Podcasts by Never Far from Home
NFFH uses story-telling to examine the community of hockey, nationwide. Each episode will have an interviewee that fields questions from the host, Vladan Chase. Some content is explicit, just as life sometimes is.
Further podcasts by Vladan Chase - Never Far from Home
Podcast on the topic Eishockey
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Never Far from Home Ep. 271 - Team Tucker from 2023-04-24T14:05:32
Dana Anderson-Helstrom is the tenth guest in the “Minnesota Chronicles”, a special seri...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 270 - IIHF Down Under from 2023-04-17T17:03:44
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 u...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 269 - Motivational Toaster Strudel from 2023-04-04T02:01:55
Corey Brenner ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 265 - In a Father's Footsteps from 2023-03-20T15:02:53
Derek Shepherd...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 262 - Player, Coach, Lawyer, Author from 2023-03-10T16:40:06
Chris Middlebr...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 261 - The Minnesota Vagabond from 2023-03-08T16:09:31
Tom Peart is t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 259 - Big Cardio from 2023-02-07T17:41:05
Amanda Provan was kind enough to join the show, and we explore her passion for the game. She began playing at 12, but had loved it since her youth. The path of life was such that she found blind...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 258 - Big Edge-work Guy from 2023-01-30T16:51:56
Kenny Simmons was the third live guest of Never Far from Home. We sat down at West End Sports Grill, and had a great chat about his timeline within the game of hockey, and just how it was a Mich...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 257 - Minister of Defense from 2023-01-23T15:33:52
Tristan Lindberg comes on the show, and we explore a timeline that includes sighted hockey for a large chunk of time, including some time in juniors. Then, as things declined visually, he found ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 256 - Chicago Strong from 2023-01-15T18:34:50
Salmaan Chaudhri joined the podcast, and we were able to get into some of his timeline connected to the rink. We talk about one of my favorite things, community, and how the community of blind h...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 255 - Somewhere beyond the S-E-A from 2023-01-09T17:14:35
Lee Becker and I have been pining to get together on a podcast for a while, and his stories do not disappoint. We explore a timeline that includes growing up in a hockey-rich household, finding ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 254 - exe-Kucy-ioner from 2022-12-12T17:41:38
Ryan Kucy and I dive into his hockey timelines, highlighted by his first few times skating, and eventually, finding blind hockey a little later in his teen years. After finding his community, th...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 219 - Calm is slow, slow is good, good is fast from 2022-04-18T01:31:05
Charlie Marchese Jr was introduced to hockey, and the community of the rink, at an early age. He started out playing D and goalie, accepted his role as goalie for a few years, and competitively ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 218 - Two Miles in Barcelona from 2022-04-14T19:20:57
John Schiavo was born to be a hockey player. From his youth days, and getting introduced to the game through his dad, to the present, where the game consumes his days in the best way. He loves e...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 217 - Hockey is good, I'll do more from 2022-03-18T14:11:13
Lee Zerfass joined the show, and shared some wonderful stories, from growing up in Chicago, to moving to Florida. Lee has found himself in plenty of situations that worked out with the timing, a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 216 - Horns up from 2022-03-11T17:56:51
Lindsey Ellis joined the show, and told fantastic stories from the desert! From a “late start” to winning a national championship, and from playing to starting a girls team at ASU. Lindsey has s...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 215 - Fox Hunting from 2022-02-17T16:57:29
Lee Cox shares stories from childhood, near Baltimore. She grew up on horses, and is the last of three kids. At her house, there was a pond that froze each year, and her family learned to skate ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 214 - The Collector of People from 2022-02-10T15:40:40
Travis Gainsley joins me after quite some time trying to convince him to be on. He was a huge piece to getting NFFH off the ground, and I was happy to listen to some of his crazy tales. From som...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 213 - Connections from 2022-01-26T15:18:50
Scott Graham joins the show. We were able to dive into his timeline, exploring his youth hockey days in Westminster, CO, all the way to his Italian year in the Alps. Scott tells of the many conn...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 212 - For Those that are Listening from 2022-01-17T01:13:22
Ben Sheridan joins the podcast after being a big fan for a long time. Ben comes on to share his stories of hockey, though sparse. While there may not be a huge tie to the game we love, in terms ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 211 - The ones who showed up from 2022-01-14T15:01:32
Dennis Borland tells his story of falling in love with the game as a fan, and when that developed into trying it for the first time. As the day came for him to suit up, he fell in love with bein...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 210 - Parks and Rec from 2022-01-06T00:45:44
Ken Bonham shares stories from his childhood, growing up in the greater Detroit area. He talks about his family, his passion for the game that developed at a young age, and then having the game ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 209 - Sports Orphan from 2021-09-21T18:08:45
Craig Fitzpatrick began as a hockey fan at a later age. He was introduced to the sport in college. For years, he was a an avid participant in watching, then he tried to skate for the first time ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 208 - Lizardheads from 2021-09-05T15:14:06
Steve Swenson has become more involved in the hockey world as the years have passed. Living in a small mountain town, he talks about watching the evolution of the game, and even the rink, in his...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 207 - Seconds from 2021-08-29T17:48:10
Chadd Cassidy joins the podcast again to complete the timeline. We had left off just before his move back to Lake Placid (Episode 205). Enjoy the coverage and stories that come from the coach, a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 206 - Channel 38 from 2021-08-22T18:39:43
Brian Harvey got his start in hockey when he was just a young kid. Growing up in the Boston area, he fell in love with the Bruins, and remembers fondly the time of Bobby Orr, and the whole squad...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 205 - Born to be a hockey player from 2021-08-13T22:03:06
Chadd Cassidy gets on the podcast, and we are able to talk about his origins, being a literal stones throw away from where the Miracle on Ice happened, through his youth career, and into his coa...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 204 - The Miracle GM from 2021-08-11T21:04:36
Butch Martin had some great stories, from growing up in Lake Placid, to his hockey days, his reffing, and his working situation, which included being the GM of the rink during the 1980 Miracle o...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 203 - Reno from 2021-08-09T16:30:05
Steve "Reno" Reed joined the podcast, and it was an absolutely great experience. He talks about his history with the game, including a move to Northwood School in the early seventies where he co...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 202 - The Ladakh Express from 2021-08-09T02:29:24
Sooner Dawson tells stories about his time growing up playing hockey in Vermont. His family was another hockey family, and when he came along, it only made sense to get him involved in the game....
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Never Far from Home Ep. 201 - 12 hours from 2021-08-06T13:31:43
Terri Potter is an absolute champion. She is a friend of a friend who let me crash in the guest bedroom for an evening, and in the midst of that, I had to check the box of live interview in New ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 200 - State of Hockey Address Aug. 4 '21 from 2021-08-04T17:44:14
Mike Cochran and I go back and forth in what is the second edition of the “State of Hockey Address”. There is the storytelling, mostly from the trip, and from the guests I have had on. And there...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 199 - T4T4 The Sound of Ice from 2021-08-03T13:55:38
Ruby Goldner came on, and the conversation was a little bit looser than the normal timeline talk. We definitely got into some of that, but also, the discussion led to opinions on some of the dar...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 198 - The Doctor is in from 2021-08-01T23:55:07
Lindsey Migliore got involved with the community of the rink through her wife, and now plays as much hockey as she can. We were able to talk about her introduction to the game, and how and why s...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 197 - Rudo from 2021-07-30T23:25:23
Andrew Rudolph did not have much involvement in the game of hockey until he came into his latest job. We talk about his upbringing, and what has led him to the sports scene in a more professiona...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 196 - Gravitate and Emulate from 2021-07-28T13:10:49
Deron Barton grew up in the game of hockey, and does not remember a time when it was not a passion of his. We talk about some of his favorite youth memories, some of the players he was able to l...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 195 - Comically Unconditioned from 2021-07-26T23:28:38
Pete Bissell grew up playing a variation of pond and ice hockey. He fell in love with the game and played for a few years through his childhood. Different reasons pulled him away from the game f...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 194 - 30 Minutes from 2021-07-25T16:27:07
Terrence Wallin grew up in hockey. He does not remember a time that he wasn't playing. We are able to dive into his career, from his youth days, through his time at UMass - Lowell, and eventuall...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 193 - Beauty Unis from 2021-07-24T00:17:30
Casey Sprogis got his start young in the hockey world. He fell in love with the game right away, and knew he wanted to stay involved in some capacity as he grew up. Mission Accomplished. We sit ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 192 - Learned and Confirmed from 2021-07-21T13:07:31
Matt Voity picked up hockey a little later than most, but fell in love with the game right away. He realized quickly that he wanted to take the game as far as it would let him, and he pursued dr...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 191 - Bets in the Booth from 2021-07-19T13:17:49
Michael Keeley grew up in a sporty house, but didn’t truly get the hockey bug for a bit. As he was deciding where to go for college, and what he wanted to pursue, he found announcing. Shortly af...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 190 - Cinder Blocks from 2021-07-18T14:05:59
Suzanne Driscoll has had an incredible journey. She began as a figure skater, with a mom who heavily influenced that decision. Finally, she came into hockey, which was much more her speed. She p...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 189 - Attitude of Gratitude from 2021-07-16T14:42:58
Wayne Messmer grew up in the sports scene, but had a number of building blocks that led him on a different path than most of my guests. Wayne is a singer. He has performed the anthem for numerou...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 188 - The Shadow from 2021-07-15T13:51:34
Ben Mariano has played hockey since he was a small boy. He fell in love with the game in many different ways over the years, and we talk about his journey from that young kid, through his junior...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 187 - No Such Hockey from 2021-07-13T13:44:16
Justin del Rosario found hockey later on in life, starting to play in his forties. That didn’t deter him from quickly leading a few skates, including No Such Hockey, and Gay Hockey in DC. We tal...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 186 - Viral Videos from 2021-07-13T01:16:24
Johnny Krupinsky has had a heavy involvement in the Danbury hockey scene for years. We talk about his favorite teams he has had the pleasure of watching, coaching, and being a fan of. Johnny tal...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 185 - Another side of Danbury from 2021-07-10T12:41:27
Kelly Potter has been skating since she was a teenager, and fell in love with the community of the rink. She realized that she wanted to continue being involved, even when the roles changed, and...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 184 - Just Czeching in from 2021-07-08T13:32:07
Matyas Kasek grew up in the Czech Republic playing a different style of game. We talked about the differences in coaching style, and how he had to adapt his game when he came to play in the US a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 183 - First Words from 2021-07-07T18:18:54
Nick Garofalo grew up playing hockey. He fell in love with the game at a young age, and knew he wanted to stay involved in some capacity even when he grew to be an adult. Thankfully, the Danbury...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 182 - ABR from 2021-07-06T11:58:23
Amber Moore grew up on the west coast playing hockey, and has loved the sport since an early age. Her life brought her around the country to play, and she eventually landed on the eastern seaboa...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 181 - A broadcasters tale from 2021-07-05T15:39:38
Zack Fisch was a sporty guy growing up, but found himself loving the game of hockey from a young age. He talks about how he moved through the youth ranks, and then his decision to stay involved ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 180 - Taking Ownership from 2021-07-03T19:04:42
Herm Sorcher grew up going to hockey games, and loved most aspects of it. When he was in college, he worked for the Hartford Whalers, and was able to attend a good amount of games over three yea...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 179 - Rocky Mountain Reminiscing (RMR) from 2021-07-02T16:03:35
Tim Rinck grew up playing the game from a young age. He fell in love with so many aspects of the sport, and the community that came with it. Hockey stayed with him through some college time, and...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 178 - Go where you are wanted from 2021-07-01T12:54:41
Johnny Kyte joined the podcast. We had a great chat about his hockey life, hockey family, and some wonderful stories were shared. Johnny was a bouncer, spending some of his youth in the States, ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 177 - Now, here we are from 2021-06-30T12:48:27
Troy Mick grew up in Vernon, BC. We go through his stories, from his earliest at two getting pushed around the rink, to his current status as a coach in Philadelphia. In the middle, there is a d...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 176 - The Arvada Rink Rat from 2021-06-29T14:30:23
Tom Greene grew up in Arvada hockey, and was part of a hockey family through and through. We talk about his career playing, and some of his stand out memories, including some trips to Aspen. We ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 175 - Transformative from 2021-06-28T13:27:49
Billy Carr joined the podcast, and we were able to explore his story from his beginnings as a kid playing in Maryland, through his time helping to build the Laurel rink, and up through his twent...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 174 - Goalies Inc 2.0 from 2021-06-28T00:33:31
Jim, Adam, and Ben all sit down as we are able to talk about the Goalies Inc. brand a little more in depth. Jim, of course, was on Episode 166, and shared some of his story, but we really focus ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 173 - My Friend Adam from 2021-06-28T00:19:21
Adam Lindeman picked up the game of hockey at a young age, and has had a wonderful experience with the game. He didn’t dive into being a goalie until his Bantam and Midget years, but has since g...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 172 - Willy from 2021-06-25T18:26:21
Shane Willis joined the podcast, and we were able to explore his story from his beginnings as a kid playing in a small town, to his big move to play around his bantam seasons, and of course, we ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 171 - The Chmielewski's from 2021-06-22T11:46:18
This is a fathers day edition of NFFH, and it was a fantastic chat with Bob and Tom Chmielewski. There are some of the normal questions you hear about how they were involved with the rink, but I...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 170 - Herr Herr from 2021-06-18T21:44:25
Matt Herr has been involved in hockey since he was a young kid. We explored his timeline of involvement within this episode, with promises of a second, more story-filled episode to come! That be...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 169 - Craft It from 2021-06-16T15:29:39
Matt Mackey has been in love with hockey since watching his first pro game live. He became involved with the sport as soon as he could, and we talk about how the rink has been one of the most co...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 168 - CMU Original from 2021-06-15T01:01:11
Zach Nichols began playing hockey later in his teenage years, and holds on to the dream of playing professional to this day! We talk about his love of the game, and how he has continued to grow ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 167 - Another Hockey Nerd from 2021-06-12T00:04:28
Bobby Cervone grew up in hockey, and has wanted to stay involved with the game as much as he could. That led him to working at a hockey store for a piece of time. We explore his beginnings, all ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 166 - Goalies INC from 2021-06-09T12:03:41
Jim Stanaway has been a hockey guy his whole life. In this first discussion (Second to come later in the month), we talk about his career path, and some of the decisions that led him down the ro...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 165 - Kraken Fancast from 2021-06-04T19:44:30
Lute Chell has been a hockey fan for a very long time. He had some playing experience, and shares some stories from his playing time, and of course, we get into his fandom, which has taken off. ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 164 - Magic Mike from 2021-06-02T11:49:11
Mike Garris grew up a goalie, but he is so much more than the stigma associated with them. Jokes aside, we talk about his introduction to hockey, how he grew to love the game, and he shares stor...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 163 - NHL Seattle from 2021-05-31T22:07:40
John Barr didn’t really dive into hockey until his mid to late twenties, but when he did, it was with everything he had. He now plays three or more times a week, and was a big advocate for bring...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 162 - Environmental Sciences from 2021-05-30T15:44:21
Courtney Boutelle was introduced to the rink around her middle school years, and immediately fell in love with all aspects. She tells stories from her early days of figure skating, to her transi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 161 - The Iron Lung from 2021-05-28T17:09:20
Matt Trust grew up a fan of the game of hockey, but became involved in a larger degree at fourteen. He found a love for writing, and had aspirations of being a beat writer for an NHL squad. We t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 160 - Smashville from 2021-05-26T13:05:04
Tommy and Kristen Mattox join me for a wonderful episode. We talk about Kristen's background with hockey, and the family tie it had. We also explore the sport through Tommy, who had a couple exp...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 159 - Last on the Scoresheet from 2021-05-24T16:07:01
Jennifer Boniecki was taken by the rink when she was just a young girl growing up in Chicago. She found herself playing girls hockey, and was always battling with her younger brother to "one-up"...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 158 - Precision in Rhythm from 2021-05-24T02:01:55
Paula Trujillo is another guest who was born into the community of the rink. We go over her family dynamics, from mother and father, to her three siblings, and eventually we touch on her kids. I...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 157 - A Family Affair from 2021-05-20T16:00
Kristen Bowness was born into a hockey family, but had some difficulty in her early years to find the love of the game. When she did, it quickly became a mainstay in her life and work. She share...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 156 - Behind the scenes from 2021-05-20T12:24:15
Patrick Houlihan got into the hockey scene a little later in his teen years. He quickly progressed through a number of areas in the game, and found himself with a few great stories that he share...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 155 - Don't talk about it, be about it from 2021-05-19T18:13:33
Darren McCarty grew up with the game of hockey. He learned to love it at a young age, and found the relationships he got from the locker room were some of his best. He talks about family, both f...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 154 - In honor of... from 2021-05-12T22:11:42
Jenna Janshen got involved with hockey in elementary school. She spent a few years playing the game, then moved into officiating. She talks about her pathway within the rink, the few years she t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 153 - Well Equipped from 2021-05-12T02:36:07
Nicholas Bayruns was born into hockey. He speaks about his childhood moving around the country, and eventually ending up in upstate New York. He loves the game, and shares some of his favorite m...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 152 - Good People from 2021-05-11T20:32:39
Craig Blumegold began playing hockey just before he turned 30. He shares stories about how he fell in love with the game so quickly, and how it has become a major part of his life today. Craig h...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 151 - From fan to guest from 2021-05-10T12:23:57
Allan Marini is a huge hockey fan, and since finding the podcast, he has become a fan of the trip as well. It was an absolute pleasure discussing some of his favorite memories, most hockey relat...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 150 - Mom's of Hockey #7 from 2021-05-08T15:17:41
Kira Ripley has been in the rinks since she was a little girl. Her older brother of two and a half years was a hockey player, so Kira has many memories of being in the car with the whole family ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 149 - Mom's of Hockey #6 from 2021-05-08T02:22:27
Cathy Lapointe grew up on the East Coast with hockey ever-present in her peripheral. She was enamored by the sport, but didn't fall in love with it until she had two boys who began playing. She ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 148 - Mom's of Hockey #5 from 2021-05-06T17:04:51
Doris Donley has played a wonderful games of hockey. Period 1: Falling in love with the sport, and her now husband. Period 2: Learning more about the rules, and watching her son fall in love wit...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 147 - Mom's of Hockey #4 from 2021-05-05T12:04:09
Olga Chase grew up in What is now the Czech Republic. She is also my mom. I was lucky enough to have her on as a guest, and hear some of her incredible stories, including some about hockey in th...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 146 - Mom's of Hockey #3 from 2021-05-04T17:00:15
Lori Mitchell became involved with the game of hockey when she was dating her now-husband, Paul. When they moved to Colorado and had kids, they were quickly introduced to the sport, and finally,...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 145 - Mom's of Hockey #2 from 2021-05-04T01:32:35
Lori Walsh was introduced to hockey in her later teen years, when she started dating a hockey player. As fate would have it, she married him eventually, and their journey through the hockey worl...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 144 - Mom's of Hockey #1 from 2021-05-02T17:02:51
Lesli Cochran was first introduced to hockey when she was a kid, but didn't truly begin following the sport until she was a mom. Her oldest, Mike, is one of my best friends, and was the hockey p...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 143 - Musician Turned Sportsman from 2021-04-30T19:57:29
Chris Garner grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and watched hockey as a kid, but he didn't find himself playing until his late thirties. We talk about his childhood, growing into a musician, and...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 142 - Overseas Knees from 2021-04-28T22:58:17
Taylor Cook was born into hockey. She grew up in a very supportive family, and in her mid-teens, she shifted gears, and became more serious within girls hockey. We talk about her youth days, som...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 141 - UND Tendy '87 from 2021-04-27T18:37:37
Ed Belfour grew up in Manitoba, and was born into the hockey culture. He tells stories of his youth days, playing on some very competitive and strong teams, and his unlikely happening into being...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 140 - Community Gained from 2021-04-24T17:41:52
Sawyer Lorenz got involved with hockey in his teenage years. He was a fan first, and talks about how and why he was watching the '07 Finals. We go through his timeline of involvement within the ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 139 - Thorby from 2021-04-15T21:33:20
Chris Thorburn grew up in Canada, and was born into the hockey scene. we talk to him about his journey through youth hockey, to juniors, to eventually making it to the NHL. We gather stories alo...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 138 - Big Booming Red Wings Fan from 2021-04-14T23:49:10
Alex Coffey did have a few years of hockey when he was young, but stopped playing in second grade when he decided to pursue skiing. He was a member of SSWSC, but has always been a huge hockey fa...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 137 - The Crossover from 2021-04-14T18:31:23
Sady Tobin was involved with the rink from a young age, as her brother played hockey and was three years older. She didn't start playing until she was a teenager, and loved the sport. We talk ab...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 136 - Birdie from 2021-04-10T00:13:42
Ian Anderson spent most of his youth days in Steamboat. He started playing hockey at a young age, and fell in love with the sport because of a former Avalanche superstar. He shares that story, a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 135 - VC Bobcats from 2021-04-06T18:06:28
Ellen Tully grew up around the rink. She was the youngest in a hockey family, and though she did not ever play organized hockey herself, she fell in love with the game. That love and passion has...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 134 - Legalized Carnage from 2021-03-29T18:28:44
Gary Whiteley became involved in the game of hockey in his early twenties. He fell in love with the game, and wishes now that he had gotten involved at an earlier age. He tells stories about how...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 133 - UND '87 from 2021-03-26T00:10:59
Bob Joyce was born into the hockey world. His father was a player himself, and Bob quickly found a love for the game. We talk about his early days, and some of his favorite memories from growing...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 132 - One Sheffield from 2021-03-23T18:07:16
Martin Peters was first introduced to the game of hockey with a family name that many know, the Gretzky's. He met Keith and Walter, and shares that brief story. His life took him away from the s...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 131 - The Middle Triplet from 2021-03-22T15:54:59
Zack Slezak began playing hockey shortly after he could walk. He shares stories about growing up in the Chicago area, falling in love with the sport and the community surrounding it, then moving...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 130 - The Clumsy Artist from 2021-03-21T17:50:52
Jacquelin Zimmerman began figure skating in her youth days, as she was exploring the many sports available to her at the time. She fell in love with skating, and progressed through the ranks. Sh...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 129 - Strength in Culture from 2021-03-20T14:01:20
Connor Lyons began playing roller hockey, and a few years later got into the realm of ice hockey. His journey has taken him all around the world, playing and coaching. We talk about some of his ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 128 - Big Roller Hockey Guy from 2021-03-19T20:36:36
Jordan Mackenzie began playing roller hockey, and has been able to stay involved with the rink since he was eight. He now is participating with the Lightning street teams, and shares some of his...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 127 - Blueprints from 2021-03-19T17:16:06
Ryan Cronin grew up in upstate New York, and was introduced to the hockey world by his grandpa at just three or four. He was fixated on the game when they went, even as such a young age, and his...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 126 - Born into Boston Fandom from 2021-03-19T15:21:47
Nick Strid began skating around eight years old. He began skating on figure skates for the first few months, then quickly transitioned into hockey. His love for the game developed fast, and even...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 125 - Lightning Outreach from 2021-03-18T23:33:23
On this unique episode of NFFH, I am joined by a couple guys working for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their outreach programs: Aaron and Jordan. They are able to talk about the great programs that...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 124 - The Grind from 2021-03-18T20:14:40
Dusty Henning began playing when he was a youngin. He regales me with some of his best memories of his youth days, before we get into his long list of pro hockey. The man has played a lot of dif...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 123 - Small Town Juneau Boy from 2021-03-17T18:10:26
Colter Pritchard began playing hockey in his early teens, after first getting introduced to skating at three. He quickly became a goaltender, and loved it. His hockey journey took him from AK to...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 122 - Real Life from 2021-03-17T01:21:08
Ricky Gnatowsky was not born into hockey, at all. He happened into the rink life, after REAL LIFE, and he has since fallen in love with the community. We go into stories from his early days when...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 121 - The Metro Method from 2021-03-16T19:33:53
Glen Metropolit grew up in Toronto. We sat down today over some coffee, and he shared some stories from his youth playing days, moving from ball hockey in to the ice rink, and eventually, findin...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 120 - Florida Fans from 2021-03-15T20:43:56
Amber Niland was born to be a hockey player. She started playing when she was around five, and has been engaging in different aspects of the community of the rink since. She talks about playing,...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 119 - SteelKings from 2021-03-14T15:54:58
Jake Oakley was introduced to hockey at a younger age, but at first, he was not a fan of skating. He would attend games with his father and sister, and loved the atmosphere, falling in love with...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 118 - Block 17 from 2021-03-14T13:14:10
Liz Stewart always seemed to fancy hockey. She was not involved in the game in her childhood, but around her teen years, finally found her way to the rink. She shares her stories of why she love...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 117 - The Rink Life from 2021-03-13T20:02:47
Graig O'Brien was able to explore the community of the pond as a kid, as well as deck hockey. He was then introduced to the game later on as a dad, and has fallen in love with the community of t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 116 - Block Party from 2021-03-13T15:15:53
Seth Kushner was introduced to hockey as a fan of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was able to grow his love of the game after working with some of the players, and getting a closer look at some of t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 115 - Working Hard from 2021-03-13T03:34:43
Kyle was at rinks from a young age, watching hockey, but didn't begin playing till he was ten. We get into details about his youth hockey days, and eventually his tales from junior hockey, until...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 114 - Taranaki Masters Games from 2021-03-12T23:37:10
I am joined by a few awesome guys from the Taranaki Masters Games in New Zealand, and we are able to talk about inline, and how it is growing in the country. Each guy gets a few minutes to tell his...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 113 - Whale Tales from 2021-03-11T01:19:11
Jamie Goldsmith began skating on Beaver Lake, and played boys hokey for a few years before making the shift to girls around twelve or thirteen. Enjoy her many stories from playing time, to her coac...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 112 - The Bus Boy from 2021-03-11T00:05:26
Ernie Hartlieb was born into the hockey community. His father was a big fan and player of the game, and being in Michigan, it was an easy sell. He remembers falling in love with the game right from...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 111 - The Parking Lot from 2021-03-10T00:06:57
Tom McLean got a later start in hockey. He was already in his early twenties when he began playing, and being in Florida in the 90's, he was first introduced to the roller rink. We talk about some ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 110 - Morty from 2021-03-09T02:15:53
Craig Morton was another NFFH'er born into hockey. His father was a big hockey guy in Detroit, and Craig had an older brother that was already a player as well. He grew up in the midwest, and share...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 109 - Shaggy from 2021-03-08T17:20:26
Warren Hewett began playing hockey in his mid to late teens. He started in the roller arena, before moving over to ice within a year or two. There was an overlap of a few years, when he was doing b...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 108 - Surrounded by Talent from 2021-03-06T00:41:40
Bryan Smith began playing hockey a little later in life, but was able to catch up quick. We talk about his journey through his playing days, through his short stint as a seasonal employee enjoying ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 107 - Through Hockey from 2021-03-05T21:15:39
Brent Pearson began skating from the age of two. He was born into a family of hockey players and figure skaters, as his mom was on the ice at high levels of figure, and his father was a hockey guy....
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Never Far from Home Ep. 106 - Black Butterflies from 2021-03-05T18:24:09
Kam Fink began playing roller hockey, and within a few years had transitioned to ice. We step through his journey, including a couple tough years in Peewee, all the way through his college days. Li...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 105 - Shrode-a-saurus from 2021-03-04T23:01
Kaitlyn Shrode started skating around six years old. She is the younger of the Shrode sisters, and tells many stories of growing up in the hockey household she did. Her tales span youth time spent ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 104 - Shrodey from 2021-03-04T20:08:20
Taylor Shrode began playing hockey when she was ten. She fell in love with the game a few years later when she started traveling for a team on the Front Range of Colorado. She talks about her trip ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 103 - Home is where the rink is from 2021-03-02T03:56:29
Bobby Davis began playing hockey around nine or ten. He shares tales from a young age of the impact his mom and dad had on him, not just on the ice, but in life. He was well travelled in the game b...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 102 - Betting on myself from 2021-03-01T19:24:49
Nicco Cardarelli began playing hockey early in his childhood. He gathered rather quickly that it would not lead him to the NHL as a player, but he accepted this, and found a love of the game amidst...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 101 - Elbow Crease from 2021-02-28T17:34:03
Kyle Hayton began playing hockey when he was seven. He found more of a pssion for the game around twelve, and pursued his dreams of playing professionally. His journey took him through many stops, ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 100 - State of Hockey Address Feb. 2021 from 2021-02-14T12:53:28
In the first ever State of Hockey Address, Mike Cochran returns to the show, as we talk about what the first one hundred episodes have done. There is a recap, touching on some of the favorite episo...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 99 - Car rides from 2021-02-13T20:08:05
Sheldon Randell grew up in Newfoundland, and was started skating at a very early age. His dad was a big influencer in his hockey, and he shares some fantastic stories about the many car rides he ha...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 98 - Data Points from 2021-02-13T12:57:18
Paul Podkulski became involved with hockey as a fan as a young child. He grew up in upstate New York, but because of family, he was a Flyers fan. We go through his fandom, and how he eventually fou...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 97 - Go Figure... from 2021-02-08T20:26:06
On a special edition of the pod, I am joined by two figure skaters to tell some great stories. Alex and Michelle Aiken chat about their respective time growing up within the figure skating world, a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 96 - Back and Forth from 2021-02-06T17:06:53
Dajon Mingo began his journey in the rink on figure skates. He participated in that capacity from 5-7, then found himself in hockey. He talks about his journey from his time in the youth leagues of...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 95 - Jax Ice from 2021-02-04T23:29:34
Laura Belluccia was a figure skater in her younger days when she grew up near Tampa. She got into a few of her favorite memories from her younger time, but our conversation quickly led to her curre...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 94 - Gin from 2021-02-02T23:41:18
Kevin Gintoli began playing around nine, and it was my pleasure to talk to him. Our conversation spanned his days playing competitively at the youth level, through his time in the beer leagues, whe...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 93 - Ice Tigers from 2021-02-01T20:27
Jimi Drinkall began playing hockey in his twenties, after attending a professional game in his local rink. He loved the physical side of the game, and found himself a home with the Ice tigers withi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 92 - Skittles from 2021-01-29T00:59
Garrett Gintoli was born in to the hockey life. He talks about his first experiences within the rink, and gets in to his other timeline impacts. This one went a little off the rails, but was a fant...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 91 - Ice Rink Casinos from 2021-01-27T00:54:50
Michele Gintoli began playing at the same time as two of her brothers, and quickly was drawn in to love the game of hockey. She talks about her storyline, which includes girls teams in her youth da...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 90 - Buffalo Gold from 2021-01-26T00:07:32
Peter Gintoli began playing when he was four. His family all jumped in to the sport, and the four kids playing was the first introduction that mom and dad had to the hockey scene. Things progressed...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 89 - The Kimchi Cup from 2021-01-24T01:07:44
Paul Novak was born and raised in Germany. His father was a sports fanatic, and Paul, along with his older brother Joe, both followed suit. Paul grew up in the rink community, and played hockey for...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 88 - The Hockey Recap from 2021-01-21T23:32:26
Matt Schoepflin was another guest born into hockey. His father played, and had a love of the game, and it bled over to Matt. He grew up in Colorado, played most of his youth hockey there, then ende...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 87 - The Middlebury Child from 2021-01-20T00:05:06
Katie Mandigo was born into hockey. She was skating from a very young age, and found a passion for the game she knew she wanted to pursue as far as it would take her. She told me stories about grow...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 86 - Washington Pride from 2021-01-19T02:13:41
Kush Sidhu grew up playing hockey in Montreal. He moved stateside, and continued to grow his love for the game, eventually finding himself working with Northeastern as a goalie, then a goalie coach...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 85 - Like Father, Like Daughter from 2021-01-17T21:51:56
Alexis Pearson never played organized hockey. While she grew up in Minnesota, and skated in her early days, she never found herself in organized forms of the sport we love. Her father did, however,...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 84 - "Middlebury Bill" Mandigo from 2021-01-16T23:43:20
Bill Mandigo grew up playing hockey, and had a great head start, as his father was a player himself. We delve into a few of his stories from his time spent playing, but things ramp up when the conv...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 83 - "Middlebury Bill" Beaney from 2021-01-16T00:47:11
Bill Beaney Grew up in Lake Placid. He was skating from the age of two or three, and forged a love of the game in one of the most prolific sporting communities in America. He tells tales of his com...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 82 - Baby bump scrums from 2020-12-23T03:08:36
Jessi Pierce became fascinated with hockey, and the rink, at a young age. She grew up a fan, but became more heavily involved her senior year of high school, when she was the statistician for her h...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 81 - Hockey gives, and hockey takes from 2020-12-22T04:40:26
Matt Billman got introduced to hockey in the roller rink, and found an immediate love for the game. He quickly realized he was destined for the ice, after an encounter with an olympic sized rink, a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 80 - Fandom from 2020-12-21T02:46:32
Brandon Enroth had his addiction to hockey begin when he started watching the game. He talks about going to his first Capitals game with his dad, and the love of the sport that was born from it. He...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 79 - B-roll from 2020-12-20T18:49:12
Harry began skating early in life, and played organized hockey starting around five. He spent most of his childhood in Minnesota, headed to St. Louis for college, and found himself in DC eventually...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 78 - How to Goalie from 2020-12-12T01:46:28
Rugge Preto started playing hockey when he was an early teen. He grew up in Argentina, and talks about his experiences that lead to him falling in love with the game, and eventually taking it to th...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 77 - Side-Eye from 2020-12-10T00:31:36
Heather Lorden got involved in the skating world at a very young age. She was instantly drawn to the rink, and quickly moved through the figure skating ladder. Her journey includes stops in Steambo...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 76 - The Roamer from 2020-12-08T21:41:06
Patrick Spengler got involved in hockey as little later on than most, but found a passion for the community. He speaks on his love of improvement, personally challenging himself to get better each ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 75 - Driver of the bus from 2020-12-07T21:27:42
Sara Mortel was born into hockey and the rink. She loved the game right away, and has been in many different capacities, but most prominently was a player and coach. She tells many stories that spa...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 74 - MAC(K) from 2020-12-06T21:16:42
Meghan Koupal got involved with hockey a little later in life, but had a good basis of sport through her youth, playing both soccer and basketball in high school. She transitioned to a full-time so...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 73 - Political Science from 2020-12-05T02:17:16
Jake Berube has been playing hockey in one form or another since early childhood. He began with roller hockey, transitioned to ice hockey, and off the mic we talked about one of his more recent end...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 72 - Skate-less from 2020-12-04T01:15:28
Brendan Selby began playing when he was four or five years old. While he is a younger guest on the pod, he has a history of playing, and now, has coached for multiple years. Enjoy the tales he shar...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 71 - That's Aho from 2020-12-01T23:46:18
Michael Lee began playing hockey in his mid-thirties, but was involved with the rink from his high school days when he was a skate guard. He tells of his childhood, growing up as the middle child o...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 70 - Rink Rust from 2020-11-29T20:31:25
Thomas Larson got a later start in hockey than some. He began skating at 10, and playing at 11. He talks about his quick upward trajectory in the game, injuries in Juniors that began to take their ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 69 - Glenn Allen adventures from 2020-11-21T13:05:14
Dan Greeson played hockey most of his youth. He tells about the impacts the game had on him, with a unique look on things, because of his remote village he spent most of his childhood in. He has no...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 68 - On the farm from 2020-11-19T23:26:58
Spencer Neville began playing hockey seemingly right away, when it became available. She talks about moving through life, balancing a heavy school load with both hockey and soccer, and eventually, ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 67 - GW2 from 2020-11-16T03:01:29
Lauren Bolger began playing hockey after trying out figure skating first. She then watched her brother play, and decided that the sport of choice would require pads. Her stories span triumph, with ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 66 - Confidence Regained from 2020-11-11T22:34:41
Libby Lukens began skating when she was only four years old. Spurred on my her two older siblings having played hockey, she put the gear on, and found the love of the game for herself. The sport to...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 65 - Whammer Time from 2020-10-16T21:12:08
Chris Hagen began playing ice hockey when he was nine, but he had been participating in some whammer time for a year or two prior. He quickly found his love for the game, and continued to grow with...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 64 - Space Station from 2020-10-16T20:50:47
Eric Dorris began playing hockey in his mid-forties after seeing the excitement it brought his kids. He grew up in sports, mostly football through high school, then in college he found rugby. That ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 63 - Dawg Nation from 2020-10-08T23:27:29
Martin Richardson and Mike Freeman joined me on this special round table episode. They talked about Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation, the big Ice Complex project that they are working on, and also go ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 62 - El Pres. from 2020-10-08T23:06:56
Martin Richardson began playing organized hockey later in life, but grew up skating on ponds all around Colorado. He has always had a passion for the game, and came to find himself at the helm of t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 61 - Dammit Tom from 2020-10-03T17:32:36
Tom Krabacher began playing hockey at a young age, but nothing organized till his adult years. He had a good introduction to the skating, though, so hew quickly moved up the adult league ranks. In ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 60 - Dr. Saul Miller from 2020-09-27T19:24:50
Dr. Saul Miller is one of North America’s leading sport psychologists. He has a PhD in clinical psychology and is the author of eight books, including: Hockey Tough: A Winning Mental Game, Performi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 59 - Of life, and it's opposite from 2020-09-21T22:02:11
Hestia Chase grew up in Steamboat, mostly, and didn’t play much organized hockey in her youth. She was, however, very athletic, and shares some stories about other sports, and the impact they had, ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 58 - Side Stories from 2020-09-21T21:40:25
Chris Porter grew up in Minnesota, and played hockey from a very young age. He Ended up playing competitively through college, and shares some of his stories from his youth-days. We work up the tim...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 57 - Finesse from 2020-09-21T21:17:45
Michael Drennen started playing hockey at a later age, but came from a background of sports, specifically football and wrestling. He shares many tales, from the football field, to the wrestling mat...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 56 - Click Here from 2020-09-13T03:58:36
Andrew Bilski picked up hockey at a later age, but came from a background of sports, specifically football. He has many grand tales of friendships that he has made from the rink, after beginning hi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 55 - Littlecorp from 2020-09-12T03:02:46
Jeremy Corporon was born in Texas, and that is close to all you need to know. He moved to Colorado when he was eight, and quickly picked up the game of hockey. For some odd reason, he didn't like t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 54 - The Covid Chronicles from 2020-09-11T00:28:38
Hannah Westbrook Started playing hockey from an early age. With three older siblings, she was quickly introduced to a number of different sports, but hockey was the one that stuck. Having spent muc...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 53 - MB Rules from 2020-09-09T14:27:44
MB Arce got into hockey a little later in life, but was a sporty gal for the better part of her childhood, though she didn't play organized sports until her high school years. An avid soccer player...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 52 - Mineral Media from 2020-09-08T00:36:49
Eli Zink had a little experience with hockey when he was a kid, but circumstance kept him from playing at length until adulthood. The basketball player turned hockey nut talks about his experiences...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 51 - "Cap" from 2020-08-26T04:44:50
Michael Arce began playing hockey later in life, but was a sportsman his whole youth, and through his early adult years. In a fun spin on an episode, he talks about his current job, as a Captain of...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 50 - Filling in the gaps from 2020-08-25T06:09:09
Dylan Knudsen grew up playing in a small town in Northwest Colorado. He was lucky enough to have the Avs move to town as he was finding his love for the game, and he quickly was drawn to hockey in ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 49 - Buff Pass Sunsets from 2020-08-17T02:46:39
Amanda Harclerode was a guest who was very sporty in her youth, but did not begin playing hockey until her later years. She found a quick affinity for the game and the camaraderie. Her stories come...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 48 - Steamboat Days from 2020-08-17T01:44:50
Max Atwell began playing when he was a young child. He grew up in the game, then stepped away for a couple years, before once more picking it up in Steamboat. He has some stories with his father, b...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 47 - Staying Awake from 2020-08-13T14:06:56
Matt Graves began playing hockey later in life. He has an extensive sports background, including many years of skiing, both Nordic, and some alpine, and when he started participating in the rink co...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 46 - The Imp from 2020-08-13T02:37:03
Imperio the Churlish joined the podcast. I hope you enjoy the laughter, the tears, and the full-on emotion from this one. Mostly, I hope you laugh. A lot of episodes coming up here, have to have so...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 45 - Airplanes and busses from 2020-08-09T20:43:37
Harriet Leeson started playing hockey around 11. She had been involved in Winter Sports Club in Steamboat, but had lost her love of skiing. A new passion formed at the rink, and she quickly picked ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 44 - Mitch from 2020-08-06T04:13:09
Andrew Mitchell started hockey from a young age, being introduced to the sport through his dad. He fell in love with the game soon after, and continues to play today. Enjoy his tales, from the yout...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 43 - "Talking Hockey" from 2020-08-05T06:04:26
Robbie Tesar got involved in the game of hockey at a young age. He was born in Edina, but moved to Illinois before he started playing competitively. His stories range all over the country, and he p...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 42 - Gridiron to Barns from 2020-08-04T03:03:32
Anthony Frattini was a late comer to hockey. He tried skating when he was young, but didn't find the passion for the game and the community till he was eleven or twelve. Once he strapped the pads o...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 41 - Of forest and ice from 2020-08-02T19:23:04
Kent Foster began his hockey career on the east coast. He played through the ranks, and eventually found himself in the Yampa Valley. His story includes going through the building of two rinks, and...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 40 - The Street Life from 2020-07-18T20:13:48
Grady Koupal started playing hockey in a different form. He was a roller hockey enthusiast growing up in the San Jose area, and played from a young age all the way through his high school years. Af...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 39 - Major Payne from 2020-07-16T06:11:32
Loren Gorman started playing hockey more in depth in the bantam years. His family moved quite a bit, so he never got the chance to settle into roots, and play the sport until that time. He spent fi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 38 - Apple Juice from 2020-06-23T20:18:13
Ricky Miles started playing when he was young. He quickly found his own love for the game of hockey, and knew he wanted to be a part of the community for as long as he could competitively. That lov...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 37 - Street Hockey Passions from 2020-06-09T06:50:08
Curtis McElhinney was born into hockey. Growing up in Canada he was lucky enough to play with some wonderful skaters. He found his passion in getting hit with the puck, and shares some of his stori...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 36 - Posts from 2020-06-07T20:15:25
Rebecca Brown got involved in hockey early, starting around four. She found a passion for the game, and knew pretty early on that she wanted to pursue it at a higher level. She was able to make tha...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 35 - Kylee Diamonds from 2020-05-29T03:10:35
Kyle Monger began playing hockey at seven or eight years old. He quickly learned to love the game, looking up to such players like Pavel Bure. As he moved around with life, hockey was a constant, a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 34 - The Officials Circuit from 2020-05-08T03:56:55
Gary Pedigo was born into the game of hockey. He found himself on the rink at two, playing with his brother at an early age in their basement, and eventually, he found his own passion for the game ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 33 - Eraser Buns from 2020-04-30T21:12:14
Nick Fettkether was introduced to the rink early on, but did not begin playing till he was a squirt. As he moved from town to town, his involvement in the game blossomed as well, as he took to offi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 32 - Full Circle from 2020-04-28T19:02:14
Chris Delaney got involved with hockey early. He was a figure skater his first two year, before being introduced to the game as a squirt. He talks about his stories from youth hockey, through his t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 31 - The Equestrian Connection from 2020-04-25T21:18:20
Ally Boglioli got involved in hockey at just four years old. She had a couple stints in her timeline where she stepped away from the rink for a piece of time, but it always drew her back in. She ta...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 30 - Dinosaur Park from 2020-04-24T19:08:44
Kerry Shea got involved in the game of hockey at a young age. He was introduced to it when his father built a backyard rink that he and his siblings enjoyed. He chatted with me about his timeline f...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 29 - Santa Fe Caboose from 2020-04-23T02:21:39
Kyle Cagnoni grew up in the game of hockey. He started skating when he was just four. He talks to NFFH about his days, from Santa Fe through his time in juniors. Enjoy the many tales he shares, abo...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 28 - The Mayor from 2020-04-21T20:14:54
Nikki Knoebel got involved in hockey in her adult years. She quickly came to realize she had a passion for the game, and more-so, for the community aspect of the rink. Enjoy her stories she tells f...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 27 - The "Log" Sliver from 2020-04-19T23:00:26
Cori Ferenczy grew up in hockey. She settles the score with her sister Laura (See Ep. 25) about who made who quit after mini-mites. She goes on to tell some fantastic stories of her days in youth h...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 26 - Snow Squalls from 2020-04-19T01:51:05
Ashley Paulson began playing when she was just five. she continued playing through college, and eventually worked her way in to coaching. She joined me to talk about the stories along the way, and ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 25 - The Short White Bus from 2020-04-17T04:32:29
Laura Bilski started skating when she was five years old. She loved the game right away, and found herself involved with it since those early days. She talks about her childhood, her high school ye...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 24 - San Diego Beaches from 2020-04-15T18:20:29
Peter McNab was born in to the hockey world. His father was coaching at the time, and right away, Peter realized this was a game that had captured his heart. He talks to me about his time as a chil...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 23 - The Origin Stories from 2020-04-13T00:43:51
This is the inevitable episode. My Friend Mike Cochran (See Ep. 1) wanted to turn the tables on me and interview me. I have played, coached, reffed, announced, and worked at the rink since I was si...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 22 - The Gatorade Kid from 2020-04-10T22:55:04
Conor McGahey grew up playing and reffing hockey, but quickly found his niche was outside the glass, announcing. He began announcing games for the Summit Tigers High School hockey team at Stephen C...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 21 - Sippy Cup from 2020-04-06T20:07:50
Ryan Cagnoni was born in to the game of hockey. His dad was a big catalyst to introduce him to the game, but he found his own passion within it soon after. He travelled around the country playing t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 20 - The Naked Skate from 2020-04-04T18:53:35
Abby Kurtz-Phelan grew up in both the hockey and soccer worlds. She has a rich history of success in both, and eventually played both sports in college. Her hockey stories range from her early year...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 19 - For the love of the game from 2020-04-04T04:28:32
Jon Winkelblech has spent his whole life involved in the game of hockey. He played, and began reffing the first year he could don the zebra sweater. While splitting his time was difficult, it allow...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 18 - 3 a.m. Zam rides from 2020-04-03T03:05:41
Walshy grew up in a hockey house. From a young age he was at the rink watching his dad ref, and eventually he found himself playing goalie. He still tends net today, and his passion has not dwindle...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 17 - Coaching is Poaching from 2020-04-02T19:26:10
Brent "Benny" Tollar has been involved with hockey since he was born into it in Minnesota. He convinced his parents to finally let him play when he was a squirt, and his passion for the game drove ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 16 - Big Z from 2020-04-01T21:13:31
Zac has been in the hockey community since he was born in Calgary, though he began playing when his family moved to Brighton, CO. He continued to play through college, before coaching became his co...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 15 - Cortina, my Queen from 2020-04-01T00:37:43
Ryan Dingle was born in to the hockey community. He had a robust career that included a National Championship with DU, and many years of pro hockey in both North America and Europe. He speaks on so...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 14 - The Viking from 2020-03-31T19:02:35
Yancey started playing hockey at nine, and also delved into lacrosse and football. He grew up in Alabama, but has landed in Colorado, and continued to pursue his passion, coaching young men, and te...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 13 - The Cursed Player from 2020-03-30T22:19:46
Mason Bates got started a lot later than many hockey players nowadays, but he has since participated in the sport for over 15 years. He has travelled the world pursuing his passion, and has great s...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 12 - Big Brother from 2020-03-30T20:45:35
Danny got in to hockey when he was seven years old. He has skated most years since, in one capacity or another. His love of the game brought him to the brink of college, then home again. Enjoy one ...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 11 - King of the C League from 2020-03-30T05:24:57
Zach Murphy has been a part of the hockey community going on 20 years. He has skated out, played goalie, coached, and been a scorekeeper. However he is needed, he figures out a way to help, all the...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 10 - My friend, the Red Wings fan from 2020-03-24T18:14:42
Kyle Pastor started playing hockey as soon as he got his first pair of shoes. He has been in the game for over 30 years, and shares some of his great memories with NFFH. Enjoy.
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Never Far from Home Ep. 9 - Brain Games from 2020-03-21T20:54:51
Nic Has been involved with hockey from the outset. His older brother (16 years his senior) was the first one to get involved, and his family had tight roots to skating as it was. It was a natural f...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 8 - There and back again from 2020-03-21T18:50:25
Joe Novak was born in to hockey. His father played the game, and imparted his passion to Joe at a young age. Now, with over 60 years playing, reffing, coaching, and managing the sport, he shares hi...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 7 - The Wonder Bread Story from 2020-01-30T05:09:31
Blair Mcnamara has been involved with hockey in one capacity or another for 47 years as of this episode. He sits down with me to discuss some of his story, and to recall a few memories that would h...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 6 - The Face-off Specialist from 2020-01-20T21:25:36
Gabe Gauthier is the current Director of Foothills Hockey. He has spent 32 years in the game as of the publication of this episode, even appearing in a few NHL preseason games. He explores some mem...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 5 - The Traveling Salesmen from 2020-01-20T19:30:49
Jesse Davis is currently the Director of Colorado Select Girls Hockey, based out of the Edge Ice Arena. He has spent 41 years in the game as of this episode, and has been seemingly all over the nat...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 4 - Planet Hockey from 2020-01-20T05:40:26
Shawn Killian is the Founder & President of Planet Hockey. He has been at this for over 20 years, and continues to spark the interest of youth all across the nation with his summer camps. Steve Str...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 3 - The "Plug" from 2020-01-06T06:28:45
Nick Carelli is the Adult Sports Coordinator in Steamboat, and one of the best players in the small community. He has 20+ years in hockey as of this episode, and continues to impart his knowledge t...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 2 - "Hey, ref, I found your phone, you have four missed calls." from 2020-01-02T18:36:55
Connor Glynn is an Ice Hockey Official trying to make his way to the highest level of hockey, the NHL. He has been playing and reffing for 18 years as of this episode. His father, Scott Glynn, is a...
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Never Far from Home Ep. 1 - Mr. Extrovert from 2020-01-02T18:22:10
Mike Cochran is the Crew Leader at the "Howie Dome", Howelsen Ice Arena, in Steamboat. He is the prototypical hockey guy, who has played for 24 years as of this episode. While it was like pulling o...
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