Throughout his professional hockey career, Braeden Ostepchuk understood that he needed to work harder than most to see his dream of becoming a professional hockey player a reality.  Although that dream did indeed eventually come true, the COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately forced his on-ice career to a halt.  Since then, Ostepchuk has developed a way to grow mentally and physically and is now sharing his new passion through his podcast ‘Learn II Perform with Braeden Ostepchuk’.

Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, Ostepchuk found himself bouncing to different cities throughout his hockey journey, playing for any team that was in need of a goaltender and willing to take a chance on him.  Always seeming to be the last player cut, he knew that he needed to take full advantage of each and every opportunity.

“After a great year in the KIJHL, I kind of got lucky moving forward to the BCHL. A goalie coach of mine back in Lethbridge, Jeff Battah, helped me secure a spot with the Powell River Kings. I played that year, but it was definitely a rough one. It was an eye-opening experience for me, playing with and against such skilled players, most who had offers from NCAA Division I schools.  I definitely felt like I was behind the play. After that season, not many teams would take a chance on me.”

After initially seeing his career begin to progress, there was obvious disappointment in realizing that it may be slipping away.  However, keeping a positive mindset, his next opportunity ended up in Manitoba with the Selkirk Steelers, one that proved to be crucial for his development.

“Before camp started, the team found out their goalie needed surgery, so they gave me a shot. From there, I went on to set a franchise record in wins plus a league record for goals-against-average. I was a CJHL Goalie and Player of the Year finalist. It was a make-or-break experience for me and I felt much more comfortable that entire year.”

After a successful season, Ostepchuk moved on to the NCAA in 2014 with Norwich University, highly acclaimed as one of the top Division-3 hockey programs in the U.S. Braeden experienced tremendous success throughout those four years, even being voted unanimously as team captain in his senior season.

“They were actually one of the only schools I was able to visit. From the beginning, I loved being around the coaches, players, and their first-class arena. Moving into my senior year, getting the news of becoming captain from a well-respected coach in Mike McShane, it was an honour. We ended up winning the National Championship that year, which was a great way to end my career there.”

Ostepchuk’s successful NCAA career led to his first professional opportunity in 2018. He received an Amateur Tryout Offer (ATO) from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL. That ATO turned into a contract for the remainder of the season after impressing Head Coach Brian Gratz with his devoted work ethic.

“I had never been around this calibre of hockey before. It was a huge jump for me, probably the biggest jump of my career. This was my first professional experience. It was crazy just being in some of those buildings. I did not even care if I played, just to be there was awesome.”

Throughout his professional career, Ostepchuk played 71 games between 4 different teams, and not including the several loans, requiring him to travel continuously looking for that next opportunity, hoping that one will lead to a better one. Throughout all the memories though, his first game in Greenville will always remain the most notable.

“When I got to make my first start for Greenville, we were flying out to play Norfolk. What made it more special was that my opposing goalie was Ty Reichenbach, who was my teammate at Norwich. We had a nice exchange in the pregame at centre ice before puck drop. I remember the first shot I faced went in through a screen and the crowd went crazy. I remember thinking ‘You’ve got to me kidding me.’”

Fast forward to the year 2020, one that saw sports come to a halt.  Without a job, Ostepchuk began to wonder if it was time to transition to a post-hockey career. During his 4 years at Norwich, he completed a degree in engineering, even being selected as his class Valedictorian. His commitment towards his studies paid off, as he was hired for a job at a start-up technology company in Philadelphia.

“I had a job lined up in Philadelphia, however that kept getting pushed back with the pandemic. I noticed COVID cases were getting worse throughout the U.S. and the borders were going to be closing, so I thought it was smart for me to get back to Canada, just in case.”

Once he returned to Lethbridge, he strived to remain in shape.  However, after a few days he began to feel ill with symptoms including a fever, chills, and general body ache. As a precaution, he decided to get tested for COVID-19. The worst case was realized when the test came back positive.  After following the isolation protocol, he went back to his normal routine.  This experience made him realize that he must put the work in to maximize his mental and physical performance.

“While keeping an eye on my COVID-19 symptoms, I started researching fitness and wellness practices, which turned into human physiology, then to nutrition and fasting. These different methods helped me experiment ways to prevent disease and improve upon my longevity.”

If anything came out of this pandemic for Ostepchuk and his experience with COVID-19, it was the realization that there are many ways in which he could improve upon not only his physical performance, but his general wellbeing on a daily basis.

“I got really passionate about these diets. I tried different keto or vegan diets, intermittent fasting, even a carnivore diet. I started to feel so much happier and way more energized.  I came to realize I had more productivity each day. This led to researching even more ideas like the benefits of taking cold showers or sleep scheduling. It was amazing how this changed my day-to-day.”

“Being at home finally gave me the time and space to invest in myself. This time is something we do not get too often in life, and I have become so much happier and healthier.”

Armed with this knowledge, a friend suggested that he start a podcast, where he could share these practices and allow others to utilize these resources. With 5 episodes already out, he suggests that all current or former players listen to them, as he wishes he knew this information while he was playing.

“I started telling some of my friends about it and they began trying it themselves. With how impressed they were, and the hockey season delayed, one friend suggested starting a podcast, as I had already done the research.  Turns out I was good at breaking down the information.”

“I encourage all current or former players to give the podcast a chance, as it has helped me learn how to transition out of hockey. It is possible to feel a sort of identity crisis. For example, my third episode is all on philosophy, which can be very helpful for players worried about what will happen when they are no longer considered ‘just an athlete’.”

If any current or former player is interested in attempting to improve their well-being, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) has secured numerous partnership programs that can help. Organizations such as Meridian, BioSteel, Brain Armor, InStat, truLocal, Brazyn, and many others have agreed to offer their products or services at preferred rates for PHPA Members, providing access to a variety of resources meant to strengthen their overall well-being on a daily basis, allowing players to take care of themselves and their families. Resources like this, according to Ostepchuk, should be taken advantage of by all.

“I think it’s paramount. It’s absolutely crucial, and I can tell you from my experience that the physical and emotional toll is enormous; it’s a grind. Having these programs are so beneficial and life would have been tougher without them. I could not imagine living without the support cast that I had through my teams as well as the PHPA.”

The COVID-19 world has been a change for us all. If Ostepchuk has learned anything throughout his hockey career, it’s to never stop working and never stop grinding.

Braeden used his experience to work and find ways to improve his life on a daily basis. Now he strives to share his knowledge and to help others. In his eyes, something good may have come from this year.

To check out Braeden Ostepchuk’s podcast ‘Learn II Perform with Braeden Ostepchuk’, visit the following platforms:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/learn-ii-perform-with-braeden-ostepchuk/id1541491769

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06HX3smMoxJk6nl8slblQ3

Website: https://learniiperform.com