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PODCAST · sports

Away From The Play

by Safia Ahmad and Melanie Desrochers

Welcome to Away from the Play, a sports podcast hosted by Melanie Desrochers and Safia Ahmad. Each week, they speak to individuals whose passion is sports. It could be a rugby player, a hockey scout or a media member tasked with covering a team. Mel and Safs hope to learn something new and share it with you!

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jan 2, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. 40. Football with Emmarae Dale

    This week, Safs spoke to Emmarae Dale, a linebacker for the Saskatoon Hilltops. She made history by becoming the first woman to play in the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). Tune in to learn more about this amazing athlete, how she discovered football, what she experienced when she joined…

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  2. 39. WoHo Monday with Jessie Eldridge

    Mel spoke to Canadian national team member Jessie Eldridge about her successful hockey career thus far, including her time in Ontario's PWHL, choosing the right NCAA school and finding happiness and success at Colgate University and representing Team Canada. Eldridge holds the Colgate Raiders'...

  3. 38. Violence, Masculinity, Sports and Social Media with Daniel Sailofsky

    This week, Mel and Safs spoke to Daniel Sailofsky, a PhD candidate at McGill University with the department of sociology. He studies violence, masculinity, sports and social media and has coached men's and women's basketball at the CEGEP and university levels. Follow us on Instagram...

  4. 37. WoHo Monday with Lauriane Rougeau

    Two-time Olympic medalist Lauriane Rougeau shares memories from the Olympics, including the story behind her two black eyes in Pyeongchang, and speaks about her time in hockey and more in this week’s edition of Women’s Hockey Monday. Rougeau is not only a stalwart on the blue line but also your...

  5. 36. Goalie Coaching with Michael Lawrence

    This week, Mel and Safs spoke to HC Lugano's goaltending coach Michael Lawrence. A two-time Spengler Cup champion with Team Canada, Michael's career has taken him to the OHL, KHL, ECHL and now Switzerland's National League. We talked about his journey through the ranks and the ins and outs of…

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  6. 35. WoHo Monday with Geneviève Lacasse

    For Women’s Hockey Monday, we spoke to Olympian Geneviève Lacasse, a member of the Canadian women’s national hockey team team and the PWHPA, to talk about her career, ask her some fun questions and her thoughts on the pandemic and what she’s learned over the past year. Follow us on Instagram...

  7. 34. Rowing with Marilou Duvernay-Tardif

    Marilou Duvernay-Tardif has been an athlete her whole life. Surrounded by equally athletic siblings like Super Bowl Champion Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Marilou fell in love with rowing as a teenager. Since then, she has become a member of Canada's national rowing team and has represented her…

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  8. 33. WoHo Monday with Mare MacDougall Bari

    This week, we spoke to Mare MacDougall Bari, an assistant caoch with the St.Lawrence University women's hockey team. We talked about the pandemic, how it's affecting student athletes, how she got into coaching and more. This episode was recorded in summer 2020. Follow us on Instagram...

  9. 32. Pour 3 Points with Bruce Lee and Fabrice Vil

    This week, Mel and Safs spoke to Fabrice Vil, founder of Pour 3 Points, a not-for-profit organisation based in Montreal that trains sports coaches to become life coaches to assist underprivileged youth, and Bruce Lee, youth worker and coach-in-training. Follow us on Instagram (@awayfromtheplay),...

  10. 31. WoHo Monday with Cassandra Poudrier

    We are back with a brand new WoHo Monday featuring Cassandra Poudrier, retired CWHL defenseman and Executive Director of La Maison des Champions which is a not-for-profit that helps athletes, war veterans and individuals working in high-performance fields transition into life after work. We spoke...

  11. 30. WoHo Monday with Katia Clement-Heydra

    This week, your hosts caught up with a former member of Les Canadiennes de Montréal, Katia Clement-Heydra! She spoke to us about her season in Sweden, shared her thoughts on the current state of women's hockey in North America and more! This episode was recorded in summer 2020. Subscribe to the...

  12. 29. Skeleton with Kim Meylemans

    This week, we spoke to skeleton athlete Kim Meylemans aka The little Belgian! She made history in 2018 by becoming the first Belgian skeleton athlete to participate in the Olympics. Achieving several top 10 World Cup results and placing 5th at 2017 World Championships, we talked to her about her...

  13. 28. WoHo Monday with Marie-Philip Poulin

    Introducing Women's Hockey Monday (aka WoHo Monday!) where we release bi-weekly episodes with members of the women's hockey community! To kick off 2021, we spoke to two-time Olympic gold medalist Marie-Philip Poulin about training in a pandemic, the PWHPA, her career and more! This episode was...

  14. 27. Women's Soccer with Alex Ibaceta

    Mel and Safs spoke to Alex Ibaceta, a freelance sports journalist covering women's soccer in England. She is a FA WSL correspondent for Equalizer Soccer and Women's Football Deputy Editor for VAVEL. Her passion for soccer shines through this episode as she speaks candidly about becoming a sports...

  15. 26. Becoming a Sports Agent with Sasha Ghavami

    This week, Mel and Safs receive sports agent and attorney, Sasha Ghavami, to talk about his journey into becoming a sports agent. They discuss the ins-and-outs of the profession, including the differences between getting an NFL and CFL certification, the art of negotiation and attracting clients,...

  16. 25. Fan Experience and In-Game Hosting with Bianca Molnar

    Mel and Safs welcome Bianca Molnar to the podcast this week. She is the Assistant Manager, Event Services at Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) and has worked in in-game hosting across the world. She talks to us about those two distinct realities, how sports will come back during this...

  17. 24. WNBA with Napheesa Collier

    This week, Mel and Safs welcome WNBA star Napheesa Collier, a guard for the Minnesota Lynx. We talk about the bubble this past summer, the social justice movements that took place and her podcast, Tea with A & Phee, that she started with Las Vegas Aces star A'Ja Wilson, among other topics. This...

  18. 23. Sports Podcasting with Julian McKenzie and Tristan D'Amours

    Mel and Safs welcome Julian McKenzie and Tristan D'Amours to talk about their award-winning podcast, The Scrum Podcast. Addressing issues that go beyond the realm of sports, these two seasoned podcasters are honest and humble friends of the show. Subscribe to The Scrum Podcast wherever you get...

  19. 22. Coaching Football with Anthony Calvillo

    Mel and Safs welcome CFL Hall of Famer and three-time Grey Cup champion Anthony Calvillo to talk about his coaching career at the U SPORTS and CFL levels. They also get his thoughts on the CFL's current predicament as the league cancelled their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and look back on...

  20. 21. Anti-racism in Canadian hockey with Courtney Szto

    Mel and Safs speak to Dr. Courtney Szto, a professor in the department of kinesiology at Queen's University, about her policy paper on anti-racism in Canadian hockey released in March 2020. She is also the senior editor of Hockey in Society, a blog that looks at hockey from critical eye and…

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  21. 20. Professional Skateboarding with Annie Guglia

    Annie Guglia, a professional skateboarder set to represent Canada at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, spoke to Mel and Safs about the ins and outs of professional skateboarding. What were her thoughts on the sport joining the Olympics? How does judging function at different competitions? What...

  22. 19. Sports Economics with Moshe Lander

    In this episode, Mel and Safs speak to Concordia University economics professor Moshe Lander about sports economics and specifically on how to build a sustainable, professional women's hockey league in the context of the PWHPA. They also discuss the current models used by the WNBA and the NWSL…

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  23. 18. Kevin Raphael

    In their first episode back under the new title Away From The Play, Melanie and Safia welcome comedian and entertainer Kevin Raphael for the second part of a two-part conversation that began on his podcast, Sans Restriction. They talk to Kevin about the very beginning of his career, philanthropy...

  24. We are back!

    After a long pause, Mel and Safs are proud to bring the podcast back to life! They tease some changes to come and encourage folx to stay tuned! You can find the podcast exclusively on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Follow Safia and Mel on Twitter @Safs_OnTheGo and @melTheRock

  25. Live from the Ottawa Hockey Analytics Conference

    Mel and guest Co-Host Karell Emard were live from the Ottawa Hockey Analytics Conference to discuss Hockey analytics and the state of women’s hockey. www.upfordnetwork.com

  26. 17. An Update on Women's Hockey: The PWHPA

    Mel and Safs speak to two members of the PWHPA, Karell Emard and Jamie Goldsmith about what's happening in women's hockey right now! Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego @meltherock www.upfordnetwork.com

  27. 16. Welcome to the House of Pain

    Mel & Safs speak with special guest Julie Yew about the importance of Massage Therapy and Acupuncture! www.atelierpalestra.com/ m.facebook.com/atelierpalestra/ Upford Network Panel! www.facebook.com/events/326026118321341/ Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego...

  28. 15. The Last Stretch Tackles Football

    Did you know that Montreal has an elite female tackle football team! ? Safia Ahmad and guest host Alex Perez spoke to Andréanne Dupont and Saadia Ashraf of the Montreal Blitz. Learn more about the team, it's reality and more! Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego...

  29. 14. The Plank Edition ft. Dana Glowacka

    Safia and Mel speak to Montrealer Dana Glowacka, who established a new world record for abdominal plank held by a woman, at 4 hours and 20 minutes! Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego @meltherock www.upfordnetwork.com

  30. 13. #ItsHockey: What's Happening With The CWHL

    Mel and Safs are joined by former CWHL players Karell Emard, a former CWHL player association representative, and Emma Martin, who completed her first season with the team. They discuss CWHL'S decision to cease operations and what this means for the future of women's hockey. Music by James…

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  31. 12. The CrossFit Edition ft. Emmanuelle Blais

    Mel and Safs spoke to Emmanuelle Blais, who is a coach at Montreal's CrossFit 514, owner of Summit Station Athlétique and a former professional hockey player with Les Canadiennes de Montréal of the CWHL. She shared her thoughts on the sport, CrossFit Games, her time as a dual-athlete and more....

  32. 11. Mental Health ft. Philippe Hudon

    Safia spoke to Stingers' men's hockey captain Philippe Hudon about mental health, his involvement with #BellLetsTalk and his battle with OCD. They also talk about his time with the Stingers and take a look at the last few games remaining in the regular season before heading into the playoffs.…

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  33. 10. Holiday Chats With Producer Tom!

    For our 10th episode, Mel and Safs talk holiday traditions with producer Tom (@tomzalatnai) and chat about Mel’s recent trip to China with Les Canadiennes! Happy Holidays! Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego @meltherock www.upfordnetwork.com

  34. 9. Behind The Scenes ft. Alexandra Pellerin

    Safia and Melanie spoke to Les Canadiennes' logistics and operations manager Alexandra Pellerin what her daily tasks with the team entail, from fixing things up in the lockerroom to counting the minutes leading up to puck drop and much more. Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod...

  35. 8. The Power Of The Mind ft. Theresa Bianco

    Theresa Bianco, a sports psychologist, senior lecturer & academic advisor at the department of psychology at Concordia University, joined Safia and Melanie to talk about the role and importance of sports psychology and differences in approaches between individual athletes and teams. Music by…

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  36. 7. Looking Back At Our First Six Episodes!

    We wanted to take a minute to reflect on the awesome interviews we've had over the past couple of months! We don't usually have time to do that right after the interviews, so we thought, why not debrief a bunch of them all at once! Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod…

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  37. PREVIEW: Changing On The Fly!

    This week, something a little different- here's a FULL EPISODE of one of our sister shows on the Upford Network, Changing On The Fly! We're actually both featured in this episode, and thought it'd be a fun chance to introduce you to another of the great shows on our network! Enjoy! (We'll have a...

  38. 6. Tackling Concussions ft. Adrienne Crampton

    This week we spoke with PhD candidate Adrienne Crampton! She tells us a little bit about her research in concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries and helps us understand the biology and physiology behind such injuries. Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego...

  39. 5. Training For Rugby ft. Frédérique Rajotte

    Melanie and Safia spoke to Canadian rugby national team player Frédérique Rajotte about her training habits, how she started playing rugby and the adversity she has faced. Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego @meltherock www.upfordnetwork.com

  40. 4. Recruiting And Identifying Elite Talent ft. Justin Shemie

    Melanie and Safia speak to the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team head scout Justin Shemie about recruiting in hockey, how he identifies elite talent in athletes, and his goalie camp Pro Goaltending. Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca @LastStretchPod @safs_onthego @meltherock...

  41. 3. What it Means to be an Elite Athlete ft. Shireen Ahmed

    Safia and Melanie speak to sports activist, public speaker and freelance writer Shireen Ahmed about how the media addressed the rape allegations against soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and how the media shape our perception of elite athletes. Music by James Blonde! jamesblonde.ca…

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  42. 2. Coaching Athletes to Peak Performance ft. Cory Kennedy

    Safia and Mel speak with Cory Kennedy (@corykSandC), Strength and Conditioning lead at L’institut National du Sport du Quebec, about his role in developing elite athletes. They discuss his personal strength and conditioning style, how training differs between sports and between athletes, as well…

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  43. 1. Welcome to The Last Stretch!

    Welcome to The Last Stretch! In this new podcast series, hosts Melanie Desrochers and Safia Ahmad will be interviewing athletes and the people behind the scenes who help make them great at what they do! In this intro episode, we get to know our hosts a bit. Keep an eye out for our first…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Welcome to Away from the Play, a sports podcast hosted by Melanie Desrochers and Safia Ahmad. Each week, they speak to individuals whose passion is sports. It could be a rugby player, a hockey scout or a media member tasked with covering a team. Mel and Safs hope to learn something new and share it with you!

HOSTED BY

Safia Ahmad and Melanie Desrochers

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Away From The Play have?

Away From The Play currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Away From The Play about?

Welcome to Away from the Play, a sports podcast hosted by Melanie Desrochers and Safia Ahmad. Each week, they speak to individuals whose passion is sports. It could be a rugby player, a hockey scout or a media member tasked with covering a team. Mel and Safs hope to learn something new and share it...

How often does Away From The Play release new episodes?

Away From The Play has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Away From The Play?

You can listen to Away From The Play on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Away From The Play?

Away From The Play is created and hosted by Safia Ahmad and Melanie Desrochers.
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