In this episode of the USA Hockey Next Generation Podcast, hosts Lyndsey Fry and Drew Shore sit down with Chicago Mission president and U15 head coach Gino Cavallini. Gino shares stories from his NHL career, including his connection to the “Soul on Fire” film, and reflects on the culture and coaching philosophy that have shaped Chicago Mission into one of the nation’s premier youth programs. He discusses developing depth, fostering competitiveness, building strong coaches, and preparing players for the next level. Gino also answers questions from former Mission athletes and crafts his dream boys’ and girls’ lineups from the program’s alumni.

Key Points From This Episode:

[00:00:00] Lyndsey and Drew introduce guest Gino Cavallini and the Chicago Mission program.

[00:02:13] Gino shares his most memorable NHL moment playing with Brett Hull and Adam Oates.

[00:04:58] Transition from NHL career into youth hockey and joining Chicago Mission.

[00:07:22] Gino tells the “Soul on Fire” story involving John O’Leary.

[00:11:39] What makes Chicago Mission one of the country’s top AAA programs.

[00:14:12] Building competitiveness and shaping leaders through high-intensity practices.

[00:17:13] Gino’s advice to parents and players about work ethic and trusting the process.

[00:19:18] Program leadership challenges and building a strong coaching culture.

[00:22:36] Listener questions on development, memories, and advancing to Division I.

[00:23:56] Gino builds his boys’ dream lineup from Mission alumni.

[00:25:35] Gino builds his girls’ dream lineup, including Kendall Coyne and Alex Rigsby.

[00:27:56] Hosts reflect on takeaways about depth, development, and competitiveness.

Links:

USA Hockey - ⁠https://www.usahockey.com⁠

Drew Shore - https://www.drewshore.com⁠

Lindsey Fry - ⁠https://fryhockey.com/

In this premiere episode of the USA Hockey Next Gen podcast, hosts Drew Shore and Lyndsey Fry take a deep dive into the National Team Development Program (NTDP) with assistant executive director Scott Monaghan. They explore the program's mission to elevate the development of young hockey players, the unique challenges faced by athletes, and the successes that have emerged from the program.

Scott shares insights into the program's history, significant changes, and the importance of fostering both athletic and personal growth in players. Join us for an enlightening conversation about the future of hockey and the impact of the NDTP on the next generation of athletes!

Chapters:

(00:00) USA Hockey Next Gen podcast takes a deep dive into looking at the NTDP program

(02:42) Scott Simon: USA Hockey's national team development program dates back to 1997

(10:47) USA Hockey has grown into a great place for players to come from

(16:29) Scott Simon: What advice do you have for aspiring youth hockey players

(20:03) How do you guys infuse fun into your program

(23:01) What's your all-time favorite moment since you guys started the program

(30:11) Scott says the program is the best development program in the world

_______________________________________________________________LINKS:

USA Hockey
https://www.usahockey.com

Scott Monahan
https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2025u18mwc-scottmonaghan

Drew Shore
https://www.drewshore.com

Lindsey Fry
https://fryhockey.com/