Anybody that has TikTok knows who these lads are. If you don’t?Keep on because you’re going to have a new obsession by the time you’ve ended up finishing this interview.

In an exclusive interview to kick off the new year, we explore the world of The Hockey Guys– who have not only mastered the art of the game, but have also created a unique digital community where passion for hockey meets the vibrant realm of social media.

Comprising the formidable lineup of Austin Friesen, Lawson McDonald, Will Blake, Levi Cudmore, and Martan Yelle; the iconic crew has taken sports content creation by storm. And, I mean, how can one not also be obsessed with a bunch of hotties lip-synching Taylor Swift?

I want to give a massive thank you to these five gentleman for taking the time to speak with me and being so kind. I can’t wait to watch what they do next. Be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel and follow their official Instagram here.

Lace up your skates and get ready to delve into the thrilling universe of The Hockey Guys!

DL: My favorite guys on TikTok; thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me! How are you?

THG: We’re doing great David! Happy new year!

DL: Before becoming massive online, you guys all went to the University of Wisconsin-Superior and played for the university’s hockey team. What was your initial impression of one another, did you hit it off right away?

THG: Only Lawsy and Will had known each other from a previous hockey team. The rest of us all met casually early our freshman year. We all definitely hit it off right away because most of us were roommates! That is how we became such great friends early on in our college career.

DL: Lawson started uploading funny videos to his personal page of all of you guys a few years ago. Did you expect the videos would become such a hit at the time?

THG: Most of us didn’t even have Tiktok at the time, so it was really cool to see when he posted a video of us. People loved it enough to keep wanting more. We looked at the whole situation very casually, but as we started posting more and more we knew there was something special. That gave us the motivation to keep on going with it and take it more seriously!

DL: How did you balance school, hockey, and content creation all while trying to still have personal lives? Clearly your work ethic is impeccable. 

THG: It was tough at first, trying to balance 10 guys’ schedules was tricky. Some videos would need to be filmed multiple days. We eventually found that filming on Sundays was the most successful time for all of us to put in a few hours all together.

DL: Since the success of your videos, you’ve branched into the podcast world and have your own show, which I love by the way. What made you want to start The Fan Club and No Bad Days podcasts?

THG: Thank you David! Really happy to hear you’re enjoying the show! The No Bad Days pod started in college as a way for 3 of the guys to often recap what we were up to during the week and have a casual funny conversation. Unfortunately, as those guys went on to their hockey careers it is no longer being produced.

We started the Fan Club Pod as a way for us to share our social media journey. Interview other creators, and to teach our fans about the sport of hockey! We even built our own studio in our office to record in!

DL: Do you have a favorite preference when it comes to podcasting or creating content for TikTok?

THG: For the podcast, we love talking about events going on around the hockey and social media world. There is always so much fun topics to chat about. For TikTok content, our music videos are always a favorite to watch. They usually are a recap of our trip in music video form. Most of the time it’s Taylor Swift songs, but we mix it up with some other fun ones as well. 

DL: You’re all in incredible shape and look amazing. What keeps you motivated when it comes to getting into the gym?

THG: We all are pretty competitive and active people naturally. When one guy is going hard in the gym. It doesn’t take long for the rest of the guys to jump in and join him. We also love doing outdoor activities together like running, pickleball and skating, 

DL: Do you guys have an exact meal plan or diet you follow or is it kind of just all about moderation?

THG: Most of the guys are on their own page when it comes to that stuff. Frizz is probably the most strict when it comes to his diet and supplements he takes. Yelle on the other hand loves snacking. All the guys do a good job balancing it out!

DL: Martan, you’ve been open about how meditation has helped you a lot and even launched a program that consists of classes with you for overall health. How is that going for you? 

What made you want to share your journey with your followers and give tips on how others can live a healthier lifestyle as well?

MY: Meditation and Mindfulness has been a huge part of my life for many years. Across that time, it has helped me out greatly. 

I believe that we all should incorporate some form of meditation and mindfulness into our daily lives. This statement is the basis for why I have been sharing my journey of meditation across my platforms and bringing exposure to the world of meditation with the hopes that it can spark the desire for others to try it out. 

Today, our lives are so busy, and meditation helps to slow things down and bring appreciation into our lives. 

DL: Austin, you just released a cookbook, Saucin’ With Austin, congratulations! I love watching your cook with me and recipe videos. Have you always had a passion for cooking and do you have a favorite recipe in the book?

AF: I sure did! My passion for food and cooking really came into play during high school. When I started my Tiktok account, I knew exactly what I wanted my page to be about. People have been telling me for years to release a cookbook. I finally sat down and listened. It took me around 5-6 months to create the entire book from start to finish. It was a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but I’m happy I did it and will eventually make another one! My favorite recipe is the croissant breakfast sandwich. I love making it on the weekends as a special treat.

DL: Will, congratulations on your engagement! Your proposal video brought me to tears and was so beautiful. Have you and your fiance started planning the wedding yet?

WB: Thanks so much! It was a moment in life I knew that I needed to capture and glad it turned out so well. We have started the wedding planning process and we’re learning so much each day on what goes into planning the big day! September 6th can’t come soon enough!

DL: Levi, as the producer for The Fan Club, what has been your favorite memory so far from recording together?

LC: The journey of The Fan Club has been quite the roller coaster ride. 3 years ago I never thought I’d be starting a podcast from the ground up. I knew absolutely nothing about producing a podcast but after a year of trial and error I’m confident in my skills as a producer.

My Favorite memory so far from recording together is calling out one of our favorite creators Isaac Rochelle on social media to come on our show. He saw it while he was in town and changed his flight to be our guest. So far that has been our most listened to episode. 

DL: Lawson, what has been your most memorable, or favorite, moment for The Hockey Guys?

THG: My most memorable moment that I think we’ve had together as a group would be the time we had our spring break playoff tour and went to 4 different cities and games in 7 Days.

DL: My favorite videos from you guys are the lip-synching ones, specifically to Taylor Swift. Do you guys have a favorite Taylor song?

AF: You Belong With Me

WB: Blank Space

LM: Welcome to New York

MY: Lover

LC: Our Song

DL: Who was your favorite artist or most listened to song this year? 

AF: Morgan Wallen

WB: Hardy

LM: Kygo

MY: Zach Bryan

LC: Jason Aldean

DL: If you could each pick one guest to have on the show, who would it be?

AF: Gordon Ramsey

WB: Ashton Kutcher

LM: Taylor Swift

MY: Zach Bryan

LC: Travis Kelce

DL: You all just got back from an awesome trip visiting The White House, how was that?

THG: That entire trip was incredible. When we received that invitation, we were all blown away and super pumped for it. Being a part of the Las Vegas golden knights Stanley cup celebration was a very cool experience and especially for it being at the White House with the president. We are all very grateful for the opportunities that come from our job.

DL: After lots of teasing, you finally launched your shop, NOBAD. What made you want to start your own line?

THG: We wanted to start something unique where if someone who had never even heard of THG saw it, they’d still think it was cool enough to want one. It has been a very fun process with a ton of learning curves to it. Eventually, we want to build it big enough where THG ever ends. NOBAD would live on and be able to support us.

DL: The Founders Collection from the launch is bad ass. What other products and releases can fans expect from the brand?

THG: Thank you! Were happy to hear you loved it David! Fans can expect a full sweatsuit coming soon, more color of beanies, and designs around certain events we are attending. Lots more to come from NOBAD

DL: What are the chances us fans can expect The Hockey Guys to do some sort of podcast tour? 

THG: We would love to do a podcast tour one day. We love meeting new fans in different cities. We just need to keep working on growth and being able to make an opportunity like that happen if it comes!

DL: The new year is here, do you have any hopes or goals for 2024?

AF: My hope is to have a record year for THG and all of our side projects that help support and build our brand!

WB: To become a household name in the hockey world where all sorts of people from different backgrounds can come together through our channels! And of course to always get better and better at finding new ways to be creative and run a business together. 

LM: I hope to take a lot of really cool celebrities to some NHL games and introduce them to the game.

MY: I hope to continue shedding light on the world and making this place better than what it was like yesterday!

LC: My goal for THG is to continue to build our podcast, and to spread joy to people all around the world.