History of Hockey: How the Hell Did We Get Here?

Michael & Angela kick things off with their usual “This Week in Youth Hockey”, where Angela shares the highlights from the 12-year-old’s Welcome Back to Hockey parent meeting. The message from the hockey "powers that be" is pretty simple: parents, don’t be aholes this season. With the 2026/2027 hockey schedules finally coming together, it’s almost time to officially unleash ourselves back onto the rinks.Then it’s time to go WAY back.This episode tackles the history of hockey, tracing the game from its earliest roots in games like shinty to the organized sport we know today. Michael and Angela explore the days of homemade equipment, questionable hockey surfaces and even some truly disgusting early attempts at creating something resembling a puck—including the use of frozen cow dung.Yep. Hockey has come a long way.They look at the evolution of hockey organizations, including the rise of the NHL and USA Hockey, while also examining how the equipment has transformed over the decades. Skates go from simple strap-on blades to today's highly engineered, 3D-customized footwear. Sticks, protective equipment and pucks have all undergone their own incredible evolution as well.And naturally, Michael decides that 150 years of hockey history is the perfect opportunity to unleash dad jokes, much to Angela's increasing dismay.From shintys and cow pies to custom skates and modern hockey organizations, Michael and Angela attempt to cover roughly 150 years of hockey history in about an hour—because apparently that's all the attention span a hockey parent can spare.It’s history. It’s hockey. It’s educational. And unfortunately, there are dad jokes.