September 23, 2025 • 32 mins
Fall feels a little different for the Packers this year. For the first time ever, Madison isn’t at training camp and honestly, she’s not mad about having more free time and not getting her ass kicked on the ice. Anya, on the other hand, is nostalgic for her training camp days–the camaraderie, the euphoria of making the team, and yes, even the soreness. But better than all of that is what comes after training camp: hockey season! Looking forward to the PWHL’s third season, the Packers talk through new team rosters, predict how an Olympic year will affect players, and dream up new ways to bolster the sport.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, everyone, Welcome to these packs puck.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Madison Packer and I'm Anya Packer. Madison and I
are both former pro hockey players. We met through hockey
and fell in love, and now we're married with two
awesome toddlers, ages two and four.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
These days, we're opening up about the chaos of our
daily lives, between the juggle of being athletes, raising kids.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And all the messiness in between. So buckle the puck
up because there is a lot to talk about.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hey, Maddie, pe Hello, Anya, Hi, dear, Well, you've been
buzzinger on this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I have been doing all the things you want to
know why, because I head out on the road and
I don't want to leave the house in a state
that's going to give my wife anxiety trying to be
empathetic to that. And I love you and I can
appreciate sometimes my little messes create stress.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, I love you too, but I must admit that
we're way past that.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
The good news is, while that is true, you're not
about to head into is training camp, and I think
you have a hockey hot take, specifically about the impending
PWHL training camp that starts on November seventh. So let's
hear it, pack, what is your hockey hot take? Hockey
hot take.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
While I miss aspects of playing, I do not miss
summer training. I do not miss the anxiety of training camp.
I miss the locker room and the girls, but I
do not miss the summer grind. I miss the boys
at PHP as well. Shout out to Prentice, Like, I
had so much fun training there. That was a different
(01:39):
training experience, like the community and the camaraderie, but the
grind and the like constant soreness, just the freedom of
having a summer back. I had so much fun this summer.
I haven't had that in how long. Ever, I do
not miss it, so you.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Know, it's funny. I kind of love summer training. Season
gives me anxiety Like in season, obviously, yeah you're with
the gears, like everything's great. I was a grinder, so
like I got to kind of have that middle ground
of when I was needed, I could step up, but
I wasn't expected to score the goal, so I had
a little bit less pressure like in season. But the
(02:15):
anxiety for me was like do I get the jersey?
Do I not get the jersey? Because like I was
kind of on that scratch line for a couple of
the teams that I played for, especially as I teared
up in my career. I don't know why that gave
me more anxiety than potentially not making the team, because
like you're on the team, but you're kind of on
the bubble. So that was a weird one for me.
But I love summer training camp when I when you
(02:35):
have when you are so sore that it is hard
to sit down on the toilet, best feeling in the world.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
No, yes, you're crazy. That's that's a harder take thack.
You know what though, because I feel like when you
can't sit comfortably, that's a that's success.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, I feel like I know I'm getting stronger, Like
I know when I'm that sore, I'm wait. Is that
that's the point? Right? That's the problem point about athletes,
Like you're okay suffering, but ignore that. Let's put that
on the side, Like, let's not talk about this like
it's therapy. I love the suffering. I love the pain.
I love feeling like I burned the candle on both
(03:10):
ends and my body is dog tired. And you can
just like sit in the Normatech boots or sit in
the sauna and like revel in the pain. I don't know.
I love it, No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I vowed to myself that I would never do another deadlift,
and then I said, I.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Was gonna say, you do deadlift with me all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And we've been deadlifting, but I just don't like I
enjoy going to the gym, I enjoy working out, but
I don't miss the like having to do this. Like
when we were at Princess last summer, I would come
home and cry and like throw up at the gym
and push. Remember last summer, I came home how many
days and just lay it on the kitchen floor And.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Here's the flip side. You're doing that crying and that's
one hundred percent real. And I volunteered to join you
in those workouts last year whenever I could, because I
so desperately loved the level of sore that I would
get after working out with you pre training camp in
like kill Me summer, you were in a major kill
(04:09):
me summer mode. I literally worked out to the point
of throwing up multiple times and again back to my
I like, don't mind throwing up. If I'm working out
so hard that I throw up, I'm like Pats on
the back. I've done the best work of my life.
I understand how flawed that sounds. Yeah, there's a problem
with that. Well, okay, summer training is hard. I think
what we're trying to capitalize on here is you're happy
(04:31):
with your new normal. I think I was when I
first retired as well too. By the way, I think
when I first retired, I had a really long cycle
of like hot girl workouts and pilates and all the things.
Like I really indulged in that new normal. And now
I call it like three years post to Harlan, right, like,
I'm now feeling more like my old self and I
(04:52):
can love the gym, and I can like eat steal
and be like super hype by it. So maybe that
comes back for you. But that's one part, just in
time to test some time for not that. And then
so there's the summer training element, which is incredibly hard.
You just burn yourself and eat very very specifically and
do very little fun things so that you're prepared for
(05:15):
training camp. You walk into training camp. What's the first
thing that happens. You put your bag in the locker room. Okay,
miss literal, but you start you do your testing right,
like and I like you physically walk in the building. Thanks, no,
but like what comes up.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It is it is satisfying. I will say my last
summer of training and then my last training camp. I
prd like everything that is satisfying when you get to
camp and you're like, oh, like that whole summer is
worth it. But I just don't miss like my life
being dictated by that, you know what I mean? Like
(05:52):
every workout was so intentional, everything that we were doing,
all the tracking, like just everything, like like you're back
in that phase, right, Like I'll get back into that
mode of like weighing food and measuring stuff and whatever,
but when you do it for so long you need
to pray, like and it's literally a job. Like yeah,
I just don't miss it, Like I don't like the
thought of going to training camp right now could trigger.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
This is gonna sound like a not nice thing to say,
but I want you to know I felt the same
way when I finished playing. Yeah, I don't miss things
being so hard. People will say, now do you miss playing? Like,
and I haven't put my gear on in since Katy's wedding,
Like I haven't put my gear on in ever because
I don't miss the hard. I don't miss getting hit.
I don't miss being the shortest person on the ice
(06:37):
and having to work that much harder to keep up. Like,
I don't miss the hard. I love it and I
love what it gave me. I love the skills that
it gave me. I love to skate with our kids.
I love to go on the ice and coach younger
kids like but I don't want to go play hockey.
It's hard. It's a hard sport. I think that that's
kind of like in the world of hockey versus like
(06:58):
like basketball players can just pick up and ball, like
I think hockey is brutal.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
We gotta put all the gear on. Yeah, but I
will say I played three on three the other day
with Jaguer and I had so much.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, you're good, though, So I think maybe we have
a little bit of a difference here. But all right,
So I love training and you maybe don't. But I
do think at the end of the day, the net
net is training camp is hard on the body, on
the mind. I don't miss the hard, but I do.
I see your side. I fully get it. For anyone
that's new here. We check in from one to one hundred.
It's just a gut check on how you're feeling, what
(07:33):
you're capable of. The goal is for us to hopefully
be a combined one hundred, because at that point we're
at least a whole parent system. Sometimes we serve, sometimes
we dip, and the TV is the remaining percentage points
that we need. But from one to one hundred, pack
how you feeling.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I think I'm like a seventy two.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Oh let's go.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Why Yeah, not bad, not tremendous. The houses and shambles. Oh,
you are leaving for London in twelve hours. Yeah, technically
like nine hours because you have to get to the airport. Oh,
technically eight hours. The kids have been absolutely on one lately.
At bedtime, I'm gonna get absolutely wrecked. For those who
(08:17):
don't follow me on Instagram, because this is about to
be a week I'm going to do you wrecked. And
I've been really tired still. I think I've you recommended
the iron supplements I got. I had some blood work done,
although for the supplements to work, you do need to
take them consistently.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
But food, like just some generalments.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I've been it's been a grind lately. I've been like
I was on Try. I've been working a lot, I've
been coaching a ton, and it's been good and fun
and motivating, and lots of great things are happening. However,
your girl is, your girl is tired. I think that's
like I needed. We finally have a weekend off. I
needed the weekend off, and I'm out of town and
(08:58):
now it's going to be a two on and I'm
gonna get absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You know what's funny, though, is I feel like sometimes
they can appreciate that it's odd man like, it's an
odd man rush, and they give you a little bit
of grace. Harlan has been falling asleep in my arms
while I rock her. And while yes it's annoying, I
can say to Waitlan, hey, I need to rock Harlan.
I'm gonna do that, and then I'll come in there
with you, because I don't know, give him a sense
(09:24):
of responsibility. While then I have to go sit with
him for another twenty five minutes. It's like an hour
long process. It's fine, you're gonna be fine. You're gonna crash.
You're gonna crash.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
It coming from someone who's about to fly first class
to me, Yeah, and that's that's that said. Where are you?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I'm I'm stressed now that you just said the amount
of hours that I have to do all the things
on my list, But I feel good. I'm excited about it.
I am going for a work trip. I've really had
some like recent wins at work which have given me
a lot of like upward trajectory exciting stuff. So while
I don't have sports in my life anymore, I aim
(10:01):
to compete with my coworkers every single day every time
I go into the office. I hope they bring that
same intensity to me. But anyway, I've had some fun
at work, so I'm excited for my trip. I get
a little bit of a half day by myself in London.
I'll explore, which should be fun. I will miss you guys, though,
I'll miss you a ton, and then we fly opposites
each other. You leave, and then I get home for
a weekend by myself. So it's a little bit of
(10:22):
a chaos situation. I don't give I didn't give you
a number. I'm at like a sixty five. I'll be
much much better when I'm fully packed with at least
two more projects ticked off the list. How about that.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Okay, pretty good.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
There's upward momentum for me here. But I'm like, I
don't know. I'm kind of with you, like I didn't
sleep great. The kids have been sneaking into our rooms whaling.
Will Carlin up this morning? So he deserves the dunce
hat like what who does that? He doesn't like when
she wakes him up, and then he does it to her.
Come on, he does it all. He turns a light
on it, and he goes, Harlan, where are your band aids?
She's in a dead stupor? Like, leave her alone? She
(10:54):
was upset.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
She was so upset.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Then I brought him to school five minutes early, which
means I just had to say outside with them for
five minutes, and that was no fun. Anyway, Long story short.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
There's a specific drop.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
If you're there five minutes early, they do not let
them in the building. It's obnoxious. What's the time eight o'clock?
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Sharp?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I was there at seven to fifty.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Five, between eight and eight fifteen.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Anyway, it was annoying, But that's fine. I mean, I
think again, between you and me, I think all of this,
the kids are getting adjusted to school. I'm getting adjusted
to them going to school, and I'm recognizing now it's
more difficult than I thought while yes when they were
home and I was like, oh, I'm on like the
thirteenth hour of them beating each other up. Like I'm
(11:36):
getting used to the new normal because it also puts
me in a really specific routine because I'm the morning mom.
I don't mind to be the morning mom. I love
being the morning mom, but I am one hundred percent
of the morning mom.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
To clarify, that's because I work in the mornings.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yeah, no, I'm or you get to sleep in like
there's no shade. You also work late, and I wake
up on the creak of a floor and I'm up
and I'm just up. So at seven am, I'm glad
I I can wake up and then I can leave
with the kids at eight am and you can get
up at eight Like, I'm fine to be the morning mom.
I'm not saying that with any kind of like martyrrism.
(12:10):
I'm just saying that's who I am. There are roles, yes,
but usually.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I'm on the ice at at am, usually as at
seven am, so that stinks. Speaking of being on the ice,
we're gonna take a quick break and when we come back,
we're going to talk about training camp and all the
exciting things to expect in the upcoming PWHL season, which
is new and improved now with blah that team nuts.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Oh, I'm excited. Okay, pack, I have to give a
shout out to our friends at the Ice Garden because
we're giving you the data, but it's nice and sexy
(12:58):
and packaged appropriately by our friends at the Ice Garden
who have put in all of the PETERBHL signings at
this current date, and like who's a draftee, who's a
training camp pick? So we're going to talk a lot
about the PETERHL season, what's coming up, who's on what,
what we anticipate, what we expect in puck Drop, which
is humaneously exciting slated for November twenty first, at twenty third.
(13:21):
It's always my birthday gift, just so you know, Women's
Hockey gifts me annually games around my birthday November nineteenth. Anyway,
we go to the Ice Garden, we're looking at some
data and I want to talk about everything from what
we see, what we anticipate, what we expect and maybe
like a very very very bold who's gonna win, it's
(13:42):
gonna be a it's gonna be an expansion team. Hondo P.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, you think it's I don't think I think it's interesting.
If you are interested in want to follow along in
this conversation, you can go to the Icegarden dot com
and they have put together a very helpful and useful
signing tracker. Mike Murphy put this together back in June,
and I think he periodically edits it and on here
you can find who has signed, what player is in
(14:10):
what situation, whether they're under contract, a draft pick, contract, extension,
free agent, etc. And what I think is interesting, like
the Boston Fleet, for example, they have nineteen players already
under contract. I know, so it doesn't really leave much,
you know what I mean. It doesn't leave much. And
I will say the one I'm very excited for and
(14:30):
about Lauren Gable. You look at a Lauren Gable and
her predicament in her situation when she was with the
Boston Pride, certainly one of the best players on that
team right arguably probably the most minutes per night. She
was used in every situation, very very talented player. Circumstances change.
She ends up, fortunately for her with the Boston Fleet,
(14:51):
but then her role is just completely decimated, and it
didn't sound like there was much confidence instilled in her.
It didn't sound like she was getting much feedback you
or she would one night would be on the first line,
the next night would find herself in the stands. And
she's a young kid, very talented, and so I was
happy to see that she got a contract extension because
I think that obviously there's new coaching staff over with
(15:13):
the Boston Fleet. I think that she is a player
who has a lot of potential, maybe a little undersized
in some people's opinion, but she's found a way to
play as the game's gotten more physical, and I think
that she's only going to continue as she kind of
navigates it. Again, she's young, and she said, right, hain.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
In the ass if someone's going to score, like yeah,
for literally for not no reason. She's obviously incredible, but
you're like, you're offhand, you're on one foot, you're in
the corner, and like, how is that puck going in
the net. It's larn gable, It's offer stick every time.
And so I think, to your point, if they give
her more minutes, it could be a big year for her,
and they've also picked up some pretty solid players in
(15:52):
their free agent signing period. They picked up Liz Shepherd's
game winning goal for the Minnesota Ross two years in
a row. Clutch clutch player for that, Chloe Rard from Boston.
So reunites Chloe Rard and Alena Muller. So puts together
a one two punch that was a massive takeover on
the NCAA circuit when they were with Northeastern. Which I'm
not saying college success equals pro success because you and
(16:16):
I both know it is a completely different game. But
another player or underutilized, under respected with the New York
Sirens is now in a more comfortable environment where she'll
just have confidence, which is what you need to get
a player to start to run.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I just think that there's an interesting trend across the league,
like when you look again, when you look at these
all these signings, like there was a lot of player movement,
but a lot of player recycling. It's just going to
be interesting to see, like moving forward and even this year,
obviously we added two teams, so there's more spots, but
are we going to continue to see what is it
(16:51):
a seven round draft?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Right?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Is that sustainable? Seven players to every team every year,
and then who are you eliminating, respectfully? In my opinion,
we're eliminating rookies because the gap and the jump, right,
you can't manufacture experience and there's no minor league system
for these kids to play and unless they go over
to Europe and you know, you look at a player
like sab Norcross who's back with the Sirens. Now, sab
(17:15):
Norcross went to Sweden and then came back and now
is playing with the Sirens like she had a year
of development, right, a gap year. We need more of
that for the women because the reality is unless you're
like an all star superstar stud look at even the men,
the same thing happens. There has to be a place
for them to develop and play and otherwise you're playing
against some pros that have been playing, you know, at
(17:37):
the pro and Olympic level for seven, eight, nine, fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, I would say the challenge to your point is no,
no like G League or no like AHL. It's the
same problem with the WNBA, right, Like players will go
play internationally to try to get spots back in the
w but if you get drafted in the WNBA, in
the second and third draft. Like in the second and
third round, it's pretty typical that you make the team,
and so I think it's like the draft can continue
(18:05):
to be long. It just has to be more clear
that if you're drafted, you don't automatically make the team.
The past two seasons, that was the case. If you
were drafted, you were on the roster basically one hundred percent.
I can't think of anybody that was drafted that didn't
at least get brought to camp and then get signed
to a minimum wage, possibly sat in the stands, but
(18:26):
like they were on the team. So I think there's
either the change culture of you're gonna draft people and
then you're gonna own their rights for two seasons and
they're gonna go play Alulia, They're gonna go play Moto right,
they're gonna go play in the SDHL. Those are SDHL
teams that needs to become the culture, because if you
look at Ottawa for example, Ottawa is picking up a
(18:46):
lot of players from other teams that otherwise either weren't
given it the right opportunity or that they think that
they can support in a different way. They've made some
good trades they've changed up some of the things they're
doing from a free agent signing perspective. But like the players,
they're the teams that have the most free agent signings
(19:07):
are going to be those that don't have space for
their draft class. And I think that that's that's interesting,
that's a that's a strategy for sure, because to your point,
like the learning curve could be gone.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yeah, And I think also, like to your point about
who's going to win it all, I don't know. I
think it's too early to say that, but you look
at Seattle's rockster disgusting. I mean, Vancouver is pretty good too.
Just about every name on that list is incredibly talented.
I think Abby Bourreen is a ridiculously underrated player. She
(19:38):
was going to school, was in Minnesota, then got shipped
over to Montreal, which I thought was a huge miss.
She's a phenomenal player and hugely underrated. She's in Vancouver.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Well, Montreal drafted her because they're no dummies.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I know, Minnesota could have drafted her though, Like I
just I also thought that that was hugely disrespectful. I mean,
that player made what kind of a run for you
and then you just leave her like, yeah, but I mean,
I guess they went on to win it, so are
they regretting it? Obviously not. But I think that when
you compare these rosters side by side, you look at
Vancouver and Seattle, and this is another thing that made
I don't know how they address it going forward, but
(20:13):
just about every player on each of those rosters is
an All Star currently or has been, you know, an
impact player. And I think that Seattle has the edge
a little bit just because well, I guess two things.
One goaltending. I think that Seattle has the stronger goaltending.
You know Schroeder. You've got Carl Jackson, who stood up
big and tall the few times that she had opportunity
(20:35):
last season. But then like, come on, you got the
Knight Carpenter combination, Sir Dakney who, Sir Dakney was quiet
last year. But I don't know, I don't I don't
think points aren't everything. I thought that she did a
lot of little things with the puck and away from
it that maybe didn't end up on the score sheet.
But she's just she's still figuring it out right. Once
that kid catches stride, she's going to be even more
(20:58):
dangerous than she already is.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
They're deep is disgusting. You have Barnes Tedrolova. Then you
have Carter Brown, which is a in my opinion, is
like your seventh right, that's your depth. You have Mariah Koppel,
who's big and doesn't mind to mix it up in
front of the net. You just got a decore there
that's already baked, like you don't really need to worry
about signing any camp players to be in your decore.
(21:19):
And I think if you have strong goaltending and strong
d and then you can put a Night Carpenter Bilka
power play over the boards for forget it, dude, forget it.
They're gonna score every power play goal.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Then you look at who, okay, who do they have
as their quote unquote depth players Lexi Agia, Natalie Snodgrass,
Mikhayla grant mentis I mean that's grant mentis come on,
and that's not a negative. I mean that's you can
put anyone over the boards and have confidence that your
team's gonna get it done. No disrespect against any of
these other rosters, but I look at that roster and
(21:51):
then you go over to Vancouver, you look at their forwards,
Brooke mcquig has been on fire. Gabby Rosenthal didn't get
on the score sheet a bunch, but again, and I
think she's a great player. I love the way she
played last season. I think she's gonna have tons of opportunity.
She was an expansion draft pick, so obviously someone else
believed it too, right with all those players that they
had available, Mikayla Coppyishova Krazova, Hannah Miller.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Hannah Miller is gonna have a disgusting year. I'm gonna
forecast that right now.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Jennifer Gardner, Sarah Nurse. I mean, that's that's Vancouver's roster.
Then you got Sophie Jakes, Claire Thompson, Ashton Bell. I
mean those three defensemen alone, anyone would kill to have
one of them. They're just gonna I mean, they're gonna
sid bard, They're gonna dominate. I mean, I think every
time Vancouver Seattle hit the ice together, it's gonna be
(22:39):
like watching an Olympic game.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
So I think the other wrinkle in it all is
you can't ignore the two elephants in the room. You
can't ignore the Marie Philip Pulen, Laura Stacey Combo. So
like we have to put twas somewhere in there. And
then don't forget the draft day trade to put Ella
Shelton on the Scepters, which is an absolutely disgusting level
(23:15):
up for the Toronto Sceptors. And well, yes they got
picked apart a little bit. They have Emma Gentry your
girl from Michigan, right, they have Ella Shelton. Now, they
signed Claire to George, they signed Chuli which is a massive,
massive pickup for them, and they still have Blair Turnbo
malte Arman Fast like you have a Fast Shelton combo.
(23:37):
Heading into an Olympic year, those two are going to
be in lockstep. So Toronto lucked out with some of
those draft day trades. But I think you can't ignore
Ella Shelton and Ranata Fast being on the same team
is scary. Yeah I did.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
That was a trade that I didn't understand.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
But those are the two best d in the league.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Who knows.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
You can't tell me otherwise.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
You think Shelton and Fast are the best two d
in the.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
League, without question. I put that on anything. I'd wear
that on a T shirt to every PETERBHL game might
go to this season. That's how much I believe in it.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
I don't know if I agree with that.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, tell me who's find me somebody that outranks either
of their skill sets? Meg Keller. Meg Keller's fine, she's
really good. She's third. No, my mount Rushmore of I
think this league it's Ella shelton 'anata Fast.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
I think Ella's the best. I think Ella's the best
D in the league.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Yeah. Without again, I think that's not even I'm not
even questioning that. Who's your mount Rushmore.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Of D in this league? Oh well, Ella Shelton obviously.
Claire Thompson. Okay, I like Renata Fast too. I just
think she takes a lot of penalties and she's like dirty.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
That's just from playing against her now, I imagine she's
on your team.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
No, but even watching the games, I mean some of
the like some of the hits in the plays. I
think Caleb Barnes is a really good play.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
He's small. She's really good. She's small, So she doesn't
make my mount rush More.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Sid bar sid Bard's good.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I like sid Bard. I like the way she plays hockey,
for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
I think it would be Ellis Shelton, who's with the Scepters.
Claire Thompson who's with Vancouver, Sid Bard who's with Vancouver.
And you're not going to say Keller, Oh yeah, Keller.
I thought already said Keller. You said yeah, no, okay,
that's my four. Sorry, I'm and fast and Sophie Jakes
(25:29):
get honorable. Mo. I was gonna say no, now you
need to add it to six.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
No. For me, it's Ella Shelton. We're not a fast yeah,
Claire Thompson and Megan Keller. I think that the Canadian
system makes better d That's just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Okay, so we agree on three of the four.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Yeah, yeah, but I think we're not.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Putting fast and I'm putting said Bard.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Oh yeah, forgot well again. So I think that there's
some interest there. I'm excited about the movement. I also
think we are looking at it from the lens of
some of these players that have now gotten to move
from free agency, that were on two year deals and
if for two years they didn't agree with the coaching
staff or they didn't fit with the roster, that's not
a jaguere Oh he's about here, yo, That's exactly what
(26:12):
I'm talking about. Like she had the ability to pick
this year and with that ability. Hopefully her agent vetted
out the staff that made the most sense, that made
the decisions that work for her. Systems work like what
New York was trying to do didn't work for what
she's good at. Jiggy has the most points in NCAA
women Talkie. She is a true, true leader. That was
(26:35):
not how she was utilized for two seasons. Is she
going to come out and set the world on fire?
Who knows?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Well?
Speaker 2 (26:42):
She has to?
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Right?
Speaker 2 (26:44):
It's not if or is it's she will?
Speaker 1 (26:47):
She doesn't have a choice anymore. That's the biggest thing
I think you know in all of this, for all
any of these players who moved, if you find yourself
in a new environment and you're given an opportunity, you
have to make the most of it because there's no
more right, there's no more you have now a new
opportunity elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I love, love, love CLARDA.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
McLoud as a coach.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I love her.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I wish that I had the opportunity to play for
I think I would have absolutely loved that. I think
she's an incredible leader, a great hockey mind. I think
she does things the right way. I think she's fair.
I think that it doesn't always make sense in the moment,
and I think that people certainly have disagreed and can
disagree with decisions that she's made. However, I think you
look at her body of work in her track record,
and I think that she is one of the best
(27:29):
coaches to date. I think that she's an incredible coach.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Yeah, I think she's She's definitely somebody that you put
up there that you say, like, hey, what I'm looking
at that we've had experience with. I love the way
she coaches. I think it's going to be interesting to
watch all of this startup, especially knowing that the Olympics
start February sixth, Right, Like, we are going to watch
the Peter Bhl unfold and then watch players fighting for
(27:56):
an Olympic spot. That's where they're gonna do it. Right, Like,
historically we've seen every single national team player come out
of rotation, go into centralization. Right, pick a random location,
they train, they eat, they sleep, they breathe hockey and
team Right, it's training camp times the nth degree. And
then they train against each other a bunch. Right, Canada
and US play each other a bunch, and then they
(28:17):
play other random teams. Now, We're going to see the
first Olympics with training parody to a degree, so it
also is going to continue to bolster the sport.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
You know what else I kind of have been thinking
about and would like to see and it's obviously not
feasible like right this time around, probably, But you think
about all these international breaks that have occurred, and last
year there were several year one, there were several where players,
you know, they had breaks for four nations and Worlds
and camps, et cetera, et cetera. The players who aren't
on those national team rosters are just back home training.
(28:53):
Sometimes they get a three year four day break, but
we were never given more than a four day break,
which is really a three day break by the time
you travel if you're going to try and travel anywhere
whatever to see family, and I think that that will remain.
I don't think that these players will get more than
a three or four day break over the Olympic stretch,
et cetera. And you're going to pull all of these
players out of rotation because remember it's not just the
(29:14):
Americans in the Connects, every member a multitude of nations
represented in this league. What if during this Olympic period
right when the Because these players are gone for at
least in the February, what are all these other players
that aren't in the Olympics going to be doing over
that period? Like what if you had like a satellite
mini tour?
Speaker 2 (29:33):
What if you hosted to keep these players on three
micro season within the season to tease out something like Unrivaled.
If I was a business person, which I am, I
would take all of that player salary and savings that
you would have by integrating into this season and integrate
a test pilot for a Unrivaled brand launch out of
(29:59):
the pH and call it PWHL three's or you could
have just let me finish.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
What was your idea? You want a satellite mini tournament
with none of the stars?
Speaker 1 (30:07):
You think that none of the stars would be there.
You think that only people worth watching around Olympians. I
want you to think.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I don't. I don't think that.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
That's the same question that I got hit with in
that media segment where they said do you think people
are going to be I mean, like, come on, I
don't think that's literally essentially asking if it's worth watching
if quote unquote stars aren't there.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I don't think that. But I'm saying leadership specifically, if
you look at any PHL branding, they have.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Nine years of data to show them that that that's illogical.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I can fully back you and disagree, but I'm saying
the one thing that would come out of that is
that senior leadership on the PHL level would say no
one is going to come if we don't have the
national team players because that is who they value and
they show that every time.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, but you have data to refute that thinking, right,
like numbers don't lie.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Big facts. Well, we can talk about that and get
fired up next episode, but this is what we have today.
We are excited for the upcoming season. We are excited
for the Olympics, and it starts right around my birthday.
So when you turn on your first PHL game this season,
also say happy birthday to me. Bye.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
That's it for this week. Thanks for listening, and if
you like what you heard, spread the word seriously right now,
take your phone out, text a friend and tell them
to subscribe, and be sure to rate and review us
on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you haven't already. It
really really helps. Until next week. I'm Madison Packer.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And I'm Anya Packer, and this was These Packs Puck.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
These Packs Puck is a production of iHeart Women's Sports
and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. It's hosted by Us
Madison and Anya Packer. Emily Meronoff is our senior producer
and story editor. We were mixed and mastered by Mary Doo.
Our executive producers are Jennifer Bassett, Jesse Katz, and Allie Perry.
Hi, everyone, Welcome to these packs puck.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Madison Packer and I'm Anya Packer. Madison and I
are both former pro hockey players. We met through hockey
and fell in love, and now we're married with two
awesome toddlers, ages two and four.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
These days, we're opening up about the chaos of our
daily lives, between the juggle of being athletes, raising kids.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
And all the messiness in between. So buckle the puck
up because there is a lot to talk about.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hey, Maddie, pe Hello, Anya, Hi, dear, Well, you've been
buzzinger on this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
I have been doing all the things you want to
know why, because I head out on the road and
I don't want to leave the house in a state
that's going to give my wife anxiety trying to be
empathetic to that. And I love you and I can
appreciate sometimes my little messes create stress.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, I love you too, but I must admit that
we're way past that.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
The good news is, while that is true, you're not
about to head into is training camp, and I think
you have a hockey hot take, specifically about the impending
PWHL training camp that starts on November seventh. So let's
hear it, pack, what is your hockey hot take? Hockey
hot take.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
While I miss aspects of playing, I do not miss
summer training. I do not miss the anxiety of training camp.
I miss the locker room and the girls, but I
do not miss the summer grind. I miss the boys
at PHP as well. Shout out to Prentice, Like, I
had so much fun training there. That was a different
(01:39):
training experience, like the community and the camaraderie, but the
grind and the like constant soreness, just the freedom of
having a summer back. I had so much fun this summer.
I haven't had that in how long. Ever, I do
not miss it, so you.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Know, it's funny. I kind of love summer training. Season
gives me anxiety Like in season, obviously, yeah you're with
the gears, like everything's great. I was a grinder, so
like I got to kind of have that middle ground
of when I was needed, I could step up, but
I wasn't expected to score the goal, so I had
a little bit less pressure like in season. But the
(02:15):
anxiety for me was like do I get the jersey?
Do I not get the jersey? Because like I was
kind of on that scratch line for a couple of
the teams that I played for, especially as I teared
up in my career. I don't know why that gave
me more anxiety than potentially not making the team, because
like you're on the team, but you're kind of on
the bubble. So that was a weird one for me.
But I love summer training camp when I when you
(02:35):
have when you are so sore that it is hard
to sit down on the toilet, best feeling in the world.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
No, yes, you're crazy. That's that's a harder take thack.
You know what though, because I feel like when you
can't sit comfortably, that's a that's success.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, I feel like I know I'm getting stronger, Like
I know when I'm that sore, I'm wait. Is that
that's the point? Right? That's the problem point about athletes,
Like you're okay suffering, but ignore that. Let's put that
on the side, Like, let's not talk about this like
it's therapy. I love the suffering. I love the pain.
I love feeling like I burned the candle on both
(03:10):
ends and my body is dog tired. And you can
just like sit in the Normatech boots or sit in
the sauna and like revel in the pain. I don't know.
I love it, No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I vowed to myself that I would never do another deadlift,
and then I said, I.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Was gonna say, you do deadlift with me all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And we've been deadlifting, but I just don't like I
enjoy going to the gym, I enjoy working out, but
I don't miss the like having to do this. Like
when we were at Princess last summer, I would come
home and cry and like throw up at the gym
and push. Remember last summer, I came home how many
days and just lay it on the kitchen floor And.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Here's the flip side. You're doing that crying and that's
one hundred percent real. And I volunteered to join you
in those workouts last year whenever I could, because I
so desperately loved the level of sore that I would
get after working out with you pre training camp in
like kill Me summer, you were in a major kill
(04:09):
me summer mode. I literally worked out to the point
of throwing up multiple times and again back to my
I like, don't mind throwing up. If I'm working out
so hard that I throw up, I'm like Pats on
the back. I've done the best work of my life.
I understand how flawed that sounds. Yeah, there's a problem
with that. Well, okay, summer training is hard. I think
what we're trying to capitalize on here is you're happy
(04:31):
with your new normal. I think I was when I
first retired as well too. By the way, I think
when I first retired, I had a really long cycle
of like hot girl workouts and pilates and all the things.
Like I really indulged in that new normal. And now
I call it like three years post to Harlan, right, like,
I'm now feeling more like my old self and I
(04:52):
can love the gym, and I can like eat steal
and be like super hype by it. So maybe that
comes back for you. But that's one part, just in
time to test some time for not that. And then
so there's the summer training element, which is incredibly hard.
You just burn yourself and eat very very specifically and
do very little fun things so that you're prepared for
(05:15):
training camp. You walk into training camp. What's the first
thing that happens. You put your bag in the locker room. Okay,
miss literal, but you start you do your testing right,
like and I like you physically walk in the building. Thanks, no,
but like what comes up.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It is it is satisfying. I will say my last
summer of training and then my last training camp. I
prd like everything that is satisfying when you get to
camp and you're like, oh, like that whole summer is
worth it. But I just don't miss like my life
being dictated by that, you know what I mean? Like
(05:52):
every workout was so intentional, everything that we were doing,
all the tracking, like just everything, like like you're back
in that phase, right, Like I'll get back into that
mode of like weighing food and measuring stuff and whatever,
but when you do it for so long you need
to pray, like and it's literally a job. Like yeah,
I just don't miss it, Like I don't like the
thought of going to training camp right now could trigger.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
This is gonna sound like a not nice thing to say,
but I want you to know I felt the same
way when I finished playing. Yeah, I don't miss things
being so hard. People will say, now do you miss playing? Like,
and I haven't put my gear on in since Katy's wedding,
Like I haven't put my gear on in ever because
I don't miss the hard. I don't miss getting hit.
I don't miss being the shortest person on the ice
(06:37):
and having to work that much harder to keep up. Like,
I don't miss the hard. I love it and I
love what it gave me. I love the skills that
it gave me. I love to skate with our kids.
I love to go on the ice and coach younger
kids like but I don't want to go play hockey.
It's hard. It's a hard sport. I think that that's
kind of like in the world of hockey versus like
(06:58):
like basketball players can just pick up and ball, like
I think hockey is brutal.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
We gotta put all the gear on. Yeah, but I
will say I played three on three the other day
with Jaguer and I had so much.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yeah, you're good, though, So I think maybe we have
a little bit of a difference here. But all right,
So I love training and you maybe don't. But I
do think at the end of the day, the net
net is training camp is hard on the body, on
the mind. I don't miss the hard, but I do.
I see your side. I fully get it. For anyone
that's new here. We check in from one to one hundred.
It's just a gut check on how you're feeling, what
(07:33):
you're capable of. The goal is for us to hopefully
be a combined one hundred, because at that point we're
at least a whole parent system. Sometimes we serve, sometimes
we dip, and the TV is the remaining percentage points
that we need. But from one to one hundred, pack
how you feeling.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I think I'm like a seventy two.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Oh let's go.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Why Yeah, not bad, not tremendous. The houses and shambles. Oh,
you are leaving for London in twelve hours. Yeah, technically
like nine hours because you have to get to the airport. Oh,
technically eight hours. The kids have been absolutely on one lately.
At bedtime, I'm gonna get absolutely wrecked. For those who
(08:17):
don't follow me on Instagram, because this is about to
be a week I'm going to do you wrecked. And
I've been really tired still. I think I've you recommended
the iron supplements I got. I had some blood work done,
although for the supplements to work, you do need to
take them consistently.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
But food, like just some generalments.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I've been it's been a grind lately. I've been like
I was on Try. I've been working a lot, I've
been coaching a ton, and it's been good and fun
and motivating, and lots of great things are happening. However,
your girl is, your girl is tired. I think that's
like I needed. We finally have a weekend off. I
needed the weekend off, and I'm out of town and
(08:58):
now it's going to be a two on and I'm
gonna get absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You know what's funny, though, is I feel like sometimes
they can appreciate that it's odd man like, it's an
odd man rush, and they give you a little bit
of grace. Harlan has been falling asleep in my arms
while I rock her. And while yes it's annoying, I
can say to Waitlan, hey, I need to rock Harlan.
I'm gonna do that, and then I'll come in there
with you, because I don't know, give him a sense
(09:24):
of responsibility. While then I have to go sit with
him for another twenty five minutes. It's like an hour
long process. It's fine, you're gonna be fine. You're gonna crash.
You're gonna crash.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
It coming from someone who's about to fly first class
to me, Yeah, and that's that's that said. Where are you?
Speaker 2 (09:40):
I'm I'm stressed now that you just said the amount
of hours that I have to do all the things
on my list, But I feel good. I'm excited about it.
I am going for a work trip. I've really had
some like recent wins at work which have given me
a lot of like upward trajectory exciting stuff. So while
I don't have sports in my life anymore, I aim
(10:01):
to compete with my coworkers every single day every time
I go into the office. I hope they bring that
same intensity to me. But anyway, I've had some fun
at work, so I'm excited for my trip. I get
a little bit of a half day by myself in London.
I'll explore, which should be fun. I will miss you guys, though,
I'll miss you a ton, and then we fly opposites
each other. You leave, and then I get home for
a weekend by myself. So it's a little bit of
(10:22):
a chaos situation. I don't give I didn't give you
a number. I'm at like a sixty five. I'll be
much much better when I'm fully packed with at least
two more projects ticked off the list. How about that.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Okay, pretty good.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
There's upward momentum for me here. But I'm like, I
don't know. I'm kind of with you, like I didn't
sleep great. The kids have been sneaking into our rooms whaling.
Will Carlin up this morning? So he deserves the dunce
hat like what who does that? He doesn't like when
she wakes him up, and then he does it to her.
Come on, he does it all. He turns a light
on it, and he goes, Harlan, where are your band aids?
She's in a dead stupor? Like, leave her alone? She
(10:54):
was upset.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
She was so upset.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Then I brought him to school five minutes early, which
means I just had to say outside with them for
five minutes, and that was no fun. Anyway, Long story short.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
There's a specific drop.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
If you're there five minutes early, they do not let
them in the building. It's obnoxious. What's the time eight o'clock?
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Sharp?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I was there at seven to fifty.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Five, between eight and eight fifteen.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Anyway, it was annoying, But that's fine. I mean, I
think again, between you and me, I think all of this,
the kids are getting adjusted to school. I'm getting adjusted
to them going to school, and I'm recognizing now it's
more difficult than I thought while yes when they were
home and I was like, oh, I'm on like the
thirteenth hour of them beating each other up. Like I'm
(11:36):
getting used to the new normal because it also puts
me in a really specific routine because I'm the morning mom.
I don't mind to be the morning mom. I love
being the morning mom, but I am one hundred percent
of the morning mom.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
To clarify, that's because I work in the mornings.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yeah, no, I'm or you get to sleep in like
there's no shade. You also work late, and I wake
up on the creak of a floor and I'm up
and I'm just up. So at seven am, I'm glad
I I can wake up and then I can leave
with the kids at eight am and you can get
up at eight Like, I'm fine to be the morning mom.
I'm not saying that with any kind of like martyrrism.
(12:10):
I'm just saying that's who I am. There are roles, yes,
but usually.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I'm on the ice at at am, usually as at
seven am, so that stinks. Speaking of being on the ice,
we're gonna take a quick break and when we come back,
we're going to talk about training camp and all the
exciting things to expect in the upcoming PWHL season, which
is new and improved now with blah that team nuts.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Oh, I'm excited. Okay, pack, I have to give a
shout out to our friends at the Ice Garden because
we're giving you the data, but it's nice and sexy
(12:58):
and packaged appropriately by our friends at the Ice Garden
who have put in all of the PETERBHL signings at
this current date, and like who's a draftee, who's a
training camp pick? So we're going to talk a lot
about the PETERHL season, what's coming up, who's on what,
what we anticipate, what we expect in puck Drop, which
is humaneously exciting slated for November twenty first, at twenty third.
(13:21):
It's always my birthday gift, just so you know, Women's
Hockey gifts me annually games around my birthday November nineteenth. Anyway,
we go to the Ice Garden, we're looking at some
data and I want to talk about everything from what
we see, what we anticipate, what we expect and maybe
like a very very very bold who's gonna win, it's
(13:42):
gonna be a it's gonna be an expansion team. Hondo P.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, you think it's I don't think I think it's interesting.
If you are interested in want to follow along in
this conversation, you can go to the Icegarden dot com
and they have put together a very helpful and useful
signing tracker. Mike Murphy put this together back in June,
and I think he periodically edits it and on here
you can find who has signed, what player is in
(14:10):
what situation, whether they're under contract, a draft pick, contract, extension,
free agent, etc. And what I think is interesting, like
the Boston Fleet, for example, they have nineteen players already
under contract. I know, so it doesn't really leave much,
you know what I mean. It doesn't leave much. And
I will say the one I'm very excited for and
(14:30):
about Lauren Gable. You look at a Lauren Gable and
her predicament in her situation when she was with the
Boston Pride, certainly one of the best players on that
team right arguably probably the most minutes per night. She
was used in every situation, very very talented player. Circumstances change.
She ends up, fortunately for her with the Boston Fleet,
(14:51):
but then her role is just completely decimated, and it
didn't sound like there was much confidence instilled in her.
It didn't sound like she was getting much feedback you
or she would one night would be on the first line,
the next night would find herself in the stands. And
she's a young kid, very talented, and so I was
happy to see that she got a contract extension because
I think that obviously there's new coaching staff over with
(15:13):
the Boston Fleet. I think that she is a player
who has a lot of potential, maybe a little undersized
in some people's opinion, but she's found a way to
play as the game's gotten more physical, and I think
that she's only going to continue as she kind of
navigates it. Again, she's young, and she said, right, hain.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
In the ass if someone's going to score, like yeah,
for literally for not no reason. She's obviously incredible, but
you're like, you're offhand, you're on one foot, you're in
the corner, and like, how is that puck going in
the net. It's larn gable, It's offer stick every time.
And so I think, to your point, if they give
her more minutes, it could be a big year for her,
and they've also picked up some pretty solid players in
(15:52):
their free agent signing period. They picked up Liz Shepherd's
game winning goal for the Minnesota Ross two years in
a row. Clutch clutch player for that, Chloe Rard from Boston.
So reunites Chloe Rard and Alena Muller. So puts together
a one two punch that was a massive takeover on
the NCAA circuit when they were with Northeastern. Which I'm
not saying college success equals pro success because you and
(16:16):
I both know it is a completely different game. But
another player or underutilized, under respected with the New York
Sirens is now in a more comfortable environment where she'll
just have confidence, which is what you need to get
a player to start to run.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I just think that there's an interesting trend across the league,
like when you look again, when you look at these
all these signings, like there was a lot of player movement,
but a lot of player recycling. It's just going to
be interesting to see, like moving forward and even this year,
obviously we added two teams, so there's more spots, but
are we going to continue to see what is it
(16:51):
a seven round draft?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Right?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Is that sustainable? Seven players to every team every year,
and then who are you eliminating, respectfully? In my opinion,
we're eliminating rookies because the gap and the jump, right,
you can't manufacture experience and there's no minor league system
for these kids to play and unless they go over
to Europe and you know, you look at a player
like sab Norcross who's back with the Sirens. Now, sab
(17:15):
Norcross went to Sweden and then came back and now
is playing with the Sirens like she had a year
of development, right, a gap year. We need more of
that for the women because the reality is unless you're
like an all star superstar stud look at even the men,
the same thing happens. There has to be a place
for them to develop and play and otherwise you're playing
against some pros that have been playing, you know, at
(17:37):
the pro and Olympic level for seven, eight, nine, fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, I would say the challenge to your point is no,
no like G League or no like AHL. It's the
same problem with the WNBA, right, Like players will go
play internationally to try to get spots back in the
w but if you get drafted in the WNBA, in
the second and third draft. Like in the second and
third round, it's pretty typical that you make the team,
and so I think it's like the draft can continue
(18:05):
to be long. It just has to be more clear
that if you're drafted, you don't automatically make the team.
The past two seasons, that was the case. If you
were drafted, you were on the roster basically one hundred percent.
I can't think of anybody that was drafted that didn't
at least get brought to camp and then get signed
to a minimum wage, possibly sat in the stands, but
(18:26):
like they were on the team. So I think there's
either the change culture of you're gonna draft people and
then you're gonna own their rights for two seasons and
they're gonna go play Alulia, They're gonna go play Moto right,
they're gonna go play in the SDHL. Those are SDHL
teams that needs to become the culture, because if you
look at Ottawa for example, Ottawa is picking up a
(18:46):
lot of players from other teams that otherwise either weren't
given it the right opportunity or that they think that
they can support in a different way. They've made some
good trades they've changed up some of the things they're
doing from a free agent signing perspective. But like the players,
they're the teams that have the most free agent signings
(19:07):
are going to be those that don't have space for
their draft class. And I think that that's that's interesting,
that's a that's a strategy for sure, because to your point,
like the learning curve could be gone.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Yeah, And I think also, like to your point about
who's going to win it all, I don't know. I
think it's too early to say that, but you look
at Seattle's rockster disgusting. I mean, Vancouver is pretty good too.
Just about every name on that list is incredibly talented.
I think Abby Bourreen is a ridiculously underrated player. She
(19:38):
was going to school, was in Minnesota, then got shipped
over to Montreal, which I thought was a huge miss.
She's a phenomenal player and hugely underrated. She's in Vancouver.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
Well, Montreal drafted her because they're no dummies.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I know, Minnesota could have drafted her though, Like I
just I also thought that that was hugely disrespectful. I mean,
that player made what kind of a run for you
and then you just leave her like, yeah, but I mean,
I guess they went on to win it, so are
they regretting it? Obviously not. But I think that when
you compare these rosters side by side, you look at
Vancouver and Seattle, and this is another thing that made
I don't know how they address it going forward, but
(20:13):
just about every player on each of those rosters is
an All Star currently or has been, you know, an
impact player. And I think that Seattle has the edge
a little bit just because well, I guess two things.
One goaltending. I think that Seattle has the stronger goaltending.
You know Schroeder. You've got Carl Jackson, who stood up
big and tall the few times that she had opportunity
(20:35):
last season. But then like, come on, you got the
Knight Carpenter combination, Sir Dakney who, Sir Dakney was quiet
last year. But I don't know, I don't I don't
think points aren't everything. I thought that she did a
lot of little things with the puck and away from
it that maybe didn't end up on the score sheet.
But she's just she's still figuring it out right. Once
that kid catches stride, she's going to be even more
(20:58):
dangerous than she already is.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
They're deep is disgusting. You have Barnes Tedrolova. Then you
have Carter Brown, which is a in my opinion, is
like your seventh right, that's your depth. You have Mariah Koppel,
who's big and doesn't mind to mix it up in
front of the net. You just got a decore there
that's already baked, like you don't really need to worry
about signing any camp players to be in your decore.
(21:19):
And I think if you have strong goaltending and strong
d and then you can put a Night Carpenter Bilka
power play over the boards for forget it, dude, forget it.
They're gonna score every power play goal.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Then you look at who, okay, who do they have
as their quote unquote depth players Lexi Agia, Natalie Snodgrass,
Mikhayla grant mentis I mean that's grant mentis come on,
and that's not a negative. I mean that's you can
put anyone over the boards and have confidence that your
team's gonna get it done. No disrespect against any of
these other rosters, but I look at that roster and
(21:51):
then you go over to Vancouver, you look at their forwards,
Brooke mcquig has been on fire. Gabby Rosenthal didn't get
on the score sheet a bunch, but again, and I
think she's a great player. I love the way she
played last season. I think she's gonna have tons of opportunity.
She was an expansion draft pick, so obviously someone else
believed it too, right with all those players that they
had available, Mikayla Coppyishova Krazova, Hannah Miller.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Hannah Miller is gonna have a disgusting year. I'm gonna
forecast that right now.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Jennifer Gardner, Sarah Nurse. I mean, that's that's Vancouver's roster.
Then you got Sophie Jakes, Claire Thompson, Ashton Bell. I
mean those three defensemen alone, anyone would kill to have
one of them. They're just gonna I mean, they're gonna
sid bard, They're gonna dominate. I mean, I think every
time Vancouver Seattle hit the ice together, it's gonna be
(22:39):
like watching an Olympic game.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
So I think the other wrinkle in it all is
you can't ignore the two elephants in the room. You
can't ignore the Marie Philip Pulen, Laura Stacey Combo. So
like we have to put twas somewhere in there. And
then don't forget the draft day trade to put Ella
Shelton on the Scepters, which is an absolutely disgusting level
(23:15):
up for the Toronto Sceptors. And well, yes they got
picked apart a little bit. They have Emma Gentry your
girl from Michigan, right, they have Ella Shelton. Now, they
signed Claire to George, they signed Chuli which is a massive,
massive pickup for them, and they still have Blair Turnbo
malte Arman Fast like you have a Fast Shelton combo.
(23:37):
Heading into an Olympic year, those two are going to
be in lockstep. So Toronto lucked out with some of
those draft day trades. But I think you can't ignore
Ella Shelton and Ranata Fast being on the same team
is scary. Yeah I did.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
That was a trade that I didn't understand.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
But those are the two best d in the league.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Who knows.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
You can't tell me otherwise.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
You think Shelton and Fast are the best two d
in the.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
League, without question. I put that on anything. I'd wear
that on a T shirt to every PETERBHL game might
go to this season. That's how much I believe in it.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
I don't know if I agree with that.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
Yeah, tell me who's find me somebody that outranks either
of their skill sets? Meg Keller. Meg Keller's fine, she's
really good. She's third. No, my mount Rushmore of I
think this league it's Ella shelton 'anata Fast.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
I think Ella's the best. I think Ella's the best
D in the league.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
Yeah. Without again, I think that's not even I'm not
even questioning that. Who's your mount Rushmore.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Of D in this league? Oh well, Ella Shelton obviously.
Claire Thompson. Okay, I like Renata Fast too. I just
think she takes a lot of penalties and she's like dirty.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
That's just from playing against her now, I imagine she's
on your team.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
No, but even watching the games, I mean some of
the like some of the hits in the plays. I
think Caleb Barnes is a really good play.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
He's small. She's really good. She's small, So she doesn't
make my mount rush More.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Sid bar sid Bard's good.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I like sid Bard. I like the way she plays hockey,
for sure.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
I think it would be Ellis Shelton, who's with the Scepters.
Claire Thompson who's with Vancouver, Sid Bard who's with Vancouver.
And you're not going to say Keller, Oh yeah, Keller.
I thought already said Keller. You said yeah, no, okay,
that's my four. Sorry, I'm and fast and Sophie Jakes
(25:29):
get honorable. Mo. I was gonna say no, now you
need to add it to six.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
No. For me, it's Ella Shelton. We're not a fast yeah,
Claire Thompson and Megan Keller. I think that the Canadian
system makes better d That's just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Okay, so we agree on three of the four.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Yeah, yeah, but I think we're not.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Putting fast and I'm putting said Bard.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Oh yeah, forgot well again. So I think that there's
some interest there. I'm excited about the movement. I also
think we are looking at it from the lens of
some of these players that have now gotten to move
from free agency, that were on two year deals and
if for two years they didn't agree with the coaching
staff or they didn't fit with the roster, that's not
a jaguere Oh he's about here, yo, That's exactly what
(26:12):
I'm talking about. Like she had the ability to pick
this year and with that ability. Hopefully her agent vetted
out the staff that made the most sense, that made
the decisions that work for her. Systems work like what
New York was trying to do didn't work for what
she's good at. Jiggy has the most points in NCAA
women Talkie. She is a true, true leader. That was
(26:35):
not how she was utilized for two seasons. Is she
going to come out and set the world on fire?
Who knows?
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Well?
Speaker 2 (26:42):
She has to?
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Right?
Speaker 2 (26:44):
It's not if or is it's she will?
Speaker 1 (26:47):
She doesn't have a choice anymore. That's the biggest thing
I think you know in all of this, for all
any of these players who moved, if you find yourself
in a new environment and you're given an opportunity, you
have to make the most of it because there's no
more right, there's no more you have now a new
opportunity elsewhere.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I love, love, love CLARDA.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
McLoud as a coach.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I love her.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I wish that I had the opportunity to play for
I think I would have absolutely loved that. I think
she's an incredible leader, a great hockey mind. I think
she does things the right way. I think she's fair.
I think that it doesn't always make sense in the moment,
and I think that people certainly have disagreed and can
disagree with decisions that she's made. However, I think you
look at her body of work in her track record,
and I think that she is one of the best
(27:29):
coaches to date. I think that she's an incredible coach.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Yeah, I think she's She's definitely somebody that you put
up there that you say, like, hey, what I'm looking
at that we've had experience with. I love the way
she coaches. I think it's going to be interesting to
watch all of this startup, especially knowing that the Olympics
start February sixth, Right, Like, we are going to watch
the Peter Bhl unfold and then watch players fighting for
(27:56):
an Olympic spot. That's where they're gonna do it. Right, Like,
historically we've seen every single national team player come out
of rotation, go into centralization. Right, pick a random location,
they train, they eat, they sleep, they breathe hockey and
team Right, it's training camp times the nth degree. And
then they train against each other a bunch. Right, Canada
and US play each other a bunch, and then they
(28:17):
play other random teams. Now, We're going to see the
first Olympics with training parody to a degree, so it
also is going to continue to bolster the sport.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
You know what else I kind of have been thinking
about and would like to see and it's obviously not
feasible like right this time around, probably, But you think
about all these international breaks that have occurred, and last
year there were several year one, there were several where players,
you know, they had breaks for four nations and Worlds
and camps, et cetera, et cetera. The players who aren't
on those national team rosters are just back home training.
(28:53):
Sometimes they get a three year four day break, but
we were never given more than a four day break,
which is really a three day break by the time
you travel if you're going to try and travel anywhere
whatever to see family, and I think that that will remain.
I don't think that these players will get more than
a three or four day break over the Olympic stretch,
et cetera. And you're going to pull all of these
players out of rotation because remember it's not just the
(29:14):
Americans in the Connects, every member a multitude of nations
represented in this league. What if during this Olympic period
right when the Because these players are gone for at
least in the February, what are all these other players
that aren't in the Olympics going to be doing over
that period? Like what if you had like a satellite
mini tour?
Speaker 2 (29:33):
What if you hosted to keep these players on three
micro season within the season to tease out something like Unrivaled.
If I was a business person, which I am, I
would take all of that player salary and savings that
you would have by integrating into this season and integrate
a test pilot for a Unrivaled brand launch out of
(29:59):
the pH and call it PWHL three's or you could
have just let me finish.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
What was your idea? You want a satellite mini tournament
with none of the stars?
Speaker 1 (30:07):
You think that none of the stars would be there.
You think that only people worth watching around Olympians. I
want you to think.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
I don't. I don't think that.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
That's the same question that I got hit with in
that media segment where they said do you think people
are going to be I mean, like, come on, I
don't think that's literally essentially asking if it's worth watching
if quote unquote stars aren't there.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
I don't think that. But I'm saying leadership specifically, if
you look at any PHL branding, they have.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Nine years of data to show them that that that's illogical.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I can fully back you and disagree, but I'm saying
the one thing that would come out of that is
that senior leadership on the PHL level would say no
one is going to come if we don't have the
national team players because that is who they value and
they show that every time.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, but you have data to refute that thinking, right,
like numbers don't lie.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
Big facts. Well, we can talk about that and get
fired up next episode, but this is what we have today.
We are excited for the upcoming season. We are excited
for the Olympics, and it starts right around my birthday.
So when you turn on your first PHL game this season,
also say happy birthday to me. Bye.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
That's it for this week. Thanks for listening, and if
you like what you heard, spread the word seriously right now,
take your phone out, text a friend and tell them
to subscribe, and be sure to rate and review us
on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you haven't already. It
really really helps. Until next week. I'm Madison Packer.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
And I'm Anya Packer, and this was These Packs Puck.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
These Packs Puck is a production of iHeart Women's Sports
and Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. It's hosted by Us
Madison and Anya Packer. Emily Meronoff is our senior producer
and story editor. We were mixed and mastered by Mary Doo.
Our executive producers are Jennifer Bassett, Jesse Katz, and Allie Perry.
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