Puck Yeah! Podcast

It’s the last podcast before Logan moves back to New Zealand! This week NZIHF coaching director Darren Blong joins us to discuss their new ‘Triple Star’ program and what that means for pushing New Zealand ice hockey to the next level and how they plan on creating sustained success. Puck Yeah Podcast will return in a few weeks following a couple weeks in quarantine. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

In the spirit of celebrating International Women’s Day, we’re revisiting one of our favourite interviews from Puck Yeah’s four-year history - our April 2018 chat with New Zealand Ice Fernz captain Helen Murray. From her inline beginnings, to balancing two hockey codes as an international representative while undertaking extensive Alzheimers research, plus how the women’s game can improve in years to come - there is plenty to learn. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

The Auckland Mako have created an air of excitement since they were announced to become the sixth team to join the NZIHL. Co-head coach A.J. Spiller joins the podcast this week to address some of your biggest questions around the team, including how the team came to be plus expectations for their inaugural season. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

On this week’s podcast Ice Blacks veteran Martin Lee calls in from Montreal - we talk about how he entered the NZIHL from a young age and made an immediate impact, the success of the 2008 New Zealand U20s squad, plus his move into coaching. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

This week Logan and Joe break down the 2021 NZIHL schedule and some of its more interesting quirks, what we know about the Auckland Mako now, plus a cautionary tale about spotting catfishes in New Zealand’s ruthless housing market - you’ll want to stick around for that, it’s weird! Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

This week Logan and Joe get way too excited about the upcoming Mighty Ducks TV series, delve into the media hype surrounding Joel Rindelaub, plus Liam Stewart joins us from the UK to discuss his impressive 2019 ‘homecoming’ season in New Zealand and how gaming has impacted his life while hockey is on pause. Interview begins at 30:50. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

This week Logan and Joe question whether the IIHF acted quickly enough to strip Belarus’ hosting rights for this year’s World Champs, reflect on the opening weeks of a shortened NHL season, plus Dustin Hall (Nomad Hockey) joins us from Nova Scotia to relive his New Zealand adventures with the Canadian Moose World Traveling Hockey Club back in 2005. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

2020 wasn’t all bad! The Auckland-based ‘Hockey House’ was one of the first in the world to return to play, livestreaming their Backyard/Frontyard Hockey League Finals on YouTube to an audience starved for games. But this social league in New Zealand packs some serious punch in terms of entertainment value and talent, including players with NCAA experience. On this week’s podcast, we’re joined by Cam Green of Hockey House to chat about some of the wildest highlights and what’s to come for their ‘Travelling Goons’ squad when travelling is such an uncertainty these days. Plus, you’ll find out what makes this ‘beer league’ one of the greatest and most inclusive hockey communities in the world. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

2020 couldn’t cancel us! Puck Yeah is back to reveal some big NZIHL news, we catch up with NZIHF president Andy Mills to discuss the IIHF cancellations and how New Zealand’s national teams can bounce back, plus what we’d like to see happen with the Trans-Tasman Challenge moving forward. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more highlights and interviews, follow us on Instagram and Facebook (@puckyeahnz) for podcast updates and more.

West Auckland Admirals captain Justin Daigle, along with AJ Spiller, has been helping hockey players around New Zealand continue their training during the nationwide lockdown by providing interactive workouts. Puck Yeah's Logan Swinkels chats to Justin about the AIHA's initiatives, the progress of the Under-20s program, plus which NHL pro he'd pick for the Admirals in the ultimate fantasy draft.

2020 was looking like a big year for Jana Kivell before the coronavirus pandemic shut down hockey around the world (except Belarus of course). Puck Yeah's Logan Swinkels catches up with one of New Zealand's most exciting young players today to find out how she's dealing with life in isolation and what's next following on from February's thrilling IIHF Worlds campaign.

After 72 games with the New Zealand Ice Blacks defenceman Andrew Hay has elected to step down from international duty, calling time on his IIHF career that spans over 15 years. He joins Puck Yeah this week for an exclusive interview to talk about his decision, the current state of the national team, and what's to come for the Botany Swarm as the NZIHL Playoffs approach.

On this week's podcast Dunedin Thunder import goalie Henri Tikkanen joins Puck Yeah to talk about his experience to date playing in the NZIHL, exploring the wonders of New Zealand and growing up with hockey in Finland, a nation known for producing NHL superstars such as Teemu Selanne and Tuuka Rask.

This week Logan Swinkels catches up with another Kiwi playing in the Australian Ice Hockey League, Kahu Joyce. The pair discuss his recent fight with Adelaide's Alex Gauthier, missing NZ comfort food, and how becoming a referee has helped his hockey game. Before that, Logan and co-host Joe Durie chat about the NHL's recent free agent frenzy and whether changes being made to EA Sport's NHL20 are enough to warrant buying a copy. (Interview starts at 24:10)

Jake Ratcliffe is a young Kiwi hockey player with the world at his feet. He was honoured as MASCAC's Rookie of the Year after a solid freshman year at Westfield State and now he's playing for the AIHL's Sydney Bears during the summer break. He joins Puck Yeah's Logan Swinkels this week to talk about his career to date that started with his NZIHL debut at the age of 15.

On this week's podcast, before reliving the excitement of staying up all night to watch the Toronto Raptors victory parade, Logan & Joe talk about what features NHL20 will need to make them jump back into the video game series, the USA v Canada Ice Hockey Classic and more.

Next month the New Zealand Inline Ferns head to Spain for the World Roller Games. Hannah Jensen and Jana Kivell join the podcast this week to talk about their recent stint playing in the Spanish elite league for CPLV Panthers, being placed in the 'Pool of Death' and Hamilton's influence on the sport. Interview starts at 09:55.

After a break during the IIHF's international window, the podcast is back! Logan & Joe catch up over what was a once in a lifetime trip following the New Zealand Ice Blacks through Colorado and Mexico, plus the guys look back on the first few weeks of the 2019 NZIHL season.

West Auckland Admirals captain Justin Daigle joins Joe from our Auckland studio, with Logan dialling in from Sydney, to talk about winning the NZIHL championship in 2018, recovering from a horrific eye injury that almost ended his career, coaching the New Zealand Under-20s, and much more! This episode is also available to stream on our YouTube channel. Note: With Logan overseas covering the New Zealand Ice Blacks, this will be our last podcast for a few weeks until he returns home.

This week we're looking into the weird science of hockey goaltending and our special guest Adrian Volpe knows all about it. Volpe enjoyed two seasons in the NZIHL as a Canadian import goalie with the Skycity Stampede as part of their impressive run of three Birgel Cup titles in three years. These days he's back home in Burlington, ON working as a goalie coach with his old junior team, the Burlington Cougars of the OJHL. Check out Volpe on Instagram (@goaliecoachvolpe29) where he regularly posts videos from this trainings. Perhaps one day we'll be saying he coached the next Carey Price or Marc-Andre Fluery?