Claim OwnershipThese Packs Puck
Subscribed: 5Played: 200
Subscribe
2025 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
Description
Anyone who's a parent knows how chaotic life with kids can be -- but being a professional athlete and a parent comes with its own unique challenges. On their new podcast, These Packs Puck, Madison and Anya Packer, professional hockey players and moms-of-two, speak candidly about their life on and off the ice. They cover everything from the chaos of raising two kids under four, to conceiving as a queer couple, prioritizing mental health, and parenting while in the spotlight of a sport newly on the rise. Madison and Anya also turn to fellow athletes, parenting experts, and other boundary-breakers to learn about their varied parenthood journeys and collect advice valuable for anyone embarking on the messy, complicated, and joyous journey of parenthood.
47 Episodes
Reverse
Lately, Madison and Anya have gone all-in on a new role: coaching youth hockey. This challenging yet rewarding job is making the Packers reflect on the ghosts of coaches past from their time on the ice. Madison and Anya discuss how important it was that they started coaching because of the representation it shows to the girls and to chart a new path away from yelling and berating style of coaching that they endured at the youth level. There’s no better way to give back to the community as a pro athlete than to give back to the next generation, so listen to learn how Madison and Anya are committing to make a difference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our next guest is a pillar in the women’s sports community who’s as hilarious as they are hot. It’s actor, comedian, and musician E.R. Fightmaster, who, as co-host of the hit podcast Jockular, has dedicated a huge part of their career to increasing the visibility of women’s sports. Together, E.R. and the Packers cover all the hot debates facing women’s sports today, including how queer women treat professional athletes and inequities of men’s and women’s sports. And don’t worry, Anya gets to swoon over E.R.’s steamy role as the first non-binary character on Grey’s Anatomy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Author, mother, journalist, these are just a few words that can describe this week’s guest. Kate Rope has been featured in TIME, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, and more for her writing on parenting. Her new book Strong As A Girl, empowers parents and caretakers to raise their girls in a way that allows them to thrive. Join Madison and Anya for this insightful and important conversation that every parent needs to hear. But before any of that, the Packers break down the latest PWHL schedule, which starts…WHEN?!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Whether it’s getting overstimulated at a baseball game or needing to settle yourself as a parent while your child is melting down, our newest guest, Sara Hartley, has you covered! In this episode, Madison and Anya sit down with The Neurodiverse Mom to talk about her journey as a neurodivergent mom raising neurodivergent kids. But, before we get into that, the Packers have exciting kid updates straight from Waylon’s skating lessons. Join Madison and Anya as they learn new parenting techniques, grounding tools, and more, maybe you’ll adopt a few into your household.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, the Packers address an issue tough for any parent. This year alone, there have been over 120 school shootings in America. This topic hits home for thousands of families and Madison and Anya are here to share their thoughts as concerned mothers. No matter your political party, all children should feel safe going to school, and no parent should ever have to wonder if their child will make it home. Take a seat for a heavier conversation, and learn how you can enact change, starting in your own backyard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fall feels a little different for the Packers this year. For the first time ever, Madison isn’t at training camp and honestly, she’s not mad about having more free time and not getting her ass kicked on the ice. Anya, on the other hand, is nostalgic for her training camp days–the camaraderie, the euphoria of making the team, and yes, even the soreness. But better than all of that is what comes after training camp: hockey season! Looking forward to the PWHL’s third season, the Packers talk through new team rosters, predict how an Olympic year will affect players, and dream up new ways to bolster the sport.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everyone is going back to school, including college athletes. Join the Packers in a discussion about the ways the D1 recruitment process has changed drastically since their collegiate careers. The two also share their wildly different recruitment experiences and provide advice to kids and parents who might be in the weeds of this process now. At the end of the day, Madison and Anya are proof that it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s how much work you’re willing to put in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After discovering the latest self-improvement TikTok trend, The Great Lock In, The Packers are on a mission to optimize the last four months of 2025. But first, they catch us up on the latest with their little ones and school and Madison lets us in on an exciting career shift. Then, the Packers’ Great Lock In, or as they’re calling it, Great Pack Up, begins. Come along on this manifestation journey, whether you’re searching for wealth, health, or something else!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, the Packers are recording in a quiet, calm household because the kids are finally at school! Madison and Anya debrief the bittersweet sendoff and share their hopes and dreams for their kids as they start to develop their own interests, friends, and personalities. Come for the cute stories and stay for Anya’s most controversial hot take yet where she proposes a way to…heat up…the women’s hockey season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
School is almost back in session, and for the Packers this means entering a new era of parenting. As the kids get ready to go off to school, Madison and Anya’s plates are full with shopping, scheduling extracurriculars, and the hope of making parent friends. On top of that, the Packers are navigating the never-ending quest to overcome mom guilt. Despite the chaos and the cruel realization that school supplies and athletic gear are so expensive these days, Madison and Anya couldn’t be more excited to watch their kiddos start to grow into individuals. Grab your lunch box and hop on the bus as the Packer children tackle this next chapter one custom Pottery Barn backpack at a time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Back with another solo episode, Madison and Anya kick things off by calling attention to a phallus fad plaguing the WNBA. Dildos have been thrown on the court at multiple games and no one quite knows why. Some think it’s a marketing ploy, others say it’s innocent fun, but many see it as an act of misogyny and disrespect. In light of this, The Packers give a little insight to the sexism experienced during their entire athletic career. Then, get a peek into the Packer household with an update on our favorite kiddos plus an inside scoop on the planning of a joint birthday party!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chirping, yard sales, and reconnecting. Three words that may seem random, but not after listening to this week’s episode. First, Anya and Madison school us in the world of hockey slang. Whether it’s a play, diss, or luscious head of hair, the Packers teach us how to talk like a hockey vet. Then, the Packers talk about their journey to reconnect with themselves and each other after having kids, featuring details from their most recent date night! Shake out your head of lettuce, don’t be a hoser, and take a listen... It’s a barn burner!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Packers asked for sapphic hockey romances—and Kelly Farmer delivered. Her Out on the Ice series follows love stories set in a fictional women’s hockey league with a surprisingly realistic take on the sport—from access and equity to league politics and locker room chemistry. Madison and Anya talk to Kelly about building such an authentic world and discover that one of her fictional couples might just be based on them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The WNBA All-Stars demanded what they’re owed — and the Packers are all in. Madison and Anya dive into the fight for fair pay and the importance of Collective Bargaining Agreements in sports. They revisit the early days of pro hockey, from Anya’s time leading the Players’ Association to the PWHL’s still-imperfect CBA. Finally, they unpack why women athletes keep getting shortchanged — and imagine what a truly fair deal could look like.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Packers are stuck in Michigan and catching up on all things parenting— from hot takes on gentle parenting to the hilarious story of how their one-week vacation turned into three. Then comes the main event: sleep coach and Why Won’t You Sleep?! author Macall Gordon joins to talk about Waylon’s sleep drama (which they spilled a couple weeks ago). Macall specializes in deeply feeling kids and explains why temperament plays a huge role in sleep patterns. She helps crack the code on Waylon—and offers wisdom for every tired parent out there.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this solo episode, the Packers get into two very different but equally heated topics. First, they speak out on how horrific it is that the government defunded 988, the suicide hotline that provides support for LGBTQ+ youth. They discuss why this is essentially an attack on the queer community’s mental health and provide resources for where to go if you’re in crisis. Then they discuss the person who always sends women’s sports into a frenzy–Caitlin Clark. Madison and Anya go head to head discussing if Clark is to credit for the rise of the WNBA and women’s sports as a whole, and get to the bottom of why she gets so much hatred from players and fans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, the Packers talk to someone who has beaten the odds at every turn. Eva Erickson is a lifelong hockey player who holds her own on men’s teams, an engineer who is getting her PhD at Brown University, and most recently the runner-up on season 48 of Survivor. She got there by being authentic in a game usually known for lying and deceit, but that’s not the only way she's defied expectations. As a baby, doctors told Eva’s parents that she would never be able to live a “normal” life because she had Autism. Eva tells the Packers how a supportive family, hockey, and sheer determination helped her prove those doctors wrong and why she chose to be open about her neurodivergence on national TV. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Packers are tired. Their son, Waylon, is going through a new phase where he won’t sleep. As believers in being transparent about the messy parts of motherhood, they get into what's been going on—the funny stories, the frustrations, and the sleep deprivation. Now they’re turning to you, our listeners, to seek help and solutions for this problem. So please, send advice! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rivalries, locker room laughs, and the chaos of parenting — the Packers cover it all with Tessa Bonhomme, retired Canadian pro ice hockey player, sports broadcaster, and host of the Jocks & Jills podcast. Together, they dive into the highs and lows of women’s hockey, the reality of working moms in sports, and why there’s no “off-season” for badass women on and off the ice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this solo episode, Anya and Madison share their deeply personal journey through postpartum depression, partner support, and rediscovering identity in early motherhood. It’s a conversation about cracks, resilience, and the quiet things we’re too afraid to say out loud.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States