The Incomparable

48 Goon

As a special treat for Incomparable membership month, Deb and Erika bring you a taste of the fun members get — by sharing their very first members-only special from 2017!

Deb and Erika are joined by Lisa Schmeiser as they discuss “Goon”, the 2011 sports comedy about bros, fighting, and what it means to be part of a team. Loosely based on the life of enforcer Doug Smith, the Beginner’s Puck crew breaks down the hockey stereotypes, hockey truths, and how this bro-iest of bro movies is weirdly enlightened.

47 We’re Back! (Kinda)

We’re back! Kinda? Sorta? It’s been a while because, honestly, this year has been ROUGH. What happens when the thing you love doesn’t love you back? Deb and Erika talk about the heartache of hockey, and we don’t mean the stuff that happens on the ice. But like any heartache, you grow and move on, a little tougher, a little wiser, and a whole lot sassier.

We can’t wait to see you next season!

46 Off-season Moves and Bagging on Bags

It’s all happening now. Teams are shaking it up and shaking it down, skates are on ice, and we’re weeks away from the official start of the 2021-2022 season. Deb and Erika work through our varying degrees of excitement both at what’s happened over a very active summer and what we’re (sorta) looking forward to this season. Of course we’ll all be going in empty handed thanks to the new NHL bag policy but hey…it’s like they say: Hockey is for Everyone…Who Has Pockets.

In this episode’s “What the Puck” we discuss the NHL COVID policy and how that could affect teams with unvaccinated players. Finally, Erika announces a project that will help newbie fans work through our back catalog.

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at beginnerspuck@gmail.com and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

45 Playoffs? Playoffs!

Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning Deb and Erika are taking advantage of circumstances and letting it roll. In our case, dropping an unplanned and unscripted podcast to celebrate the official kick off of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sorta.

This ep is all about conflict: ours, Tom Wilson’s, John Tortorella’s…. But we also touch on good social media, anticipated battles, the upcoming expansion draft and our excitement of watching the Kraken in their new arena in 2022. We believe.

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at beginnerspuck@gmail.com and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

44 Hockey’s Still Happening

Hockey, yay? Deb and Erika end their long hiatus to discuss the current state of the NHL including COVID COVID everywhere, trades that make you go “yoinks!”, outdoor games, and Crosby’s big 1000. There may also be a little bit of Tony D’Angelo schadenfreude. I mean, c’mon, we’re only human!

In this ep’s “What the Puck?” we delve into the who, what and why’s of The Taxi Squad and, finally, Deb ties it all up in a neat hockey tidbit bow by remembering the 2008 Winter Classic

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at beginnerspuck@gmail.com and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

43 No Cross Check, Please!

So far, so good, right? The bubble appears to be holding, but but that doesn’t mean it’s all champagne and roses, especially if you’re a Bruins fan. Deb and Erika talk about today’s biggest story (Tukka Rask), last week’s biggest story (that 6+ hour game), and the final slotting of the draft lottery. (Remember that?)

We also touch on the sassiness of the Jumbotron operators; the heroes and villains of the playoffs; and, of course, The Refs (See also: heroes and villains).

In this episode’s “What the Puck” we are all about the checks: body, hip and cross as well as a few that were new to us.

And, finally, Erika has been sprinkling the internet with her hockey tidbits over at @HollyGoGarkly on Twitter.

New to Hockey? We are here for you. Drop us a tweet or email us at beginnerspuck@gmail.com and we’ll help you navigate this wild, fantastic landscape!

42 Hockey Gets Kraken

So much has happened since we last chatted in May: there’s Kraken and bubbles and some shady Byng-ing going on. Deb and Erika reach waaaaay back and talks about the Draft Lottery, how the US couldn’t keep their #%@^ masks on and lost a hub, as well as the NHL awards that will be awarded who knows when. What even in time?! throws hands

Erika gives us some perspective on what we can expect in a hub city given that she, you know, lives in one. We also talk about our conflict over how excited we are that hockey is back and just how stupid it is that hockey is back. Look, we are complex people and can hold multiple, simultaneous opinions, okay?

Finally, in our delightful little hockey tidbit, Deb introduces you all to Gritty’s 1/4 hour of power. It’s good, clean, dumb fun and who doesn’t need that?

Have a hockey question, comment or observation? Hit us up on Twitter @Beginnerspuck or drop us an email at beginnerspuck@gmail.com.

41 Return to (Press) Play

The NHL has risen from the ashes and so has Beginner’s Puck! Join Deb and Erika as we decipher Garry Bettman’s presser, figure out who is going where and why and, more importantly, discuss whether they should. I mean, let’s face it, everyone out there is sporting masks and practising responsible social/physical distancing, right? Right?!

We throw our segments out the window as work through our conflicting emotions of joy, trepidation, and despair at hockey culture’s “warrior” mentality. It’s a rollercoaster, kids.

NHL’s Return to Play Plan: https://media.nhl.com/public/news/13995

40 Carcast! Anaheim Edition

It’s another special Beginner’s Puck/Hockey Feels crossover Carcast — this time with a special guest who is relatively new to hockey fandom, Chip Sudderth! When you attend a Doctor Who convention in Los Angeles, what better way to start the weekend than by braving rush-hour traffic and trekking to Anaheim to check out the Flames vs the Ducks at the Honda Center? (Turns out there may be lots of better ways…)

39 Scouts’ Honor

The countdown to opening day continues. Deb and Erika discuss the real v. emotional toll of preseason, debate the merits of the NHL opening the season with European games (gotta grow that game! In Switzerland!). And touch on the those pesky RFA’s and who got that bread. Or that bridge. There’s a lot of b’s in the preseason. Of course we talk about Matthews. Both the ugly and the plain stupid, but pull ourselves out of spiral and end on a Cammi Granato note.

In this eps “What the Puck?” we discuss the difference between amateur and pro scouts and how Deb really wants to be a hockey ninja spy.

Finally we close with a “Behind the Glass” tidbit.

Have a hockey question, comment or observation? Hit us up on Twitter @Beginnerspuck or drop us an email at beginnerspuck@gmail.com.