On this episode we welcome back Brian Idalski, the new head coach of the Syracuse women's hockey team and head coach of the Czechia women's national team. Brian was last on the show in Episode 85, when he was in his second year at St. Cloud State, and a lot has happened since. We start with the NCAA 5-for-5 rule change, the pending senior class lawsuit, and what a 26-player roster cap means for the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes, something Brian calls "COVID 2.0." Brian gives an honest accounting of the Vancouver Goldeneyes' inaugural PWHL season, including the toll of constant time zone changes and the Olympic break, and shares how he came to lead Czechia. We also discuss his plans for rebuilding Syracuse, why he builds programs around "solid B kids with A work ethic," how moving from the WCHA to AHA changes his measuring stick, and his advice for families stuck in an unpredictable recruiting cycle: it is our job to find you, so focus on becoming the best version of yourself. You can connect with Brian Idalski either on the Syracuse women’s hockey website or via Brian Idalski’s Champs App profile ============================ Champs App is your recruiting and development copilot. We help athletes, coaches, parents, and agents/advisors navigate the youth sports landscape. Create a free Champs App account to build a beautiful hockey profile and unlock free, high-quality content focused on recruiting and hockey player development.Download Champs App for iOS in the Apple App StoreDownload Champs App for Android in the Google Play Store =========================================== Champs360 is the all-in-one recruiting and development copilot for players, parents, and coaches. It gives families the clarity and tools to navigate the recruiting process with less stress and more confidence.At its core, Champs360 brings everything together in one organized system. The College Search tool lets families filter and explore every school by size, location, admission scores and tuition. My Shortlist makes it easy to save and track the programs you care about, and for every school on your shortlist, the Team Dashboard delivers deep program intelligence: rosters, coaching staff, recruiting data, upcoming events, and school-specific articles and videos, all in one place. Communication is central to recruiting, and Champs360 makes it faster and more professional. The Messaging Center, completely redesigned for this release, lets players email coaches directly, receive replies, schedule messages, send to multiple recipients, and save drafts, all from one organized dashboard. Every Champs App user also gets a free professional recruiting email address through ChampsMail, choosing between @champs.email or @champsmail.com. Coach replies forward automatically to the player's personal inbox, or a parent's inbox. With Champs360, players can also send emails to coaches directly through their ChampsMail address. Champs360 also makes it easier for families to work together. Players can share access with up to two parents, with full control over what each parent can see and do across six areas of the platform. Players always keep final control, even if a parent owns the subscription. ChampsGPT, Champs App's AI recruiting assistant. =========================================== Want honest feedback on where your game stands today? ChampsEyeQ delivers an unbiased evaluation of your potential. Submit at least ten minutes of edited game shifts (for skaters or goalies) and receive an objective, data-driven analysis from expert scouts. ChampsEyeQ is also available as a gift card, making it a great gift for motivated players. ChampsEyeQ evaluates players across 15+ attributes (skating, hockey IQ, compete level, intangibles, and more) and provides:An overall rating (1–10)A projection of NCAA Division I potentialClear insights on strengths, weaknesses, and development prioritiesVisit www.champseyeq.comSee a Sample SubmissionView a Sample Report
