S2 E43 Paul Culina | Icing Your Boo Boo

Cocktails With Friends

S2 E43 Paul Culina | Icing Your Boo Boo

Bob Cutler sits down with his longtime friend Paul Culina, UMaine’s veteran athletic trainer, to talk about three decades of college hockey, the evolution of student-athletes, and what it means to stay rooted in a place like Orono. They discuss NIL, draft dynamics, facility upgrades, and the grit it takes for Maine hockey to compete nationally. They also toast Culina’s brewed-in-Maine IPA, Next Goal Wins, and reflect on life, loyalty, and legendary locker room stories.

Key Topics

Longevity matters – Culina’s THIRTY-YEAR career shows the value of consistency, loyalty, and growing with the athletes you serve.

Adaptation is key – From NCAA sanctions to NIL policies, Maine’s hockey culture has endured by evolving without losing its core identity.

The power of local ties – Whether it’s a home-brewed beer or mentoring a walk-on goalie, true community happens through shared experience and heart.

Episode Index

(4:57) Culina recalls arriving at UMaine in 1995 just as the hockey program was under investigation, surviving major NCAA sanctions, and carrying the “us vs. the world” spirit.

(9:02) He explains how NIL and the hockey draft structure challenge Maine’s recruiting, with players being drafted by birth year and often starting college at age TWENTY-ONE.

(14:14) The UMaine hockey culture values older, blue-collar players who’ve taken longer roads—often giving them extra drive and a chip on their shoulder.

(21:23) Culina describes how his men’s league brewed its own beer, Next Goal Wins, with Black Bear Brewing—now available statewide.

(25:37) Bob closes with a moving tribute, calling Culina the kind of person “you want your boys to grow up to be,” honoring his impact on generations of athletes.