Shownotes
In this episode of Sharpening Your Edge, Chuck sits down with PWHL Walter Cup Champion Skylar Irving to discuss her journey from backyard rinks in Kingston, Massachusetts, to the top of professional women's hockey. Skylar reflects on how free play and a genuine love for the game shaped her development, while sharing insights into the team-first culture that helped the Montreal Victoire capture the Walter Cup. She opens up about the importance of mental health, why she chose to publicly share her own experiences, and the powerful impact of asking for help. Skylar also discusses the growth of the PWHL, her experiences navigating the draft process, and her role as a mentor to young athletes. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes that player development is unique to each individual and reminds listeners that progress is rarely linear. This episode is packed with valuable lessons on resilience, teamwork, leadership, and finding success both on and off the ice.
Bio
Skylar Irving is one of the rising stars in professional women's hockey and a member of the Walter Cup Champion Montreal Victoire of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
A native of Kingston, Massachusetts, Irving's passion for hockey began almost as soon as she could walk. Growing up skating on a front-yard rink built by her father, she developed a lifelong love for the game that continues to drive her success today. Known as a skilled power forward with a goal-scorer's mentality, Irving's relentless work ethic and commitment to improvement helped her rise through the Massachusetts hockey ranks before starring at Northeastern University.
During her standout collegiate career with the Northeastern Huskies, Irving earned numerous accolades, including Hockey East All-Rookie Team honors in 2021-22, three selections to the Hockey East All-Academic Team, Hockey East Third Team All-Star recognition in 2023-24, Hockey East Second Team All-Star honors in 2024-25, and New England Division I All-Star honors in 2024-25. She also played a pivotal role in Northeastern's championship success, earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Tournament Team in 2025.
One of the defining moments of Irving's collegiate career came during the 2025 Beanpot Championship, where she scored both Northeastern goals in a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over Boston University. Her performance earned her Beanpot MVP honors, cementing her place among the most impactful players in the tournament's storied history.
Selected 20th overall by Montreal in the 2025 PWHL Draft, Irving quickly transitioned to the professional game and helped the Victoire capture the Walter Cup during her rookie season. While adapting to the challenges of professional hockey, she has remained grounded in the mindset that fueled her journey from a young hockey enthusiast shooting pucks in her backyard to competing against the best players in the world.
Known for her love of the game, humility, and commitment to continuous growth, Irving enters the next chapter of her career focused on establishing herself as an impact player, goal scorer, and leader in the PWHL while continuing to inspire the next generation of athletes.
Takeaways:
- The essence of team camaraderie and mutual support is crucial in achieving success, as illustrated by Skyler's experiences during her championship season.
- Skyler's journey underscores the importance of nurturing a genuine passion for the sport, which fosters resilience and a desire to excel.
- The evolution of women's hockey, particularly the establishment of the PWHL, offers young athletes tangible role models and aspirations to pursue their dreams.
- Skyler emphasizes the significance of mental health awareness in athletics, advocating for open conversations and support within the sports community.
- The transition from NCAA to professional hockey presents challenges, particularly regarding mental resilience and self-confidence amidst competition.
- Skyler's experiences in youth hockey highlight how supportive environments contribute to the development of aspiring athletes, reinforcing the necessity of genuine encouragement.
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Transcripts
This is Sharpening youg Edge with Chuck and Eric.
Speaker A:In this episode, we'll be speaking with Skyler Irving, a recent member of the Walter Cup Championship for the pwhl.
Speaker A:But first, a quick message from our title sponsor.
Speaker B:Most team management apps stop at schedules and rosters.
Speaker B:RosterHub was built by coaches who needed more than that.
Speaker B:You can break down game film with drawing tools and voiceover diagram plays on a digital whiteboard, assign and track fitness programs, manage your team budget and coordinate carpools and volunteers.
Speaker B:There's even a global game finder that connects you with opponents nearby.
Speaker B:And for hockey teams, it ties right into my hockey rankings to identify the perfect opponent.
Speaker B:All that, plus the stuff you'd expect, scheduling, roster management announcements and reminders.
Speaker B:Roster Hub is one app that covers the full coaching job, not just the administration.
Speaker B:Create your account at RosterHub app and download today on iOS and Android.
Speaker B:Your first month is free.
Speaker B:Open the iOS app store, tap your profile, tap redeem code and enter CV31 month.
Speaker B:Check out roster Hub today.
Speaker C:Welcome to another episode of Sharpening your Edge, presented by CB3 Hockey Development and brought to you by our title sponsor, Roster Hub.
Speaker C:I'm your host, Chuck Bertolino, and I'll be riding solo tonight.
Speaker C:And our guest is a former D1 player at Northeastern, a bean pot champion, and most recently, a Walter cup champion, Skyler Irving.
Speaker C:Welcome to the show.
Speaker A:Hi, Chuck.
Speaker A:Thanks for having me today.
Speaker C:No problem.
Speaker C:So we'll get to your hockey beginnings in a minute, but first things first.
Speaker C:In your rookie season, Walter Cup Champion, has that reality finally sunk in yet?
Speaker A:A little bit.
Speaker A:It was kind of crazy after we won, two weeks after, and it kind of all was a blur, but now it's kind of sunk in a little bit.
Speaker A:And everybody's asking, oh, when do you have the Cup?
Speaker A:When do you have the Cup?
Speaker A:So everybody's asking, everybody's congratulating.
Speaker A:So you kind of.
Speaker A:Kind of get used to it, but it still feels so surreal.
Speaker C:So, just like the NHL, I'm assuming, based on what you just said, they're going to pass it around.
Speaker C:Each player gets a day with the cup or a weekend with the Cup.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's what I've been told.
Speaker A:I haven't really heard much, but I think that's what's going to happen.
Speaker A:Maggie Flaherty, who was on Minnesota and won twice, said, that's how it works.
Speaker A:So I'm just listening to somebody who's done it multiple times now, and I'm excited for that day.
Speaker C:Yeah, not too bad for a Rookie season.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:So take us through those final moments when you realized the Victoire were going to win the Walter Cup.
Speaker C:What emotions were going through your head at that time?
Speaker C:When the clock hit zero, did you black out or do you have a memory of it?
Speaker A:Yeah, I kind of just remember blacking out and rushing to Ann.
Speaker A:We were all so excited.
Speaker A:Our team was so close that it made it so much more special.
Speaker A:But you kind of are just hugging your teammates, hugging each other so much.
Speaker A:Like, the fans in Ottawa were just cheering, and that was so cool.
Speaker A:We were in Ottawa and Ottawa was cheering for us.
Speaker A:Like, they didn't want us to win, but they were just happy that a team from Canada finally won it.
Speaker A:But, yeah, it was crazy.
Speaker A:You kind of black out for a second and you're just giving everyone the biggest hug.
Speaker A:Because we went through the year, we had so much adversity throughout the whole season that it was just a special moment for everybody.
Speaker C:It says a lot, too, for the growth of the game for the pwhl, considering, like you said, you're in Ottawa and they were cheering and everything, and it was so loud.
Speaker C:I think just people love to see this game growing.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's really cool.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:My whole life, I've watched the guys win the Stanley Cup.
Speaker A:That's always been a big thing to watch and kind of see happen.
Speaker A:So now that we're able to have the same opportunity of rushing the ice to hold up that trophy, it's so special.
Speaker A:I feel like you can ask any women's hockey player in the pwhl, or honestly in any league what your dream was as a child.
Speaker A:And it was okay, I wanted to go, I want to win the Stanley Cup.
Speaker A:But now it's, I want to go win the Walter Cup.
Speaker A:I want to hold that over my head and kind of just win that.
Speaker A:So now it's super cool that girls have that to look forward to, because there was never that when I was growing up or even three, four years ago.
Speaker A:So it's kind of cool to kind of watch the game grow.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C: the first gold medal team in: Speaker C:And then girls looked up to her.
Speaker C:And now the next generation and the next wave of women's hockey is coming, and you have girls looking up to you as well, and the game's just going to continue to grow, so it's great to see.
Speaker C:So you touched upon a little bit earlier.
Speaker C:You said your Group was so close knit.
Speaker C:And Eric and I talk about this all the time on the podcast where it's not necessarily the team that has the most skill that wins the championship.
Speaker C:And don't get me wrong, there's a lot of skill on the Victoire.
Speaker C:But what would you say was the team's defining characteristic and what made this team, this championship team, so special?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think what made our team so special was how much love and support everybody had for each other.
Speaker A:Whether you were first line or you were scratched, everybody knew that whoever was out there in that moment could put the puck in the net and could kind of dictate the game.
Speaker A:So it was just having faith in our process and having faith in each other that kind of allowed us to win that championship.
Speaker A:Because there's a lot of times throughout our season that we had super big name players on our team injured and people needed to fill in, people needed to step up and that's what happened throughout our whole season.
Speaker A:So it wasn't like you weren't just relying on one person to win this game for us.
Speaker A:It was everybody, whether you were playing or you were in the stands or anybody, everybody believed in everybody and it was so special.
Speaker A:And everyone was lifting each other up, everybody was supporting each other and there was never like, I never felt like a rookie, obviously you're a rookie and you kind of have those emotions, but never once did any one of my teammates who was older than me ever made me feel like a rookie.
Speaker A:And they were like, hey, sky, like when your time comes, you're gonna crush it.
Speaker A:You're gonna have your opportunity, you're gonna crush it.
Speaker A:And everybody had a similar faith in each other and kind of picked each other up.
Speaker A:And I felt like that was so special and super cool to walk in on because as a rookie, walking into a locker room of players I've looked up to my whole life, that's intimidating.
Speaker A:So having them support you throughout it all, that's super cool.
Speaker A:So from the start it was like that.
Speaker A:So I think just being able to win the cup all together and kind of it was so team first.
Speaker A:It was just a cool feeling to feel.
Speaker A:It was just a super neat experience because you could obviously come into pro hockey and think, okay, you have your big dogs, they're going to act like your big dogs.
Speaker A:But that was never the case.
Speaker C:If you put, even in youth hockey, if you put a group of just top scorers on a team, they're not going to be successful.
Speaker C:You can have an all star team and they won't be successful, but it's the teams that, that gel together, that come together as a team that'll defend each other.
Speaker C:Like you said, the veterans making the rookies feel at home and part of the team.
Speaker C:That just goes a long way.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:So the turnout for the parade was ridiculous, right?
Speaker C:It's just, it's again, it's great to see the growth of the game and those that listen know I have a 10 year old daughter that plays goalie with triple A boys in the Philadelphia area and she also plays with girls in the spring and summer.
Speaker C:And that's the talk of the town with them just naming the girls in the PWHL now that they look up to.
Speaker C:So it's tremendous to see too, with your parade, how many people turned out to celebrate and congratulate you.
Speaker C:So what's it like playing in Montreal where it means so much to the city?
Speaker A:Oh, it's crazy.
Speaker A:Any game you go to, you're walking into the game and there's people there three hours before and people know who you are.
Speaker A:Whether you're walking down the street.
Speaker A:If they're like fans and stuff, they'll know who you are.
Speaker A:And that is so cool.
Speaker A:I feel like other markets don't really have that same experience where it's like, hockey's a focus, Hockey's the focus in Montreal.
Speaker A:So our fans are incredible.
Speaker A:I feel like any PWHL team would say that.
Speaker A:But I think there's something so special about the Montreal fan base.
Speaker A:They show up, they show out every single day.
Speaker A:Whether we're winning, whether we're losing, they'll support us through it all, and it's just cool to see.
Speaker A:And a lot of times the young fans, there's so many of them.
Speaker A:It's a Tuesday night game at 7pm and there's so many little kids there.
Speaker A:And I'm like, my parents would never let me do that.
Speaker A:I would be in bed at this hour.
Speaker A:But it's just cool to kind of see how special hockey is to Montreal and how much they really want this woman's program to thrive and succeed there.
Speaker A:And they've showed out every single time.
Speaker A:And the parade was crazy.
Speaker A:We were like on our bus and then kind of driving down the street and then we turn a corner where the parade kind of ends and we're on a stage and all you see is just thousands and thousands of people following.
Speaker A:Our bus filled the streets and I know most of us had tears in our eyes when we saw that because it's just cool and it kind of shows, how much this game has grown, how much people want to support us, how much people have put into this game over the years.
Speaker A:And it was just so cool and emotional for us all.
Speaker C:Do you have a favorite memory of the celebration that.
Speaker C:That you can share?
Speaker A:I think personally it was when my dad came on the ice with me and he got a lift the cup up with me just because he was.
Speaker A:He's been there with me from the start, like I wouldn't be playing this game without him.
Speaker A:He supports me every single day and continues to push me as a person and as a hockey player.
Speaker A:He's my biggest critic and my biggest fan at the same time.
Speaker A:So being able to have that experience with him meant everything to me.
Speaker A:I know that when I went pro, the first thing that I wanted to do was after the season, give my dad my jersey.
Speaker A:So I was able to do that with the little logo on it from the championship.
Speaker A:But also just having the photo of us lifting up the cup was my favorite moment of it all.
Speaker A:And then as a team it was.
Speaker A:There's so many moments that we had.
Speaker A:The two weeks after we won was just non stop and I don't know how much sleep I got, but I think probably most definitely it was the parade.
Speaker A:It's just so cool.
Speaker A:Like I said earlier, it just shows how much the fans love us, support us and want the best for us all.
Speaker A:But it was just emotional.
Speaker A:And just having that experience on the stage with all of us was so cool.
Speaker A:And just seeing all the fans, I can't even put into words, it was super special for us all.
Speaker A:And I think Montreal showed up and showed out for us, so it was super cool.
Speaker A:And I think everyone was emotional during that time.
Speaker C:That's great.
Speaker C:So you did mention your dad.
Speaker C:And I want to take it all the way back to your beginnings and a lot of NHL players, Olympic players, even NCAA players, when they win a championship or a trophy, an mvp, whatever it is, gets drafted.
Speaker C:They often credit their family first for what they sacrificed and what they did for them growing up.
Speaker C:And you grew up in a hockey hotbed in Kingston, Massachusetts, and your dad built a rink for you in your front yard.
Speaker C:So how much of an impact did those backyard skates have on you growing up, starting your love for this game?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think just being able to step outside my front door and just step on the ice, like really just taught me how to love the game because it was all out of my own will and just I wanted to be out there and it was something that I Got to share with my dad and even my brother and my mom would be out there.
Speaker A:She didn't play hockey or anything, but she was out there with cup of hot chocolate.
Speaker A:Always froze afterwards.
Speaker A:But yeah, it was a family thing.
Speaker A:And whether it was me competing with my dad to get the puck when I was like 2, 3 years old or just learning to love the game like with my dad, who also loves the game, was super special for me.
Speaker A:And I always will credit it back to that.
Speaker A:I learned to skate there, I learned to stick handle there, I learned to shoot.
Speaker A:Like learned to be competitive there because I was always being pushed by my dad.
Speaker A:Like it was always I wanted to be better than him because we're competitive.
Speaker A:Like I always need to be better than my dad.
Speaker A:Obviously he was better than me.
Speaker A:But that front door rink meant everything to me.
Speaker A:So to have that experience growing up there and like it was, I think the biggest thing that I would ever say is it was all out of my own love for the game that I wanted to be out there with my dad instead of like my dad making me be out there.
Speaker A:That it really helped me grow into the pro that I am today.
Speaker A:And I never got burnt out because it was all out of the love.
Speaker A:And it all brought me back to those moments.
Speaker A:If I ever was stressed during the game, I would be like, okay, what would like little sky think on her front front yard rink?
Speaker A:Like, it just always brings me back.
Speaker A:And I love that ring so much.
Speaker A:Sometimes I wish my dad still built it, but he's.
Speaker A:It wouldn't get any use.
Speaker A:You're not here.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And the guests we have on too, they talk about that as well.
Speaker C:Where hockey was different for them growing up in the fact that it was just a lot of free play and competition and just being creative out on the ice.
Speaker C:And if you were lucky enough to live in a cold weather city in the winter, you can play on the ponds and things like that.
Speaker C:And that's something you don't really see much anymore with youth hockey is the free play and the stick and pox where you just go out there and just be creative.
Speaker C:When I was younger, I had a bank down the block for me and I just go out there for hours and just mess around on my rollerblades and things like that and on the ponds on Long island in the winter.
Speaker C:So it's the little things like that keep the love of the game growing.
Speaker C:So was it at that point with the competition with your dad?
Speaker C:And just the fun of it was that was it at that Point that you realized that maybe it's going to become more than just playing in the outdoor rink for me.
Speaker C:And I love this game so much where I just want to keep going.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think it was just I always wanted to stick in my hand and skates on my feet.
Speaker A:So it was whatever I wanted.
Speaker A:Whatever could get me in that position, I was going to do.
Speaker A:I feel like I never knew how far I would go.
Speaker A:It was more so my dad saw it in me, and he would always just give me the resources to get to where I needed to go, but never pressed them.
Speaker A:And I thank him every single day for that because I've seen so many parents kind of burn their kids out just making them hockey, forcing them to do these skills, forcing them to go to these skates.
Speaker A:And my dad never did that.
Speaker A:He was like, hey, sky, you want to do this?
Speaker A:I'll help you out.
Speaker A:We'll get you there.
Speaker A:We'll give you the tools, we'll give you the shooting tiles.
Speaker A:Whatever you need, I'll provide.
Speaker A:But I'll never make you go outside or make you do this.
Speaker A:Make you skate on the rink, whatnot.
Speaker A:It was always out of my own passion and my own will, and I think my dad was probably the first one to see it in me.
Speaker A:When I was out in my driveway shooting at 5am When I was younger, and my parents would be like, go back to bed.
Speaker A:Or when the lights went in the front door when I was skating on the rink, they'd be like, sky, back to bed.
Speaker A:So I think they always saw the passion and the drive in me, and it was always for fun for me.
Speaker A:And that's how it should be.
Speaker A:If you don't love the game and love what you're doing, what are you getting out of it?
Speaker A:So you have to be in love with it to want to go far and want to put in the work every single day.
Speaker A:I find the people who love the game, love who they're doing it with, go the farthest always.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And we had Jeff Lavecchio on last episode from the Hockey Think tank, a former D1 player and NHLer, and he said, the biggest thing for youth hockey kids growing up is they need to want it right.
Speaker C:You see the parents, like you said, pushing their kids to do it, and it becomes a job and not fun for them anymore when they're doing 8 million tournaments a year and just hockey and no other sports.
Speaker C:And he said, how you really know that they love the game is when they come to you and say, hey, Mom.
Speaker C:Hey, Dad, I want to go out, and I want to go to stick and Pock or I want to play in this tournament.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:Rather than the parents forcing it down their throat.
Speaker C:And that's how kids grow up to.
Speaker C:To love game and stay in it and not burn out by the time they're 10.
Speaker C:So I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think it's important.
Speaker A:I think without that, there's so many kids who just grow out of the love of the game, and that's not what you want.
Speaker A:I'm very grateful for both my parents just allowing me the resources that I needed to get to where I am, but they just saw the passion in me, and they just wanted to help out in whatever way that they could.
Speaker C:So when did you realize, or your parents realized that, that you had something going with your skill and your love of the game where you were ready to take it to the next level to travel hockey in the Massachusetts circuit?
Speaker C:And did you actually play with the boys growing up?
Speaker C:And what was that like?
Speaker A:Yeah, so there wasn't really much girl hockey around here until I turned, I think, like, eight or nine.
Speaker A:So anywhere from, I think, four to eight.
Speaker A:So four years, I played strictly with the boys, and then when I got to eight years old, I kind of did both girls and boys.
Speaker A:Like I said earlier, my parents definitely saw that I had something in me when I was just so committed to the game.
Speaker A:And maybe I wasn't the most skilled at the time, but they saw some passion in me that they knew that I was gonna go as far as I could go, as far as my passion took me, that's how far I would go.
Speaker A:And I think just having two parents that saw that in me, I'm so grateful for to just have that.
Speaker A:But I think when I started to kind of realize that I was maybe could go someplace, was around, like, 12 years old, when I was just, like, I was with the guys, and I was just skating around them, or if I was getting into a scrum and then the other guys would try to beat them up, and it would just be like, I'd be laughing, and then I'd go score the next goal.
Speaker A:So I think just, like, obviously, like, my passion kind of showed me where I'm gonna go.
Speaker A:And obviously, like, I've looked up to, like, gold medal winners or national team players my whole life, that I kind of saw that and I wanted that.
Speaker A:And because, obviously, I didn't really have the PWHL to look up to.
Speaker A:When I was younger.
Speaker A:It was always the national Team, always those college players.
Speaker A:And I saw that and I wanted that.
Speaker A:And I'm pretty sure that I wrote it down at age 11 or 12 that that was my goal.
Speaker A:College hockey, USA Hockey, whatever way that I could.
Speaker A:So I kind of saw that and I wanted to do that.
Speaker C:So was there anyone in particular that you looked up to?
Speaker C:You mentioned the national team.
Speaker C:So what group or what specific player did you look up to or model your game after?
Speaker A:Yeah, obviously it's like the Hillary Knight, but that was like the first one.
Speaker A:But Kendall Coyne was always like the player that I loved watching.
Speaker A:She's obviously a Northeastern Husky, so it's one of the main reasons I wanted to go there.
Speaker A:But she's so fast, she's so skilled, so strong, but not the biggest player.
Speaker A:Kind of not like me.
Speaker A:But just being able to watch her when I was younger, like I was so impressed and I kind of wanted to be fast like her.
Speaker A:Obviously she's like the fastest women's hockey player, but you can always strive for high things.
Speaker A:But yeah, she was definitely one of those players that I looked up to and kind of was like, okay, this is really cool to kind of see them play in one of the bean plot schools and then play on the national team and win an Olympic gold last Olympics.
Speaker A:So that was cool.
Speaker C:And now let's take a quick break to hear from our partners.
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Speaker C:And growing up, did you wear 88 too?
Speaker C:Because you wore 88 at Northeastern and with the victoire.
Speaker C:And did you wear that growing up as well?
Speaker C:When did you first start wearing it and why did you choose it?
Speaker A:So I actually, I'm pretty sure my first hockey jersey was number eight.
Speaker A:And I just like the number eight.
Speaker A:It's a good number.
Speaker A:Four plus four equals eight.
Speaker A:Don't really know the logic behind it and then when I went to high school, I wore number 11 because that was my dad's number, my brother's number, and my mom was born on the 11th of January, so that kind of was a cool number to wear for me.
Speaker A:But then when I went to college, Alina Mueller had number 11, so obviously I wasn't gonna take that.
Speaker A:And I was like, okay, I like the number 8, I like the number 11.
Speaker A:Put them together, you get 88.
Speaker A:But something I realized when I was picking the number was Patrick Kane wears number 88.
Speaker A:And my middle name's Kane and my brother's is Patrick and he's born before me, so it's like Patrick Kane.
Speaker A:So when I'm wearing the number it's okay.
Speaker A:I got my brother, I got my family with me.
Speaker C:That's awesome.
Speaker A:So I thought that was kind of cool and I kind of want to stick with that for as long as I can.
Speaker A:Plus it's a good looking number.
Speaker A:I feel like no bad player really wears that number.
Speaker A:You got some good players wearing them in the NHL.
Speaker A:So I kind of want to make my own impact in legacy in the PWHL with it.
Speaker C:So you had an incredible career at Northeastern.
Speaker C:We spoke a little bit about that.
Speaker C:You earned all Hockey east, all rookie team.
Speaker C:You were a three time Hockey east all academic team selection.
Speaker C:You played with some really good players there, some great goaltenders who we're seeing today shine in the PWHL and some players as well.
Speaker C:What were some of the teammates that you really loved playing with and what made you most proud of your time as a Husky?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think for me what made me most proud of my time as a Husky was kind of being a local kid and being able to wear the Northeastern Husky jersey, being from around here.
Speaker A:So I always had kids that I was coaching at games or during the bean pod.
Speaker A:I'd have so many of the youth programs I would help out with.
Speaker A:So I'm kind of most proud of that.
Speaker A:Kind of just having a lot of younger kids look up to me and kind of aspire for similar paths in their hockey journeys and just being a role model was probably the biggest, most rewarding thing during my time at Northeastern.
Speaker A:So that was awesome.
Speaker A:And just the players that I played with there, there were so many, there's so many of us that are going to be in the league next year and I've had such a wide range of players from Alina Mueller to Tory Mariano who just got drafted and every one of them has been incredible.
Speaker A:I love my, my four Years at Northeastern were some of the best times of my life because of the people and my captain.
Speaker A:My freshman year broke hops and we had a skate test and there was four groups of us, and she skated with every single group.
Speaker A:And that just showed me.
Speaker A:And she wasn't a talkative person.
Speaker A:She just showed up and did her job and showed everybody that she was going to be there for them.
Speaker A:And then I've had so many other captains throughout my time that it was just.
Speaker A:There were so many great people there.
Speaker A:And I think that was what made Northeastern what it was.
Speaker A:The people and my best friends are like, I have my best friends from college and people that I talk to every single day and play against in the league.
Speaker A:And it's just so cool to kind of look back and be like, okay, I played college with those people and now I'm playing against them.
Speaker A:It's just crazy.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And it's like you said, too.
Speaker C:It's amazing to see.
Speaker C:It speaks volumes for that program where you see PWHL players coming out of Northeastern every single year.
Speaker C:A bunch of draft picks this year as well.
Speaker C:You forgot to mention your championship, though, as being one of your highlights.
Speaker C:You scored both goals, including the OT winner.
Speaker C:You won the Bean Pot mvp and your celebration became a huge talking point after.
Speaker C:So what do you remember most after that puck went in and what was going through your mind during that?
Speaker C:Celly?
Speaker A:I think most things went black, but all I wanted to do was Selly, like, obviously, like, Patrick Kane was a player that I've looked up to when I was younger and he was the Heartbreak King.
Speaker A:So just being in an environment to do that and then have all my team, like, I was going to do it towards Gwen Phillips, who was our goalie at the time.
Speaker A:We played incredible that game.
Speaker A:And I don't even know, it kind of went black and you kind of just doing whatever you were thinking about.
Speaker A:But yeah, I did the Heartbreak Cellie and then I got attacked by Gwen and Katie Noll and Meg Carter, everybody that was on the ice with me.
Speaker A:But yeah, that was so cool.
Speaker A:That was the first time that I think I've played honestly more than 2,000 fans.
Speaker A:And that just is a small sample size because, like last year we played at the same rink at the Garden and it was packed.
Speaker A:So I don't know that that beanpop meant so much to me and kind of just showed me what I was capable of as a player, but also showed me how much, like, a team can lift a group up in that group that we had there.
Speaker A:There was a lot of players that weren't playing that game.
Speaker A:We shortened the bench a lot, and everybody just wanted that for us.
Speaker A:Whether you were playing, whether you were in the stands, everybody wanted to lift everybody up in whatever way that they could.
Speaker A:Kind of like what I was saying with my team last year with the Victoire was.
Speaker A:And that's what I think makes teams so special, and teams win when they do that.
Speaker A:So I just wanted to score for our team and then just celebrate with our team.
Speaker A:But it was awesome.
Speaker A:I cried.
Speaker A:I think, after that game, I was so emotional because it was.
Speaker A:It just meant so much to me, being a Boston kid, being the first one to kind of score for our team there and kind of have that a part of my hockey career.
Speaker C:And during your time at Northeastern, too, you made a powerful Mental Health Matters post that resonated with a lot of people.
Speaker C:And Eric and I talk about this all the time on the podcast.
Speaker C:It's not just about talking with hockey players about skills and on ice stuff, but the purpose of our podcast is to educate parents, coaches, and players from the youth levels all the way up to NCAA and the professional level as well.
Speaker C:And part of our podcast is strength and conditioning diets, proper nutrition, and mental health as well.
Speaker C:So mental health, back in the day, even a couple years ago, it was a taboo subject, especially if you're a professional athlete.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:But guys like Victor Headman now are coming out and speaking up about things that they're going through, and it's coming to the forefront.
Speaker C:So why was it important for you to share your story publicly?
Speaker A:For me, it was important just if I could help one person, I think having a platform as a collegiate athlete at the time, like, if I could help one person, I know I was doing my job.
Speaker A:And I think a lot of times, like when I first went into college athletics, you kind of get so consumed with the glory of it.
Speaker A:Like you're playing collegiate sport.
Speaker A:There's a lot of things just happening that you don't get with, like, youth programs and stuff.
Speaker A:So you can kind of get consumed in that or fully for yourself.
Speaker A:And I knew that I wanted to give back in one way or any way that I could.
Speaker A:And I thought this would be an important message to kind of share just because it's so stigmatized kind of at times, especially, I feel like in hockey, when you're hitting people, you're punching people, like it's kind of a rough and tough sport.
Speaker A:And I just wanted to show that no matter what sport you play, no matter who you are, you can still struggle with these things, but you're not alone.
Speaker A:And like I said a couple seconds ago was, I just wanted to help one person.
Speaker A:And if I helped one person, I knew I was doing something right.
Speaker C:So you just mentioned too, that helping one person and learning that you weren't alone made a huge difference.
Speaker C:So why is community so important in mental health and mental health recovery?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think just finding your people and kind of finding a group that supports you and understands you is so important.
Speaker A:And I think a lot of times as athletes, we're obviously surrounded by a group of people, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's those people that are always going to help you.
Speaker A:Obviously you want them to be, but you're going to find your group of friends.
Speaker A:You're going to find, whether it's a parent, whether it's a support staff, whether it's a coach, somebody's going to be there to listen to you and they want to hear you.
Speaker A:And I think that's kind of the biggest thing with mental health is a lot of people just feel like they're alone and they kind of don't have somebody to share it with or they feel like they're being a burden when that's not the reality of it.
Speaker A:People care and people want to help you.
Speaker A:And I think that's the most important message that I could ever give somebody was that there's people out there that are going to listen and there's people that are going to care and people that are going to help you.
Speaker A:And at the end of the day, a nice person, a good person is going to want the best for you.
Speaker A:And most of the time, the people you're surrounded by, a good group of people, they're going to want the best of you every single day, and they're going to help you kind of get to where you need to be.
Speaker A:And that's what I felt like.
Speaker A:I've always had such a good support group, whether it was in high school or college, that I always had people that I could lean on and kind of get me through the tough times.
Speaker A:Because kind of just talking it out and kind of sharing your story is so important because there's other people that are feeling the same way.
Speaker A:And I think a lot of times people just think they're the only one feeling that way.
Speaker A:They're the only one that is having these emotions or feelings, and that's not true.
Speaker A:I feel like the more I started talking about things, the more I started also hearing things from Other people that were going through similar stuff, and that kind of made me feel less alone and kind of made me want to talk about things more.
Speaker C:So on our next episode, we're going to have Dr. Kent Corso on, who's a clinical psychologist and suicidal.
Speaker C:And we actually just recorded that episode.
Speaker C:And we talked about athletes in particular maybe not being afraid to speak out because the public.
Speaker C:The public's view on them.
Speaker C:Like you said, rough and tumble, especially hockey players, football players, boxers.
Speaker C:And we talked about checking in on others.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:That could often mean checking in on yourself.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And having that community.
Speaker C:So how do you think we start getting more comfortable having these uncomfortable conversations about mental health?
Speaker A:I think the obvious thing is that it's going to be uncomfortable, but I think the more that we do it, the more that we get used to it and kind of stuff goes from there.
Speaker A:I know that I've always been kind of lucky in my teams and stuff, that it was always, you check on me, I check on you.
Speaker A:And I've had those relationships.
Speaker A:Even like last year, there was so many people that were in similar situations, and we were always just, okay, how can I support you?
Speaker A:How can I be there for you?
Speaker A:But I understand that's not the case in everyone's situation.
Speaker A:But I think just understanding that you need to be vulnerable, to feel any bit of comfort at any point in time, and that's in every situation.
Speaker A:If you want to go get some big job, you're going to be uncomfortable, and then you're going to get comfortable with it.
Speaker A:Or like learning to shoot a puck.
Speaker A:Obviously it's not going to go in the air, it's going to go on the ice, or it's going to go two feet in front of you.
Speaker A:But the more you do it, the more you get used to it, and the more easy it comes, and then it becomes second nature.
Speaker A:And it's kind of the same way with mental health.
Speaker A:The more you talk about it, the more you ask people how they're doing, the easier the conversation comes.
Speaker A:The more open people are, the more open you are to having those conversations and kind of creating that relationship with other people just to kind of show empathy, show that you care.
Speaker A:And people are also the same way.
Speaker C:And obviously, you're Walter cup champion PWHL player, now, very successful.
Speaker C:And I would say that you're a role model to younger players, not just on the ice, but off the ice as well.
Speaker C:So what would you say to a young athlete today who feels isolated and believes no one understands what they're going.
Speaker A:Through, I think just reach out to somebody who.
Speaker A:Who cares about you.
Speaker A:And I know that's sometimes hard to do, especially if it's a parent.
Speaker A:But whether it's a coach, whether it's a staff at a school, I think there's always somebody that cares and can kind of guide you in the right direction.
Speaker A:But the second that you do that, everything's going to get better.
Speaker A:And I think that's the most important thing, is that the hardest part is just asking for that help, because everything after that is a lot easier and it's downhill, and obviously everything's.
Speaker A:There's mountains in every journey, so there's going to be ups, there's going to be downs, but you're always going to pick yourself up from the downs, and there's going to be people there picking you up, too.
Speaker A:But just reach out, if you ever need, reach out to somebody who's there for you, because there's people that care and people that love and support you and want the best for you every single day.
Speaker C:And what do you hope that people take away from your story?
Speaker C:I guess you can say just being vulnerable, to step outside and just make a post on Instagram about mental health.
Speaker C:And so what do you hope people take away from this and your story?
Speaker A:I just hope that people kind of take away that they're not alone and that there's people in professional fields that are going through similar things.
Speaker A:And, yeah, I think just knowing that you're not alone, knowing that there's people out there who have similar experiences as you do and that things get a lot better.
Speaker A:Yeah, just ask for help.
Speaker A:I think that's the biggest thing, too.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker C:So I just want to say thank you for being able to talk about this.
Speaker C:I think we both agree how important it is, and that's part of our podcast as well, to kind of educate our audience on mental health and what they're probably going through as well.
Speaker C:So thank you for being willing to speak about that during your time at Northeastern.
Speaker A:Totally.
Speaker C:So let's transition now from your college experience to the pwhl.
Speaker C:And we see the NHL draft as an extensive process.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:Scouting combines team interviews, things like.
Speaker C:That was.
Speaker C:So take us through the PWHL draft process.
Speaker C:Was it the same, or leading up to the draft, did you have any conversations with teams?
Speaker C:Is that even allowed?
Speaker C:Or were you kind of left in the dark until your name was called?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So after the NCAA season, you can sign with an agent and kind of have somebody representing you.
Speaker A:So typically, teams, after their season ended, would start Reaching out to your agent and kind of having those conversations with you.
Speaker A:So that part was kind of similar to the NHL, like just having those one on one conversations with GMs or coaches or even scouts.
Speaker A:I think some teams had a couple scouts that were talking to me, but there was no combine or anything.
Speaker A:I think that would be so cool, right?
Speaker A:Like, I would have so much fun there.
Speaker A:You're like, okay, lift as much as you can, run as fast as you can, jump as high as you can.
Speaker C:And I think the game has grown so much, right?
Speaker C:There's so many D1 schools and even international players now getting drafted that why not the league's now 12 teams, so I think that would be pretty cool to have in the future as well.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think would be so cool.
Speaker A:I think even just having the conversations with coaches or GMs was super cool too.
Speaker A:Like, you're like, oh, I'm talking to a GM now.
Speaker A:I gotta go on the zoom call and put my headphones in.
Speaker A:Like, it's just like, cool.
Speaker A:It's kind of.
Speaker A:It's just special that we're able to have those experiences that a lot of players never got to have in the women's game.
Speaker A:And even something as small as that, like, some people might overlook that, but it's just like a cool experience that we're able to have, like those experiences from just everybody that kind of put in the work to have this league for us.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And not to put anybody on the spot or throw anybody under the bus or name people, but you often hear NHL prospects talk about the weird questions that the GM asks.
Speaker C:Did you get any weird questions?
Speaker C:And if so, what were they?
Speaker A:I don't think I actually got the weird one, but I know my GM would ask people if they ever got sent to the principal's office.
Speaker A:I don't think I got asked that question, but I don't really know the weirdest one that I got.
Speaker A:It was like, I think I got one that was like, tell me about a time that you helped a stranger but never realized it.
Speaker A:And that was kind of confusing, but also made me think a little bit, but I wish that she asked me to.
Speaker A:Have you ever got sent to the principal's office one?
Speaker A:Because I've never heard that one.
Speaker C:Would you have had an answer lined up for that or.
Speaker A:No, I've never been sent to the principal's office.
Speaker C:So looking back now to what stands out the most from draft day, what's one of the.
Speaker C:Obviously, hearing your name call was probably pretty special, but what else stood out the most on draft night.
Speaker A:I just think how they set everything up.
Speaker A:I think they made the night special for us all.
Speaker A:And whether your name was getting called or whether it wasn't like you were able to enjoy the night and have that experience, and I think personally was seeing my.
Speaker A:I always thought my mom was going to cry that night, but my dad was the one with some tears in his eyes.
Speaker C:It's always the dad I know I was.
Speaker A:And I didn't know until way after the fact because.
Speaker A:So you get your name called, you go on stage, you take the photo, you shake people's hands, then you get sent backstage and you're going through all these intensive interviews with whatever media channels at your city.
Speaker A:I know Boston would be like Nessen or Montreal would be.
Speaker A:I should know this rbz, maybe tsn.
Speaker A:Maybe one of those.
Speaker A:I don't actually know.
Speaker A:Should know.
Speaker A:But you're just backstage and you're going to interview, and then you have photo shoots and you have.
Speaker A:The coolest thing was the NHL head scans.
Speaker A:So you're putting your face into this thing and it scans your face for the NHL game.
Speaker C:Oh, that's cool.
Speaker A:And I thought that was cool.
Speaker A:It's so cool because obviously the guys are in the NHL and now the girls are there, so that's cool.
Speaker A:And then you're signing POCs, you're taking photos, and then afterwards you're kind of just having some food with people on the team and just hanging out and kind of just meeting people.
Speaker A:So the night itself was incredible.
Speaker A:You see all the fans, you see everybody supporting us and all the work that's been done to allow us to have that experience.
Speaker A:It shows every single draft's getting better.
Speaker A:I know the last draft looked incredible.
Speaker C:It looked like an NHL draft.
Speaker C:And I was going to mention that, too.
Speaker C:Going from the first year when Taylor Heisey was picked, right to the last draft.
Speaker C:It looked like an NHL draft in a big auditorium with the parents there and the families and the hugs and everything like that.
Speaker C:So, yeah, it was incredible.
Speaker A:My league's doing such a good job with kind of promoting the game and allowing the game to grow and kind of giving us all the opportunities that obviously we've deserved for a while.
Speaker A:So it's just cool to kind of see the progress every year, whether it's the draft, whether it's just fans at games or just anything within the league, social media, all of that.
Speaker A:It's just super cool to kind of watch and be a part of that growth, too.
Speaker C:And now let's Take a quick break to hear from our partners.
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Speaker C:So now you're drafted, you're in the pwhl and so on the pod.
Speaker C:Our guests often share the same sentiment when it comes to players moving up levels.
Speaker C:You could be the best player at one level, say NCAA Division 1, and then you move up and it can get tougher.
Speaker C:It is tougher, right?
Speaker C:And you can be asked to change roles.
Speaker C:So what was the biggest adjustment for you personally going from NCAA hockey to the P dub?
Speaker A:I think it was having the experience of getting scratched.
Speaker A:Obviously in ncaa, you're the big dogs on your team.
Speaker A:You're the ones that are gonna put the team on your back, put the puck in the net.
Speaker A:But having the experience of being scratched and sometimes you have reasons, sometimes you have stuff to work on, other times it's okay.
Speaker A:This is just the lineup that we have for tomorrow.
Speaker A:This is what we want to try out.
Speaker A:And it's just having to kind of take a step back and have the confidence in yourself to be like, okay, this is the situation.
Speaker A:But this doesn't affect my confidence.
Speaker A:This doesn't affect who I am as a player.
Speaker A:And when you get the Next opportunity, you're going to just take the most of it.
Speaker A:And I think that's the biggest part.
Speaker A:It's not about whether you can play, because I felt like every single time I was on the ice, I was kind of able to make a difference or do what I do.
Speaker A:But it was kind of the mental side, when you're not having those consistent opportunities or kind of even being pulled out of the lineup, it's okay.
Speaker A:How do I keep myself checked in?
Speaker A:How do I keep myself dialed?
Speaker A:Because I know the opportunity is going to come, I know the phone's going to ring, and I know I'm going to have my next shot to kind of prove myself again.
Speaker A:And it's just always being ready.
Speaker A:And that's definitely the biggest difference for me, anyways, was like, I always had the confidence in myself as a player, but it was also kind of keeping that while you're not having those reps, having the same kind of flow that you would have in college.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And a lot of our guests speak about that as well.
Speaker C:Malik Monique Lamoru spoke about it and Jeff Lo Vecchio as well.
Speaker C:How.
Speaker C:And it's a good lesson for the hockey players listening today that are trying to climb the ladder.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:It's important to, you know, not give up if you're scratched or you're having a bad week or a bad part of your season.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:Just keep plugging along and keep working.
Speaker C:And like you said earlier, too, when you were strapping the blades on for the first time in your rink, Right.
Speaker C:It's that passion to just keep going forward that that's going to make someone successful on the ice.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:My biggest thing that I always would tell myself throughout the whole season was it wasn't if I could play.
Speaker A:It was like, what am I going to do when I get the opportunity?
Speaker A:Because you're never going to question who you are as a player.
Speaker A:Once you start doing that, you go down a rabbit hole.
Speaker A:But it's more so looking forward to what's to come instead of sometimes what the situation is, because sometimes you can't control it.
Speaker A:And for me, I love controlling things.
Speaker A:It was kind of a hard experience for me to realize and be like, okay, it's not if I can play here, I know I can.
Speaker A:But what are you going to do when you get the opportunity?
Speaker A:And that's what I'm preparing for next year as well.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And obviously, if you're in the pwhl, the GM saw something in you, the coaches saw something in you, and it's not an accident.
Speaker C:So just at any level as well.
Speaker C:So just to keep pushing forward and like you said, mentally stay focused.
Speaker C:Because even when you come off the ice after a bad shift.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:If you're focused on that bad shift, it's going to stay in your head the rest of the game and you're not going to do well.
Speaker C:So I'm glad you brought up that.
Speaker C:Just having that positive attitude to push forward.
Speaker C:How much faster and now we're seeing it in the pwhl, how more physical it is than the college game.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's so much more physical than the college game.
Speaker A:And in terms of speed wise, obviously it's going to be more.
Speaker A:It's going to be faster than the college game.
Speaker A:But I feel like for me as a player, it wasn't that much of a kind of change.
Speaker A:Obviously you're making decisions faster, but in terms of foot speed and that type of stuff, I felt like I was doing okay.
Speaker A:But in terms of the physicality, there were so many times that I was like, okay, I should have realized this was going to come, especially with reverse hits.
Speaker A:I never even really knew that was a thing.
Speaker A:And then we were playing Ottawa one game and I got absolutely destroyed because I wasn't expecting it.
Speaker A:My brain was so just focused on the puck instead of just bracing myself because I was like, okay, her back's turned to me.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna get wrecked.
Speaker A:And then I'm on the ground.
Speaker A:That was my welcome to the league moment, was accepting a very big reverse hit.
Speaker A:But the speed of the game, the skill of the game, everything about the games, 10, 30 times what college is.
Speaker A:And as a player, that's so exciting.
Speaker A:I feel like anybody would say the same thing, that you have the best players in the world playing in this league and it's just so fun.
Speaker A:Every single game you're out there, you're playing against the best, and obviously it's the best of the best.
Speaker A:And you're going to need to bring your best game every single day.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And it's entertaining for the fans as well to see the speed and the physicality.
Speaker C:And it has changed a lot too, where you see now teams drafting physical players looking for that physicality.
Speaker C:Like for instance, the Fleet just drafting Grace Dwyer and she's known for her physicality.
Speaker C:So it's great to see not only the league expanding and growing, but just to see these different types of players come up and play.
Speaker C:So I'm excited to see the game continue to grow with the speed and physicality as well.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think it also just provides opportunities to other players in terms of college.
Speaker A:Obviously you can't really hit, you can't really check.
Speaker A:But now that kind of opens the door for kind of having those types of hitters or you can even have a third line guy that's just going to go out there and wreck somebody.
Speaker A:That's not something that happened before.
Speaker A:So it's kind of just giving a lot of opportunities to different styles of players and kind of now having more styles of players that people can fall into and more opportunity for girls to kind of have chances to play.
Speaker C:And speaking about the growth of the game, on April 11, you got to play in front of family and friends at TD Garden.
Speaker C:So what was that experience like playing against the Fleet in a sold out TD Garden?
Speaker A:Yeah, that was incredible.
Speaker A:Kind of going back to the bean bot days.
Speaker A:I had those experiences playing in front of 10,000, 11,000 fans.
Speaker A:So playing my first PWHL game, not my first, but playing a PWHL game at the Garden in front of 17,000 is sold out Garden was.
Speaker A:It was so cool.
Speaker A:I was standing there for the national anthem and then there was a puck chop and my name was called and it was a puck chop with Chara and Laura.
Speaker A:Stacy had a tapping Skyler, that's your name that just got called.
Speaker A:I was just kind of staring around just in awe with how incredible the Boston women's sports fan base is.
Speaker A:And just seeing how many people wanted to support everybody that plays women's sports was super emotional for me being from around there, it was just emotional and it was kind of.
Speaker A:I was just thinking about a lot during that game.
Speaker A:What would little me be thinking watching this game?
Speaker A:Seeing me take this ceremonial puck drop with somebody I grew up watching on the Bruins on that ice.
Speaker A:I had tears in my eyes when I got off the ice my first shift.
Speaker A:It was emotional.
Speaker A:And just having all my family there and everybody that supported me my whole life and youth programs that I've coached and coaches that coached me throughout this whole journey.
Speaker A:It was a special night for me.
Speaker A:And just being able to share that with all those people that kind of helped me get here today.
Speaker A:It meant everything to me.
Speaker A:And obviously being able to win was super special.
Speaker A:I've never been an enemy on a Boston rink before, but it was kind of fun being.
Speaker A:Being the enemy that time and winning and sharing that experience at my home with my team.
Speaker C:And not only being at home, but just the sellout crowd and seeing the young girls in the crowd with jerseys on with players names on the back that something that you probably never dreamed of when you were a kid.
Speaker C:So how meaningful is it to you to see now young girls having a professional women's league that they can dream about playing in?
Speaker A:Yeah, I think it's everything.
Speaker A:I think obviously, like my generation, we were watching the NHL guys, watching the national team girls, but now having these teams in a lot of these major sports or PW or major women's hockey hub cities is incredible.
Speaker A:I think just having something to look up to, if you can see it, you can believe it.
Speaker A:Like I believe in that full heartedly.
Speaker A:It's so special for these young girls.
Speaker A:And a lot of times there's so many of us that will give back and kind of come back and coach or just be there for a lot of them.
Speaker A:And I think them being able to see us all is everything and more than I could ever have dreamed of.
Speaker A:So if I was in their shoes, I'd be in awe and I'd want to do that.
Speaker A:But now it's like we're kind of inspiring this next generation and kind of have these big goals, reach for the stars and want to win that Walter cup or get drafted or play for their hometown team and put the jersey on.
Speaker A:I think it's a really cool experience because obviously the guys have had this forever and now it's our time.
Speaker A:It's our time, it's our opportunity and it's only going to grow and it's going to keep growing because this is something people want to watch, people want to be a part of, people want to invest in.
Speaker A:And I think that's so incredibly cool to see because it's just going to continue to grow exponentially.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And again, it's.
Speaker C:It is amazing to see.
Speaker C:And you know, as like I said, my daughter growing up has role models to look up to.
Speaker C:We live about two and a half hours from the Prudential center where the Sirens play.
Speaker C:And my daughter was born on Long island and we moved down to the Philly area about four years ago.
Speaker C:We currently live in Delaware.
Speaker C:So she's got her Sirens that she loves and we go up and see a couple games a year even though it's a two and a half hour drive because I know how important it is to her to see role models.
Speaker C:And I must say that it's incredible how I don't want to.
Speaker C:I don't know if I want to use the word accessible, but how great the athletes are with their fan base.
Speaker C:And for instance, she plays a bunch of tournaments with Premier Ice Prospects.
Speaker C:And one of the first camps she went to, Gwenna Phillips, when she was still at Northeastern, was one of her coaches because she's.
Speaker C:My daughter's a goalie, so my daughter remembered that.
Speaker C:And when we went to a Sirens game, they were playing Ottawa and she gave her assigned pocket warm ups.
Speaker C:And then for instance, last year, Taylor Gerard was one of the coaches as well for Pip and she gave her assigned stick during warm ups as well.
Speaker C:So it's really cool to see that the growth of the game and also how the athletes give back.
Speaker C:So do you see yourself as a role model?
Speaker C:I know it's hard to see from, you know, the early days of skating on the rink in your yard, but do you see yourself as a role model and do you try to go out of your way to help grow the game in that way?
Speaker A:Yeah, I try a lot.
Speaker A:I always give back to these youth programs around here, whether it's the Bay State breakers, which was my youth hockey team that I played on.
Speaker A:So I'll do a lot of skills there at my hometown rank and a lot of those girls will come to games that I'm playing at.
Speaker A:So that's super cool to kind of see that, how they're supporting me and kind of how much it means to them that I'm also giving back.
Speaker A:But I also do a camp at my high school and it's ages from 6 to 14.
Speaker A:So I always just like to give back to places that kind of help shape me as a player.
Speaker A:But also it's awesome being able to give back to kind of the next generation too, from the places that kind of have helped me grow into the player that I am.
Speaker A:So, yeah, obviously you want to be the best role model that you can be.
Speaker A:You just kind of just have to be who you are as a person and want to kind of help inspire this next generation and help them just love the game.
Speaker A:I think that's the most important part is you don't need to be like the great, like obviously we're going to be not bad coaches, but you just need to continue to make them love the game and whether that's just messing around on the ice with them or making them smile when they don't want to be there.
Speaker A:That's the most important part.
Speaker A:They have to want to be on the ice or they have to want to watch the game or kind of those types of things.
Speaker A:And I think for me as a role model, I'm going to do my hard work, I'm going to train, I'm going to do all that.
Speaker A:And they're obviously going to see that because I'm always around the rink before or after skills sessions with them.
Speaker A:But my goal when I'm on the ice with them is just help them love the game because I think that's the most important part.
Speaker A:Obviously I'm going to help them skate, help them stick, handle, but I'm going to make them have fun.
Speaker A:I'm going to make them enjoy their time.
Speaker A:There's.
Speaker C:So as we're winding down in the podcast, I figured I'd throw in some fun questions for you.
Speaker C:So we've heard rumors from some of your teammates that in a past life they think you're a goalie because we know how the stigma on goalies go.
Speaker C:But they say you're a little quirky.
Speaker C:Is there any truth to that?
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I used to be a goalie actually, and my dad made me change.
Speaker A:But I'm definitely a little superstitious and a little weird at times and juggling balls before games.
Speaker A:Or I have.
Speaker A:I have a stuffed animal rat that my skills coach's daughter gave me because she calls me cerep.
Speaker A:But I'm a little weird.
Speaker A:People would definitely say I'm weird during games and stuff like that, but I embrace it.
Speaker A:They love it.
Speaker A:They laugh, I laugh.
Speaker A:Keep things fun, keep things loose.
Speaker A:I definitely think what's something weird that I do?
Speaker C:What about the backpack superstition that I've heard about?
Speaker A:The backpack is funny.
Speaker A:I've always worn a backpack to games and I always try to avoid the camera.
Speaker A:But this year it got a little excessive that my backpack came with me literally every single game, every single road trip.
Speaker A:So some of my teammates started calling me Dora because the backpack would always be there.
Speaker A:And most of the times there's nothing in the backpack.
Speaker A:There's this water bottle and there's a notebook.
Speaker A:Those two things can either be carried or left at the rink.
Speaker A:So I don't know why the backpack always comes, but we were winning and the backpack stayed.
Speaker C:And at every game too.
Speaker C:I often see the walk ins.
Speaker C:Is this at every game where there's someone there taking pictures of the players walking in?
Speaker C:So you got that backpack on at all times?
Speaker A:Yep, and I try to run.
Speaker A:So there's a group of three of us that will try to avoid the camera.
Speaker A:So we'll try to get off the bus quick and kind of sneak in or come to the home games early when the camera people aren't there.
Speaker A:We try to avoid it as much as we can, but Sometimes we do get caught.
Speaker C:So looking back, if speaking of you as a role model too.
Speaker C:So if you can give one piece of advice, because like I said, we have a wide range of audience members, from parents to youth players, NCAA players, professional players as well.
Speaker C:So speaking specifically about these young female hockey players, if you can give one piece of advice to them, chasing their dreams, trying to be where you are today, what would it be?
Speaker A:I think the most important advice I would give to my younger self or younger players is love the game and love who you're doing it with because you're going to go so far.
Speaker A:I've said this, I think now two times now that the teams that I've won with, we've had groups that absolutely love each other and support each other.
Speaker A:And I think that is hands down one of the most important parts of a group.
Speaker A:But as an individual, you have to love what you do every single day and just love what you do and have fun and work hard.
Speaker A:It's so cliche, but it's just the fundamentals of everything.
Speaker A:Because you're going to go far if you love the game and have a burning passion for it every single day, because you're going to want to put in the work, you're going to want to do as much as you can because you generally love being out there and having a stick in your hand, skates on your feet, it's everything.
Speaker A:I think having a passion and just loving what you're doing and enjoying it because it goes by quick, especially with youth hockey.
Speaker A:I think that's the piece of advice I would give.
Speaker C:And looking back, so 10 year old Skyler playing youth hockey in Massachusetts, or even on that, that rank in your yard, what would younger Skylar think if she could see where you are today?
Speaker A:I think she wouldn't have the words to put it.
Speaker A:I think if she saw me playing on the ice at the Garden, she would be like, oh, are you in the Montreal Canadiens?
Speaker A:But I think she would be so thrilled that we made it this far.
Speaker A:We've overcome everything that we have in our life and that she's proud.
Speaker A:But I think looking back, I think she always knew that what she was capable of and she was always going to go far.
Speaker A:So she doesn't need any advice from me.
Speaker C:She did everything right to get where she is today.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm here.
Speaker C:Okay, so this is the last question and this is something we ask all our guests since this is a developmental podcast.
Speaker C:Again, whether physically, mentally, on ice, off ice, what is Skyler's definition of development.
Speaker C:It can be any part of the word, any aspect of the word development.
Speaker A:I think development is at your own pace and I think it's not always linear and I think everything happens when it's supposed to happen for you.
Speaker A:So I think development is very individual.
Speaker A:So focus on yourself and development happens when you're focused truly on what you need to do and all of that.
Speaker A:I think development is individual and you'll just continue to grow.
Speaker C:All right.
Speaker C:So Skyler, I want to thank you.
Speaker C:I know we've been talking about doing this for a while and you know, as the playoffs ran on and then you made it all the way to the championship and won and the celebrations and everything, and now you're kind of in the off season as the draft has ended, I just want to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to to come and chat and just talk to our audience too about your journey and it was awesome to hear and interesting to hear and you definitely made an impact on everyone listening.
Speaker C:So thanks for joining us today.
Speaker A:Totally thanks for having me.
Speaker C:And so share with a friend, coach, parent or player if you think they may be interested and benefit from this podcast.
Speaker C:If you'd enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and also make sure you're following us on Instagram and Facebook@CB3 Hockey Development so you can stay up to date on our guests topics and corporate partners.
Speaker C:Thank you for listening to Sharpening your Edge and we'll see you next time.