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Breaking the Ice is a platform created for wives and girlfriends of professional hockey players but has since turned into so much more! We share our stories, our passions, our tips, tricks, do’s and dont‘s for all things hockey and SO much more. Whether you‘re a hockey parent, an athlete, a significant other in the sports world or a person who enjoys podcast, you‘ll be inspired by these women every single day. So lace em‘ up and tune in for a new episode every Wednesday!
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
Jamie Machacek, wife of Spencer Machacek, who plays for Wolfsburg in the DEL, joins me over a virtual glass of wine on the podcast today. Jamie + I have been chatting for so long after we discover the same love for the show Nashville. (Naming her son and my dog after it!) We’ve talked about all the mom things over the past year and I was so excited to finally meet her virtually IRL on the podcast.
Jamie and her husband knew they wanted children from the beginning. After trying for quite awhile and going through a few health issues, they realized they needed to look into their options.
In this episode we talk about:
The transition from babyhood to toddlerhood and how being a mom is always evolving and changing
Jamie opens up about her health struggles and what she went through before her first round of IVF
Male Factor Infertility and Endometriosis
Navigating IVF in a foreign country and how hockey played a factor into their journey
When you’re struggling with fertility and family and friends are getting pregnant around you
Keeping this private and not sharing with anyone around them
After undergoing IVF, they found out they were pregnant with twins and lost one of the twins. She talks about what this experience was like for her and her husband
Never Giving up on your Motherhood Journey
THANK YOU Jamie. You are amazing!
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Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Wednesday Dec 29, 2021
Dr. Sarah Sweetnam, wife of Erik Gudbranson, who plays for the Calgary Flames in the NHL, joins me on the podcast today.
Before we talked about dentistry, we talked a bit about Sarah's hockey journey, thus far. She shares how her husband got traded six days after Sarah gave birth. She had to wait five weeks before finally joining him in Nashville (They are Canadian!) We also chat about what COVID has been like for her as a first time mom. She shares how her and her husband met her first week of dental school and how they managed both of their busy schedules and careers.
Then, we talked about all things dental.
- I asked her about any dental myths she has heard that she can debunk for us
- She tells me whether or not sleeping with your mouth open can cause cavities
- She answers whether cavities are genetic and what you can do to prevent them
- We talk about fluoride and what she recommends
- Kids Dental- She tells me the real deal of when your kid actually needs to go to the dentist for the first time. She also shares some great tips on how we can prepare our children for their first dental appointment and change the dialogue so that we aren't implementing fear before their first appointment.
Enjoy this episode, I learned so much!
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Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Wednesday Dec 22, 2021
Ilyssa has lived her entire life in Florida and adventured to the other side of the pond for her first season overseas.
In this episode we dive into:
- How you can lose yourself when you begin to date someone new or lose yourself in this lifestyle and how to identify this within yourself
- Darkness and how challenging it is when it becomes dark so early
- Finding what you love to do and learning about yourself in the process
- Youtube. Ilyssa started a Youtube channel this year to cope and communicate with this lifestyle.
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Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Wednesday Dec 15, 2021
Jeanie Prapavessis, wife of Matt Prapavessis, who plays in Vienna Austria for the Vienna Capitals, sat down with me over wine and we had a great conversation about all of the things.
We dive into:
Lockdowns- What it has been like as Americans living in Austria during yet another lockdown. We chat about the frustration, confusion on rules and of course, what we’re watching during lockdown.
We talk about wine and how cheap it is in Europe
High School- How we feel terrible about what we put our parents through in high school (lol sorry mom) and now we both think nothing will get past us as moms. Watch out kids, we're onto you.
We talk about mom shaming on social media. We find that sometimes there can be useful tips but also we are not robots and there is no such thing as “perfect parenting” You have to do what’s best for you and your family.
Cheating- that taboo topic that no one talks about but everyone wants to know about….what do you do when you know someone is cheating on their girlfriend from back home or who’s there in person…... You’ll have to listen to this completely unfiltered conversation we had about this. We give our opinions on how to address this situation and whether we think this should be a group approach or single approach.
Female Friendships in the hockey world- How there is sometimes a pressure for everyone to be best friends and it’s not always practical with so many different personalties. However, you can also meet some of your closest friends. Same goes for the guys too!
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Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Hilary Miele, wife of Andy Miele, who plays in Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL, joins me on the podcast today!
In this episode we dive into:
Long Distance: Hilary & Andy met in college and she had little to no idea where hockey would take them! She shares about her experience with long distance and how she wound up leaving her career to be with him
We talk about Russia and she shares a few funny stories. Hilary and her daughter were apart from Andy for four months while they were waiting on their Russian visas.
Language Barriers
Solo Travel- Hilary loves to travel and she loves going on trips with her daughter to experience the adventures that this hockey life has to offer.
Not losing your sense of self while following your partner
We also talk about one year contracts and how it can be stressful when you are always waiting on the next opportunity. Before the pandemic hit, they signed a two year deal in Arizona in the NHL, but with the unknowns of COVID, they made a family decision to head overseas.
This episode was so fun to record. We had a lot of laughs and I guarantee you will feel like you are sitting down with two friends.
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Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Wednesday Dec 01, 2021
Carley Patterson, girlfriend of Jesse Graham, who plays in Augsburg, Germany in the DEL, is a holistic nutritionist and this is the perfect day for this episode to come out as we head full force into the holiday season.
In this episode, we dive into:
-How she plans meals for the week and the simple basics you can have prepared in your fridge versus meal prepping for the entire week
-Healthy snack ideas vs. crushing a bag of chips mid day ( @ me) and how this brings out the 3 p.m. energy lull
-Staying on track with our nutrition around the holidays without limiting ourselves
-How to avoid the binge and restrict cycle
-We chat about how eating + working out is not a one size fits all because we are all so different
-How your lifestyle can affect your nutrition
-Why Eating Late is no bueno ( @ my husband)
Lastly, we talk about the most random things we have accidentally brought home from the grocery store and how we find random foods in random sections.
Enjoy this episode!
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Wednesday Nov 24, 2021
Wednesday Nov 24, 2021
Terra O'Reilly, wife of Cal O'Reilly, who is the Captain of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, shares her fertility journey with me. Terra opens up about her Endometriosis, several miscarriages, IVF journey and surrogacy journey.
Terra wants other women to know that they are not alone if they are struggling with their fertility. She speaks about how looking back, she really kept this private but as she has opened up more about it, so many women have reached out to her about their struggles.
I also have a very special connection to the surrogacy world, which you will have to listen to hear about it. Terra and I have such a authentic and genuine conversation and connection about this topic and this long episode is worth every minute. Terra has such a beautiful heart and I am so honored she chose to share her story on Breaking the Ice.
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Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Wednesday Nov 17, 2021
Sandra Boström Hoppa, wife of Sebastian Aho, who plays in the NHL for the NY Islanders, joins me on the podcast today! This is the first time I've chatted with a European expat in North America and we had so much fun!
In this episode we dive into:
- Her husband getting drafted and how she originally didn't want to go because she was nervous to leave her friends, family and job
- We chat about leaving your comfort zone to go out of your home country and how tough this can be in terms of planning your future
- What it was like getting into the United States with the pandemic
- Sandra is pregnant with her first child and giving birth in the US! We talk about healthcare in the US and we also tap into maternity leave in the US and how unfair it is. We chat about how much support there is for new moms in Europe.
- We exchange funny stories and talked about tipping in the US vs. Europe
Enjoy!
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Listen here
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Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Wednesday Nov 10, 2021
Alyssa Malette, daughter of Vince Malette, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 52, joins me on the podcast today. Vince is a retired DEL + OHL coach. Alyssa is incredibly strong for sharing her vulnerable story on BTI and I was so inspired by her story + her strength. You can feel the bond that Alyssa and her dad have together.
In this episode we talk about
-Alzheimers and what this disease is
-How she could see changes within her dad by watching him on the bench
-The hardest part about the diagnosis for her and her family
-She shares about how important it is to not take life for granted, tell your loved ones that you love them and enjoy every moment.
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Resources:
www.instagram.com/alzassociation
Here is a link to donate to the golf tournament:
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Wendy Tippett, wife of Dave Tippett, head coach of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL, joins me on the podcast and shares all about her 37+ years in this hockey world!
In this episode we dive into:
-What this lifestyle as looked like for her over the years and the difference between being a player’s wife and a coach's wife
-What it was like for her kids growing up in the hockey world
-How she loves the role of a coaches wife because she is a mama bear by nature but respects the boundaries
-We chat about what it was like for her during COVID when she went home for a quick real estate transaction and wound up doing long distance with her husband for 5 months (the longest they have ever been apart)!
-We chat about funny wives room stories + fans in the stands
-What advice she would give her younger self in this world
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