32 Thoughts: The Podcast - A Sit Down With Bedard and Nazar

Episode Date: December 16, 2025

Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas return with a special edition of the pod featuring an interview from Toronto with Chicago Blackhawks forwards Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar (10:15). Before that, the guys break down the big changes in Buffalo, with the Sabres deciding to replace GM Kevyn Adams with Jarmo Kekäläinen.Email the podcast at [e-mail] or call the Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemail.This podcast was produced and mixed by Steven Coyle and hosted by Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Welcome to a special edition, 32 Thoughts, the podcast, Kyle Elliott with you, and special guest, Stephen Coyle, on the production controls here today. Dom is busy learning what a gift receipt is. So he was unavailable. He needed a whole night off to figure it out. So, Stephen, thanks very much for pinch hitting. You're the best pinch hitter since Manny Mota. Baseball fans of a certain vintage will understand that.

Mani Mota was an elite pinch hitter. for the Dodgers. Okay, so we're on the scene here in Toronto. We've been working on this for a couple of weeks, right, Elliot, to try to set up Chicago coming through town, a chance to speak with both Connor Bredard and Frank Nazar. And then, of course, we see what happens on Friday, where Connor gets hurt and we're thinking, oh, man,

we're still happy to talk to Frank, of course. Great talker. You will see if you don't know a great talker. Yes, but Connor, I think, surprised a few of us in the fact that he made the trip with the team. He wanted to. He wanted to make the trip, so we unfortunately won't get a chance to see him. I know fans in Toronto, Montreal and Otto are disappointed, but they had a chance to hear him.

Yes. And I mean, I don't know. Maybe we shouldn't have been surprised, but blew the doors off. The two of them, this interview you hear coming up in a little bit. Yes, excellent. I'll say this. I always joke that the people who do these interviews give great answers to stupid questions. This is great answers to stupid questions on an exponential 50 scale.

Yes, yeah. The best ones are when you and I are just out of the way. The less we intervene, the better. As expected. They were tremendous. Okay, so we're going to get to that here in a moment. But before we do, we should talk about the big news on Monday, of course, out of Buffalo. So Kevin Adams, after five and a half years at the helm, as general manager of the Sabres, he is out. Yarmokekelein is in a permanent basis going forward. Terry Pagula, the owner, put out a statement on Monday. Among the things he said was just we are not. where we need to be as an organization. We've talked about this on yesterday's pod, that this was a possibility, certainly, that a change could be happening. So bring us up to speed and what all went down here. From everything I heard, Kyle,

especially since we dropped the pod Monday morning, is that our guess was correct that I think Kevin Adams knew this was coming. As he went on that road trip, a six-gamer where they won the last three games, you know, I heard from some people around that it was true, that, you know, he kind of saw the writing on the wall if he didn't know already. And so I don't think this came as a big surprise to him. It's never easy on anyone's family, their own ego.

Nobody likes to not succeed in what they're doing. I think everybody can tell. It was just, it was just time. It's a phrase we've been using a lot lately. It was just time. And, you know, actually, I'll say this in a lot of ways, the people I really feel for is I understand a lot of the Sabre staff, like their hockey operations staff, coaches, you know, on down, equipment staff, training staff.

There's a lot, scouts, there's a lot of them were in the last year of their deals. So whenever the person who signs you is out and there's that uncertainty there, I always feel for that group of people. And, you know, I think because it was a trip where, you know, the Sabres were coming back overnight from Seattle. and Yarmal Kekalina and the new GM announced on his Instagram that his father Kari had passed away and it was a beautiful tribute that

Yarmu gave for his dad you know there's there's an information vacuum internally they know there's a change but I think everybody's still willing to find out how everyone's going to be affected so I know what it's like to be in the last year of your contract

and be uncertain about what your future can be so I understand how hard that is on people But I assume over the next day or so, we'll get an introductory press conference and we'll get Yarmalkelaan explaining to a staff what's going to happen. But in moments like this, you do expect change. You know, one of the things I often think about is, do you learn the lessons when you get your second chance, do you learn the lessons about what went right and what went wrong in your first chance? and he was in Columbus for a long time. He got them their first playoff series win happened under his watch.

There were great times there, like knocking out Tampa in that first round, one of the biggest upsets we've seen, and there were disappointments. And, you know, the one thing I would say about him is I think he really knows players well. He's a scout, a very good one. I think he has a really good eye for talent. He's not afraid to make big decisions and big trade. He did that. But I always say, okay, obviously there's things that didn't go right.

Do you learn those lessons and how to attack them better? You know, one thing we talked about on Monday's pod was that he didn't come in hot. He was kind of quiet, looking around. But I did hear on Monday that as things progressed and as things weren't doing really well, he was starting to become, I don't know if more vocal, but more present. He was around more. He was asking more questions. He would ask people, you know, why did this happen or why did we do things this way? And, you know, it's interesting. When he got hired, someone said to me, it's going to be interesting to see if he goes in there because I think the general feeling was if Buffalo got off to a bad start, Adam's runway was U.S. Thanksgiving. And it turned out to be pretty close to accurate. A couple of people said he'll get a chance to see, like the biggest question you have in Buffalo is, is do you think you can win there? They haven't made the playoffs in 15 years.

There's been different GMs. There's been different coaches. And I've said this before about Terry Pagula. When he got the team from Tom Golosano, he rode in on the white horse like the conquering hero. I never thought that it would turn out this way. Never. And some people said to me,

is Kekelaan going to see the way this team works and say, you can't win here? Well, obviously that's not the way. the case. He must see something. He feels that they can win with or how they can turn it around. It's high risk, but it's high reward. You know, we all know what Buffalo was like when they're winning. It's one of the best fan bases in the league. They love hockey. Remember that one year, they had like seven of the top selling 10 jerseys in the NHL, and those fans, they deserve it. They absolutely 100% deserve it.

So I look at it as a high risk, high reward situation. Can you turn around a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 15 years? But if you do, you're a god in that town. It's a big reward, big reward. No question. And I mean, part of the Pugula regime has been hiring general managers without any real previous experience at the NHL level, at the GM level. They were experienced hockey.

people. Yes, not as Jenny Oms. But they were not as GMs. But you know, you look at it. Someone pointed out to me, Kyle, you look at, like, you look at all the GMs who won the Stanley Cup, a lot of them over the last little while, they're first timers. Yeah. You know, Bill Zito, first time GM, Kelly McCrimmon, first time GM, Chris McFarland, first time GM, I was called Patrice Breeswa. Julian Breeswa, first time GM. They were all experienced hockey people. It's, it's interesting. It's going to be. really interesting. And I think the biggest decision, and he'll have to make it quick, is Alex Tuck. And my understanding of the whole Tuck situation is that the two sides haven't been close.

I think it's, I think the Sabres kind of looked at it to get to talk where he wanted to be. They might have to make some tough decisions. Like it basically came down to from what I heard, If we want to sign Tuck, we have to make some tough decisions everywhere else, and were they willing to do that? And the Skinner buyout money, I think, is part of that. So we'll see how Keklainen feels about that, because that's obviously the biggest thing hanging over their team right now. And naturally, when you're in a spot as an organization where the team has been struggling, something like this by way of a major change happens. You say that a lot of people within the hockey ops are in the final year of their deal.

I mean, that's when people are maybe a little more willing to talk quietly. I mean, if you got any sense of what the messages is out of Buffalo over the last little while and does they try to put their finger on of the 25-26 edition of the Sabres, what the issue is? You know what? It's a great question. I just don't know that they lock it down. Like great teams have to. You know, like when you play Buffalo, like Buffalo plays really entertaining games.

Some of the best teams in the league don't often play very entertaining games all the time. And like not everybody can win like Colorado wins, right? So I think that's one of the things. Like they're going to have to be better at locking it down. Because we all, I shouldn't say always, but the last number of years, we've looked at them as individually say, well, yeah, I would like that player on my team. That's a good player. There's a lot of talent here.

There's a lot of talent there. And yet collective, once again, now we'll see. see where this goes as we've talked about it's an interesting year in the east they've kind of depth of the basement isn't uh doesn't run as deep as maybe in years past uh but once again clearly they've gotten to a point where status quo is no longer working and so the change is made here at the GM level anything else you want to get in on Buffalo before we move to our interview no I think they're tired of us they want to hear from the other two guys okay here without further ado Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar of the Chicago Blackhawks

in conversation from their hotel in Toronto on 32 Thoughts, the podcast. News dropped today, Connor. Can you update us on exactly what you're dealing with? Yeah, I mean, I guess it probably hasn't come out yet, so I keep it vague, but yeah, it's a shoulder thing, but it's feeling pretty good, so I just kind of start kind of that rehab process

and hopefully be back as soon as possible, obviously. Anyone from Hockey Canada reach out, just to see how you're doing? Not to me personally, maybe to Kyle or agent or something, but I'm not too sure of that. You know, obviously I think that's something they would do and just see, but, you know, I'm sure stuff comes out quick, so, you know, you'll probably get a text

and two minutes about the exact day. I'll be back, so, but no, I think, yeah, maybe to them, but not to me personally. I was thinking about, you know, after that St. Louis game, the year and the two you did the interview and the post game and you would said like we want to be good now not necessarily three years from now and it was kind of like holy smokes like it got everyone's attention because of how you're playing and just the way you two have carried yourself so far

what did that early start for you guys just do for the overall psyche and the belief and what you were doing was working yeah I think honestly last year like the end of last year when kind of you know Frankie comes up and we got all these guys coming in. Morsi Greener came at the end of the year those guys and I think we saw it then and you know if you asked a lot of people where they saw us at the start of the year kind of on the outside it would have been you know lower and it's still you know on the first half of the year but we had a lot of belief in our group and we went and had a great camp and so it was never really like man like we can maybe sneak some wins out it was always like if we go play our game play our best like we feel like we're going to be tough

to play. So that was an exciting feeling for us, and we want to just keep building that. So we keep hearing that the dressing room, like it's a younger group now compared to last year. So what is that room like nowadays? It's been fun, honestly. I think you can tell the moods definitely changed a bit, a lot more smiley. We got guys like Morsi going around and jumped around and always chirping in someone's ear. And I mean, you know, we're part of it too. We're always making jokes and laughing and you know it really just makes makes the mood a lot more brighter and more fun to be at the rank frank what do people rip connor about like what what does he get it about well for me i'd say just not doing anything like on the road like i'm always getting the door for him

getting the keys and telling him what's waking him off it's crazy and the wake up maybe sometimes are you one of those guys who doesn't like needs like five alarms or something like that yeah but he's his alarm i'd like to say this i for the first time ever I can say, well, you and I have something in common because I need like five alarms too. Probably our screen time similar to it. But Frank's alarm is like a, I don't know, like you know those alerts you get on your phone when some, there's like a murderer on the loose. It's like loud than that. So I'll wake up to his and then we'll lay in bed for 45 minutes. We'll attack the day. So it's funny. It makes it seem like we like took a nap. Yeah. Exactly.

And so what does Frank get ripped for by the teammates? I don't know, like a lot of stuff. Like, he's very outgoing stuff, so he'll say something stupid a lot or do something stupid. So it's usually just in the moment. So Frank, what's the stupidest thing you said this year? Oh, wow. I don't know. I think I only say stuff that's smart.

So, and you guys have been rooming on the road together this year, right? So, like, were you relieved that Conner still wanted to come on the trip? Like, were you worried about what was going to happen if he wasn't here? Yeah, I thought I was going to be put up with Morsi. And I think there's, yeah, there's a time he was doing like burpees in the... Yeah, that's actually fun of story. Do you tell. Yeah, Rindsay was telling us that one morning, he woke up and he, like, heard noise in the bathroom or something.

So that could, obviously, the story could go anyway, but he was... Morsi comes out of the bathroom and he's like, Rind's like, do what we're going? he's like oh just like burpees i like start my day with like getting my energy going and like it's good for like your i don't even know what but some dumb science thing and uh i thought it's pretty funny you're right there's a lot of different directions that's like oh god but that's in a bathroom that i know that explains him that explains him like perfectly yeah that story so it's funny i've heard you something else like he's like i know a lot of young players that come in they're kind of quiet they kind of feel their way not this guy no no no even if you just watch him in pregame

see it tomorrow you'll like probably laugh like he just flies around like all the time never tired um if if we're talking like a hundred yards away he hears us and he'll walk over and like join him you know and like ask what we're talking about it's great stuff like that it's hilarious i think everyone loves it yeah it's so funny what was that old product of the 90s like that no yeah the that's right oh what was it called uh there's like the great infomercial yes i know it's like dumb and dumber when he turns the earpiece on really loud and he hears like the the house like like two acres away that's morsey because frank one of the thing that people say about you is when you got to the national development team for a month you were kind of in the background and then you

kind of took over at michigan for a month you were kind of in the background and then you took over now here i understand it took a little bit longer but it was only a matter of time until your personality kind of took over. Is that a good way to describe you? I think so for sure. I think it's more of, I like to come in and, like, more of build respect, build trust, and then kind of go from there and try to be myself.

Okay, so there's a story I think you've told it before about Pat Maroon, and he gave it to you once, and you were like, you didn't say anything for, like, weeks after that happened. What was that story? Yeah, I think we were playing maybe Seattle or something and close game and we weren't playing the best to start and during intermission he came in and kind of like screamed at us like for not getting pucks deep and turning pucks

over and kind of stuff along that regard and go out and it's legit like my first shift of the next period and I'm in the neutral zone and like try to make a move turn it over at the blue line and they go down they don't I don't think they scored but they go down and I come and he's always at the end of the bench and I sit down and he like I already can just like feel his presence next to me this big guy he just absolutely lays into me and is screaming at me and saying a bunch of a bunch of bad stuff but in a good way and um I mean yeah when you see a grizzly bear like that attack you it's like scared me for a bit so I was a little nervous after that to you know speak out but um it got me going right started starting listening to him and and playing playing their

way so did you ever on the receiving end of one of those from pat maroon uh no not like yell like um he would speak to our group and like they would say stuff that like i obviously he was doing so yeah i kind of get that but uh but patty's the best like he this is all out of care and um and it wasn't like a normal thing he was just like laying into us but uh it's funny that he got frank and obviously like he said big guy and um i has a lot of experience so but but he was amazing and But, yeah, I think he indirectly gave it to me a little bit. So you've said that, like, Connor, great personality, funny guy once you get to know him. And it seems like publicly it's starting to come out a little more here now as we're going along.

Are you taking any credit for that? No, I think it out of him. I think that's all him. I mean, the young guys definitely have a big part of it is we're coming in. And, you know, giving him something to relate to in NHR, right? It's guys to hang out with. guys that talk about stupid social media things that come out and to laugh at and kind of like my thing like gaining respect and feeling comfortable you know I think that's just a big part of it is you know

getting along with the guys that you're with and having guys your age to connect with and no but all that confidence and comedian you know just comes out I think you're almost like your first bit you're worried to say the wrong thing or like now if I say some in an interview that not that I cared what people think but if I say some like people don't like like I couldn't care less really in a good way I think and not that I'm saying anything crazy but I think when you're first getting the league you're kind of walking on eggshells a bit in that sense and just not rubbing on the wrong way so but you get comfortable and stuff and I think that's with any guy I think that is so important what you just said because I think it's like

that way for everyone it's like Kyle and I in our business like everything we do good or bad everybody sees it yeah everything you guys do good or bad everybody sees it you have to learn at some point not to like only to limit the opinions that matter to you to a small group of people yeah I can imagine for both of you that was a hard lesson to learn was it um I think in in some ways, you know, for me, you know, you come in at 18 or when Frank came in and we're young and there's obviously a lot of guys in the league and older guys that have done so much. So you just want to keep what you say to a minimum and try to, you know, just say the right thing and stuff. But honestly for the game, like you look at Frankie, like stuff he does that

goes online and kids love it or stuff that, you know, we can do to grow the game in a sense. And obviously we're hockey players, but we're people as well. So if we can show a little bit of our interests or what we're like, and I think that's great for kids. And I remember being in that spot and love and kind of getting no guys off the ice that you're idolizing a little bit. So I think that's cool. For me, that was kind of something that, you know, in the beginning you think about

is, oh, you don't want to mess up or do the wrong thing. But then, like, you realize the opportunity you're given, playing an NHL. You know, it's just so amazing. It's your dream, right? So it's like, why wake up scared? Why wake up with that feeling of, I don't want to regret anything? And, you know, just be excited and very grateful for a regret. So, Connor, somebody knows you well was saying that, you know, of all the things you did this summer,

there's the hockey stuff and what you worked on. But one of the biggest things that they noticed was whatever weight may have been on your shoulders, whether you would put there or maybe others tried to put there, like, they noticed like it was gone. Like you'd let a lot of stuff go and you were just enjoying. in what you're able to do in your life and as a career. Is there any truth to that? I think a little bit, yeah.

I think, I mean, we had a four or five months summer. So I think that was good for me. Every year before, obviously with the draft. And then I went over to World Championships, which was great, great experience. But I think just having some time to chill out and, you know, physically, mentally. And, you know, I think, you know, last year there's,

you know, I didn't meet my own expectations. So just being able to look in the mirror and kind of seeing, you know, where you can, you know, improve and work on stuff. And honestly, you know, for me, I think it was kind of not chilling out, but not taking, it's hard a word, but just, yeah, like I said, relaxed a little bit. And, I mean, just have fun playing hockey. And, you know, it's the greatest thing in the world what we do. And I think just embracing that more a little bit was good for me.

Frank, what's the biggest difference you've noticed in him this year? I think that was honestly a huge part of it and really just seems a lot looser around the rank kind of just in that regards besides he's like 10 miles an hour faster on the ice and so but I think that's the biggest thing and you know he really wants to win and works really hard so I think putting all those things together and just has been lean to his success okay so Connor is very guarded about the training he did last summer so he's down to one arm he cannot stop you. Tell us all the secrets of O'Connor's training. Oh man, I think he was with like LeBron and yeah, we were together and yeah, me him and Morsi. No, I just started

eating cookie like 10 cookies a day. No, no, I'm off. Yeah. I heard you are very particular about what you eat though. Honestly, a little less than I was. It's like you talk about everything, relaxing a little bit. So, yeah, we try to eat healthy, but, you know, Frankie always makes me buy him dessert, so I tag along. What's the dessert? Yeah, we're big ice cream guys. Ice cream? Yeah, what's your dessert?

Yeah, we're cookies. Yeah, every hotel, and we started a ranking, actually. His isn't great. Mine's good. So what's the best cookie? So far, in my opinion, it was in Vegas at the Waldorf. Okay. What was it?

didn't like it, just chocolate shit. Okay, you didn't like it? Just like a room service thing? Yeah, room service or pre-game meal. Oh, yeah. Or, yeah, just the ones at the hotel. So that's my one right now. But we'll see.

Too thick. So what's yours? I really like the Seattle ones. Yeah, then Anaheim. Oh, yeah. Wasn't Anaheim? Yeah, there's like one, I don't know. Actually, our plane ones are really good, actually.

Like, heat them up for us and stuff. Yeah, yeah. So that's good. Never hungry league. Yeah, exactly. That's what they say. We just have skim milk, though, so we've got to talk to them. I'll bring that up with a 2% guy.

I'll bring that up with the people. It's just whole. Right. Well, it's like the NHL pro. Yeah. Like the league promo that, yeah. You like to finish your day with a treat. Like that's not brand.

Like, and who doesn't? That was the most relatable part of all of it. I wanted to ask you about Montreal game last year. Were you like the only guy in the building who knew the puck was in the net? I think the goal ain't must have known. No, but. I think so I obviously I scored and I didn't I don't want to sell you like too hard I was like that year I kind of was throwing out some pretty hard sellies so I wanted to lay

back a little bit but I went through the line and no one gave me fist bumps and I heard guys like saying what that like people were mad I'm not I'm not I'm not gonna swear but they're like what the like what's he doing going through the line like and I'm I'm giving him side eyes I'm like I literally just scored. Like, no one's given me any credit. And even Fliggy, it was like, man, nice try. And I'm sitting there like, dude, the puck's in the net. Like, what are you doing?

Like, the five literally scored. And once they reviewed it, I was like, waited like two rounds to tell us. Four guys had gone after you and you didn't tell anyone. But like, they thought they should have shot again. Yeah, which is insane. The bottom line is the puck was in. But, you know, I just wanted to ask, like,

you're relatively new at that time. it's the best rink in the league, right? Aside from, like I would say Chicago, yeah, I know you guys got to stand up for the United Center because when it's rocking, it's rocking. But what's that feeling like, like going down in a shootout in Montreal, that building's crazy, they're trying to make the playoffs.

That must be an incredible feeling. Yeah, I was, I mean, that's probably one of my most memorable and favorite games of my career. And I kind of fumbled the puck a little bit. I was like, no way I'm messing this up. in once I was able to deak and then and then score. I mean, obviously just feels awesome. And I think the craziest part almost on my career was when we first went out.

And I think it was like Demadov's first shift. And you could feel your boot shaking. Like the crowd was going insane. Just absolute nuts, cheering. And you couldn't even hear like anybody on the ice. Usually when the crowd's going nuts, you can still hear guys talk on the ice. And it was like, this was just a whole other level. Okay.

Olympics. I mean, you had a tremendous world championships. You know, a great start to the year. You were both at the orientation camp before the season got rolling. So we thought it would be great to ask you. Connor, make one case for Frank Nazar to make Team USA. You make the case for Conradar to make Team Canada. I think versatility is something, obviously, special offensive player, but I mean, he's our first guy out there on the penalty kill, six on five, any situation, taking face-offs, really anything. So I think that's when you're building those type of teams. And I think, you know, they've talked about that a lot,

is it's not an all-star team. It's the guys that fill roles, and he's someone that can fill any role and play with the top line on the fourth line, penalty kills. So I think that's something that's rare and it's part of what makes them so special. Man, thanks. No way.

I mean, this one's easy for him. I think just the tremendous start of the year, I mean, what is it, 19 goals? Like, it's just, I mean, that's what you need, right? And I think he's really found his game up and down the ice, defensive zone, offensive zone. And he's really just been a dog all around and making plays. And, you know, he really sees the ice like no one else does. And honestly, the way he's been playing and how he's been going and how he's been putting the puck in the net, I think, you know, it's a shame if he's not on that list.

You do know that the Canadian public is starting to clamor for you a bit. We're living in the States, so. But my parents will be like, they talk, like, they'll watch obviously a game or whatever in their intermission. They're like, they're talking about Olympics, not just like me. They're talking about Olympics every day, so I'm happy we're not here all the time for the noise of that. But, yeah, I don't know.

I think there's so many players and every fan base is going to want. their guy in. So, you know, I think it's a great job for them because they have so many options, but in the end, you can pick. You go a hundred different ways with it. So I just kind of wait and see. At the camp, Frank, was there someone maybe you didn't know that came up to you or you sat with and you talked that you said, wow, like I never knew this guy and I was really impressed? I was able to meet everyone there, which was great. Had a good time. We golf. I sat and talked with the Hughes brothers for a while. I kind of knew them, but never really sat down. And and had a, you know, a good conversation with them.

And, you know, that was fun hearing a bunch of stories from them and, you know, what they thought about certain situations and certain things. And obviously, the big trade coming up might be top of the mind. But really, I think talking with Jack, Luke, and Quinn was a pretty cool experience and really just, you know, getting to know them a lot better. What about you?

I don't know if one guy comes to mind. It was a lot of fun. Like, everyone was so good at it. Sitting with different guys at a dinner or whatever and just getting to meet everyone, I think. I remember, like, me and Mac flew together, and, you know, we were like, we were like, hey, we got to, like, always kind of be around each other. So, like, we don't have to, like, you know, be nervous talking to anyone.

But they were so great with everybody. And honestly, I noticed I think Marchand was probably the most outgoing guy. That's a big surprise. Yeah, I know. He kind of, you know, was always, always in the mix. So, but it was a lot of fun. I got to talk to everyone there. And I think even the women's team, the pale.

Olympic team, which was awesome. They included them in that. So it was a great camp. So we heard a story about golf outing. I think it was at the Riviera in California earlier this year. Yeah, Sam Lafferty, under par. Under par. Under par. So if we take anything from this interview, if it goes out there, under par, Sam Lafferty is a stick. Really? Yeah, and I was blessed to be his partner, best partner. So, yeah. And you were plus two? No, no, no. Oh. Someone said in the back. Oh, in the back, right. I had a good back.

Frankie did not miss a fairway. Frankie fairways. Yeah, but I was cursed to be going up against them. I was, I think, you're a partner. I was with Ryan Donato. Okay. And how do you, like, are you, like, what's your handicap? No, I kind of suck.

No, it's underplanet. You're pretty good. Very up and down, roller coaster. So I kind of cut you off there. No, that's exactly where I was going. But, no, it was, that was unreal. So, like, such a cool course. And great weather.

Yeah, it was a lot of fun. And Donnie didn't have, like, the perfect club, so he didn't play his best. So, but it wasn't because of him. So Lafferty is the best player on the team? Yeah. He's a stick. He just, he swings for the moon. It's insane.

350. It's not even, like, a line drive. It's like, that thing's hitting the sun and coming back down. Really? Yeah, he can absolutely pound the ball. Wow. par four he put it like a foot away yeah he almost holding one to par four seriously with a three wood yeah with a three wood yeah it was yes yes insane how long as a

whole 300 yeah at least 300 yeah oh okay wow uh but it was like a yeah i guess uh but it was like a short par four yeah i think that's a pin in the front yeah something like that but it was literally like like that yeah and i end up so it's like with the handy guess do you make the pot please tell me yeah he doesn't so it's like with the handy i actually had a good hold too handicapped system he gets a two and like I don't know I can't I think I did and so like I birdie and it's like handle being nothing but no no actually I don't think I did so I part so I part for I part for a birdie so with the handicap and um the two still beats it so it's like even if I had to go to a great hole for for me I was like there's nothing you could do they

I think they would have beat pros out there we had a good run yeah because I was we were stroking but he was calling his wife, and they just had a baby, like, six months ago, ish around there. This was before the round. This was before the round. So we got there, like, 45 to an hour early, check it out, like, go hit balls and stuff, and he's just gone. And apparently, well, not apparently, but he, I text him or call him or whatever, and he's like, yeah, like, I've got to get my daughter's passport notarized.

So we're in, like, near Santa Monica, I guess. So it's like, is there going to be a notary? but there was two notaries, like 10 minutes away. First one's closed, and then he gets the second one. So long story short, he had to get his daughter's passport notarized and then gets there legit, rate as a T-time starts. So he didn't hit one ball, was probably panicking. And then he goes out and shoots a 70 or whatever.

Yeah, and he doubled in the last. Yeah. So he was going to break 70. Yeah, yeah. Oh, wow. That would be just make me crazy, 17 holes, and then a double bogey to miss breaking 70. I would go insane.

He's pretty chill, though. He was still happy. What was the best reaction after his goal against New Jersey this year? Would you get Game 7 cup final on the bench? I was hurt, so I didn't. Oh, yeah. Our bench went insane. He's like the best guy ever, and obviously he wasn't playing as much at that time.

So whenever he's been playing great, and just to see him get a goal, general obviously was amazing but the goal of the year hands down was unbelievable so it was awesome you can always tell how much a team likes a player by the celebration on the bench and you can see like you guys really like that guy yeah he's he's one of the best people I've met in hockey or anything so it was yeah it's cool so I understand world juniors at this time you guys aren't always going to see eye to eye on things what's the wager going to be And what's the taunting like as this tournament starts? Yeah, we got to figure something out.

Might have to do something morning cookies this time. Mr. Dickie was telling us that his fantasy at home, like the guy has to like caddy a couple rounds for like everyone and stuff. So stuff like that's funny. But I think something in public's funny too, like a wear the jersey or money, I don't know. What do you think of the Canadian team this year? Pretty stacked, like obviously, like normal. But, no, I think they're favored.

I don't know, obviously they got every year. We got so much talent. So I think they got a great shot. A bit of a revenge year for the last couple. So it should be good, and Canada always expects to win. And what do you think of the U.S.? Three Pete? I mean, has it been done before by the U.S.?

Not by the U.S. No. Canada has a five in a row. No, it's always got to be first, right? Home team advantage. That's all I got to say, right? I think you're being into fantasy football like how have your season's gone?

No, I think it's been good for me. I need actually a huge night tonight. I'm in a couple leagues and I need I'm up but they have guys playing so they got to have a calm night. So I had an equipment question because when we were in Chicago a couple weeks ago I was asking you, you're telling me about your gloves

and now you've got a rotation of two you would go through during a game as opposed to just the one pair for so many years. But someone said to me, like when it comes to your sticks, you know if your stick is five grams off weight, if the flex is like 0.2 difference, which blows my mind. Like, how do you know your sticks so well? I couldn't tell you, like, the exact amount it's off, but.

So this person said to me, they're going to go, he's going to downplay it, but don't I don't know. I don't know. I mean, if it feels any different, yeah, I'll just get a new one. That's a luxury of being, being in the show. so you can get a new stick, you know, so, yeah, that's probably the pickiest thing. I'd say I am, is my sticks, skates a little, I guess. That's probably with everyone, know, those two things.

Are you like that, Frank? Not too much with sticks. Skates, I absolutely hate new skates. Like, I will wear my skates until my feet are showing at the bottom. And I get some hate from the trainers for it, but. Yeah. Daving them money, though, a little bit. So that's the way.

And you guys, like, do you talk much shop, like in the stick room and stuff, or other guys that like to compare and Donnie? Who is a big stick guy, I think? Donnie. Donnie's pretty fanatic with everything. Yeah. I don't know. That's probably it.

Burt's not very picky. Burt is not picky. I don't know. Not really many guys. Just Donnie. Yeah. Last one for me. Okay, for each of you.

Connor one story about Frank that nobody knows and you're gonna do it to for Connor yeah I'm wow it sucks I gotta go first and no one knows oh I actually have a funny one I actually have a funny one it's I don't know how funny it is but I remember your like first game like second game like we'd come into intermission

and you know like coming there's no music play or anything and he'd just be rapping out loud like singing a rap song and he like didn't know anyone like just got there and I think I was sitting beside you in Vegas and you were just like you were rapping the whole intermission like 15 minutes and I thought it was hilarious it's bad what was it what was the rap oh it's a new song every year okay yeah but it was like pretty loud like I think the whole room you kind of hear it didn't know anybody it was

I know I love this guy's confidence well so much for taking time to kind of find your voice That story was wrong. No, that's just, I like singing during games. Just try to not think about much. And the one story about Connor, nobody knows. This one's actually unreal. It was this year. You're going to know what I'm talking about after I see it,

but it was this year. And I kind of came back to the hotel a little bit later. It wasn't too bad, but he already fell asleep for the night. And it was me and Louis Crevier. and we walked in and I was like, oh, like, Connor might be sleeping, so like, let's be a little bit quiet. We were like, so we both walk in together

and we see, and he's just completely out on the bed, like, just sleep over, like, oh, you best sleep in my life? Yeah, best sleep of his life. And, like, how can we, like, how can we pray and come right now? So we, um, me and Louis started just grabbing random stuff around the room and started stacking it on his head.

I don't know if you've ever, like, seen anyone do this. And we just created an absolute mountain on his, head and he's just sitting there sleep and like sound asleep and we're peeing our pants laughing and there's like toilet paper bowls cups and like magazines yeah books like everything on top of this guy's head how high did this get oh my god it's pretty high it was a couple feet in the air like it was yeah it was checked my phone in the morning like i was dying i don't know how you didn't wake up it was the most insane thing ever and um yeah we were literally peeing our pants laughing and just It was great.

You stacked and unstacked, and you, like, didn't. I was out. Yeah. No, you scratch your butt one time. I was out. I think that's the best place to leave it, I think, there. I don't know if we're topping that. That's great. Thank you so much, guys.

And speedy recovery, Connor. Yeah, I appreciate that you guys doing this. For sure, yeah, thanks, guys. All right, our thanks again to Connor and Frank, to Ben Frommstein of the Chicago Black. Hawks PR and the entire, yeah, Hawks organization for making that happen Monday night after just traveling in from Chicago.

Okay, a reminder. Later tonight, the Oilers and Penguins and Flames and Sharks can be seen nationally, a regional to national. Oh, nice. Those games on the SportsNet Family of Channels and SportsNet Plus and Scotia Bank Wednesday Night Hockey tomorrow, the Jets and the Blues, their first meetings. It's that incredible first round series last spring.

Can I just say, thing? Of course. Dom, hope you had a great night Monday. The gift that keeps on giving. And Stephen, thank you again. Yes. We will be back again, our regularly scheduled programming on Friday morning. Have a great rest of your week.