TIME TO CHILL. JC and Mogey started The Breakout Sessions to connect with other hockey super fans. (Submitted Photos)

The endless snowfall, icy conditions, and flurry of hats, mittens, and scarves, are only calling for excitement as the hockey community comes together for another season. Filling stadiums with pucks, sticks, and a crowd equipped with hot chocolate and cheer, retired hockey lovers Mogey McDonough and John “JC” Christophersen are here to document it all: the experience of hockey on and off the ice. 

Playing since they were 4 and 7, respectively, and involved in the Valley ice scene together for the past 30 years, they have seen how hockey has spread in popularity. Hoping to inspire and bond with all kinds of folks involved in hockey, they started The Breakout Sessions, a podcast dedicated to doing just that. 

“We know hockey and we knew we wanted to spread the word. How that was going to come together was a bit tricky,” Mogey, former hockey coach, said. “We said, ‘Hey, let’s do a podcast, it’ll be fun.’ And it has been!” 

Meeting with Olympic gold medal winners, Stanley Cup champions, national champions, Hall of Famers, authors, players (big and small: a peewee hockey episode coming soon), parents, managers, financial advisors, pros, coaches — you name it — Mogey and JC are just getting started.

“For us, it’s like being a kid in a candy store,” said JC, a former hockey referee. “They’re very successful but they’re very humble. They give gratitude to the people who helped them get there.” 

The Breakout Sessions is currently streamed in more than 28 different countries, with their highest traffic of listeners coming from the Midwest. Plus, there’s something for everyone to love, with more than 60 live episodes geared towards an inclusive and all-ages audience. In the off-season, they post podcasts every other Thursday, with the on-season schedule posting weekly. 

“You’re never too old to give back to the game. There’s always something you can do,” JC said. “We’re in our 60s and we’re still enjoying the game.” Listeners can expect to hear from local names such as Jake McCabe, Grace Zumwinkle, and Kathryn Bye, with new voices coming soon, like legend Lu Nanning and hockey moms discussing all kinds of quirks in the sport. Each episode is about an hour long. 

Sending gratitude to those who have reached out with comments, suggestions, and guidance for who to interview next, Mogey and JC ask for folks to keep listening, and commenting. “We can’t grow without feedback,” JC said. “It’s not an ‘I’ game, but a ‘We’ game.”

Find their episodes where all podcasts stream, learn more about their project or send them a message at thebreakoutsessions.com.