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 segment 01:00 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 success 08:00 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 development 19:00 Learning from experienced hockey professionals 23:00 Does playing away from home help development? 28:00 Recognizing passion and commitment in young players 32:00 The life lessons of sticking with a sport 34:00 When players may decide to leave hockey 36:00 Marc's thoughts on the National Development League 43:00 How the NDL could affect U18 hockey 45:00 Understanding junior hockey pathways to college 49:00 The future of youth and junior hockey 52:00 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 Intro 01:43 Meet Hunter Bishop 02:38 Alaska Roots 04:21 Junior to Pro Path 06:30 Skill Camps Origins 07:25 Coaches and Mentors 14:16 Advisors and Agents 16:19 Modern Hockey Choices 20:03 Building HBH Brand 22:59 Skills That Translate 30:19 Sponsor Shoutouts 31:55 U12 Summer Blueprint 37:16 Youth Passion Check 38:18 15U Training Balance 40:08 Choosing Great Coaches 46:37 Gym Ice Weekly Plan 47:08 Building Hockey IQ 50:33 18U Pro Habits 52:18 Picking Showcases Wisely 01:00:10 HBH Academy and App 01:06:51 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 Intro 00:19 Stop and Start Mission 01:09 Meet Mike Fournier 03:34 Growing Up in Mass 07:21 Jump to the Q 09:32 Built Different Origins 11:18 Minor League Reality 14:04 From Pro to Air Force 16:10 20 Years of Service 18:18 Back to the Rink 20:14 Partners and Sponsors 21:50 Youth Hockey Today 25:21 Teaching Game Details 27:41 Coaching vs Teaching 28:40 Why Skating Matters 29:46 Built Different Model 30:44 Teaching Real Hockey IQ 34:14 Bad Coaching Problem 38:55 Developing Hidden Gems 42:50 Coaches Who Shaped Me 44:20 Lessons From Mentors 51:59 Advice Choosing Teams 54:33 Wrap Up And Links https://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 like Why Rod quit hockey as a young child How Notre Dame changed the trajectory of his career Choosing the right college based on opportunity and fit Why coaching at ages 14–16 can shape a player’s entire career Rod’s experience coaching and parenting youth hockey players Why families are sending players away too early The growing financial and logistical burden of AAA hockey Why kids don’t need to be on the ice every day Building an everyday training mindset Why skating is still the foundation of development The youth hockey skill Rod believes is being overlooked What NHL teams actually look for in players Why development-camp skills don’t always translate to games The importance of compete, character, and work ethic Why education must remain a priority Keeping hockey fun while pursuing higher levels Learn more about Stop & Starts Hockey, coaching, private lessons, player evaluations, and membership https://stopnstartshockey.com/ 00:00 Welcome to In Between the Shifts 00:55 Introducing Rod Brind’Amour 01:20 What Winning the Stanley Cup Feels Like 05:46 Where Rod’s Youth Hockey Journey Began 06:20 Why Rod Quit Hockey as a Kid 07:30 Growing Up in a Small Hockey Town 08:03 Has Youth Hockey Become a Rat Race? 08:24 Why Rod’s Dad Made Him Play Defense 10:04 The Opportunity That Led to Notre Dame 11:24 Why Notre Dame Changed Rod’s Career 12:27 Playing Up Against Older Players 14:12 Building Notre Dame’s Junior Team 15:26 Why the Right Coach Matters So Much 16:02 Choosing Michigan State and Finding the Right Fit 17:54 The Coaches Who Shaped Rod Brind’Amour 19:34 Rod’s Perspective as a Hockey Dad 20:53 Why Keeping a Great Team Together Matters 22:00 Should You Send Your Kid Away to Play Hockey? 23:24 Why Winning at 13 or 14 Doesn’t Matter 24:34 The Financial Burden of Youth Hockey 26:17 What a Good Development Program Needs 26:56 Why Weekend-Only Hockey Doesn’t Work 28:03 What Youth Hockey Development Is Missing 28:26 Kids Don’t Need to Skate Every Day 29:03 Creating a Daily Training Mindset 30:48 Why Skating Is Still the Foundation 31:59 Surround Yourself With Hard Workers 33:32 Show Partners 35:06 Is Hockey IQ Being Neglected? 36:16 Every Practice Should Translate to Games 38:05 What Makes a Player Stand Out at Tryouts 39:23 How Youth Hockey Has Changed Between Rod’s Sons 40:17 Are Prep Schools Right for Everyone? 43:18 “It Shouldn’t Be This Difficult” 44:24 The Life Lessons Hockey Teaches 45:32 The Puberty Olympics and Late Bloomers 46:53 What Rod Sees at NHL Development Camps 51:49 Skills vs. Compete 52:41 Why Hockey Families Need Better Guidance 54:33 Making Hockey More Affordable 56:25 Every Shift Is an Opportunity 57:58 Rod’s Advice to Hockey Parents 58:40 Know Whether Your Kid Actually Loves Hockey 59:17 Why Education Has to Remain a Priority 1:00:09 Rod’s Closing Thoughts 1:00:47 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]. 00:00 – Welcome to Stops and Starts 00:32 – The mission: helping families understand different hockey paths 01:37 – Introducing Marco Pietroniro 02:03 – Marco’s youth, junior, and professional hockey journey 02:57 – Finding his “NHL” overseas 03:40 – From pro hockey to coaching and junior hockey 04:20 – Shifting from winning to player development 05:51 – Why trust is critical for hockey families 07:18 – Honest conversations with players and parents 09:15 – Why not every player is a D1 or NHL prospect 11:54 – Marco’s move into Bishop’s College School 12:10 – Coaching to develop instead of only coaching to win 13:09 – The vision behind Universel Academy 15:15 – Giving young players a challenging development environment 17:28 – Why Universel Academy plays younger players at higher levels 19:00 – Confidence, opportunity, and learning from mistakes 20:30 – Why ice time and special teams opportunities matter 22:58 – The gap between youth hockey and junior hockey 23:45 – Why experience at the junior level is so valuable 24:28 – Universel Academy team structure and locations 24:50 – U18, USPHL Premier, NCDC, costs, travel, and academics 27:50 – A day in the life of a Universel Academy player 29:10 – Ice time, skills sessions, and practicing up a level 30:50 – Universel as a bridge to higher levels of hockey 33:07 – Global Advancement and player placement 35:10 – The changing junior hockey landscape and rule changes 36:16 – How college hockey timelines are changing 37:08 – Who benefits most from the new hockey landscape? 38:42 – D3, U Sports, Europe, and nontraditional pathways 39:36 – Marco’s thoughts on the future of the NCDC 40:52 – Why the NCDC can be a stepping stone, not an endgame 41:59 – More opportunities through CHL, OHL, QMJHL, and other camps 43:03 – Why opportunity and development matter most 43:37 – How to connect with Marco and Universel Academy 44:05 – Closing thoughts