Feature Photo: IG / @neveroffsidepod
The “Never Offside with Julie and Cat” podcast hosted by Julie Petry, wife of Detroit Red Wings defenceman Jeff Petry, and Cat Toffoli, wife of San Jose Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli, is one worth talking about.
Co-hosting a hockey podcast was a long time in the making, even if the two people behind the microphones didn’t always know the venture was in their future.
Julie and Cat, who first met in 2020 when their husbands played for the Montreal Canadiens, formed a quick friendship, bonding during what became regular walks throughout the city.
“All we could do was walk and talk because of COVID,” recalled Cat. “Even though so many things were closed, we were able to walk around this gorgeous city together and bond at the same time. We have a lot in common – we are both former college athletes and we love getting our steps in – and we just hit it off right away.”
During one of the outings, they joked about sharing some of what they talked about with a larger audience.
“We’d say, ‘Maybe we will bring this to a platform one day,’” said Cat. “We honestly thought it wouldn’t happen until the guys retired – it just seemed as though this would be something to happen in the next chapter, so to speak.”
Instead, it happened in somewhat unexpected fashion.
In February 2022, Tyler was traded to Calgary, while Jeff went to Pittsburgh in August 2023.
The NHL reached out to Cat, whose career includes broadcast and entertainment roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, about hosting a podcast focusing on the life of a hockey wife.
“It’s just fate working in mysterious ways, I guess,” said Julie. “The league had been approaching Cat in the past year, since Tyler was at the outdoor game [2024 Stadium Series] and Cat did some behind-the-scenes stuff with him. After that, the league approached her again about the podcast idea.
"Things picked up in recent months – a show on the hockey player wives was being revived and we got asked to interview for that – and the podcast idea resurfaced again.”
Cat had one caveat if she agreed to sign on.
“She said, ‘The only person I think I could do this with is Julie.’ Cat called me and asked if there was a world where I could find time to do a podcast with her. I thought about it and landed on dedicating two hours every Monday to film this with her – that’s how she brought me into it.”
Less than 10 episodes in, "Never Offside with Julie and Cat" has become a hit, sharing a fresh perspective on the lives of hockey wives through interviews, personal stories and answers to listener questions.
“The goal was to show what really goes on behind-the-scenes, what it takes to make sure the home life is running smoothly so the guys can focus on their careers,” said Julie. “My life is vastly different than Cat’s life, so it’s fun to pair our stories together and talk to other wives, celebrities and other people, and share that all with the audience. We want to show all the different perspectives.”
“It has been amazing,” added Cat. “It has been a great thing to focus on. At first, we were curious as to how it would go, but now we are so excited for every Monday when we shoot it. So, it went from thinking of how it would land with people and now we are just thrilled to see how people have responded to it – it is a very fun thing.”
And not just for the hosts.
An interview with Natalie Miller, wife of New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller, touched on the challenges of a recent cross-country trade from Vancouver and starting fresh in New York.
Levity came in the form of a story Natalie shared about a finger injury incurred by the couple’s son, Owen, and the unexpected comic relief in the aftermath of a trip to the hospital.
“I logged into Instagram and saw the feedback for Natalie Miller’s story about her son, ‘Pinky Miller,’ and how that landed with people,” shared Cat. “It is cool that people are enjoying the fun stuff and everything else we are doing.”
Julie and Cat’s comfort level in doing a podcast has grown significantly since the first episode.
“The first few episodes are like getting your feet wet in the podcast world – there’s a big microphone in your face and everything is recorded – and then you get your bearings, and find that comfort level,” said Cat, who recently shared a story on the podcast about Tyler’s viral “sleepover” with Sharks rookies, Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini.
“[Doing this] reminded me that I can talk to anyone or about anything,” added Julie. “That is nothing new, but it’s nice to be reminded of that. I love having conversations with people and this makes me feel as though I am in my natural habitat. I love hearing people’s stories.”
There will be more to come.
Cat keeps a running list of possible guests and themes for upcoming shows based on discussions between her and Julie.
“My job with the Dodgers, I was able to work with a lot of cool people, and some of those people also happened to be in the hockey world,” said Cat. “It has been amazing to go back to my roots, to that time with the Dodgers, and reconnect with people I knew from that time.
“Eric Stonestreet is a great example,” she said of the star of the hit sitcom “Modern Family.” “I knew him through Dodgers, and he is a big hockey fan. It’s almost like a puzzle, where you look at who can fit into what we are doing with the podcast. It’s been so amazing in that regard.”
Said Julie, “It’s been great having the chance to showcase these wonderful people in the hockey world and share their stories.”
What started as two friends taking casual walks has led to a cherished opportunity to talk the hockey talk in podcast form.
“Honestly, it’s been great,” said Julie. “I suppose it’s imposter syndrome, a little bit. When I hear someone listens every week, it really blows me away. ‘You’re taking 45 minutes out of your day to listen to this?’ That’s amazing to me. I am still shocked by the response, but we want to keep riding that wave. We are getting more and more suggestions for guests and what they would like to hear – that is so helpful.”
And rewarding.
“The fact this is happening while Tyler and Jeff are still playing is so cool,” said Cat. “To look back and think about the walks Julie and I would take in Montreal, and kind of laugh about the idea of taking what we talked about to a different level – it’s been an awesome journey.”
A journey with many more episodes and stories to go.
