Season 5 Episode 1 - Devante Smith-Pelly

Tom Bark of the two-time, back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions the Florida Panthers sits down with the podcast. He’s Director of Hockey Operations and Player Evaluation with the team, and grew up in a family that loves hockey.

It’s a new season! Former NHL player and Stanley Cup winner Devante Smith-Pelly joins the podcast to talk about his playing career, his current work as an analyst with Monumental Sports, and a full circle moment on his day with the Stanley Cup.

Tennessee State University head coach Duante' Abercrombie joins us on this episode. We first met Duante' in Season 1 when he was finishing a coaching program with the Arizona Coyotes. He was hired soon after that to work with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now he is heading up the brand new hockey program for Tennessee State University. It's the first HBCU to have a hockey team, and we were excited to learn about his vision for this program.

On this episode, Jo Dabney tells us about her latest Black History Month collaboration with the San Jose Sharks. She’s an artist and designer based in Washington, DC who’s also done work for the Washington Capitals and many other professional hockey teams. We also discuss the Gr8 Chase and how it felt when her favorite hockey player wore her design.

Abbotsford Canucks head coach and former NHL player Manny Malhotra joins us on this episode. He was a first round draft pick and played professionally for 18 years. He tells us about his playing career, his shift into full-time coaching and what it’s like coaching current South Asian players. Also, Anar shares stories from her coverage of the Four Nations tournament.

We’re taking a little break to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. We’ll be back with new episodes in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

Author Renee Hess joins us to discuss her new book, “Blackness is a Gift I Can Give Her.” The Black Girl Hockey Club founder also shares upcoming events for that organization. Anar and Manashi share their 2024 highlights and their hopes for the new year.

Apna Hockey President Lali Toor shares his hockey history which compelled him to start the first hockey based organization serving the South Asian community. His love of the sport combined with his business background brings a fresh perspective to the community.

Abbotsford Canucks development coach Harry Mahesh tells us about his journey from minor league hockey player to NHL coach. He shares his insight as a hockey player of Indian descent, how he’s learned to embrace his culture and now finds joy in the sport.

We continue our discussion with Speekes’ founders Megan and Kevin Weekes in this episode. Kevin tells us about his experience playing hockey from youth leagues to the NHL as well as his journey into broadcasting.