Away From The Rink

Away From The Rink Away From The Rink (AFTR Podcast) is for athletes and anyone navigating pressure, identity, and life beyond what they once defined themselves by.

Hosted by former high-level athletes D Jay McGrath and Giovanni “Gio” Flamminio

04/27/2026

On the outside, everything looked solid. U18 AAA. Prince Albert Mintos. Producing. Playing well. Living the dream most kids chase.

But behind closed doors…it was a different story.

Coming home, sitting in a dark room, isolating, convincing himself no one could tell. Like if you just keep showing up on the ice, no one sees what’s actually going on.

Until one night, that illusion broke.

A billeted teammate walked into Kishuan’s room in the middle of the night, to check on him. No big speech. No dramatic moment. Just enough awareness to say, “Are you ok?”

And in that moment, Kishuan knew.

He wasn’t hiding it like he thought. And more importantly…he wasn’t okay.

That realization hits different when you’re a teenager trying to hold it all together.

A lot of guys are living this right now…performing on the outside, struggling in silence behind it.

This is where it starts to change💚

Episode 12 - Kishaun Gervais LIVE Friday - Noon
YouTube- Spotify (Away From The Rink)

04/26/2026

Sometimes the moment you think you’re fighting for your spot…is actually the moment it’s already gone.

Keyshawn walked into the coach’s office just looking for clarity. Not even asking for much, just wanted to know if he’d get a game that weekend so he could let people back home know he’d be in the lineup against his former team.

No guarantee.

So he made his case. Stats. Effort. What it meant to him. All of it.

And the response?

“We think the best thing for you today…is to release you.”

Just like that.

No buildup. No warning. No slow fade.

Done.

That’s the reality a lot of athletes don’t talk about. You can prepare, you can do everything “right,” and it still gets taken from you in an instant. And if your identity is wrapped up in it…that moment hits different.

The game doesn’t always give you a goodbye.

So the real question is: who are you when it’s over?

04/24/2026

Hockey culture can build you…or break you if you’re not strong enough to stand on your own.

Too many guys out here pretending, drinking when they don’t want to, acting different, chasing acceptance from people who don’t even respect them. That’s not culture. That’s insecurity.

Real ones don’t fold. Real leaders don’t follow the room, they change it.

If you’re a young guy, hear this⬇️⬇️

You don’t have to sell yourself to belong. The right people will respect you more for standing your ground than fitting into something fake.

Be the guy who says no.
Be the guy who stays disciplined.
Be the guy who lives different.
Because at the end of the day, your career, your life, your name, that’s on YOU.

And real leadership?
It’s being yourself when it’s not popular.

Episode 12- Soon

04/23/2026

For Austin Shepherd, the end of his Jr. A career didn’t come easy, it came in a moment that could’ve gone either way. And that’s what hurts the most.

Three years. Countless practices. Road trips. Coffees. Laughs. Brotherhood.

Gone in an instant.

Shock doesn’t hit the way people think it does. It’s not just tears, it’s standing there, still in your gear, hugging your parents… trying to process how something that’s been your entire life just… stops.

With the Melfort Mustangs, Austin built more than a hockey career. He built a second family. And walking away from the rink, the routines, the “little things.” That’s the part no one prepares you for.

2x Champion. Teammate. Leader.

But beyond the stats and banners, this is the real side of hockey.

We went deeper than the game.
This is the side you don’t always see.

🎥 Full conversation dropping soon.

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