By Washed Up Goalie on July 15, 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

Hockey Podcasts Worth Checking Out

I work from home which is nice because it gives me the opportunity to listen to podcasts during the workday. Not surprisingly most of the podcasts I listen to are hockey-related. If you’ve found my podcast Tendy Talk, I’m sure you’ve listened to some of the podcasts I’m going to list below, but if you haven’t found them, I hope you enjoy them.

First up is an obvious one – Spittin Chicklets. If you’re not listening to this podcast with former NHL vets Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, Barstool Sports writer Rear Admiral and Producer Mike Grinnell I question your love for the sport of hockey. Their bio says they bring their outspoken and irreverent opinions to the masses. Focusing on the NHL but also touching on pop culture and everything else under the sun, but what they really do with their player interviews is give us a glimpse into the true personalities of the different guests they have on, not to mention coax some of the best lockerroom stories out of these guys. While their episodes are long, they’re worth it and remind me why I listen to podcasts on 2x speed.

The BLPA Big Show – This is a podcast for the beer leaguer no matter what sport they play, but primarily for the hockey players. It is the OG podcast on the BLPA Podcast Network of which my Tendy Talk podcast is on. Hosted by Nick Jones and previous Tendy Talk guest Trish Dangle the podcasts bills itself as the only show for the adult “athlete”. Created as a place where people who love the game (whichever game that is) can have a voice. A place where you can gather to discuss what’s important to you, be entertained, be educated, and most importantly to participate in the discussions.

In Goal Magazine Podcast – If you are a goalie and not listening to this weekly podcast I wonder about your commitment to the position. Each week they talk gear, have a feature interview with somebody in the goalie world, and talk about what is happening in the game. Hosted by previous Tendy Talk guests David Hutchison and Kevin Woodley, and hopefully, future guest Daren Millard the three take turns interviewing some of the biggest names in the game today, as well as introducing us to some folks we should know about, but probably don’t.

6 Degrees With Mike McKenna – Mike McKenna was a minor league journeyman who got a few cups of coffee in the NHL and is now the Vegas Golden Knights broadcast analyst. With this kind of background, Mike has made a lot of connections and met some interesting characters along the way. While the fellas on Spittin Chicklets exchange stories as if they’re still in the locker room Mike coaxes stories from guests that are a little more family-friendly. Mike doesn’t put out episodes as often as he used to, but when a new episode drops it is a must-listen.

The Morning Skate – This is a podcast I stumbled across, but also one that showed me that if I did my homework I could produce a quality podcast hockey lovers would listen to. This is a podcast where hockey fans Ked and Hal talk about the latest happenings in the NHL, Ked’s beloved Rangers, hanging with the boys, and every episode talk about their latest beer league games. They’ve been working on lining up guests lately from current/former players to different hockey-related brands.

Dropping the Gloves with John Scott – Hosted by former NHL All-Star MVP and tough guy John Scott and his buddy Tim, the podcast is a mixed bag of one-on-one interviews with current and former NHL players, talking about what’s going on in the NHL, and John giving Tim a hard time. John also talks about being the dad of five daughters and working on his new house. John has another podcast, The Fight that Matters where he talks about his Catholic faith with his friend Father Jarvis.

Madhouse Chicago Hockey Podcast – I’m a lifelong Blackhawks fan, so naturally, some of the podcasts I listen to are Blackhawks podcasts. The Madhouse Chicago Hockey Podcast is one of my favorite because it is hosted by NBC Chicago’s James Neveau and 670 The Score’s Jay Zawaski who breakdown the latest Blackhawks happenings in a non-biased way. They give credit where credit is due, but also are not afraid of criticizing the team or players when needed. The guys know the game but are fans at heart.

Goalie by Garmen – This is a podcast where Chicago Steel goalie coach Michael Garman offers up short episodes recorded while o his way to the rink. Most of Coach Garman’s episodes focus on the mental side of the game and getting goalies to focus on the things they can control, not those that are out of their control. These are great episodes to listen to while on the way to the rink for a game. Once in a while Coach Garman has a longer episode with a one-on-one interview with other goalies.

Between the Pipes Podcast – Hosted by past Tendy Talk podcast guest Keits Zanders. Episodes are sporadic, but Keits says he is working on getting back to releasing regular episodes. Much like Tendy Talk, Keits talks to other goalies each episode. By far the must listen to episode is episode 4 where he talks to Cody Smith who is a black goaltender who grew up in New Jersey. Cody’s story of overcoming racism – unintentional or not – and still finding a way to love this game was fascinating and caused me to reflect on how I may have treated others on the ice or at the arena.

33 & Me – This is a podcast that most probably have not heard of, but worth a listen. It is a UK based podcast hosted Dan Brabon and Ben Bowns. Dan is a former Cardiff Devils goalie, and Ben a member of the team Great Britan hockey team. It is a great podcast to listen to and understand the game from across the pond. It is also interesting to hear them talk about the struggles of playing hockey in England and coaching young goalies. Like some areas of the US, they encounter the same problem of having to drive quite a distance to the nearest rink, but the love of the game is what drives them.

Between Two Posts – I am not sure how I stumbled upon the Between Two Post podcast, but I am glad that I did. Hosted by Everet who works at Vaughn Custom Sports and previous Tendy Talk guest Kyle Konin of Nujax Custom Airbrush and Mask Design. The two talk to different goalies (most of whom wear or wore Vaughn equipment), and many of which who have or are playing in the NAHL. Conversations mostly revolve around amusing stories from the road.

Totally Offsides – The show description reads, “Hockey. Cereal. Other stuff. Join “Chip” and friends as they chat and chirp about the NHL, Beer League, pop culture and more.” Yes, they do talk about cereal, and yes the host’s name is Chip. I started listening to the podcast after meeting Chip at the 4 the Love of Puck Playground Puck outdoor tournament here in St. Paul. While the podcast is based in sunny California, one thing is for certain – those on it love the game of hockey. Yours truly has even made an appearance on it.

WCB Podcast – My Blackhawks bias is showing with the final three podcasts on this list. I discovered the Windy City Benders Podcast when they joined the old Beer League Talk Podcast Network. Now on The Hockey Podcast Network hosts Jarom and former Tendy Talk guest Tanner Houston. The two are simply Hawks fans with a podcast sharing their opinion on the latest happenings with the team, and touching on some bigger events in the NHL. The two are clearly homers that can at times see things objectively.

Chicago Blackhawks Hockey RinkCast – Billed as a pragmatic weekly Blackhawks podcast from the folks over at The-Rink.com. Hosted by future Tendy Talk guest John Jaeckel and Jeff Osborn. The two are joined by their writers who cover all levels of the Blackhawks minor league system in Rochford, Indianapolis, and prospects playing junior and college hockey. Aaron Goldschmidt of their Colorado podcast drops in from time to time as well.

Blackhawks Talk Podcast -Pat Boyle, Charlie Roumeliotis, Jamal Mayers, and Steve Konroyd team up to pump out this team-friendly podcast. If you’re looking for supercritical takes on the Hawks, you are not going to get it here, but what you are going to get is greater access to the team.

So this is a pretty extensive list. There are others I’ve listened to over time, but these are the mainstays. Let me know what ones you thinks I should add to the list.