the USA stuff and other camps. I had already been in touch with Northeastern and already signed, so that was a great relief. I did have to call my coach and be like yo just broke my leg and he was like listen, if anyone could get through it, it's you Like, just work, ethic and mentality.
Speaker 2:What a coach.
Speaker 1:Amazing, amazing. And so recovered, got better, started my senior year playing and then broke the second leg. Almost it was like January 30th that I broke my one leg and then it was like January 31st or February 1st that I broke the second leg. And that was just a fluke collided with somebody knee spun, foot planted in the ice and just spiral broke. That was a pretty gnarly one. It broke in four places and actually needed surgery, so flew home to get surgery, took another six months to recover, had to call coach again, be like hey, just broke my second leg, and he thought I was joking. He's like are you pulling my leg? I'm like I'm actually not Same bone too, so both fibulas, just different legs.
Speaker 2:And he's like no coach, I'm not pulling your leg, the doctor's pulling my leg.
Speaker 1:I'm actually serious about it. I wish I was pulling your leg on this one. But same thing another six months recovered again. So recovered, then caught up and then excelled where I was previously. So I was back in shape for college. I get to Northeastern freshman year and start training whatnot? I get mono really bad, classic. But mono's so bad that I actually had to take a leave of absence from college and come home. It was that bad and I think it was because I kept training and playing and I had no idea, didn't know that it was really bad. So came home, took a leave, went back and they wouldn't even clear me for the second half of season because my spleen and liver were so enlarged. So it was a really bad case in mono. That was my third year and then same thing, like Six start to uni.
Speaker 2:Eh, I was like OK.
Speaker 1:All right, I've been here before. I've spent the last two years doing this, playing catch up, and so going into my sophomore year at Northeastern, I was so ready I was like, let's make this a great year. After three years I start training again. Obviously, the ice was in so we could train prior to season and then was on the ice and every time I got off the ice my ankle one of my ankles was like this big, it was like a balloon. Every time and my team doctor was like Chels, like you got to get that checked out, not just for season but for your future. Got it x-ray at MRI and it turned out that one of the I had five screws in a plate in one of my legs and the fifth screw, instead of going right into my fibula, it was going down into my ankle.
Speaker 2:Well, that felt good, great, right yeah.
Speaker 1:And so just agitated nerves and the swelling was so bad and he was like it's up to you, like you could push through every day, which I was at that point. But he's like is it worth it to have arthritis or whatever it may lead to in the future? And I just made the decision like let's just get it removed. So went in for surgery sophomore year and that was my fourth year and I missed that whole year again and I actually got offered a couple red shirts. But at that point I was so mentally drained that I was like I can't, yeah, and you're dealing with school on top of all this Dealing with school.
Speaker 2:Man, I'm like I'm going to get a red shirt come back. I'm going to get another injury at that point, right.
Speaker 1:And the mental game behind that is crazy. Like I learned so much about myself and pushing my limits and recovering and getting stronger. But it was mentally exhausting and so I knew, after recovering, after four years, I could get through anything I really did, which was great. And that's why I say if I could go back and do it all over, I would choose the same path. Like I would break my legs again because it made me a better person in the long run Better athlete, better person and that's what the game is about. I mean, you go through adversity. If you don't go through adversity, you're not going to learn, you're not going to grow. So it was amazing and actually my first game back junior year. I scored two shorthand goals. My family was in the stands. It was like it was the coolest moment. It was like a full circle Like this is why you didn't give up. There were times when I'm like I can't do it anymore.
Speaker 1:But I didn't, and my coach honored my scholarship and I think that alone kept me pushing and obviously knowing I had his support, my team support, my family support, my support. Like I knew, I didn't want to give up. So it was a full circle moment where it all happened for a reason and my family was in the stands. They never really made it back to Boston that often, so having them there was really special. Two shorties first game back, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to wrap my head around the mental state of like, basically four years at university trying to play the sport that you love not being able to do it for one, even consecutive year? Were you using university like resources? Were you meditating Like how are you coping with this, like mentally?
Speaker 1:I definitely utilized university resources. The counseling and therapy program was great. I actually studied counseling and therapy, got a degree in that, because of everything I went through and it made me want to help others in a way that I got help and whatnot, so definitely utilized what I could. My family was the best support friends, teammates. I had a great support system and I definitely attribute getting through that to them and I wouldn't have gotten through without them. So it was a lot of self-talk and a lot of positive talk, but without the support system it wouldn't have happened either.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, crazy, but also that kind of encouraged me to become a public speaker and share my story and experience so I can help people that might be going through something similar, maybe if it's not on the scale degree that I experienced it. But getting hurt is not easy College sports, pro sports it's a mental toughness battle that you have to face. So I do a lot of speaking to all different ages, all different groups. Now, just whether it's my experience with that or exposing hockey around the world or whatever it may be, I just love sharing my experiences to help other people.
Speaker 2:At the end of the day, and that's why you end up impacting so many little kings helping there with the LA Kings Development Program. I want to shine light on that little kings because it's pretty cool, the program that I just clarified that all NHL teams do this. Apparently, little kings were the first in the market, that will go with that as. Molly said they get like a thousand bucks worth of equipment. They show up, they rip around.
Speaker 1:Something like that yeah, 700 to 1000. It's crazy, but it's a league-wide initiative. It's amazing. It gives the exposure to kids that might not be able to afford it or were exposed to it previously and it gives them a chance to get a stick in their hands on the ice with obviously professional players or whoever it may be in the community. And it's amazing, it gives them access to the sport that maybe they wouldn't have had.
Speaker 2:I have a little cousin who's going through or will be starting it shortly. Miller Harding showed it to you. You won't be watching this, but maybe in 10 years you will and you'll look back and be like you know Chelsea. I watched that and now I'm playing for the king.
Speaker 1:Or my cousin Dave.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, if he follows in the goalie footsteps.
Speaker 1:I know, I know, hopefully, wow, we have to talk about that too.
Speaker 2:But being an attendee.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You didn't think, I didn't come across as weird.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely not. I wouldn't have guessed that.
Speaker 2:We're progress.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Wait, just because I look like McDavid, do you think I'm a forward?
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe Classic, something like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no goals in my day, just stopping them occasionally.
Speaker 1:Assist Apples? Probably a couple of apples. Okay, cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like to play the puck, I like to toss it around.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:I had some fun Let more in than I had, apples, though, for sure.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, I don't know if I believe that, but we can flip the podcast for me to interview you at some point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean my double A goal-tenning abilities definitely deserve to be on the athletes podcast. No, that's why I'm sitting here asking the questions, but I feel like I played enough sports during my time that I can relate, and I broke my wrist playing football, so I know what that was like recovering from one injury I can't even imagine. That's why I'm still trying reeling from what breaking both your legs would feel like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they crack. I could just crack them on the spot.
Speaker 2:What is your Now? You've got to have.
Speaker 1:You can see it. See, yeah, you've got to have. That's why I don't like shoes. I think is one reason because it's so constricting, like no, not it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, for sure you would not feel good. Do you have a protocol now to get prepared? Warming up, Are you?
Speaker 1:hitting the ice bath. Are you zoning, oh my gosh, the ice bath was my favorite routine. Actually, before every game it would be the same treatment routine, stretching like band work. But then it would be ice bath and hot bath. It was contrast Before. That was even a cool thing to do. It was like I did the contrast before every single game in practice and it felt so good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, so you did that before.
Speaker 1:I did before. Yeah, I was at the rink getting treatment like four hours before every game.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I was there for a long time because it was like the routine that I needed to be able to perform so kind of crazy. But when I was recovering from breaking those legs, my mechanics switched from being glute dominant, as hockey players should be, to being quad dominant. So I had to retrain my muscle memory to connect my glutes, not my quads, every time I pushed off or whatever. So a lot of my treatment was like the band work before getting the glutes activated and fired up and then doing the tubs or vice versa, whatever it was Super interesting.
Speaker 2:Why did that happen?
Speaker 1:It was somehow I was overcompensating when I was recovering.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you probably just ended up. Yeah, you had to switch somehow Interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, wow, crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think that happens probably a lot when guys start, or people in general start hitting the weight room.
Speaker 1:Completely.
Speaker 2:They start squatting and if they're quad, dominant.
Speaker 1:Or if you're not activating your core, whatever it is, you're going to fire something else up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Did you learn a lot of that in school or did you find like through hockey? Where did you get your resources for training?
Speaker 1:Definitely through the athletic trainers at our school. They were amazing. Shout out to them. They were my best friends. I spent a lot of time with them, but they were so knowledgeable, so smart and they're the ones that basically said like you got to fire up those glutes again. So it was a lot of like band work, activating the glutes before I could even start anything.
Speaker 2:Hmm, yeah, do you know, jesse Kirsch? Yes, I do I had a feeling that you knew him.
Speaker 1:I do, I was like you have like similar vibes.
Speaker 2:I do Okay, how do you know, but I don't remember so far down.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So he's not.
Speaker 1:But of course bar down, but like I don't remember how we connected, oh, yeah, he. But we are gonna try to do some stuff together Are you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's a pretty good friend of mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, shout out, jesse. I hope to see you soon.
Speaker 2:Well, he's doing B-Clutch apparel now, okay, and he's sending us some stuff, actually, which we can't wait to try out Nice. But, we're gonna get some more AP stuff done roll a golf one or the other. This is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's fire, by the way, thank you, thank you, thank you, we got it. This is two. This is two. A little something out there trying to make sure people see the brand. I love it. Um, I told all of them that I was doing that. I mean it's very nice of them to host us in here, so it's a major shout out to the Kings.
Speaker 2:Organization for putting this together. Not often we get, you know, some nice. What are we called hospitality from the organization? I guess it's perks when we bring in incredible people like yourself. Do you want to shine light on what your thoughts are on like this current new PWHL? Of course, yeah, you were at the draft, phoenix and I it was a pretty incredible experience. I'd love to hear from your perspective.
Speaker 1:Yeah, of course. I mean I was right there in it, I was a part of it. I spent many years in the PWHPA after the CWHL folded and again, it was just always my goal to create a foundation for women to dream about playing pro. At the end of the day, it was just such a cool thought that we could have that opportunity to be, you know, the foundation of the next generation. So that was always my mindset going into it.
Speaker 1:Playing, I mean, my body's broken, like I've been through a lot, but I wanted to keep playing in that organization for that reason and the mission behind it was so special to me. So I did some work with the board of the PWHPA, met a lot of great people and at the end of the day, when it turned into the PWHL, I obviously wanted to play and had some conversations, but just off the record, for some stuff that is cooking behind the scenes, like for my own future, I needed to make other decisions. But I think it's amazing. I think what they're doing now is incredible and I think this is the next step in the right direction. You know, to have that foundation for girls to dream about playing, it's crazy.
Speaker 2:It is Like we had Megan Augusta on the pod for the 200th episode and she was the number one overall draft in the CWHL.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Fast forward. Now we're witnessing the PWHL draft. We have MM Malte on who's getting drafted, and one of the things you just brought it up is like providing the same opportunities for women that men have had for decades.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you're familiar, we have an agency, cook's Dark Management, ldc Talent. We represent a couple of players in the PWHL right now, amongst other sports. But I wanted to see, or I was curious, from your perspective being in the sport for decade plus what it's like sourcing out representation, getting marketing deals, brand deals how difficult, slash easy was it for you? Yeah, like, from a female's perspective, been in it, you've got a solid social media following. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Not every female has that. Yeah, not everyone has the ability to get those into it, and then you have the introductions made and have those connections.
Speaker 1:No, that's a great question and I get asked that a lot. I am very self-made, like everything on my social media. I've worked so hard to get to where I am Mm-hmm. Social presence, but also personal presence. Just everything is just. I've worked hard to do it.
Speaker 1:But females also, in the state that we've been in, we've kind of had to put that extra effort in if we wanted to get that exposure. So for a lot of branding, it's a lot of self-exposure. Yeah, unfortunately, we don't have the representation. Now we're starting to see more representation, which is amazing, but for so long we didn't have that Mm-hmm, or maybe a select few. You know a handful of players had that from their national programs or whatever, but everyone else had to really work hard for that, and so it's definitely growing in the right direction.
Speaker 1:I'm stoked to see it Mm-hmm. I think getting brand deals is something that is a really cool experience. Once you experience it it makes you feel like your hard work is paying off at the end of the day, and I have a few partnerships right now that are amazing. But also it's a really cool connection with an organization that has the same values and morals and goals as you. So a lot of it with branding is how you see yourself and how other people and organizations see yourself as well, and kind of just combining the two.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, do you have a strategy or like specific kind of points that you like to bring up or make sure that you highlight about you yourself? That helps.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure. I think I'm a very outgoing, easygoing.
Speaker 2:No, you seem pretty uptight.
Speaker 1:Just wanting to like, I just want to get to know people and my mission is to help as many people and that's on the hockey side, that's on you know. You know your self growing side, your mental health side Like, I want to share my experience and help people. So I think one of the first things I say is do you align with that Like, do you want to genuinely help people? Because if so, we're going to team up right now. You know what I mean. So my biggest thing is just being a good person. Yeah, I strive to be the best person that I could be. Every single day, I learn from my mistakes, I grow from my mistakes, I grow from challenges, from adversity, and I think if brands and companies align with that, then it's a no brainer for me.
Speaker 2:You want to show it to any of it right now.
Speaker 1:Liquid IV is my favorite. Yeah, I love liquid IV. Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep me hydrated, you know? Yeah, shout out liquid IV.
Speaker 2:Oh, there you go.
Speaker 1:Stay hydrated Fuel life's adventures. That's our slogan. Fucking writes it is yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's actually crazy if you're spending time in the sauna.
Speaker 1:Oh this, this is me.
Speaker 2:CG.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, shout out millions. Yeah. Okay, I love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I spend a lot of time in the sauna and if I don't drink my electrolytes in the morning or after, it's like I notice a difference. And I didn't for probably a year or two plus. I was just like crushing saunas every other day, drinking a ton of water. I'm like, oh, I'm good, right. And I was like, why am I so drained, had bags under my eyes? I'm like, oh, electrolytes, completely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's a factor.
Speaker 1:They're huge and I love a very outdoorsy life. Even in Boston I was always doing something. I'm always up to something Like yeah.
Speaker 1:A lot of the King staff was. They were like what are you doing here? I'm like, oh, I'm always up to something, like I just was on the ice with a few of the players the other day, and so I'm around here often, but not too often, but I'm always up to something. And I think like that's why Liquid IV and I just really connected was because, like you can take electrolytes anywhere, gave them to the players in Brazil, it was great. It's just like everyone could always use electrolytes. So it's a really cool one.
Speaker 2:Okay, you bring up Brazil. Yeah, tell me about them.
Speaker 1:Oh, man Tell the audience.
Speaker 1:I'm so happy just thinking about it. I want to go back. It was getting women's hockey to Israel was crazy experience in itself. But then getting the opportunity to tag along with an organization to help expose hockey there and coach hockey and connect with the players there was so powerful, so incredible, so appreciative. And that's my favorite part of players like that is when they're grateful for players like myself or Swaggy P, who I was with, getting that chance to help them. If you're receptive of that, you're going to go a long way. You know you're going to get further than somebody that's not.
Speaker 2:I feel like you have an ability to connect with basically whoever you want. Are there specific people you love working with in hockey and life in general, other than Liquid IV?
Speaker 1:Everyone provides something. I look at it like every single person I connect with there's a reason I'm connecting with them, like I'm connecting with you. I'm connecting with Phoenix, I'm connecting with, I connected with Carly for a reason you know. Like everyone I connect with, I Genuinely believe that they provide value in my life or I could provide value in there. So maybe it's like you know, a two-way street or a one-way street to start, and then eventually there's always gonna be value with connecting with people and whether or not you know what purpose they serve in your life. At that point you might not know, but eventually you'll look back and realize, okay, like this is why I connected with them. So, to be honest, like I don't want to shout out just one person, because I think everybody truly brings something special to my life.
Speaker 2:That's a perfect answer, because I get asked that all the time around guests on the pod and I'm like I can't. There's 200 plus first. Yeah and each person has their own story. They're your own unique aspect that makes them so exciting and so interesting and be able to everyone's so different, right yeah? Snowflakes snow. Yeah even though you don't get them down here.
Speaker 1:We do, I'm going up. I'm going up in a couple weeks, you're right.
Speaker 2:There was an Instagram of you snowboarding in a bikini.
Speaker 1:Yeah, crazy, yeah, july 4th not bad snow California must be nice. Yeah, just that's like.
Speaker 2:Yeah, California are probably only two places you can do that where you can ski and see to work. Yeah, you can like. Nope West love bam.
Speaker 1:Okay yeah, west of bam, bams, alberta. Okay, bobby Ryan made that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotta get my provinces Canadian geography.
Speaker 2:Yeah people down here. Yeah don't really care about what's going on. I do.
Speaker 1:I, I personally love Canada. I always joke that like I could see myself not jokes, I was serious, but I could live there for sure. I love the Canadian people, I love the culture, I love it. Yeah, you just break out a couple of days and I think with like the CWHL, we travel there so often that I just began to really embrace. You know every city that we went to was your CWHL contract, similar to Meg.
Speaker 2:Delays of like a five thousand dollar per year.
Speaker 1:We all had the same. That's what. That's what was so crazy about Women's hockey is like we all had the same contract. Yeah. And like for me as somebody that, yeah, I had my stint with the national program and had a great career, but like I wasn't, you know, up to the Olympian part, like we shouldn't have had similar contracts, you know I mean. So that's why I'm stoked where the PWA tell is now and, yeah, the trajectory of women's hockey is is just going like this and it's amazing, yeah.
Speaker 2:She was the second episode on the athletes podcast to make. Yeah, she was like five grand full circle, yeah, she was driving a blue Mustang brand new and I was like you're not even gonna be able to pay for gas to drive back to Buffalo Like yeah, it's crazy, it's crazy. I'm too like yeah, insane so and now you're seeing hundred and fifty thousand dollar contracts being signed Exactly. I'm mind you, but you know we'll see what PWHL table.
Speaker 1:Yeah, completely exciting, yeah, so exciting. I think those are the small differences that are gonna make the big difference in the long run.
Speaker 2:Well, and even Emma Malte was saying she's like there, she's living a pro life, right, yeah, she wakes up, get to go work out, go to the arena. They have food there, I think it's a professional lifestyle.
Speaker 1:Yeah which is a big change from what you were exposed to probably the CWHL, it was crazy to talk to people about the differences that we were getting versus what NHL play. I have a lot of friends that are living out their dream in the NHL and just to see the differences as far as the Small things of bringing in your equipment in and out of a locker room every night, like that's something, even a call you leave your stuff there and it's it's a small things like that that add up.
Speaker 1:Yeah and we didn't even have a home rank, a home locker room. We were practicing at 11 30 pm, getting home at 1 am To wake up at 7 am For work the next day. All of us across the board, and so that's why I'm so excited to see where this is going, because it's about time that you know we make these big changes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you shouldn't be getting on the ice after I play my intramural University hockey game.
Speaker 1:We were probably getting on the ice, like after your team, you know, I mean like essentially, that's atrocious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the WHL rookies are grabbing all the guys gear like man. If you, as a professional hockey player, having to carry your gear out, it's a little head scratcher crazy, that way crazy. What do people not know about Chelsea cold bird?
Speaker 1:Okay, so a lot of people don't know that I have been producing music and that's a very big passion of mine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a lot of people are gonna learn now, but I've kept it very low-key just because I'm not the type of person to just go share everything about myself like, if you ask me I I'm happy to tell you, but it's. I don't just expose that. I've always loved music. I grew up playing guitar and then event chose hockey to take me where it's taken me and now I Just I really want to connect with people on a broad level. So I've been connecting.
Speaker 1:So I study counseling and therapy in undergrad to connect with people on a on more of a surface, like a. You know I didn't want to serve a sub relationship, so I wanted to connect with people on greater relationship levels and that's why I got a degree in that. And then I'm like Okay, how can we get bigger? And that's public speaking has been amazing for me to connect with. You know a vast Array of people.
Speaker 1:I connect with hundreds of people to thousands of people, and To me that's really special because everybody will take something different from what I say or maybe they won't take anything, but it's still a really cool experience. And so now I'm like how can I continue to get bigger, and Music, to me, is so universal and you can connect with hundreds of thousands, thousands, millions of people just with one song or just you know you, the ability to connect with so many people is so cool. To me, and that's my goal, is to continue to inspire the world. I want to change the world and I do believe that I could do that through music, and so I've been producing. Eventually, I do want to Perform and I do want to play festivals and I do want to connect with millions of people and so I'm Going to do that through music and so, yeah, it's a really cool thing that I've been doing and I love it.
Speaker 2:Heck. Yeah, this episode will come out in a couple weeks and I know you're like not saying everything because you got stuff in the works, but I'm excited for it. You're gonna be like One of the guys who I look up to Jesse, it's there. I don't know if you're familiar with who he is. He started off by creating jingles for okay, nba basketball team, oh, and then his progress has like a crazy career athlete, basically all around the board, but that was what got him his shot is writing jingles for the Knicks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean something like that right.
Speaker 2:It'll change your life, yeah and then that's how I mean. It wasn't what you were on the ice at the Kings a couple weeks ago for, but I could see you right in the jingle for the Kings someday.
Speaker 1:I could see it, I actually.
Speaker 2:She's like hold on, no, no it's so great.
Speaker 1:You say this because I was at the game the other night and they obviously showcase the DJ in the arena who's playing the songs. And I looked to my left and I was like I'm gonna be up there like one day for sure, that's definitely gonna be a gold mine, yeah, and yeah, no doubt for sure. Hey, you guys, speak it into existence when I set my mind to something, I I Do work my ass off to achieve that is that Instilled from your parents?
Speaker 2:You have like 100% definitely.
Speaker 1:I think all the above I mean my parents definitely taught there's four of us, so all of us how to work hard and Obviously create opportunities for yourself from that, and that's just basically how I live my life. I I'm the best version of myself that I could be to myself and to others every single day, but I also, at the same time, work hard to get opportunities that I've been fortunate enough to get, and so I'm just gonna keep doing that and I know I'm gonna be up there yeah.
Speaker 2:Chelsea. The way we wrap up every episodes. We ask our guests their biggest piece of advice for the next generation of athletes. I feel like 15 years on the road Cali gal, northeastern grad yeah representing the USA at the best possible level. What do you go for us today?
Speaker 1:Oh, there's so many pieces of advice that I've been through that I can, you know, help others Relate to, but I would just say have fun is one of the biggest ones with anything you do in life, whether that's being an athlete or Working your nine five, whatever it is, just make sure you're you're enjoying what you're doing. I think when you're not enjoying it, you got to reevaluate something. So definitely have fun. Also, embrace all of the challenges and adversity that comes your way. I know that's so much easier said than done, but looking back at at where I've gone to now from where I was, it's happened because of the adversity that I face in the challenges that I went through and the mindset that I had. So really embrace any difficult times that come into your life and Just know that you're gonna overcome that and it's gonna make you a better person in the end.
Speaker 2:Heck yeah, and You've overcome Basically every obstacle out there. Yeah so kudos to you for that, thank you. Thanks so much for coming on the pod. I do have to ask how crazy were your mini stick battles with the four siblings?
Speaker 1:You know it was mostly my twin and I, so the two older siblings are.
Speaker 2:They were soccer players, right, so a little different and then were they schooling you on the footwork, though completely.
Speaker 1:I'm still not a good pregame soccer player Still not, absolutely not. But the mini sticks like with the boys, travel hockey with the boys that was always the best hallway mini sticks, yeah are you throwing bows and fit too, or what? No, I've never really been like an elbow thrower. Oh okay, even only ice now, like if the gals want to get chippy. I'm like, I'm just not into that.
Speaker 2:You're just gonna skate around you.
Speaker 1:I'm literally like like, let's not do that. You know, I don't know, I'm pretty chill, as you can probably see.
Speaker 2:I know, like I said in the middle, you're pretty uptight, um yeah. Any other. I do want to wrap up, sorry, because there's one point that I always like to bring up around, like playing sports as a young Kid and yeah, lacrosse, you played everything and that's one thing I really want to bring up with every guest, like the importance of not just specializing with hockey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I could have right completely yeah, but to me it was a very good variety of skills that I gained from lacrosse, from being a swimmer, that actually translated to the game of hockey. So if you can get your feet in the door with so many other sports, definitely recommend it. My own personal opinion I know a lot of people have different opinions as no, you should spend all your time on the ice, but I experience burnout if I. It's kind of crazy, but when I was training for hockey like I Sometimes wouldn't be on the ice at all in the summer until like the last maybe month and that I had to.
Speaker 1:Pull in a Dustin Bofflin Just because, like I, burnout's so real for me and that's my own thought. But being on the field with the cross or in the pool, I love swimming.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Um, it just like Maybe it's a stress reliever or free the mind, whatever, but Getting outside the rink was so healthy for me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's uh, I, you, you put it perfectly. I just Hope everyone listening understands the importance of playing multiple sports. Uh, do you know? Dustin Bofflin's also a professional fisherman now, I did not.
Speaker 1:But there we go, right yeah multi sport right, multi sport yeah. Yeah, that was great, thank you, I appreciate your time. Thanks so much.