32 Thoughts: The Podcast - Juuse Saros

Episode Date: February 8, 2023

Hanging out on the beach with Juuse Saros. The guys chat with the All-Star goaltender while in Florida about his injury last season, returning to the line-up, tells the guys a wild draft story, playing undersized for his position, his stick collection, the funniest person he’s played with, growing up in Finland and he tells the guys about his tattoos.Email the podcast at [e-mail] or call The Thought Line at 1-833-311-3232 and leave us a voicemailThis podcast was produced and mixed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman. Video support was provided by Nicholas Andrade.Audio Credits: Nashville Predators Radio Network.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.

Yep, check, check, 5-4-3. You gotta count up to your number. It's gonna take a while. Welcome once again to 32 Thoughts of the Podcast, presented by GMC and the new Sierra AT4X. Well, the beach interviews continue today with Nashville netminder UC Saros. Now, personally, I think he's one of the most important players in the entire National Hockey League. Not only is he an elite-level netminder

whose play has been shown to will the Nashville Predators into the playoffs in seasons past, but also for what he means to goaltenders just starting out in either minor or youth hockey. Because, quite frankly, younger and smaller-sized goaltenders can point to UC Soros every time they're told they don't have the height to play the position in today's game. UC Soros is the fourth-round draft pick who essentially went from one goalie factory to

another, from Finland to Nashville. Both have the legit reps of producing top flight tendies. Elliot and I sat down with Soros on the beach last Friday at NHL All-Star Weekend in Fort Lauderdale and talked about a number of things. You're going to hear a lot of stuff about goalies, shocking, ink, a cool draft story, some cool stuff about his stick collection,

and also he refers to and shares some stories about maybe the best storyteller the NHL has ever seen. We'd like to thank Katie Caffaro of the Prez Communications Department for setting this interview up for us. So without further ado, here's UC Saros chilling on the beach in Fort Lauderdale on 32 Thoughts, the podcast. Enjoy. on 32 Thoughts, 64 saves. 5-3 Nashville. Alongside netminder Yussi Saros of the Preds,

pretty wonderful location, pretty easy to say yes to the all-star this season. I'm guessing that's true for pretty much all the guys. Yeah, I think everybody loves being here, so yeah. And not a bad place to have podcasts. It's nice right on the beach. Now, you play in one of the real nice cities in the nhl could you play though on a beach like this because i'm looking at this and i don't think i would be as effective as i could be yeah i mean it wouldn't be bad to go day off you go to the beach and take a little swim but at the same time i kind of like

there's snow every now and then too so yeah i don't know um you know one of the things that we've been talking about when we talk about you on our podcast is i don't think the nhl world appreciates how influential you are in hockey there are a lot of players whether it's conor mcdavid and alex ovechkin and sydney crosby talk about how much they influence kids and all that but for goaltenders that aren't giants for goalies when they're first starting out who aren't big and always here you have to be six foot four to play net now they can point at you and say you know what that guy's an all-star goaltender and he's not six foot three or six foot four do you get a sense of how important and influential you are in the game because i really think it's big yeah every now and then you hear hear some messages and stuff

like that and i think it's cool if i get to inspire some of the kids and that you can make it in different ways too so every now and then i see it does anyone ever try to talk you out of this say this isn't for you and not like that obviously I was never a big guy even as a young kid and you would hear some talks every now and then always but it never really bothered me and I just wanted to play and obviously especially my draft year it was a big big topic and stuff but yeah I never really thought about it too much. How many times in your pre-draft interviews did you get asked about your height? I mean probably not everyone but most of them they would like sometimes like walk in the room and they said like take off your shoes like they

measured me and stuff like that so but yeah I mean I get There was also a team, I'm not going to say the team, but they called me and they wanted me to get x-rays of my bones to see if I can still grow. And the results were there's no growing coming, and they didn't draft me, but that was probably the most extreme. If I look up your record against teams on the Internet, will there be one team that you have a great record against that i'll be saying that's the team that told them they weren't taking them nah i'm not

sure probably like pretty average yeah okay let me go this way which team do you really like beating yeah i'll leave it there well because the one thing I wonder is, there's been occasions where a player will hear the same question 46 times and finally they'll snap and say something sarcastic. Did you ever do that? No, I don't think I really... I mean, I get it. It obviously helps if you're a big guy. You get more angles to block the shot.

So I always get the question to you. angles to block the shot so I always get the question to you so and I mean it's always fun for me to kind of show that I can play with this height too. Now when did you know that Nashville liked you? Did you know they were going to take you? No not really so I was kind of surprised had no idea and I remember my draft year after the lockout so all the rounds were kept the same day and I was in Finland I was watching the stream and it was like 5 a.m or something that one final the name popped up but yeah I had no no clue that they would pick me so yeah only thing obviously watching Pecorino a lot so that was kind of one of the only things I knew about the city at that moment but afterwards really

lucky and happy that they picked me. When you saw your name there, did you wake up your entire family? Did you scream in excitement or anything like that? We were all still watching it, but we were all pretty tired, so we were happy about it. You're picked, now we've got to go to bed? Yeah, kind of that kind of situation. The National Predators have this incredible string and this incredible run, this incredible legacy of creating elite defensemen and elite goaltenders.

Like it is exemplary. And you just mentioned Pecorini a second ago. Do you have any idea why that is for goaltenders specifically? And, you know, now, you know, Askarov is on the horizon, too. And like it always seems like right from the very get-go, this team has always been blessed with great goaltending. You're part of it, obviously. Any idea why?

Yeah, that's a good question, like you said. I feel like it's always going to be the stable, but probably the scouting. And they have been doing a really good job. And I don't know if they have a lot of former goalies and defensemen to see the talent. But yeah, I haven't really thought it that way. But yeah, it's a good job. I don't know if they have a lot of former goalies and defensemen to see the talent, but yeah, I haven't really thought it that way. But yeah, it's a good point.

It's been like that. Like you said, picking up guys like Marius Ekholm in the fourth round and Jose in late second and stuff like that. Shea Weber, second round pick. Yeah, so you've got to really have an eye on that. I know they really value, obviously you've got to be a good eye on that. And I know, like, they really value, like, obviously you got to be a good hockey player, but as a person too.

So maybe that is, like, one part of it too. What did you learn from Pekka Rinne? I can only imagine, you know, riding shotgun with Pekka Rinne for the time that you did. You pick up a few things. What did you learn from him? Yeah, it was obviously huge. Like, since day one

he helped me on and off the ice so much and like come into the first training camp and he's like every practice he's like diving in front of the pucks and just leading by example so well and then off the ice and locker room like treating everybody always the same doesn't matter who you are and i mean those things are pretty cool to see and it's easy to learn from those two things so it's yeah those are probably the biggest two. Are you a competitive practice guy? Yeah I like to always practice as hard as I can and obviously when you had like Al Ipex he was an example and our goalie coach Ben Vandercluck he's awesome and always demands a lot and we always try to make the most out of the day.

So who is the toughest predator to stop and who is the predator you most love to drive crazy by making saves? Yeah, that's a good one. I know like Philip Forsberg, his release is really unpredictable, so he can never really know where the puck is going. And obviously his shot is really hard, too. And I don't know who... Is there a player that I try to... Is there a player who really gets frustrated when he can't score? Duchesne, probably, but he still scores, too.

But, yeah, if he doesn't, he always... He's a bit of a crybaby, eh? Is that what you're saying? He's a bit of a crybaby when he doesn't score? Matt Duchesne, quote, crybaby when he doesn't score. Yeah, but, yeah, like I said, he also scores, so he's crying all the time. You know, we've seen over the past couple of seasons specifically the rise of the elite-level shooter in the NHL right now.

For the longest time, guys, you know, forwards just go in the offseason and just lift. Goalies worked on their game and goalies had the advantage because of it. But now everyone's got their own shooting coaches and ways to, you know, learn, you know, where to let go of the puck. You know, all the pre-shot movement studies that they all do, etc. How do you accommodate for that, knowing now that the players shoot harder and more accurately than ever? And right now, there's a lot of thought that goes into what happens before the shot to try to make it as perfect as possible. Yeah, like you said, it's changed a lot. And I feel like nowadays, like, guys are on the ice even like the whole summer too and working on their skills and all the young guys

they have like skills coaches like as a young age so they they shoot so well right when they get in the league so yeah I mean as a goalie I feel like I kind of want to be more on the ice to during the summers to not take too much time off and find different ways to get better because don't want to get left behind with all that talent so kids now at all ages have like you mentioned shooting instructors skating instructors um what was it like for you growing up did you have any of that how often were you on the ice what was life like for you as a young goalie? I was still kind of like that old school that you play like different sports in the summers and then hockey into winter and like soccer in the summer and then stuff like that and yeah it was a couple

hockey camps in the summer but other than that nothing nothing too crazy we always had like goalie ice sessions like during the season in my hometown so that was huge so we always had like a goalie coach even when I started as a goalie really young so but yeah nothing like it is now who's your favorite goalie growing up I really like Fleury because he was like acrobatic he had the yellow pads I kind of copied that and then Rask and Pex came in the league just a little bit later than him So those three were like I watched a lot of YouTube videos of those three Did you ever say to Fleury that I idolized you as a kid just to see what his reaction would be?

Just to make him feel really old? I never got chance to meet him yet. I had to ask one of his sticks Last year and I got my first win against him so that was pretty special too but yeah maybe maybe I get to say something to him once this says but yeah I only heard good things about him. So you've got one of his sticks? Yeah. Who else do you have like who other sticks do you have? Mostly pecs I got right away but yeah I don't have like too many I've been a little bit lazy asking I should be asking. You've got a lot of time you you got a lot of time you got a lot of

time yeah but those two and then a few like uh player sticks but I was gonna say any players only goalie sticks or other players which players you got I got Yossi's Yossi's stick and then I got Salomakis and Tolvanen's my Finnish teammates but yeah that's about it so it's pretty so like a not too big of a collection you You've got time to build, to build this up. I know like Tomarow, who was in Toronto, he would like,

he'd probably have millions because every world champions, if he would ask one from each guy and he would go home with like 30 sticks. And even, even like when we're on the ice, like summer skating,

he's asking guys sticks. Like he has to have like a full apartment of like sticks. Let's check his eBay account right away. Guys told me like there was one time I was interviewing him and talking to him in the Toronto dressing room. And he said something along the lines of, you guys might think you know what's going on in here, but you guys have no clue. And another player laughed and we were talking about it. He goes, that guy, you guys have no idea,

Leo Komarov is the funniest guy in the NHL. Tell me some stuff about him. Yeah, I mean, he could have his own podcast with thousands of episodes without any guests. He could go on for hours and hours just talking, and you wouldn't even need one, and it would be just funny. It's like, I don't know. He's a different breed, but, yeah, just a funny guy.

The guy said he's like the funniest guy in the league. I wanted to ask you about last year. And, you know, I was asking one of your teammates about you. And he said, like, the toughest thing he thought about for you is last year you have an unbelievable season. And then you got hurt right before the playoffs. And he said, like, he'd never seen you so disappointed because it was and he said it wasn't only you it was like just that the fact that the Predators weren't going to be able to go in with you to help them and it really hurt you and bothered you a lot yeah it was it was tough for sure especially because we've been like we grinded the whole season we're right on the playoff line there and and we finally make the playoffs and I I got kind of hurt there and

especially the series we had against Carolina year before and remember how fun it was and awesome the atmosphere was in bridge zone so you were really looking forward to the playoff game so it was like a tough timing in that case. But yeah. Did you try to play? Like, did someone have to say to you, this is not happening? I mean, I kind of knew because first time I could go on my knees

was like eight weeks after it. So it was like, yeah, there's no chance. It was weird injury, especially as a goalie having a high angle sprain. Like I was actually skating week injury, especially as a goalie having a high angle sprain. I was actually skating week later as a player, but I couldn't twist my ankle for like eight weeks. It was weird. You could do everything in the gym after like three, four weeks, but then playing goalie, it took three months at least to being back to kind of normal because you're always kind of twisting and turning and stuff like that. I kind of knew that there's not really a chance did it affect you at all at

the beginning of this year because at the beginning this year you were a little slower getting back to yourself so I was wondering if that affected you at all I couldn't really work on my post play on that side of the ankle but don't really blame that on it too much because a few weeks before the season, I was kind of being back to normal. So in the summer, it affected a little bit, but I don't want to blame it all on them. Take the excuse. Take the excuse. You know, the other thing I wanted to ask you was last year,

like I do a radio hit in Nashville every week, and they were furious last year. They thought you got shafted in the Vesna voting does this bother you at all? I don't think obviously Chase Durkin I think he's a clear winner

and Markstrom had a good year too and a couple other guys like Anderson, Sorokin so I was actually a little bit surprised I was part of the top three and it was a great honor and it was a good year for me too but I think I was kind a little bit surprised I was part of the top three, and it was a great honor. It was a good year for me too, but I think I was kind of where I belong,

so I know a lot of bad blood from me. That and national media, they look out for you. That's what it is. They look out for you. You had an outstanding season. You know, Brian Burke always makes the point that it shouldn't be the general managers that vote on the Vesna because it's the general managers that vote on the Vesna because it's the general managers that least understand goaltending. That's the one position where they always mess up. Who should vote for the Vesna?

Yeah, I think maybe we could do goalies too. Something similar to how the NBA has the all-star voting, maybe 50% could be GMs, and then like 50% would be goalies or stuff like that. Would you want to vote on something like that? Would you want to do that? Yeah, I think goalies would be happy to vote on that. And I think it would be cool to see the results too.

And I think it would be pretty point on. So who's the best goalie in the league this year? Number two after Saros. Number two. Number two. You can't really beat all Mark's stats. He's been unbelievable. Yeah, he's been phenomenal.

What's the most important stat for you? Marty Boudreau used to always talk about wins, wins, wins. What's the most important stat for you? Yeah, it's a little different. I think in North America, like the wins is like in Finland like growing up and playing the game I feel like there you look more like the save percentage compared to the wins but of course playing here you get to appreciate the wins more too and then I don't look into the advanced stats too much but I think think what's the one that is like goals?

Goals above expected? Yeah, I think that's kind of like a good stat nowadays too. I think that is kind of like a good thing too. You know why that's a good stat? Because you're always very high on that one. You were very high on that one last year, and you're very high on this one. Players love the stats that they're really good at.

They find that those are the most important stats. Honestly, I check that almost every day because I just want to know who's the, like the goals assist points, the goals against average or save percent

is not a true indicator. Yeah. And your numbers there are always good. Very good. Yeah. Obviously, when it's a long season,

then it's like save percent. It kind of shows where you are too, but if it's like five games, like a shorter thing, then it's kind save percentage kind of shows where you are too but if it's like a five games like a like a shorter thing then it's kind of hard to say yeah well if you look at it this year we're on pace for the lowest save percentage by goalies in about 15 years do you like the way the game is going like offense sells but that's bad for you do you like that yeah obviously it makes it really more challenging for the goalies

and harder for our lives, but I get it. It's like entertaining and at the same time it's also like fun to play and I like to look at it. It's like a positive challenge that as a goalie then you also get to be the difference maker more and show your skill set more, but yeah, obviously you got to be on top of your game every game with how the league is right now aside from playing that what's the thing that you're the most competitive in i mean uh or you're one of those guys everything yeah i mean all the sports it's hard for me to i always try to play cool but then sometimes it's hard when you're losing or something so so who's the what do you compete in like what are the predators players compete in Try to play it cool, but then sometimes it's hard when you're losing or something So who's so who's the what are you competing like? What are the Predators players compete in? That's not hockey

Well, a lot of guys play golf. I'm not a big golfer so I know there's a lot of chirping on that and then the NFL the fantasy thing they have but It's you do fantasy football. i i didn't do that too so it's mostly even like for me in the practice like when guys are scoring and they're like doing like a big selly and in my head i'm always like it's driving me crazy but i always like just be cool be cool like don't let them see you yeah yeah a couple more for me um how important like on your list of things to achieve in the NHL where do you put scoring a goal

good question yeah that would be cool obviously it was awesome to see when Peck scored a goal and then this year there's been a couple guys yeah I think Swayman was really close earlier so yeah I think it would be cool and one good thing about the injury happening,

I stayed in Nashville pretty long for the season, and the only thing we could do on the ice was my puck handling skills and shooting the puck. Did you practice that in your goals? Yes, a little bit. And I got a little bit better at playing the puck now too and shooting. So maybe one day that would be cool. Would John Hines have a heart attack

if you if you started if you lined up to shoot and is it worth it is it worth it we actually played in ottawa this year and i think we were leading three nothing or two nothing at the end of two and then they rimmed the puck but then it was a and i thought about it for a second but it was offside and they blew it down and and Ekholm was actually yelling at me to leave the puck to you so yeah that was kind of the only... Be quiet Ekholm, I can score here! Yeah last one I'm a big ink guy obviously you are as well what do you have? I got a few tattoos of like my dogs, and then a couple smaller one on my leg like from with my best friends and stuff like that but yeah i got always liked tattoos and i got my first few ones

last few years but yeah i was looking at yours too i really like that i'm addicted i'm addicted yeah that's really this can be my i gotta finish this yeah maybe this summer yeah it's it's funny like you take one and then you're like oh i, I got to, yeah. Yeah, there's no chance. Any hockey ink, or do you keep that separate? I think I'm going to keep that separate for now. But, yeah, I know, like, my parents don't really like me. They always, I get a new one, they're like, that's the last one, right? But, yeah.

That's the last one for now. Do you know that I'm in the NHL, and you can't tell me what to do anymore, mom and dad? Like, that's what you should say. Yeah. This has been great. Thanks so much for this. Enjoy the rest that I'm in the NHL and you can't tell me what to do anymore, Mom and Dad? That's what you should say. This has been great. Thanks so much for this. Enjoy the rest of the season. Good luck. Thanks a lot. Thank you. So that's Yussi Saros

of the Nashville Predators. Now, personally, I'm trying to lobby Sportsnet so we can have all of our NHL interviews done on the beach. So far, it's falling on deaf ears. By the way, the video of the entire interview is available at the Sportsnet YouTube channel.

Hope you enjoyed that. Next podcast Friday morning. Usual time, usual space. Enjoy. We'll talk to you Friday.