Ep. 7: How The Hockey Barn is Growing Hockey in Georgia with Kyle Kinzie

What does it take to build a hockey player? More importantly, what does it take to build a lifelong hockey fan? In Episode 7 of Peach State Puck, host Matteen Rad explores one of the biggest challenges facing hockey in Georgia and across the United States. How do you keep young players engaged, excited, and connected to the sport for years to come?

After opening with the latest news from around Georgia hockey, including updates from the Atlanta Gladiators, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Athens Rock Lobsters, Macon Mayhem, and Columbus River Dragons, Matteen sits down with Hockey Barn founder and longtime coach Kyle Kinzie for an in-depth conversation about the future of player development. Drawing from more than two decades of coaching experience, Kyle explains why traditional development models often fail to retain players, why creating a positive environment matters as much as teaching skills, and how his vision for The Hockey Barn is designed to help players not only learn the game, but truly fall in love with it.

Throughout the conversation, Kyle shares the personal journey that shaped his coaching philosophy, from growing up in Buffalo and Ohio to having his playing career unexpectedly cut short by a life threatening medical condition. He discusses how that experience redirected his passion toward coaching, leadership, and ultimately building a completely new model for hockey development centered around three core ideas: train, compete, and belong. Together, Matteen and Kyle examine the unique opportunities and challenges facing hockey in Georgia, including youth participation, player retention, access to ice time, community building, and the possibility of an NHL franchise returning to metro Atlanta.

Whether you are a parent, coach, player, hockey fan, or simply interested in how sports communities are built from the ground up, this episode offers a fascinating look at the future of hockey in the Peach State and the people working to ensure its continued growth for generations to come.

00:00 - Welcome Back to Peach State Puck

04:02 - Around Georgia Hockey

09:55 - Meet Kyle Kinzie

17:14 - From Player to Coach

24:00 - Why Georgia Hockey Needs The Hockey Barn

31:42 - Building a Better Hockey Environment

40:08 - Inside The Hockey Barn

49:26 - Growing Hockey Across Georgia

57:18 - Closing Thoughts