Between the Shifts — Presented by StopNStarts Hockey

In this episode of Between the Shifts, Marc Genest and Joe Woolworth introduce a new segment called 10 in 10, answering ten common questions from families navigating youth hockey. They discuss the financial commitment of the sport, the chances of playing college or professional hockey, and why no coach or program can guarantee a player's future.Marc shares advice on choosing the right development program, finding coaches who prioritize player growth over winning, and deciding whether travel hockey or playing away from home is the right fit. They also explore burnout, multi sport participation, the importance of passion, and the long term life lessons young athletes can gain from commitment to a team.The conversation takes a closer look at the proposed National Development League, including concerns about costs, opportunities for elite players, and whether youth hockey is becoming too focused on families who can afford expensive programs. Marc also discusses changing junior hockey pathways and options for players pursuing NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA, or Canadian university hockey.Throughout the episode, the message is clear: every player's path is different. Families should focus on development, education, passion, and finding the right environment rather than chasing promises or assuming there is only one route to success.00:00 Introducing the 10 in 10 segment01:00 Is youth hockey worth the cost?04:00 Does your player have a chance at college or professional hockey?06:00 Red flags when programs promise success08:00 Does a player need AAA hockey at ages 12 to 14?09:00 When should hockey become a priority?12:00 How often should young players train?15:00 Choosing a coach who prioritizes development19:00 Learning from experienced hockey professionals23:00 Does playing away from home help development?28:00 Recognizing passion and commitment in young players32:00 The life lessons of sticking with a sport34:00 When players may decide to leave hockey36:00 Marc's thoughts on the National Development League43:00 How the NDL could affect U18 hockey45:00 Understanding junior hockey pathways to college49:00 The future of youth and junior hockey52:00 Helping families find the right path

Marc interviews former pro player and skill development coach Hunter Bishop about shared values in mentorship and teaching skills that translate into games. Bishop recounts his path from Fairbanks, Alaska, through NAHL, USHL, BCHL, North Dakota, Ohio State, and signing with Montreal, crediting early power skating, strong coaching, and gut-driven decisions supported by a trusted circle. They discuss evaluating coaches and advisors, the importance of structured, purposeful skill work, and how off-season development should change by age group, emphasizing habits, foundations, safety in off-ice training, hockey IQ, and avoiding burnout. Bishop explains how he built Hunter Bishop Hockey in Charleston, his approach to position-specific development, and introduces the new HBH Academy with on-ice training, video, testing, and an app featuring puck-shooting logs and goal tracking.00:00 Show Intro01:43 Meet Hunter Bishop02:38 Alaska Roots04:21 Junior to Pro Path06:30 Skill Camps Origins07:25 Coaches and Mentors14:16 Advisors and Agents16:19 Modern Hockey Choices20:03 Building HBH Brand22:59 Skills That Translate30:19 Sponsor Shoutouts31:55 U12 Summer Blueprint37:16 Youth Passion Check38:18 15U Training Balance40:08 Choosing Great Coaches46:37 Gym Ice Weekly Plan47:08 Building Hockey IQ50:33 18U Pro Habits52:18 Picking Showcases Wisely01:00:10 HBH Academy and App01:06:51 Wrap Up and Resources

Marc Genest introduces Between the Shifts and Stop and Start Hockey’s mission of guiding players through youth, junior, and pro hockey decisions, then welcomes former teammate Mike Fournier, founder of Built Different Hockey (BDH). Fournier shares his non-traditional path from central Massachusetts (no AAA) to the Boston Junior Bruins, the QMJHL (which ended his NCAA eligibility), the USHL and Maritime League, and a cutthroat minor pro career (234 games). He explains why he joined the Air Force, served 20 years as an analyst with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and recently retired. Returning to hockey through coaching his son Zachary, Fournier describes BDH’s small-group, classroom-style sessions focused on game details, off-puck skills, and teaching concepts, and both discuss the importance of coaching quality, long-term development, and choosing teams for true development over a “shiny nickel” pathway.00:00 Show Intro00:19 Stop and Start Mission01:09 Meet Mike Fournier03:34 Growing Up in Mass07:21 Jump to the Q09:32 Built Different Origins11:18 Minor League Reality14:04 From Pro to Air Force16:10 20 Years of Service18:18 Back to the Rink20:14 Partners and Sponsors21:50 Youth Hockey Today25:21 Teaching Game Details27:41 Coaching vs Teaching28:40 Why Skating Matters29:46 Built Different Model30:44 Teaching Real Hockey IQ34:14 Bad Coaching Problem38:55 Developing Hidden Gems42:50 Coaches Who Shaped Me44:20 Lessons From Mentors51:59 Advice Choosing Teams54:33 Wrap Up And Linkshttps://builtdifferenthockey.com/

Two-time Stanley Cup champion Rod Brind’Amour joins In Between the Shifts for a candid conversation about youth hockey, player development, parenting, coaching, and finding the right path for young athletes.Rod shares the story of his own unconventional hockey journey—from quitting the sport as a young kid, to Notre Dame, Michigan State, the NHL, and eventually winning the Stanley Cup as both a player and coach. He also explains how his perspective has changed now that he’s navigating youth hockey as a parent himself.The conversation tackles one of the biggest problems facing hockey families today: the pressure to move kids too far, too fast. Rod discusses prep schools, academies, AAA hockey, recruiting, rankings, development camps, and why families can lose sight of what youth hockey is actually supposed to accomplish.Rod and Marc also discuss why skating remains foundational, why hockey IQ matters as much as individual skill, the importance of off-ice training, and the trait Rod looks for in players that can’t be measured at a skills session: compete.Most importantly, Rod reminds parents that every player’s path is different—and if a player is genuinely good enough and continues developing, people will eventually find them.In this episode:What winning the Stanley Cup really feels likeWhy Rod quit hockey as a young childHow Notre Dame changed the trajectory of his careerChoosing the right college based on opportunity and fitWhy coaching at ages 14–16 can shape a player’s entire careerRod’s experience coaching and parenting youth hockey playersWhy families are sending players away too earlyThe growing financial and logistical burden of AAA hockeyWhy kids don’t need to be on the ice every dayBuilding an everyday training mindsetWhy skating is still the foundation of developmentThe youth hockey skill Rod believes is being overlookedWhat NHL teams actually look for in playersWhy development-camp skills don’t always translate to gamesThe importance of compete, character, and work ethicWhy education must remain a priorityKeeping hockey fun while pursuing higher levelsLearn more about Stop & Starts Hockey, coaching, private lessons, player evaluations, and membership https://stopnstartshockey.com/00:00 Welcome to In Between the Shifts00:55 Introducing Rod Brind’Amour01:20 What Winning the Stanley Cup Feels Like05:46 Where Rod’s Youth Hockey Journey Began06:20 Why Rod Quit Hockey as a Kid07:30 Growing Up in a Small Hockey Town08:03 Has Youth Hockey Become a Rat Race?08:24 Why Rod’s Dad Made Him Play Defense10:04 The Opportunity That Led to Notre Dame11:24 Why Notre Dame Changed Rod’s Career12:27 Playing Up Against Older Players14:12 Building Notre Dame’s Junior Team15:26 Why the Right Coach Matters So Much16:02 Choosing Michigan State and Finding the Right Fit17:54 The Coaches Who Shaped Rod Brind’Amour19:34 Rod’s Perspective as a Hockey Dad20:53 Why Keeping a Great Team Together Matters22:00 Should You Send Your Kid Away to Play Hockey?23:24 Why Winning at 13 or 14 Doesn’t Matter24:34 The Financial Burden of Youth Hockey26:17 What a Good Development Program Needs26:56 Why Weekend-Only Hockey Doesn’t Work28:03 What Youth Hockey Development Is Missing28:26 Kids Don’t Need to Skate Every Day29:03 Creating a Daily Training Mindset30:48 Why Skating Is Still the Foundation31:59 Surround Yourself With Hard Workers33:32 Show Partners35:06 Is Hockey IQ Being Neglected?36:16 Every Practice Should Translate to Games38:05 What Makes a Player Stand Out at Tryouts39:23 How Youth Hockey Has Changed Between Rod’s Sons40:17 Are Prep Schools Right for Everyone?43:18 “It Shouldn’t Be This Difficult”44:24 The Life Lessons Hockey Teaches45:32 The Puberty Olympics and Late Bloomers46:53 What Rod Sees at NHL Development Camps51:49 Skills vs. Compete52:41 Why Hockey Families Need Better Guidance54:33 Making Hockey More Affordable56:25 Every Shift Is an Opportunity57:58 Rod’s Advice to Hockey Parents58:40 Know Whether Your Kid Actually Loves Hockey59:17 Why Education Has to Remain a Priority1:00:09 Rod’s Closing Thoughts1:00:47 Stop & Starts Hockey Membership#RodBrindAmour #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyTraining #HockeyIQ #NHL #CarolinaHurricanes #StanleyCup #AAAYouthHockey #HockeyPodcast #StopAndStartsHockey

In this episode of Stops and Starts, Marc sits down with longtime hockey coach, former professional player, and Universel Academy leader Marco Pietroniro to talk about one of the biggest questions facing players and families today:What is the right development path for your player?Marco shares his journey from youth hockey in Montreal, to junior hockey in the Q, to playing professionally overseas and in North America, before shifting into coaching and player development. The conversation dives deep into the modern hockey landscape, including prep hockey, junior hockey, the NCDC, USPHL Premier, CHL opportunities, college pathways, and why development is not always about chasing the biggest logo.Marc and Marco also discuss the importance of trust between families, coaches, and players, why some athletes need more time to develop, how Universel Academy structures its program, and why the right environment can make all the difference for a young player trying to reach the next level.This episode is especially helpful for hockey parents, youth players, junior prospects, and families trying to understand the many different routes available beyond the traditional “all or nothing” hockey path.For more information about Universel Academy / Collège Universel hockey, contact Marco Pietroniro at [email protected]:00 – Welcome to Stops and Starts00:32 – The mission: helping families understand different hockey paths01:37 – Introducing Marco Pietroniro02:03 – Marco’s youth, junior, and professional hockey journey02:57 – Finding his “NHL” overseas03:40 – From pro hockey to coaching and junior hockey04:20 – Shifting from winning to player development05:51 – Why trust is critical for hockey families07:18 – Honest conversations with players and parents09:15 – Why not every player is a D1 or NHL prospect11:54 – Marco’s move into Bishop’s College School12:10 – Coaching to develop instead of only coaching to win13:09 – The vision behind Universel Academy15:15 – Giving young players a challenging development environment17:28 – Why Universel Academy plays younger players at higher levels19:00 – Confidence, opportunity, and learning from mistakes20:30 – Why ice time and special teams opportunities matter22:58 – The gap between youth hockey and junior hockey23:45 – Why experience at the junior level is so valuable24:28 – Universel Academy team structure and locations24:50 – U18, USPHL Premier, NCDC, costs, travel, and academics27:50 – A day in the life of a Universel Academy player29:10 – Ice time, skills sessions, and practicing up a level30:50 – Universel as a bridge to higher levels of hockey33:07 – Global Advancement and player placement35:10 – The changing junior hockey landscape and rule changes36:16 – How college hockey timelines are changing37:08 – Who benefits most from the new hockey landscape?38:42 – D3, U Sports, Europe, and nontraditional pathways39:36 – Marco’s thoughts on the future of the NCDC40:52 – Why the NCDC can be a stepping stone, not an endgame41:59 – More opportunities through CHL, OHL, QMJHL, and other camps43:03 – Why opportunity and development matter most43:37 – How to connect with Marco and Universel Academy44:05 – Closing thoughts