Episode 84: “I’ll Take Hockey IQ Over Size 100 Times Over” w/ North Jersey Avalanche's Jamie Cahill
Crazy Hockey Dads PodcastShow Notes
What does a coach who’s spent decades developing elite players actually look for?
Scott and Jamie sit down with longtime North Jersey Avalanche coach Jamie Cahill to talk player development, hockey IQ, coaching, and what separates players as they move into the highest levels of youth hockey. Jamie gets into why he’ll take hockey IQ over size, why players need the freedom to make mistakes, and how coaches can teach creativity instead of creating robots. He also explains why developing the person matters just as much as developing the player and why kids need to learn to advocate for themselves instead of having their parents do it for them. The conversation also gets into body checking, puberty and development, position specialization, video work, player advancement, crazy hockey parents, and the changing path from youth hockey to juniors and college. In this episode: Teaching hockey IQ by allowing players to fail When kids should start learning body contact Developing the person - not just the hockey player Navigating the changing path through elite youth hockey This one gets right to the heart of development: give players room to think, make mistakes, and learn how to play the game.
North Jersey Avalanche: https://www.icehousenj.com/north-jersey-avalanche https://www.instagram.com/nj_avalanche/
Mo's Smile: https://mosmilefoundation.org/ CHD/MSK Donation Page: http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/chdmsc2026 Partners: https://www.pacificrink.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/ https://hockeytraining.com/ https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydads https://howieshockeytape.com/ https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/ Socials: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcast X: https://x.com/Crazyhockeydads Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/
More from Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast
The best team isn't always the best place for your kid to develop.
The pressure meant to help a young player succeed may be the very thing holding them back.
The best development does not always come from the best team, the most expensive lesson, or the loudest car ride home. Recorded live at The Hockey Barn in Atlanta, Scott and Jamie sit down with founder and longtime coach Kyle Kinze. Kyle explains how a pulmonary embolism ended his playing career at 19, why he turned to coaching, and why he built a place centered on access, creativity, free play, and community. Kyle gets honest about growing up with a perfectionist father, changing the car ride home with his own kids, and learning that coaching a player starts with understanding the person. Scott and Jamie add their own hard-earned mistakes about expensive training, chasing higher-level teams, and pushing kids toward a version of hockey they may not want. The conversation also tackles choosing the coach over the jersey, valuing puck touches and ice time, watching for burnout, and giving kids enough room to fall in love with the game on their own terms. In this episode: Why free play and creativity are essential to development Better questions for the car ride home Choosing the right coach over the best team Building The Hockey Barn around training, competing, and belonging Live questions on speed, endurance, coachability, and tournament hockey Coach the human, protect the love of the game, and let development follow. The Hockey Barn: https://thehockeybarnatl.com/ The Hockey Barn IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehockeybarnatl/ Partners: https://www.pacificrink.com/ https://hockeytraining.com/ https://sparxhockey.com/ https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/ https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydads https://howieshockeytape.com/ https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/ Socials: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcast X: https://x.com/Crazyhockeydads Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/
Your young athlete may not need another workout. They may need better recovery and a smarter definition of strength.
Getting cut didn’t end Guy Hebert’s hockey journey. It helped shape it.