The Oak Creek Kodiaks came on a very special episode. Coaches Chris Hagen (Episode 65), and Kyle Pastor (Episode 10) approached me about the idea of highlighting their team. They expressed how this squad had captured all the good the game of hockey has to offer, and wanted to share some of their experiences. It was a novelty, for Never Far from Home, but we endeavored to highlight the kids and their experiences the best we could. Enjoy the quick dives into the 10U Oak Creek Kodiak team...

Graysen Cameron joined the show from Canada, and we wasted no time in jumping right to his timeline within the game. He was born into it, with a brother who was 10 years his elder who loved to play, but Graysen soon found his own passion for the game. We talk family dynamics, and how much his parents and siblings mean to the young man. We touch on his developing years, and some challenges that helped shape him. And we dive into his story within the tragedy of the Humboldt Broncos, and how he...

Lowen Epstein came on the show to talk about his odd connection to the rink. We delve deep into his rich love of sport, and the many ways he has connected to different games. Lowen played sports as a youth, graduated to broadcaster, and has always been a fan of a wide array of sporting worlds. Enjoy some tales wrapped in victories and celebrations, as well as some tribulations that led to growth. We also do touch on his new show starting soon on a local radio channel in the Yampa Valley! ...

Sara McClanahan joined the podcast, and we talk about her time growing up in Minnesota, falling in love with the game at different times, and the reasons that led her to find such a passion for hockey. She speaks to finding her own path within the game, and how she handled it over the many different years, in different roles. We go through her whole competitive youth hockey days, through college, and into her first tastes of coaching, within hockey and soccer. Enjoy the many tales! ...

On Never Far from Home today: Kelli Standekar! Kelli came on to the podcast, and shared about a wonderful timeline. Her stories span her youth where she found herself involved in numerous sports and activities, to her teenage years when she finally found the rink. We dive into some competition, and round it all out talking about her coaching arc as well. Enjoy the many tales she shares! https://www.beautyunis.com/ https://www.thegardensicehouse.com/

Gabe Levin shares tales from his early days in southern California, falling in love with the game, to his time with DU. In between, there are some marvelous lessons he learned, from patience, to self-belief, to not listening to the doubters. Gabe shares some stories along the way, and talks about a parental duo that simply let him play the game he loved, with no extra pressure to succeed. Enjoy his tales! https://www.beautyunis.com/ https://www.thegardensicehouse.com/

Jackie Wilson came on the podcast and shared stories from her playing days through her present situation, as an official. We explore her time within the game in different capacities, and how that has translated to life as well. She expresses her sentiments on staying within the moment, while continuing to chase goals and dreams. I hope you enjoy her many shared tales!    https://www.beautyunis.com/ https://www.thegardensicehouse.com/

Gib Mitchell came on the podcast and shared some wonderful tales. From growing up in New York, playing youth in numerous rinks, and eventually settling on secondary school in St. Lawrence. We hear tales of travel to Europe for a semester abroad, he shares about his time as a D1 athlete (a funny tale about playing for the women’s team), and we finally come to how it was he found himself in Steamboat Springs. Enjoy the many fantastic tales!    https://www.beautyunis.com/ ...

Adam Albert Joined the show after a few months of hearing all about it at work. He shares some funny tales from his years playing hockey, touching on many aspects of the game that will stay with him the rest of his life. We also get into a story on a very serious injury he had, and how he managed to bounce back from it. Enjoy the tales of an up and coming fireman, and a young man with a rich hockey history. https://www.beautyunis.com/ https://www.thegardensicehouse.com/

Dave Leonardi came on the show and shared some incredible stories. You may know him by a different name: The Sign Man. He has been a season ticket member of the Philadelphia Flyers since 1972-73, and has become an icon of sorts, within the game. That stems even to the Great One himself, who Dave shares a great story on. His biggest fan has been his mother, who would share with everyone who would listen that “My son is The Sign Man”. Enjoy some wonderful tales! https://www.beautyunis.com/ ...

Mikey Spencer joined the show after the two of us became acquainted through Team Tucker. We explore his timeline which includes youth hockey in Minnesota through his senior year of high school, to his quick transition into the coaching world. Mikey shares great stories about some of his favorite, and most influential, figures in the hockey world. Enjoy another great episode! https://www.beautyunis.com/ https://www.thegardensicehouse.com/

Mike "Doc" Emrick joins the show for round two, and does not disappoint! We delve into some more tales, and explore some of the impactful calls “Doc” has been involved with. Being playoff time, we dive into some of his favorite pieces of the game, and much of it stems from this time of year. Enjoy another fantastic stretch of time with Mr. Emrick!  https://www.beautyunis.com/ https://www.thegardensicehouse.com/

Dana Anderson-Helstrom is the tenth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. We connected on a phone call, and Dana shared some an incredibly emotional story about her journey with childhood cancer, as her son had been diagnosed. Dana shares the powerful tales of a fantastic spirit in her son, Tucker. And she also regales me with the difficulties, and ensuing strength, of Tucker’s two younger sister’s who had to...

Beth Bowshall joins us from Australia. We talk about how she came to fall in love with hockey and the rink in general in an area that does not have a robust community known for it. She regales us with tales of competitive days, with some stories spanning different continents, and eventually we land in the realm of reffing. She tells of how she chose to ref, and we dive into a few stories from her career so far in the IIHF ranks as an official. Enjoy! https://www.beautyunis.com/ ...

Corey Brenner is the ninth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. He is an entrepreneur, and founder of the goalie guru (https://www.getgoalieguru.com/). We connected on a phone call, and immediately, the tone of the recording was set with some wonderful discussion the pre-dated my opening questions. Corey and I were set up for success from the moment I hit the record button. Our talk covers Avatar: The Last...

Erik Westrum is the eighth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. We connected on a phone call, and dove head first into a timeline riddled with wonderful anecdotes, including a youth experience that led to passion, passion that led to college hockey, and eventually, a pro career including stints in the NHL and AHL. Erik just released a book (Get your copy here: https://erikwestrumbook.com/), and we are lucky...

Paul Ranheim is the seventh guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. We connected on a phone call, and I caught him off-guard with the conversational, long-form interview. Due to time restraints, we keep this first episode together short. That said, we dive into his timeline, including a state championship run with the polarizing Edina squad. Love them or hate them, there is a rich history of success. We explore...

Kalli Funk is the sixth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. Kalli was kind enough to find some time to meet up, after we had a very brief introduction the Monday I got in. She is playing on the Women’s USA Bandy team, and I had attended the practice. We sat down in the Minnesota Wild offices, and she regaled me with tales of her life growing up around the rink. Kalli does a fantastic job articulating a...

Derek Shepherd is the fifth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. We got into his timeline within the rink, from his beginning as a player through his time as an official. As is the case in so many of these episodes, I tried to find the balance between timeline exploration, and storytelling. Derek has a history of reffing with his father being a manager of officials at the collegiate level. Derek assumed the...

Delaney Middlebrook is the fourth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. Delaney shared an incredible story, filled with so much challenge, so many tales of overcoming those difficulties, and she shares how she has become the wonderful human I was able to meet for a bit. From asking to play hockey at 4, and making a promise to never quit to her father (Chris Middlebrook), to learning about her Long QT syndrome,...

Kenzie Torpy is the third guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. Kenzie and I met at White Bear Lake Arena to sit down for our chat, and we explore a timeline riddled with fun stories, and culminating in a college career at St. Thomas. With positive strides taken, year over year, we also find a challenging moment, in her final series as a colligate athlete, and we discuss how she was able to overcome the...

Chris Middlebrook is the second guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. Chris and I dive into a fascinating timeline that includes hockey at the collegiate level, and a lengthy history with bandy. He also has a few years of coaching we get into. The big draw for Chris was his book about his daughter, Delaney: “The Girl Who Played Hockey”. We explore the story of the trailblazer, and the positive impact the tale...

Tom Peart is the first guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special series from my time in Minnesota for the Boys State High School Tourney. Tom goes through a timeline that is filled with hockey, from coming to the sport a bit late at 12-13, and finding himself in love with the goalie position, to his college playing days (post-Marines), through his many years as a coach. I hope you enjoy his story telling as much as I did! https://otpsteamboat.com/ https://4starautorepair.com/ ...

Kassidy Sauve came on and we go into her timeline of involvement, as we do on the show. Hers is a Canadian story. She was almost born with skates on, and was playing from 4 years old. She quickly found herself loving the crease, and everything that came with being a goalie. Her career is still going strong, today, but she does an excellent job moving through the years that led her to pro hockey. From youth time in Montreal and Toronto, to Ohio State, to Clarkson, and finally, to Finland....