Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Former Calgary Flames Defensemen Robyn Regehr (FULL INTERVIEW PART 3) | FN Barn Burner

Episode Date: July 13, 2023

Boomer & Rhett sit down with former Calgary Flames Defensemen Robyn Regehr! PART 3/3Shoutout to this episode’s sponsors:The Hearing Loss Clinic: https://hearingloss.caMcleod Law: https://www.mcleod-law.comBK Bowfort LiquorOutdoor Dental: https://www.outdoor.dentalBon Ton Meat Market: https://bonton.caTower Chrysler: https://www.towerchrysler.comBetway: https://betway.com/en-ca/ Mad Rose Pub: https://www.madrose.pubVillage Honda: https://www.villagehonda.com/enVena Nova: https://venanova.com________________________________________________Visit  www.nationgear.ca for merch and more.Follow us on Instagram @flamesnationdotca Follow us on Twitter @flamesnation @barnburnerfnFollow us on Facebook @FlamesNationReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, hi-you-buddies. Welcome to Barnburner. It's Boomer here in, you know, it's not the, it's not the Tower Chrysor Studios. It is the Tower of Chrysor Studios. It's always the Tower Chrysor Studios. But from the home studios today, as we are on summer break, we're on summer vacation. We're at the monkey bars in the jungle gym and riding our bikes at summertime, eating Mr. Friesies and stuff like that. Regular Barnburner show is going to be popping up here and there. Whenever there's breaking news, flames do something, NHL stuff, we're going to jump in. And if we just need to, you know, bullshit with you and tell you how we're doing we're gonna do that for you but this one here today is part three of our sit down with rob and reggear and i have to admit you're probably thinking when we were rolling these out three parts with with robin reggear robin reggear is a unique guy if you didn't listen to part one and part two go back and grab it there's this is a this is a cool story everyone's got one but this is no one has this story other than robin reggear no one i'm willing to bet no one has traveled the path to the NHL and through life and career and all that that he has. So happy to bring you part three today.

We heard about the tragic accident that he was involved in when he was 19 in part two. Now it's hockey. The big man moves from Calgary to Buffalo. Got some sage advice. I don't know who could have given him that type of advice, that Buffalo was going to be a great place. But yeah, he becomes a safe. neighbor. The years start to take their toll on the big rigs chassis. Everything takes a little bit

longer. It's a little harder to get the big man going. And a call from an old friend changes his life forever. That's all coming up here in part three. And be listening. How much money could you say no to? Robin said no to a lot. It's coming up. Let's get into it. Part three with Robin. barn burner comes to you from the tower kreisler studios tower chrysler voted calgary son's reader's choice award winner for southern alberta's favorite dodge chrysler dealer we've been very lucky and proud to have had tower as a barn burner partner since day number one as our studio sponsor and vehicle supplier how great did the nation truck and nation jeep look tower chrysler 10901 mcclough trail south at the corner of mcclod and southport road we know how it goes

and then in in 04 and then there's a lockout then you guys come back and it felt like you were just going to kind of pick right up where you left off but it it was a different team for sure different well and and a year like a year of nothing well no we got to go to europe that was fun oh we survival like yeah like i think i think i topped out at 242 in an ice shack in northern scatchew and i think in february at that at that point but uh i think there were a lot of of guys that were scared when Chris Simon phoned me in February when grets and i forget who else were they were canceled and they're like we can't lose a year you guys got and grets wasn't even playing but he was like i'm going to get the ship steering correctly here sigh called me he's like we better not

be playing like we're going to have to play he's like i'm 270 oh there were some guys like it would have been bad news yeah there is a six-month training we did that meeting in uh, Toronto. I don't know if you were at that one. Uh, this PA meeting and, uh, uh, Brian Marchman was massive. Um, Eric Lindross. Oh, Eric Lindross, someone made a joke. They're like, oh my God, what did you do eat your brother? Like he was, he was massive. Like there were some big, never hungry league boys were eating. Yeah, but uh, yeah, that was, but that year like to lose that entire year for a team that that was right there that hurt us a lot like more way more than anything else and then we came back we had a good regular season next year but then I

think we lost seven games to Anaheim I think it was in the first round but we had a good team but we'd lost a complete year of and a year in it doesn't sound like much to people but in professional sports professional hockey where you're typical careers for four and a half years a year is a lot of everyone's aged your your production usually does not go up as as you've aged like that that hurt us a lot one how many guys you don't talk about it but how many guys were on the cusp i go back to the my first training camp was in 94 95 and there was a lockout then for a couple months well chris armstrong was a defense from playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors

who was drafted by Florida and he had a great training camp. They locked out. He never got another chance. Like he had a, there was a good likely, he would have made the NHL that year. So the impacts,

you know, we miss a year, we're more established. The, the trickle-down effect of missing that whole year is so big. You can't even comprehend

all the pieces that got screwed over because of it. Yeah. Yeah, I've never been able to like Gary Betman after that. That was one of the one of the reasons I just can't get get good.

Do you keep track of how much money he owes you? Like Warner's mouth or two lockouts or whatever. No, no. It's somebody owes me some though some no no it's just it's more I just can't stand the guy. I'm just not a not a fan. Well you as an owner he's done yeah as an owner he's done a great great job for the ownership and stuff. That type of stuff. It was personal vendetta tough stuff to me at that point with him and Bob.

It was not about the best of you or me or the game. Yeah, that relationship was pretty toxic at that point for sure. So your time in Calgary's fans, they'll remember, it was just, those were, it almost feels like it was literally dark being at the rank then because the againless stuff was happening and Beaumester and the team wasn't winning and feaster. Can I jump in? I know you're going to. Yeah, yeah. I was kind of out at that point. We had a couple years and Keenan came in and the Keenan years to me were a

awful disaster yeah like it was just a you didn't know what the F was going on it was are we actually gonna it was just it was I look back on it with in confusion because he there was no direction for the team it was a waste it was a waste of yes anyway then I'm I've been kind of walked to the door and that's fine but to those years that you talk about because the team on paper you know you had d on yourself j bow meister i forget who all the other d were but on paper the squad should have been all right but it didn't ever translate into to success do you have an answer as to why you think that might be and and and can you compare that to why the team in oh three or four did have success or your team in l.a that had success like what are the missing in

ingredients in that era or you know what does make a team click yeah well with with with Keenan there was no no structure really like because he really didn't understand the X's nose with with hockey like he was it's a way you'd ask him next his nose question oh well you guys are you guys are good good players just go sort sort it out like so I think that was that was a problem I think age like the age like the age of the the team like we we kind of discussed it is you miss a year then you have uh who's a jimmy gym play fair come in for for one i think and then another couple but you're already three or four years five years or down from from that and and i guess that kind of led me to

the realization that uh you know we have aging assets aging players and we're not getting any like we're actually getting less productive as as as as a team and as players so that was when um i came to the realization that it actually wouldn't be a bad thing to just look look outside of that and you know kind of led me to the meeting with feaster after the season when he met with all the we didn't make the playoffs and he met with all the guys with no trade clauses no movements all that kind of stuff and darrell had put a bunch of guys on the team with those clauses and Feasters after he like shook me down for about two and a half hours on all my thoughts on the whole organization from coaches players uh trainers like you name it he

asked it so after i was done answering all the questions i just looked at him and said okay jay like what are you going to do what are you going to do with this team to to j to him prove it like so we can actually get making the playoffs again and have some success and that's when he told me what he was going to try to do and it was try to move a couple players with no trade clauses and i was like well what if no what if you can't do that he's like well then we're kind of stuck and that was my realization that and and out at the end of that conversation i just said to j if there's a situation where you know potentially i can go to a team that is going to win and and have that ability, I said, I would be open to that.

I did not demand a trade or anything like that. Just saying like, I kind of see where things are going here. He was looking for flex- And I don't, I'm not a huge fan of it. Yeah. So the disappointing thing was I have no movement clause. And so I went, we ended up back at the lake and he didn't phone me till it was a couple days before the draft.

and he phoned me at the lake and said well we'd like to trade you to buffalo and so what happened was I phoned my agent right away and my agent was mad because when you have a no trade or no movement they should be included usually you exactly they talk to the player talk to the agent where some of the places where you'd like to go and let's work through this together a dialogue there was none of that so it actually started a really interesting kind of chain of events because My agent at the time he's like no, just don't do anything leave it with me So then he phoned I think Darren Dregor at TSN and he leaked the story so he leaked it that that Calgary wanted to trade me to Buffalo and I didn't realize what he's doing at the time

But really he was opening the floodgates because he knew there were other teams interested would be in other teams didn't know there was you in play so so then phone me and they were mad because they're like, well, why aren't you coming here? Why aren't you waving? And I was like, well, I'm not saying no. I'm just trying to explore options. Yeah, I've got this in my contract. This is my right. I gave up substantial amount of money to secure the no movement. Like, I'm going to use it to my ability. And, and Jay has kind of put me in a bad spot here. So yeah, just talking. And then that started, you know, talking to Rhett and Jordan Leopold and players that had been in around Buffalo, the Pagula's flying up

with Lindy and chatting with them and all that. So, you know, eventually I decided to wave and go there anyway to start a new adventure. And I'm actually really glad I did because not just that I could kind of have a sense of what was going on here in Calgary, but I think there was a little bit of getting stale here in in calgary too like going and i realized that when i got to buffalo is that you know you're in a different your new country even though it's just the you're just different place but it's new country uh new conference which was travel massive like that was a massive difference i didn't know a lot of the players like you only played against them once maybe twice and i didn't know a lot of them

Like, and I, and I did a lot of studying, studying tendencies and things like that. So that was, like, you had to go back to school. New coach, you know, and played with a very different kind of, I would say, a lot less structure. Just come back, flood the D zone, get the puck back as fast as you can, and four guys up the other way. And that's it. Like, just back and forth. Was that at that time? Lindy Ruff.

Gotcha. And, and so, like, I struggled, like, with that. I did not like that at all. But you, by going there and doing all. all this and and going through a trade like uh you know there was some funny stuff like buying a buying a house in buffalo like you have to have a u.s-based bank account to actually buy a house in the state of new york at the time i was like well i have u.s currency here but no they're like you have to open up an account in the u.s okay well i can't be that hard well because the patriot act and stuff

like that i had to chop down a small forest and paperwork like just to all the whole open up an account and and I didn't realize all that like the visas and stuff that was pretty easy but there was lots of issues that you're starting to realize cross border that that come up and we're lucky this is in the off season when I actually had time to deal with it and christina and i can talk about it and all that kind of stuff but so we quickly fly to buffalo we've got a young one and uh Shane is on the like he's he's coming like He's due like in a month. Just a little less than a month.

So we only had a certain amount of time to fly. So we fly to Buffalo, look at houses quickly and we can't find one that we like. We kind of find this area that one and more near downtown by by Chapin Parkway there by the Hutches, right? The restaurant. So we get home and we start getting our realtor to send us to pictures and video of these houses as she goes around that morning uh flavor flavor no no no yeah this was sarah robertida so we we find a house that we like and it's this hundred-year-old home beautiful brick home and that and what happened is christina's water breaks and we're at the

lake and so a driver into prince albert we're at the vic uh hospital in p. and I get a phone call. And it's Sarah Robatai, the realtor from Buffalo. There's stuff going on with this house. You guys need to put an offer in today or else it's gone. And we're like, well, we're a little busy. Christina's in contractions here. Like she's like, no, like you have to do this.

And are you serious? So the offer then is faxed to our friends, the broodas in Prince Albert. they drive it over to the hospital and in between contractions we're signing an offer to buy a house in buffalo we have not physically been in or like we've only seen a few pictures of it like that's the kind of stuff that went on and like the nurses in prince albert they're like we've seen a lot of stuff but we have not seen this we've not seen this one before maybe you could just sign just initials can you just get Yeah, yeah. Village Honda is a proud supporter of Barnburner. You can find them in the Northwest

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at hearing loss.com. Because you said about winning, you knew you had to know you weren't going to win in Buffalo. No, they had a good squad. Well, no, they were, trying to they were trying to load up but the problem is they they loaded up with the wrong group right like they they they loaded up with with christian air hoff and villil lano and some of the guys like when they just started they were just throwing they had had a good they had a good run post lockout yeah that season that we missed because they had drury and brier they'd won the conference they lost in the semifinals when they puckland and miller miller and net like so yeah and we actually had a really good start to the season. We just, we fell flat after after that. And so, so be it, right?

Like it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it was challenging. All that stuff was challenging, but it was really nice to just have change a different scenery. Yeah, different teammates and, and that and really like by going out east, it allowed, allowed us to come back west. Because that was ultimately, the flames did not want to to that's what it came down to the flames didn't want to deal within the western conference and there was no other team that would take alish code leeks contract because uh buffalo took code co coaly's contract before yeah yeah exactly uh but but by doing that by going out east i had a chance to come back west to uh to l a eventually and how did that come about do you uh so that would

how many years in buffalo so year and a half so played the full season the first full season and then the next year was the half lock out or partial lockout we get back playing things aren't aren't going great and i get a phone call uh would you waive your no movement to go to la and i there were rumblings of it um and that and and at that point like l a had won uh in 12 so that was 13 and i'm like yeah like i'm at the tail end of my career now all i want is a chance like i don't think you can you can truly pick the team. If you do, you're lucky. But I just want a chance. And I felt like, and Christine and I talked about it, we felt like we had a chance there. Darrell was there. They had a good team. They'd, so went there. We lost in the Western Conference Finals to

Chicago that year. They won. And then the next year, we, we won. So it was like, it's kind of, you look back on it and you're like, well, there's, yeah, did things work out the way we wanted in Buffalo, no, but in a roundabout way, like maybe there's good, it's a good thing. You ended up there and it all works out. That hockey that the Kings and the Hawks played in the playoffs, so you lost to the Hawks in the semi-final, the Western Conference Final. The Western Conference Final in the year before, and then the next year, you beat them in game seven in Chicago, is that correct?

It had to come back to win that game. Yeah, that was- That hockey was unbelievable. That was an amazing series. so I was by that point in the music series like it was obviously Chicago was in the middle of their really really strong teams

and L.A. was pushing but that our team in L.A. that was we had gone down 3-0 to San Jose and right right like so if you look back on it we played very poorly leading up to the end of the regular season

because we couldn't move anymore we knew we were getting San Jose And I think it was like the last eight or nine games we lost like five of them or like it was it was we didn't play very good at all and then we thought well we'll just flip the switch right and no we got absolutely pumped for the first two games in San Jose in the third game something I think overtime there was a fight. I think I fought in that game was a did I fight? We lost an overtime. But but our added like Darrell was on a us about attitudes like change our attitude and get better attitude so we played way better in the game three and then game four we won and then started rolling after after that and you know with san jose you just had to give them some doubt like because they'd been so close for so long um which which we did and then uh you know we went on to win game seven on the road i think i don't think the score was even that close we just kind of eventually took over the game but the interesting thing is back to

round two so we won game seven on the road after being down three nothing uh the second round we won game seven on the road in anaheim and then round three back to the series you were saying in chicago uh one game seven on the road alec martinez um yeah in in game seven and overtime like unbelievable and then he he scored the winner uh in overtime against rangers in game five in l a so just a wild ride there for kind of you know know, personally for that last kind of three or four years of, you know, multiple trades, some different cities and different teammates, but, but, you know, a lot of fun and, you know, getting to, to the final, final goal.

I talked to you about it. When did you know it was time to walk away? Oh, so, very interesting interaction with Dean Lombardi. So I'm in LA We're making our first kind of Playoff push in 13 before the Chicago series And things were You know I'd kind of settled in

He was happy with things the way they were And I had a borrowed car I knew a lady down there I think you've met her Kathy Blackburn She borrowed me her little She had a little Porsche Carrera down there Well I was waiting for the F-350 to come over from Buffalo They're wedging you into a cool porch.

Yeah. So I hop in the car after practice one day and there's a little yellow sticky note on the windshield and it says three, three, three, come see me Dean. So I'm like, okay. So I get out with the sticky note and I go up to Dean Lombardi's office and says, come in and he's like, well, what do you think? I'm like, what do you think? What do I think about what? Like, well, the contract offer, you know, three years, three million dollars per year.

Like, do you like it? That was his, that was his offer like on a yellow sticky note on the windshield. Yeah, he's an interesting guy. Like I, I loved him, but you had some quirks. So what I first said is this. I said, you know, Dean, I enjoy being here. We've got a great team. I like the guys.

But I actually said this to him. him. I said, I feel personally, physically, mentally that I can play at a level where I think I can be productive and way I want for two years. I said the way I'm feeling. After that, I said, I don't know. I really don't know. And he looked back at me and he says, you know, you're the first player that's ever lopped off a year of a contract offer. But at that, but at that, point like at that point all I cared about was just being a part of a team and really physically I was starting to break down like my knees are always a weak weak link and mentally too like it takes a toll and I truly felt like two years I could play hard for two years and after that like

I don't know and I'm not gonna I don't want to be held to no like pissed on yeah I'd I didn't have to, like, in that way. So we just had a very honest conversation about it all. You know, if, and I, and I never, like at that point, like you're, I was never like, well, I'm going to get as much money as I possibly can. Like that, that really wasn't a motivation at that point at all. It was winning, like getting a chance to win. And I felt like we had that there. And that to me was the most important part of it. And, you know, Christina was mad because she loved LA, she loved LA and wanted to be there as long as long as possible. But like I already had other stuff going on to like I'd started a oil food service company with with people and things like that. And

mentally like my knees were like by the end my my knees were were really really bad. And I if you look back on it, I probably played a year too long. Like my that last year I was getting all kinds of injections and things like that. I could only turn one way. Like I was probably made a mistake by a year. But at least we had that frank conversation about it. McLeod Law is proud of their Calgary roots. It's a big part of their longstanding client relationships.

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Bon Ton Meat Market, 28 Crowfoot Circle Northwest. Did you make $4.5 million over the, did you make your $9 million over the two years? Or did you just say, I'm good, $3 million? I'm good with two years. If you hadn't, if you hadn't won, would that have been motivating to keep you going? Because it was like for me, I lost. three times and I'm my head I'm like no no Rhett at that point I didn't think about that at all like it was a nice bonus that part of a winning team at at the end or a really nice bonus but

you know physically like my my one knee so I was in a I was in one appointment with this doctor who done thousands of PRP injections and I was in there and it was very very it was bothering me, it was hurting and that. And I said, how is it? Like, what does it look like? How is it? All that kind of stuff. And he's like, well, I can tell how bad something is by how much fluid it takes.

Because if it's really porous and it takes a lot of fluids, he's like it's close to being done or it's in rough shape. And he's like, yours took a lot of fluid. Like when some doctors they are telling you that's done thousands and thousands of these, like it's bad. It kind of, it made me realize I thought it was. I felt it was. But him saying that, I'm like, okay, it's, it is. And what do I want to risk now that's going to limit me after playing hockey?

mid 30s still lots of life to to live after hockey and do things i love i love being active i'm super active i love being active and i felt that to put all that at even more risk wasn't for for a dollar amount uh you know a substantial dollar amount but it's no wasn't worth the the reward to me i i I would rather be able to do things with friends, family, kids, things like that, then be sitting at home in a chair and your knees mangled. Like, knees mangled, yeah. Of all the guys that we've talked to or that I've talked to over the years, you stand out as the guy who was most at peace as his career was over.

I've never spoken with anybody. You were, obviously, you were clearly, you had an idea of when you were going to be done. You didn't want to go past that due date, and you were good with it. Yeah, like I think for a variety of reasons, like when your, when your body's telling you, you should listen. But mentally, too, like mentally you sit in a kind of mid-30s. Like I never had a problem sitting and listening in a meeting until like those last couple years and some of those meetings they drag on and this and that. And I'm finding my mind started wandering. And I'm having a harder time being engaged in these meetings.

Like it's the same penalty kill meeting that you've had thousands of times. And so you start thinking about things like that and having conversations with other players and retired players and mentors and agents and, you know, you name it. And they bring up the point. Like you're being tired of being told what to do, how to dress. where to be, all that kind of structure. It just, it kind of had run its course. And I think having other interests outside of hockey, I think is very important. I think that's one thing that's a real struggle for today's players is they're single

tract from a very young age. Some want to, some of their parents do it. And they become hyper-focused on just playing hockey. little Johnny just worry about hockey. We'll deal with managing everything else around you, but you just focus on hockey. Okay, great. Little Johnny becomes a great hockey player, but he sucks at life. He's got no other skills, social, interest-wise, anything like that.

And then what? Like after you're done playing hockey, there's lots of life left to live. And you're a very one-dimensional person. And I think that had a lot to do with kind of people around me. again family friends stuff like that have other interests have like don't just be a hockey player have hockey is something that you do but don't have it kind of singularly define you as a person and i and i truly felt that way like it was it was actually beneficial to have other interests because it actually helped me focus on something else and come back to hockey that i know you did

was have plans for after and there's lots of talk amongst the players oh i'm going to plan and i'm do this. But most of the guys think they have a plan and they don't really have a plan. All of a sudden they're done and that plan that they had isn't really what they want to do or a good plan.

Robin had a plan and he's executed on it and he's had interest in it. Talk about that. You set up a business here in Calgary prior to being done hockey. I mean, I don't know if you had a grand plan for it to turn into something that you were always going to do.

or if it just walked its way into that, but you did, you had things moving forward for post-career hockey. Yeah, like having conversations with people about, you know, what are you going to do after hockey? Well, you're still playing. It's like, oh, yeah, like, there's lots of life left to live after hockey. So that got me thinking and, and the other thing too is with Christina, she was always really good at organizing. and you did that too with Chrissy and stuff, organizing different social things, whether it was birthday parties, team parties, whatever it was,

but birthday parties for our kids, for example. Wherever we were, Buffalo, L.A., we invited not just hockey, the hockey circle, but other circles, like circles of friends from outside of hockey that kids had or we had. And we were always very open to other circles. And it was interesting because a lot of times the people would show up

and the players specifically and they wouldn't mingle with any other they just yeah and and it was really interesting to see but we don't town no no it's a selfish thing and you're so and it's it's not a knock on a players but you become selfish because part of you has to be selfish to be successful you have to have a level of selfishness

and arrogance about yourself and I'm not saying those in negative terms at all to do the things that you need to do to put yourself in a position to be successful. I agree. I agree with that point. And, um, but you know, for, for us at that, at that stage, we, we also were open to just people being, yeah, different people, different things and living in a different, different cities. And so it kind of forces you to open up a little bit. Um, so that's kind of how it started. And, uh, it's actually a little easier to do that.

I found when you're away, like, because we'd kind of been so entrenched here in, in Calgary, but it kind of forces you to do that when you, when you move to a different city, different country that way. Like I remember Christina, she said, like, she was at one of the coffee shops in Buffalo and she just saw a mum's group like that. And we had, we had the, the Shane was brand new and why it was like three, but she just walked up like, hey, I'm new here and, you know, yeah, and they're like, yeah, great. Like, they had nothing to do with hockey.

But that's kind of some of the ways that we we thought about it. And I think that really helped too because you have different circles other than hockey because the hockey one ends. And I don't know what Rhett would say about this. But I found like after every team, there's maybe like two or three guys out of 20-ish players that you kind of really stay in touch with. Like you'll still reach out every now and again. You're always teammates and friends, but there's not.

But there's not really that many that you have like a real close, longstanding relationship with. And so like it's important to have other relationships outside of that, other other interests outside of that too. And for me, like, it kind of came to me with friends. They're like, what do you want to do after hockey where you want to live? and Calgary seemed to be the, the, the, the, uh, the kind of the choice. And, you know, we started blue line organically and kind of continued to grow it. And I take two days out of the, the summer and do rig tours in northern Alberta, like two days off of training and go learn a little bit about the oil patch and what was going on and stuff.

And I enjoyed it. Like I didn't enjoy the fact that most of the time, if I went into a doghouse up in northern Alberta, It was Edmonton Oilers. Like I still remember one rig. I walked in there and there's a big Ryan Smith, Jersey. Just right now I'm like, oh, my goodness. If everyone on the rig would have had mullets, I would have really lost my mind.

But it was just really interesting to learn about something different and new and something I enjoyed. We would kind of joke about it. But how's for gear doing? Oh, he's good. He's driving some skid steer up in Fort McMurray. happier than the pig and shit. I mean, life's great. But I mean, blessed in a way because it's well you have to guys because that hockey machine it just keeps going. And I don't know that it's

a conscious thing. But I think for ex players, you get left behind very quickly almost not that you're forgotten about, but it's got to keep going now it's which is the next player. If you can't play, they're not going a man short. They're putting somebody in that spot. And that could be hard. Yeah. Yeah. Just interchangeable pieces really is what it is. But yeah, I enjoyed the change. Like, there's actually some things, like, direct correlation to hockey, right? Like, you know, you're building a business. You want to put together a good, high performing team.

Like everyone, everyone's got different roles of responsibilities. Same as a hockey team. Like, a lot of that has direct correlation. Some very different. Like, I'll give an example. Like, in hockey, it's very, it's almost instant gratification or gold horns. It's like, right? You win a game, you lose a game. You win a game. You lose a game. There's always a score being kept.

Yeah. At the, at the end of the season, did we make the playoffs? Great. Yay. We did. Or no. Oh, what are we going to? Like, it's very instant gratification or not. And with business, small business, it's like months or years sometimes. Like, yes, you will have small little wins and losses along the way. But okay, what's our strategy? Okay, this is the strategy. Who are we going to put in place to do that? Okay, now we're going to implement it and then it doesn't just happen the next day. Like it takes months or years. Yeah, you go here and then you question your strategy and then review it.

Yeah. And so like, uh, it's just a very different like there's some correlation with with the team, but there's also other others. It's just like, I got to learn to be a little bit more patient with. going on. The word is out. Madrose Pub in Royal Oak has become one of Calgary's best pubs and it's no secret why. 20 beers on tap, kid friendly Saturday, Sunday and Monday, daily specials, lunch specials, some of the best food you're going to find in the city, period. Burgers, pastas, steaks, full entrees, and proud to serve one of the best and most talked about pizzas in Calgary. Summer's here. Come enjoy the brand new patio. Check out their website, maybe order some takeout.

Pub is the website 15 Royal Vista Place is the address it's Madrose Pub we probably should wrap this up because I just got a guy got you got you got a couple more well I was gonna ask to what you've done this business blue line it's had success I'm guessing you said that you're thinking about selling it getting out of that are you get if you are what's the next chapter for Robin Rear you said you had a five years of excitement and then five years of establishment and then five years wanted to win and then he got out now you did this This part, what's what's the future bringing?

Yeah. So, so I call it actually transitions. I don't really, very rarely do I call it retirement. Like I transition from from hockey into small business with with Blue Line. I'll be looking to transition out here, you know, probably in the next couple years. I'm guessing to to something else for me. I think that's focusing more on agriculture. I love, I love agriculture. grew up working on a farm. I've been fortunate to purchase some farmland in Saskatchew and rent it out to, you know, a big group of people.

A lot of, some of them were the ones I grew up working for. I love agriculture. Fantastic job of it here in Western Canada, and I'm very proud of it. I don't care what that idiot in Ottawa has to say about it. Like, we do a good job of it and other things as well, oil and gas and stuff. So I want to be more involved with that. Like is it a day-to-day piece? No, I probably don't want to be an operating company of a farm, but as a landowner and having something tangible and enjoying the land and you're going to be hired man,

you're going to be driving the tractors and the combines. Or having the choice of to go out there or not. I really like that flexibility. I'm doing a little bit more volunteering. So I'm co-chair of the Flames Alumni Golf Tournament now and have this will be my second year. We've got that coming up May 25th at Prittus. And so trying to do a little bit of that, I've volunteered to be on the executive board and a few things. So I would say I'm focusing on the next transition on doing a little bit more of what I'd like to do and want to do rather than maybe what I feel like I have to do.

Obligated to do. Yeah. So what does that look like? I'll tell you this. I felt like I had a chip on my shoulder coming out of hockey. I, because I'd had some success in hockey, financial winning and, you know, all that kind of stuff. But it was in hockey. And now you want to prove.

I wanted to prove that I could do it outside of hockey. I felt like I've done that now. And I don't have that chip on my shoulder anymore. And I'm okay. with this transition going into something and not having that built-in plan that you talked about before of just kind of seeing what's what's out there and i know i've talked to people um in in that retirement kind of space and they're like just just wait like you'll you'll wait and see what comes at you and you'll get a chance to pick and choose what you want to do and what you don't want to do so i think

that is more what I'm I'm looking forward to in the next couple years with with the transition I would say spending that last not last time that but those boys that you have at home that's going fast too it is yeah it is it is really fast and we're now because because neither of them can drive yet and things like we're in it like you you have to run them around everywhere and which is great like we Christine and I both enjoy it, you know, still having the conversations with them in the in the car and things like that. Because soon that's going to be done. Like soon if once they they do get their licenses and can drive themselves, they're not going to want us around. And and quite frankly, I'm not

going to want to go to a 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock practice. Yeah, I just don't don't want to. So trying to try to maximize what what we have right now for sure. Just the last one I had because I asked of it always stuck out to me one of the times we had you in studio at the station you had said the one thing you miss is being able to go out and hit guys when you have that kind of pent up aggression you could go and hit guys i asked one of your former teammates i'm like just tell me you know about got robin coming in and he said he's the most ferocious teammate i've ever played with that part of your is is that built in the i saw it two minutes ago when he said the chip on his shoulder i like it's yeah the i would say

to the realization that it's not going to, there's not going to be the same outlets for that. Like that outlet for in hockey was, it's amazing. Like, you're, you're doing your job. You're doing what you're supposed to do. And you're having a chance to like, if you have a personal vendetta against someone, like I did with Edmonton and stuff like that, like to be able to do that, like made me feel warm and fuzzy inside to try to grab that guy and run him. Like physically try to put him.

through the stanchions of the glass. Like if I could shove him in there as, like, man, did that make me feel good? Like, but I know that I cannot do that now. Or if I do that, I'm in deep trouble. And so do I miss that, yes, I do. But I realize that I can't do that anymore either. Like there's things that happen in my,

me my body that it just doesn't feel good anymore so is there some outlets that yes like so i love like playing tennis now like marty jellan has taken up tennis and i'll play tennis and so i'll go out there and play with them or christina plays and or do things with the boys right you're out there playing and doing things with them am i going to let them win like no i'm not like you need to beat me like you know like i'm not going to just water ski still water ski like so i love skiing I actually joined, there's a private club down south here called Predator Bay. So I joined there. I haven't skied yet.

I left my ski in Saskatchewan, but I'll go grab it this weekend. And I'll ski. I skied a lot last summer. I skied really well, actually the best I ever have. And I won a tournament. Actually on Emma there, we had a, there was a tournament. I got invited to September long weekend. It was fantastic.

It was just a blast. Like, and, and just very different individual sport, right? Like you're out there on your own. And so I like that. But is it the same as as putting Hemsky through the gas? No. But at least I'm out there doing something, being competitive. And coming to the realization that that's, that's where it is right now for me.

It's not back 10 years ago. This is now. Like, enjoy what you can do now. And I think I'm okay with that. Is there a reason it was Hemsky? Did he say something? He cross-checked me in the throat when I didn't get a penalty. I just, every time I just tried to.

Oh, yeah, I just, absolutely. I just tried to think about that to get me further out. And just the last thing, same teammate, he said that you lead the league in ripping off guys' shirts at the bar. Oh, 100%. He doesn't know why. He doesn't understand what the deal was. I don't know. Just when you get Rami, certain people have certain things.

I guess that was it. And one of the funny, one of the funny things I was in during the lockout. I was in Lowell with visiting my brother who was playing down there. And Brennan Evans was down there. And yeah, we went out in Boston one night. He just got after it, right? And I had ripped one of his, I think he really enjoyed some old concert t-shirt or something that meant. Broke.

Actually, yeah, I just had some meaning to him, right? So one of the funniest things, though, is I woke up the next morning. And he had stayed up all, like, at that night, taking a massive kitchen knife and cut both of my shoes in half. Both of them. So, so, so I got him or he got me back, right? Get in there and they just fell, fell open. Like, oh, it was so funny.

Like, for that, like, I love that kind of stuff. I love the, the, uh, the little, like, pranks and things like that. I learned from Rett and, you know, the pranks I pulled on Darrell later on in L.A. like I I pulled some good ones on him and and the lot of the players were scared of him like and it's like well no like if he's getting too wound up and stuff like we need to do something to him so he realizes that and he and he did he'd come in oh you guys want me to chill out hey we're like yeah exactly like get the point 100 percent yes so let it sink in it's crazy when you think about the team this year they could they could have used it oh well yeah instead of

Instead of, exactly, instead of going in and actually doing that and having that interaction, you unnamed person, talk to your agent and get your agent to say something in the meeting. Like, that's not leadership. Like go in, have a conversation. Even if you need to yell and scream and hash it out, do it. Like that's part of being in a high pressure situation. You're being paid a lot of money to win and perform. Like you're not always going to be on a team you want to be on.

You're not always going to have a coach that loves you or likes you. But you are paid. You are paid to perform. Yeah. Plain and simple. Like go out and do it. Like, and that, that's, that was a real disappointment with the team here. This year is, is, you know, the excuses and the indirect.

Wow. Just go in there and hash it out. Like, yeah. Or don't hash it out. Go perform. Or go perform. It won't be an issue. Simple.

Like, yeah. And that next coach is going to be an interesting spot because you know there's drama in that room when you come in. It's already been established. Well, it's very interesting because now you have a, uh, a team that really multiple players quit. They quit on the coach. You could, you could see it. And okay. So now you appease those players as it as an organization quitting on the coach, even though

they're paid to perform and paid to win. And then you bring in what? Like you bring in, so now you appease them. Do you bring in a soft coach and just let them do whatever you want? I don't think so. You have to bring in a firm but fair coach that is actually going to hold these players accountable to what they signed up for in the first place. To what the, when you put your name on that contract, it's to perform to the top level of your team. It doesn't say in there, well, you have to like the coach or you have to like, like, like it doesn't.

Like, it's pretty simple, but I think a lot of these players on this team are having trouble with that. And that that kind of bugs me a little bit as a, as a former player. I worry that it's more than just on this team. I feel like it's part of the game a little bit, but that's a whole other. Yeah, that's another podcast. Yeah. That's amazing amount of time. We just rolled out there.

But thanks for that. It's, uh, you've always been one of my favorite guys, even back to when I was an actual media person. You were a guy in the room with two knee braces on and ice bags. And it was amazing the work that you had to put in clearly to play at that high level and to walk away and to be as happy as you are. You're one of the few guys. I think that really is you should be so proud of how it's all gone for you. Yeah, well, it takes a team. Like I talked about it many times here. It takes a big, big team around, you know, family and support network. and friends and stuff.

And it truly does. Because it's not, there's no, it's not a, you know, we're winning along the way all the time. Like there's challenges in there. There's losses. There's, there's issues. But you just gotta keep, keep going. Just keep going.

And see if that house actually gets built. That's the challenge. That will be. It's happening. It's happening. Thanks, Robin. Yeah, thank you. Hey guys, it's Pinder.

Betway Bet of the daytime. I'm looking to the 2023, 2024, NHL season and you can bet on trophy winners. Heart, oh, that's going to be Connor, no odds there. Vezna, Norris, all that stuff. But here's one where I think I found some value. Connor ran away with the scoring title this year for the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals. But who wasn't healthy? And who would have been the favorite to win that trophy at the beginning of the year? Probably Austin Matthews.

He's plus 600. That's six to one to win the Rocket Richard trophy next year. It's a contract year for the American who about to get paid. Let's jump on that one, six to one for Austin Matthews to win the Rocket Richard Richard trophy on your Betway, bet of the day. There you have it. I hope you liked that. I hope you enjoyed it. I know I did.

It was not going to be, we had no real, and I've said this before, we had no one. Let's sit down so we can get three parts, three segment things done with Robin Reger. We just sat down and started to get into it. And I had a feeling it was going to kind of, because of Rett and his relationship with Robin. and just Robin's a very thoughtful guy. He was one of those guys working media when you go into the room. You're looking for something a little bit different. Who's going to tell me a story?

Who's going to give me something other than just the generic one day at a time, play area game type stuff? And Robin was always one of those guys. And it's kind of big dude, big, tall, hulking defenseman is kind of soft-spoken, just with his speech and that. But he's a very insightful guy. You knew if you were going to his stall. he was going to give you probably some pretty honest stuff, sometimes brutally honest, which is what you love.

If you're a fan and if you're in the media, you want to get that honesty. But it was insightful. It was thoughtful. It was real. And he always appreciated that about Robin. And I think that you got that there. You can see from his upbringing some of the challenges and all of that, this is not a guy who was motivated by money, clearly. But big, strong, tough, competitive, yet you can see there's that, it feels like that moral compass has been pointed in the right direction. You could tell just from the upbringing, parents, brothers and sisters, the family, that whole thing. What was important to them and him growing up continues to be as he's now a parent and a husband and a Calgaryan himself.

Pretty cool. Hope you like that. We've got more of these coming up. We continue to work our way. I know what you're thinking. Oh, you guys are just, we're working behind the scenes. We're working very hard. Fingers worked to the bone. Trust me.

More of these coming up. Already, we can tell you, not one but two visits with hockey Hall of Famers. That's right. One, very recently and welcomed into that prestigious club. So a couple Hall of Famers. Another former flame coming up who he himself had an unfortunate taste of tragedy. that changed his life forever and uh if you'll you know what if you like these if you have an idea if you have ideas thoughts opinions you like it you don't like it set us an email boomer at flames

nation dot cae fire me an email tell me what you think be somebody you'd like to see on the show things that we can do for you uh we'd appreciate hope you're having a great summer hope you're enjoying yourself hope stampede isn't uh tearing your right to shreds um so be good support the sponsors thanks to all of our sponsors we we said we want to wanted to do this. We were going to scale back and we were going to change things a little bit and everybody was very on board and understood and they were all for it. So hopefully they appreciate it and hopefully you appreciate them. It's how we're able to do what we do. So do support those sponsors. We love them. You love them. We love you. And we know you love us. I mean, who couldn't really. That's that's going to do it for today's edition of Barnburner. Stay tuned. More cool stuff coming up. Have a great one, buddies. See ya.