Transcript

UCONN BUILT A NEW $70 MILLION HOCKEY ARENA - Chiclets University

From Spittin' Chiclets · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 29 min · 5,743 words · 141 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "UCONN BUILT A NEW $70 MILLION HOCKEY ARENA - Chiclets University", an episode of Spittin' Chiclets published December 16, 2025 (29 min, about 5,743 words). It mentions 10 people, works and ideas, including Joey Mulani, Yukon Huskies, Mike Kavanagh, University of Connecticut, Connecticut.

What this episode is about

The University of Connecticut has unveiled its new $70 million Pascale Family Ice Forum, showcasing advanced facilities that enhance the experience for student-athletes and fans alike. The arena features unique elements such as an "ice lounge" with clear views of the rink and comprehensive access to practice filming, highlighting the commitment to both athletic excellence and community engagement.

Key takeaways

  • A $70 million ice rink won't make you an All-American, but it sure makes practice cooler.
  • Lunch breaks at UConn include film study and open ice—who knew academia could be so chilly?
  • Ice lounges with a bar? Welcome to hockey's version of the VIP section.
  • From ping pong bets to cold tubs, UConn hockey knows how to keep the competition frosty.
  • Alumni walls aren't just for names; they're for inspiration—hockey's version of a Hall of Fame.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Joey Mulani, Yukon Huskies, University of Connecticut, Connecticut
  2. – 10:00: Yukon Huskies, Connecticut, Hockey East, Greg Carton
  3. – 25:00: Joey Mulani, Yukon Huskies, Mike Kavanagh, Connecticut
  4. – 28:37: Joey Mulani, Yukon Huskies, Mike Kavanagh, Connecticut

Notable quotes from "UCONN BUILT A NEW $70 MILLION HOCKEY ARENA - Chiclets University"

  • So this is something new that we're trying out called Plantigga. It's something where they put it on the insole of your hockey boot and it's supposed to track stuff like how.
    about Plantiga · at
  • We're trying to have all of our pro guys come back and visit, sign the wall for us when they come back. Yukon's a program that I mean you've only been in Hockey East less than…
    about Yukon Huskies · at
  • I, mean,, incredible., Are, you, guys, a, Nike school? You Nike everything?
    about Nike · at
  • Program, he basically has built it from the ground up, meaning he was here from the beginning. We're here with the pride and joy of North Andover Massachusetts. Head coach of…
    about Mike Kavanagh · at
  • Shout out to Joey Muli, second in the country in goals last year. Keep an eye out for him this season. And shout out to the Yukon Huskies.
    about Joey Mulani · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Joey Mulani — Person · Main guest / on-camera guide (UConn men’s hockey player) · 4 mentions · first at
    He leads the tour of UConn’s new hockey facility and explains team culture, training tech, and traditions; he’s also highlighted for his goal-scoring and a key playoff moment.
  • Mike Kavanagh — Person · Referenced leader / interview subject (head coach) · 2 mentions · first at
    Presented as the architect of UConn hockey’s rise and facility build-out; he discusses recruiting philosophy, NIL, and program identity.
  • Greg Carton — Person · Referenced expert (team psychologist) · 1 mention · first at
    He is cited as the team psychologist who runs a mental-performance exercise where players choose words describing their game to reinforce identity and mindset.
    But, yeah,, no,, it's, it's, great., And, then one thing I do want to show you is something that we do with our team psychologist Greg Carton. He came on with us and he's always been a friend of Cavs. but he was actually working.

Companies & orgs

  • Yukon Huskies — Company · Business focus · 4 mentions · first at
    The hockey team discussed in detail, showcasing their facilities and culture.
  • University of Connecticut — Company · Headquarters · 1 mention · first at
    The university hosting the hockey team and the new ice forum.
    We're trying to have all of our pro guys come back and visit, sign the wall for us when they come back. Yukon's a program that I mean you've only been in Hockey East less than…

Products & tech

  • Plantiga — Product · Case study · 1 mention · first at
    A new technology used by the hockey team for injury prevention.

Concepts & topics

  • Cavs — Concept · Referenced expert · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of the team psychologist's work.
    One thing I do want to show you is something that we do with our team psychologist Greg Carton. He came on with us and he's always been a friend of Cavs. but he was actually…

Places & events

  • Connecticut — Place · Setting · 4 mentions · first at
    The state where the University of Connecticut and the hockey team are located.
    So, it's, a, tournament, every, year, that, we do between us, Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac and Yale.
  • Hockey East — Event · Core topic · 3 mentions · first at
    The conference the Yukon Huskies are part of, discussed in the context of the team's rise.
    We're trying to have all of our pro guys come back and visit, sign the wall for us when they come back. Yukon's a program that I mean you've only been in Hockey East less than…

Sponsors

  • Nike — Company · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    The brand providing equipment for the hockey team.

Full transcript with timestamps

Let's see how three family on six. 1 2 3 4 5 6 University. We are back. University Connecticut. The new $70 million Pascano family Ice Forum. We got Joey Mulani of the Yukon Huskies here. Name sound familiar. Second in the country in goals last year. Joe, what are we going to see today?

Just, going, to, see, some, culture., Going, to see some unreal facilities. And you're going to most importantly meet some people that have uh made this all happen.

Wow,, what, an, entrance, we, have, here. Being, able, to, walk, into, this, every, day is uh it's a blessing, I guess you could say.

And, I, love, how, you, can, just, see, right onto the ice here. What is this? Isn't something you usually see at many uh college arenas here. Kind of explain what we got going on here.

Yeah,, so, this, is, the, ice, lounge. Little bar, too. I mean, you can't beat this.

No,, this, is, uh, this, is, pretty, cool. What, does, a, typical, day, look, like, at Yukon for Joey Mold Downey?

Get, some, breakfast,, go, to, class., Um, usually head into the rank around 12:30.

You, guys, also,, have, open, ice, in the morning, too. Open, ice, to, get, on, there, with, uh, coaches do some extra work. I mean, guys are utilizing that every single day.

They, film, every, practice, and, it's available for us a second when we're off the ice. So, we can watch every second that we're on the ice every day. So it's pretty nice. We'll get a meal on too up at the Blue Line Club up there.

Oh,, wow. It's, a, pretty, nice, view. All right,, I, think, we, go, check, out, where uh Joey Mulani spends his days.

Let's, go, do, it. So,, this, is, kind,, of, where, we walk in every day. This is the entrance. We got the coaches lounges for the men's team over there, women's team over here.

Love, that, trophy, case, here., I, mean,, a big part of this that I know I kind of want to give a shout out to the women's team, the women's program. They've had some serious uh success over the past couple years.

My, freshman, year,, they, won, the, Hockeyy's Championship and they got their names up on the on the banner. I think they were the first banner to be put up here in the new rank. What do we have here?

This, is, our, wall, of, all, of, the, jerseys that we've had in the past years of the program. So, this is pretty awesome. Just

iconic, jerseys. Yeah., Just, keeping, the, culture, and tradition going around the rink.

The, mesh, on, the, side. That's, awesome., Yeah., Which, one, Which one's your favorite?

I'd, have, to, go, with, the, Husky., Yeah. I, mean,, that, is, that, logo, is, 10, out, of 10. Elite logo.

All right,, we, got, to, go,, check out the lodge. All right. Oh, this is incredible. Come sit over here, kick up the feet a little bit.

Yeah. Watch, some, film., You, guys, ever, watch like Sunday football in here? Yeah., Yeah., We'll, throw, on, some football, stuff like that. I mean, it's great to have this part over here, too just for doing homework and stuff like that. Like guys will we have classes in the mornings usually. We have practice from like 3:00 to 4:00. We have to be here by 2:00 for our meeting. But uh guys will finish up

uh, class, probably, around, noon, and, then they'll just come right to the rank. So this is something new that we're trying out called Plantigga. It's something where they put it on the insole of your hockey boot and it's supposed to track stuff like how much weight you're putting on one leg versus the other. It's just another injury prevention system. I know that, we're, one, of the, first, programs in NCAA to have both men's and women's hockey teams using Plantiga. So it's pretty cool. It's awesome.

You, want, to, get, pumped,, in, ping pong? Let's play something pong. Let's, make, a, bet.

All, right. Loser jumps in the cold tub at the end of the toilet. Full clothes.

Okay., What, do, you, want, to, play, up, to? We'll, play, up, to, three. All, right.

Second, in, the, nation., Goals. Get, pumped. Oh, I, got, you. Oh man. All right., Come, on.

The, pingpong, champion, reigns, supreme once again. Good match. Good, match. Don't, think, I'm, letting, up, on, you. You're jumping in that gold tub.

What, do, we, got, here? But, yeah,, this, is, our, um, Winter, Soldier Showdown. At the beginning of the year the uh Thursday before our first game we have all the seniors do kind of a shootout. The winner of it gets to choose what the showdown name of it is going to be for the year. The managers uh will get a picture with the winner.

That's, awesome. It's, awesome., Yeah., Kind, of, get the, managers, a, little, shine.

Get, them, involved., I, mean,, they're, all great. So, it's always nice to give them just like a little recognition.

This, is, kind, of, something, that, we started up all the players that have come through the program that have played in the World Juniors. But then this is also something that we started doing as a little like alumni wall. So we're trying to have all of our pro guys come back and visit, you know, sign the wall for us when they come back. Yukon's a program that I mean you've only been in Hockey East less than 15 years. So it's it's it's a it's a program that's clearly on the rise especially when you see a name like Gage Thompson.

It's interesting. Um you guys recruit a lot of Russians. I, mean, now, we, we, got, some, Frenchies, on the team this year. We have a big Swede uh Viking. I mean he's

Timeout., Time, out., Viking. Yeah., Viking, Gustoson, Nyberg. Why, don't, we, get, right, into, it?, Viking. Let's go.

It's, actually, his, day, today. What, does, that, mean? Every, day, a, player, will, go, up,, introduce themselves, tell them, you know, name where they're from, where they live on campus, their major, mom's name, dad's name, stuff like that, their hobbies and then after they kind of get that baseline stuff done. Then the guys all kind of just grill them with questions. Oh, celebrity crush.

Sydney, Sweeney., Dinner, with, three people, Adam Sandler, Bur Hall, and Sydney Sweeney.

Let's, go, into, the, dry, stalls, here. We, got, to, talk, about, this, here. Yeah.,, Yeah.

The, old, barn. I, mean,, that's, where, it, start., It, was, an outdoor rink here at Yukon at first, and then they upgraded to the Freedus

which, is, now, the,, volleyball facility. Which, is, now, the, volleyball, facility. And these are some pictures from the first year at the Tusano.

Connecticut's, an, underrated, hockey state just in that it produces a lot of NHL players, right?

A, lot, of, good, AAA, like, the, Mid, Fairfield Blues. They're, dialed., Darian,, Connecticut always used to be up at Lake Placid dominating like Connecticut can play hockey.

Oh, yeah., It's, unbelievable. I, mean,, incredible., Are, you, guys, a, Nike school? You Nike everything?

Yes., Nike, everything.,, They, hook us up pretty well between like our backpacks. We get cleats for the summers because we find ourselves on the turf.

You, guys, are, running, routes., Oh,, like, literally., Yeah,, we're, back. We're backpedaling, running over our shoulder.

But, yeah,, no,, it's, it's, great., And, then uh one thing I do want to show you is something that we do with our team psychologist Greg Carton. He came on uh with us and he's always been a friend of Cavs. Uh but he was actually working with individual players. He worked a lot with golfers. At the beginning of every year, we'll uh meet with him uh individually. Um, we kind of just think of like two to three words that uh we think describes our game and we stick it on here so that way every day once we open that thing up to throw like our keys wallets, whatever it is in there, um, we kind of just remind ourselves to go out there and practice that way, go out there and play that way that night. It's something that we started my freshman year. If you're not doing okay mentally then you're not going to go out and perform, right? No. like your your health, uh, mentally, physically emotionally, like it's all it all comes

into one. And then this is something that I wanted to show you guys and I can't go too into detail just cuz it's our playbook

the, book, of, secrets, here. It's a, book, of, secrets,, here., But this is our playbook that we come up with every year. Uh, something that we started last year. We kind of put together a team identity with a a group of stories that um, we think is going to make up our our team values and our team identity for the year. you know, just in the in the front. It's all in, right? Going going with the theme of Las Vegas because that's our ultimate, goal, at, the, end, of the, year, is to make it to Las Vegas.

Love, that., Is,, that, something that that cab started? Is that something the captain started?

Captain, started, it, last, year. Okay. And, that's, something, that, uh, we, kept going this year.

Holy, grail. This, is,, bananas., The, first, thing I notice is I go to the quotes here and I love this one. and how you do anything is how you do everything.

Oh, yeah. And, if, you're, waking, up, and, you're not tying your shoes the right way, like how you going to go do a drill the right way? Exactly. You know what I mean? Like if you're not showing up to class, if you're not doing the right things all the time, it's like what what makes you think you're just going to come here to to the rink and just do everything the right way. And then right back there, we skate, we pressure, we fight for every inch of the ice. That's kind of just Yukon's identity, right? We're never just We don't want things easy. Like nobody wants to play us at the end of the day. Like we're one of those teams that people are coming in and be like "Let's play Yukon tonight."

Yeah. And, then, treat, the, custodian, like, you would treat the CEO. And, I, think, we've, seen, that, here, with how you guys treat the managers, how you guys treat the equipment manager. I mean, the women's teams, uh, coaches like you guys are all dapping each other up. You guys are all, you know, knuckles when you guys walk by. It seems like everyone's just buddies here.

Oh,, yeah., I, mean,, it's, great., It's, a It's a huge community here. And I mean it's like you respect everybody.

Let's, uh, let's, check, out, your, stall here. the white heels power skates. So they do this custom for you guys.

Yes,,, I, got, my, uh, Velcro, on, the back here for my backpock. Oh,, need, that., Yeah,, I, like, that.

That's, awesome., Yeah,, me, me, and, uh, Ryan, Tattle, pretty big on it. I've, actually, never, seen, that., Am, I, an idiot for never seeing that or is that new?

That's, something, that, he, he, brought. Really? Oh,, I, love, it., It, helps, keep, the, socks there. They're not moving. So

style. It's, awesome. Style, at, Yukon, is, top, priority, here. That's, what, it's, all, about.

Yeah., And, these, jerseys, like they're, clean. I, think, honestly,, the, favorite part about the locker room though I would say is the Bluetooth plays throughout here. Plays throughout the dry stall. Plays throughout the showers and the bathroom right now.

Oh,, that's, awesome. So, that's, dials. It's, the, best., So, there's,, two things that I want to go over before we leave. One being our team impact kits. Oh,

okay., That's, awesome. Yeah., Yeah,, they're, great.,, Um, I just want to give them a shout out. Jack, Will, and Luke. They'll come on the ice with us after practices. Sometimes they'll skate around with us. They play an important role. They're they're just as much a part of this team as us players are. So, uh it's it's great. And then second thing is right over here. We got our our military helmet.

Oo,, can, I, grab, it? Yeah., So,, that's, for, the, player, of, the game. This, is, heavy., Oh, my, god.

So,, that's, like, a, real, It's, from, the battlefield. We, got, it, from, a, um, a, direct, one, of, our director of hockey ops, uh Morgan Hall. He was a Marine. Uh he flew helicopters for the Marine Corps in Afghanistan. And uh he actually gifted us his that was his

Wow., you, know,, in, war, helmet. Wow. Just, like, another, piece, of, tradition,, I guess you would say that.

Yeah. We, keep, going. Well,, you, got, to, create, your, traditions, right? Like like we've said, Yukon, you haven't been playing college hockey since 1940.

No,, exactly. So,, new, traditions, like, this,, I, think, are uh awesome. Oh,, yeah., And, then,, like, I, was talking about when you win the uh the showdown, the shootout, get the belt. And then another way that you can get that if you score a goal like a breakaway goal or a goalie stops a breakaway.

You, get, that, in, a, game. Yeah., In, a, game. Let's, take, a, second, and, talk, about, this guy right here.

Yeah. T, Thompson., Cuz, first, off, I, believe one Joey Miy just broke this guy's Yukon goalc scoring record.

I, mean,, especially, being, from, Buffalo growing up and I' I've been watching him for plenty of years now and uh it's pretty it's pretty cool knowing that he was a Yukon Husky and you know I you see him around skating at the same ranks as you in Buffalo. Um and I mean he's he's one, of the, best, in, the, game, right, now.

Now, let's, talk, about, what, we, got, here., A it's, all, stocked, up. Yeah., Couple of those in there. I'll take one of those.

And, then, over, here., So,, they, give, us vitamin D, fish oil, and then right here, we just got some nutrition stuff bars, electrolyte stuff right there. Nutrition. That's perfect. Lead us right into the gym.

Oh,, wow., It's, right, here. Let's, go., Let's, go. Hey, hey, up on your feet. We're going to go with a green warm up.

I'm, a, associate, athletic, director, for sport performance. I started as an athlete in 99, came on staff as a grad assistant in '04, and I've kind of just made my way through the ranks over time., I've, been, with, hockey, since, ' 06.

Okay., So,, you've, seen, it, all. You, know,, when, we, opened, this, facility now, it's every day. We're in communication. We're working together. If a guy's out of practice, he can come right here and we can train. It's not inconvenient.

It's, so, close., It's, so, easy. I, mean,, like, I, said,, like, I'm, seeing, the guys six to seven days a week at times.

That's, awesome., and, having, those one-offs and it builds relationships is really what it does and allows us to understand each other a little more but also like hey you just need 10 15 more minutes I'll be here for you just come get me after practice instead of oh I got to go across campus and so like from a strength department we've always had phenomenal resources but they were isolated and they've grown exponentially

so, let's, let's, see, this, uh, your, dojo here I mean this is uh this is incredible it's beautiful it's everything looks so new

we, designed, these, racks, in, 2005, five for football and we've evolved them. So, we've added all the storage to our racks and Powerlift has customized everything. They moved our cable columns for us so we can put our specialty bars at the racks.

So,, these, are, all, customized. Everything's, custom. We, stay, up, to, date, on, everything,, right? Like everything's always new tech like every year there's always some new technology that we're trying to stay up to date with.

So,, this, is, what's, called, Perch., Uh Perch been around for a bit, but they kind of dove in with us. It's camerabased system. It's all what's called velocity based training. you know, when they come in, right, they go on, their program is in here, and if he's back squatting, the camera moves right into the inside of the rack. If we're doing something out front, it just moves the outside of the rack. The data is sitting in my computer. I don't have to go and read every single sheet now. And that's the same thing. So down, we've added force plates. Same deal. The guys jump every day that they train with me to kind of establish their standards and norms. And then in season, we usually train after practice, the guys jump. And what this does is one, we run a leaderboard, so it gets really competitive.

Can, I, try, jumping?, Of, course. Come, on. That, looked, good., That, looked, good.

Okay., Now, all, right., When, you, guys, are, doing, this, how how uh vocal are you? Are you on them like, "Come on, pick it up. Pick it up."

When, we're, doing,, testing, week, you should have seen it. I mean, it was testing., My, ears, were, ringing, this, year.

It, was, the, coolest., It, was, the, coolest thing ever. I mean, guys what, made, What, made, it, so,, cool? So, we have a bell over here that um we ring every time somebody gets a personal record. And that bell was rang every day by maybe

That's, awesome. by, maybe, half, the, team,, like, every single day. Yeah., Oh,, yeah., Oh,, yeah.

PR, 166., This, is, incredible. Yeah., We're,, beyond, fortunate., I mean, they gave us the resources to really just elevate everything we do here. head athletic trainer for the hockey team.

Yes,, that, is, it., One, thing, I, always, like to keep in mind with everybody is this is where we started when I first started with the program. I mean, this office we have now is bigger than what that training room used to be for two teams. It's a good reminder to never forget your roots.

I, mean,, it, looks, like, you, guys, have everything that they could want here.

You, have, to, try, to, fail, here. Um, everything, possible, is, given, to, you, here and we're very blessed to have this.

Yeah., It's, still, one, of, those, things where you come in every day and you can't believe that this is where you get to work.

What, is, this, thing, here?, This, thing, just catched my eye. And I I don't know what it is.

This, is, called, blood, flow, restriction training. And what it does is it's going to restrict your blood flow. So that any normal exercise, like doing 10 push-ups with this thing, feels like you're doing 50.

Oh,, let's, do, it., Let's, do, it. So,, it's, going, to, feel, like, uh, the tightest tourniquet you've ever put on.

What? All, right., So,, now, we're, going to inflate it when I tell you to. You're going, to, hop, down., And, you're, going to do 30 push-ups. 12.

There's, Here's, the, slowdown. 28 29 There. Okay., So, now,, if, we, were, really, doing it, I would hit take a break. I would hit this little clock and it's going to run a timer. So in 30 seconds, you're supposed to do 15 more.

We, got, to, do, it, then,, right? Oh Jesus. 14 14. You, got, it., You, got, it., One, more.

As, you, can, see,, like, somebody, that's tore their ACL and they can't get in there and really work with the guys. This is a great way to be able to get their quads.

So, for, the, people, back, home,, how, many push-ups was I like really doing there?

75, 90. after games. These are a lifesaver. How, important, was, that, for, you, to, get this into this facility? It

was, massively, important., Having, real hydrotherapy even beyond just the benefits of recovery in a hot tub that feels good. I can use this for an ankle sprain that somebody has swelling. We put them in and we can have them start working on range of motion and pumping out all that swelling. So, having all these toys is [snorts] it's a game changer. You know what goes great with a cold tub is a nice sauna. And no one, and I mean no one, does saunas better than our friends at Sweat House.

Oh, little rapid shot. Little rapid, shot, that, we, got,, which, is, pretty nice.

Let's, do, another, little, competition. Yeah. Play, a, little, post, left,, crossbar,, right first to do all three wins.

Let's, do, it. It's, fun, playing, with, you. I, can't, win,, dude., I, can't, win.

Use, a, long, stick, man., Yeah., I, like, to, uh, I, like, to, have, a longer stick.

Why? I, like, to, like, have also, like, changing the angle on the goalies. I mean, I think it's it's been a big thing now where it's like goalies are going to stop pucks like just

Yeah. like, shooting, a, straight, up, wrist, shot right at them. But if you're changing the angle

if, you're, it's, a, the, puck's, moving, from out here to here in the matter of a split second, like it's going to throw.

Teach, me, how, to, teach, me, this., So, you're saying like coming in like that? Literally it's just like you're coming down and like you're stick counting the puck out here and you're pulling I'm pulling it into here and releasing it from here. It's like that sets the goaliey's angle off.

Yeah. So, much., Right., Like I, know, I'm, out, here, and, I'm, pulling, in there.

All, right., We're, here, with, Chris, Aampo, head equipment manager of the men's hockey team in his dungeon in his palace. Uh what do we got here? Both of these machines are made by Elite. We were the second college program to actually get the sharpener. Uh quite a few teams do have the profiler, which is what this is and this is the sharpener. So, this allows me in the middle right now profiling two pairs of blades for a new player that we have. They have this number of profiles to choose from. So, I have a book of not every profile but, this, is, just, one, size., So,, I take the player out on the ice, send them out in their skates, just get them comfortable, and then just kind of work through the progression from very basic to pretty complicated and give them the opportunity to what feels best for them. And then once we lock them in and we know what they want I make them six pairs and we roll with

that for the season. How long have you been with the team? I started as a student in the 989 season and then upon graduation started full-time. So you've seen when they were playing over across the street, I think they called it the tin shed. Talk about the changes though. I mean from the from the tin shed to the to here. I mean it seems like Yukon is giving you absolutely everything you need to to succeed and help these guys out. We're jumping by leaps and bounds and the the change to hockey is definitely I think propelled that quite a bit obviously with the new building that we have. But, you know, going back to the old outdoor rink and with a fireplace in the middle, uh the guys would have to go halfway across campus to the fieldhouse if they needed a stick or something. There was no laundry service there. There was nothing there. You know, we're definitely at another level now as as can be seen by

this. Well, we can't thank you enough. We won't take too much of your time. Go Yukon.

Thanks, very, much. Yeah. I, mean,, he's, very, old, school. Yeah. Very, old, school, person., I, mean,, he'll, be here until

3:00, a.m., I, mean,, you, you, have, to, give props to the EQs. Just, grinders,, man.

Yeah., But this, is, it. Here, it, is. Wow. What can you not love about this place?

This, is, awesome., So,,, I'm guessing this is where all the students sit. The culture of hockey here at Yukon is definitely building up more and more. fans are always going to show up, but definitely once we started doing better and um we got to play some of the more important games here, they really showed out for us and it was it was so cool.

Most, iconic, memory, here, the, Providence, game, last, year,, first round of playoffs, I had the empty net and the game leading goal. [screaming]

It's, electric, playing, here., Like nothing beats it. Connecticut ice right?, Tell, me, what, that, is., And, can, we both agree the worst name for a tournament in tournament named history? Like we it's Connecticut. We have some history here.

It's, cliche. I, think, uh, coach, said, the, Constitution Cup like the Battle of Connecticut.

So, it's, a, tournament, every, year, that, we do between us, Sacred Heart, Quinnipiac and Yale.

Champions, last, year, though. It, was, nice, getting, that, that, trophy under our belt. Got that taste for victory and championships like pretty early. So, that kind of leads me to my my last question and I think you saved the best for last because I've been so impressed with Coach Kavanagh. I think he as a person, as a coach, the way he's been so involved in building all this.

I, mean,, just, to, the, school, and, the program, um, he basically has built it from the ground up, meaning he was here from the beginning. We're here with the pride and joy of North Andover Massachusetts. Head coach of the Yukon Huskies, Mike Kavanaaugh. Coach, this place is incredible.

You, walk, around, this, campus,, you, see, the facilities that baseball has. I

mean,, look, at how, many, conference championships you have. I, know., They're, they're, a, wagon. Lacrosse and soccer in here. Athletics is a very important part of the vibe on this campus and um they treat it that way. And we're fortunate enough uh to have enough people in this state that want to see us succeed and build a beautiful facility for us. There are some schools in the league where hockey is just their sole focus, you know, and here, you know, our kids get to meet basketball players and frat eyes with them. Ba baseball players like I know

a, bunch, of, them, were, friendly, with, like when Anthony Kay was here, the pitcher.

I, keep, hearing, this, phrase, non-stop,, the ice bus. The ice bus. Yukon is the ice bus. I don't know if it's a place, a person, a thing. What is the ice? Are you Are you guys the ice bus?

I, think, the, genesis, of, that, term, came from us having to get on a bus and go down and play in Hartford all the time. And it was my second year here when we came in when we went into Hockey East that they actually wrapped a bus on campus. And it's still in I think it's still in circulation.

I, heard, I, heard, it's, driving, around, the ice bus. Yeah., And, it's, just, kind, of, been, our thing since uh we moved into Hockey East.

You're, a, college, hockey, lifer,, I'd, say. I mean 20 years now. I think over 20 years in the business.

34, to, be, exact. 34., 34., How, important,, over, the past few years have you seen the the rise in facilities and and having better and nicer facilities for recruiting?

Listen,, we, played, out, of, that, old, rink and we're one goal in overtime away from winning the Hockey East title playing in an old rink. So, I do believe that it's about the people you bring into your program more than the facilities. This used to be our lounge here and then like this wall like they they just put this in. This is where we stretched and this is where we ate pregame meal.

Get, out, of, here, right, here., So, people could just walk by and see you guys stretching.

Yeah., You, know, what?, I'll, take, you., Oh yeah. They'd be like we'd be eating pregame meal and they'd be having youth hockey games in here. I'll show you our old locker room. I haven't done a thing to it.

Not, terrible, though. Not, terrible, but, not, what, we, have, now. But I'm But this walking by the youth rooms and that's that's the stuff that sucks.

When, I, first, got, here,, we, had, the Rubbermaid tubs and they would fill it with the Zambonies.

Oh, my, god,, that's, crazy. I, know., That, was, our, coach's, room. Get, out, of, here.

And, I, want, to, kind, of, stick, on recruiting and it's it's a whole different ball game than it was when you're recruiting Kevin and Jimmy Hayes out of their house in Dorchester. It's a lot different now. It's it's NIL's involved.

You, know,, when, I'm, recruiting, kids,, I said, if you're coming here or not coming here over 10,000, then then you're not the kid I want. I don't want you to worry about 10,000. I want you to come here, develop, and make 10 million. That's what I want. I know that, you know, when I was recruiting Brian Jont, he wouldn't have been worried about 10 grand. Can you get me to the NHL so I can make 50 million in my career? You know, that's what he was worried about. And that's where I want our recruits that come here to be worried about. My vision for this program isn't to be a one-h hit wonder.

You know, I want to build a blue chip company that is going competing for titles year in and year out.

Say, you, hire, a, scout, tomorrow, and, what is the the top three things that you're going to say go look for this and this guy?

I, think, one,, you, have, to, get, good, people for sure. I think it's important that you get guys with a high IQ that want to compete. Talent is certainly important and you need talent to compete for trophies, but you also need talent that's going to buy in and play the right way.

I, think, that's, kind, of, what, this, this place is about. This is what Yukon's about is just battling through things and always and just knowing that victory and championships are always they're always, going, to, be, at, the, end, no matter how hard they are, how hard it takes to get there. That's what Yukon's about. Here at Yukon, I mean, they got it all. It's just you can come here, you can be a normal kid at the same time while also come performing out on the ice and following your dreams of playing professional hockey. Well, that wraps it up here at the Tuscano family Ice Forum here in Stores, Connecticut.

$70 million for this hockey kingdom. Shout out to Joey Muli, second in the country in goals last year. Keep an eye out for him this season. And shout out to the Yukon Huskies. All, right,, bats, are to, bat.

I I don't like that. I can't breathe.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "UCONN BUILT A NEW $70 MILLION HOCKEY ARENA - Chiclets University"?

Joey Mulani (Host), Mike Kavanagh (Guest), Chris Aampo (Guest).

What is "UCONN BUILT A NEW $70 MILLION HOCKEY ARENA - Chiclets University" about?

The University of Connecticut has unveiled its new $70 million Pascale Family Ice Forum, showcasing advanced facilities that enhance the experience for student-athletes and fans alike. The arena features unique elements such as an "ice lounge" with clear views of the rink and comprehensive access to practice filming, highlighting the commitment to both athletic excellence and community engagement.

What is mentioned in this Spittin' Chiclets episode?

10 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Joey Mulani, Yukon Huskies, Mike Kavanagh, University of Connecticut, Connecticut, Hockey East. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "UCONN BUILT A NEW $70 MILLION HOCKEY ARENA - Chiclets University"?

The episode runs 29 min; the transcript is about 5,743 words in 141 timestamped sections.

More from Spittin' Chiclets

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 26, 2026.