Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Former Calgary Flames Forward Matt Stajan (FULL INTERVIEW PART 2) | FN Barn Burner

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

Boomer & Rhett sit down with former Calgary Flames Forward Matt Stajan!PART 2/3 Shoutout 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.

And welcome back. Good to see you. It is Boomer here in the Tower Kreiser Studios Tower Kreiser, number one in your heart, number one in your scorecard, number one in your heart. Consumer Choice Awards, award-winning dealership. There's so many of them out there. Why go to the others when you can go to the one that everyone thinks is the best? That's what I do. It's surge, it's Aaron. It's all the, so everybody over at Tower Kreiser. Go experience the Tower Chrysler experience for yourself. Cloud Trail South, Southport Road, Willow Park. You know where today part two of our sit down ret and i in conversation with matt stage and the leaf becomes a flame moving to calgary brian burke calls and that's never a good thing a early morning phone call from

burkey comes and it's pack your stuff in a hurry and get to calgary and in toronto people are very excited about this trade in calgary not so much let's get to segment two with Matt Stage and right now on Barnburner. We could talk about the trade, but I know we've talked about this in the past, but you kind of felt like your time in Toronto was coming to an end. Contract-wise, how the team wasn't, like you said, you want to win. When, how far prior to the deal to Calgary did you kind of sense that, because you had contract expiring, that whole thing,

when did you start to think that it was over in Toronto? Well, from the coach. I thought it was going to be over. Because you went from Quinn to Maurice to Ron Wilson. Yes. And Ron was a hard coach, but he was, he pushed me. But he was giving me lots of opportunity and we didn't have anybody. So I was playing with Phil Kessel.

I was playing a lot of minutes. And I was putting out 50 points for a couple of years. And so, you know, obviously they're going to do that to raise my value too. Like, there's part of that. And so it was in January probably before the trade happened, even December. I would, you know, you just, you talk to your agent. You're like, what's going on? Do they want to, you just kind of get a feel?

And then there was no extension talk. But, yeah, so it just kind of happened. But talking to Berkey after, he said there was no, wasn't you, we were trading you for sure. we would have liked to have kept you at the right if it worked out. Like you were good for our room and maybe you just slide down to where you should play, like second, third line. And we would love to keep you. Obviously, when they could get Dion, who they were targeting at the time,

they had to give up some pieces. And I was one of the guys that Calgary wanted. So I totally understand the business of the game. But, yeah, it's looking back, I'm like, I wish I came to a team. that was going to make the playoffs for sure. And then you have the summer like you see now, you're a rental player. But, you know, I thought at the time that we were a good team here in Calgary.

And we had the pieces, but it just things seemed off here when I came here. It was really, I guess they had lost 10 in a row. So something wasn't going right. So it was a kind of a weird situation to come into. But it was also exciting because I had the chance to maybe make the playoffs and play with Jerome and all the name. that were here. So I'll get I want here obviously we want Matt's perspective. What do you remember January 31st 2010? I remember where I was you get the word that flames have traded funnuff and then

it's well where and for what did you sense that a fun enough deal was coming? No I wasn't paying much attention to the game at the time. Yeah, yeah. I was recently retired and more pissed off about hockey than anything. So I remember hearing about it. Yeah. But I certainly hadn't heard rumble. In the community or amongst friends and ex-teammates that there was an imminent Dionne Funuff trade about to happen. Because you knew what Dion was. It was out of the left field. Yeah. He's a confident kid and he's, you know, maybe that.

Well, there's also Daryl's. Yeah. He's your boy. Maybe, right? He's the only kid that has ever come in under Daryl Sutter and been handed 20-some minutes a night and, and, and praised. And actually, I remember being in Colorado once, his Rick, Dion's rookie, year and he he's the only guy that plays you know it was almost like this is completely what darrell's usually preaching yeah and you knew there would have been some friction he's a guy

that would have that's he was conducive to rubbing people the wrong way potentially but you just thought they'll find a way to work this out so then blam he's gone goes to toronto not long before he's wearing the sea they're you know they're very excited in toronto they're not very excited in Calgary. So in almost on two fronts. I guess they're not going to miss me in Toronto and they aren't super jack to get me in Calgary. Walk us through because it was kind of the late night early morning trade because I know Calgary played the night before and then it was kind of a Sunday morning it all came out. Yeah. We well both the the trade was done Saturday from now what I've heard but both teams had games they had to I guess the trade is we just had to get through that

game and I just remember we played Vancouver and we had we had uh um we lost an overtime and then we had the day off on the Sunday so I just remember being at home um we were making my wife was making pancakes something I was sitting on the couch I don't know what we did the night before we didn't have kids at the time so and then you your phone starts buzzing you know you get a and then I think my mom was texting me like something's going down with your team and Mom's on. Oh, yeah, my mom's super diehard. Yeah, she's all about that.

But you just hear everything. But then I got a call from Whitey, Ian White, saying, well, my agent also texted me. They also represent Dion. So something was going down, and Ian White text called me and I was like, yeah, I just got traded. He's like, I'm like, where? He's like, I can't, they wouldn't tell me who. And they didn't tell me, they just told me I'm going to Calgary. and they didn't say who I was going with,

but they said there's other players. So I was like, okay, it's, you know, I'm not going. Like, I haven't got a call. So I'm like, yeah, have fun. So, you know, and then, but honestly, like, it probably was like five, 10 minutes later.

It might even be when I was on the phone. I think I had a call, a beep, like called waiting. And it was, it was, I don't, it was, it was Berkey. It was Leaf, Leiths Jam. He called me first. and said the exact same thing. They traded to Calgary.

It's a seven-player deal. You're not going alone. I can't share details. Who else is going? Just a thank you for your services and best of luck, right? That's what it is. That's what it is. It's because, you know, they just,

everybody just wants to rip the bandit off and move on. So, and that was it. And then I think it was like an hour later. Darrell called me and just welcome. We're happy to have you. There's a plane coming to get you in three hours. beyond it we played tomorrow night I think that was it so literally

we had to figure out packing from home is fine you get you pack whatever you can but we had to go downtown to the to the arena to get our stuff because our equipment was all there and yeah so I remember going to the rink and grabbing the stuff

he saved by the trainers and then I remember running into Berkey there just in the parking garage he was we just happened to and he And he was awesome. He was like, he's like, stayed. I didn't want to do this.

And it's, it's just part of the game. You'll understand. As you know, I'm like, nope, I get it. So you stay by to everybody and right to the airport. And Ken King was there. He came and picked us up. I was going to say, because they did send a plane, right? They sent the plane because we played the next night.

So they wanted to get us in right away. So Ken King came in and picked the four of us up. We couldn't fit all our stuff on the plane. so our equipment went on. There's four of us. There was Jamal. Nick Hagman, yeah. Jamon and Nick Hagman.

And we landed here. It was dark when we landed here. And I remember we had to get our physicals. So right away, we were at the hotel and we were staying at the international. They put us up international back then. Man, was it dry in that place? But, yeah, we did our physicals that night. And Darrell was talking to us.

And then I'm like, you're playing tomorrow. And we hadn't met anybody yet. Like, I had a phone call from Jerome. and that's pretty much it until you get to know everybody so next morning you have more on skating then you play we played philadelphia the next night so it was it was a whirlwind experience and it was just kind of weird because you don't get to say bye to anybody like that was my hometown like that was home for me and i'm like hey it's this is hours it was literally hours gone you know and i couldn't imagine having kids at the time if that happens like that you did have a wife though i did have a wife and

she was working and and she was a teach so it was a little bit of that so Yeah, it just, I came and there was an all-star break coming up a week later. So we did get to kind of reset. But our all-star break was supposed to be in Bahamas. So it was like a long flight from here. But that's a hard goodbye. Everything's in your head. Yes.

But honey, I got to go. Bye. See you. And you leave her alone and you're off. That's. And we had, fans don't think of that. And we had just moved into the.

house we built in Toronto. We were in it for maybe two months. Kiss of death, buddy. No, I know. And then we were gone. It's crazy. And then they're staying here and the NDA and it didn't. It was,

it was a weird dress room dynamic when I came to Calgary. Like for a team that I was like, it's been on the cusp. It was just a weird dynamic in the room. Like, I guess the team had lost 10 in a row and, you know, they made changes they want. And they made,

That wasn't the only trade they made. They brought in, who was it, Cotelik and Higgins as well for, I don't even know who went out. It was Yon and impressed from New York. So, like, it was weird. So we played that morning. Oli was still here. It was a Monday morning. Because that was weird too.

That was really weird. So we're having more on skate. Oli's on the ice. And then after that, there's like, rumblings in the dressing room. We're the new guys. And it's like, yeah, Oli's traded this and that. And then we have a game that night. So it was like, it was just a weird, weird vibe, weird situation.

But then after the also break, you get settled in. And it was good. Actually, it was Olympic break that year. So it was actually a longer break. So it wasn't bad. But we had lost Damon Lankel, who was second line or the first line center. I would say he was the first line center. And I was second.

And then you had Connie. So you have these guys injured. You trade Oli and the Lancao goes down. So we had an uphill battle when you really look at it. But Hague and Whitey were. so good in Toronto. They were like quality players and

we all struggled and Jammer too. Jammer played well that I remember him coming and he played well him in Nystrom went on that run at the end of the season but me Hagman and Whitey we just couldn't find her footing. But it's a different role for Jamal Mayors than it is for you guys

because you guys you're going to bring the offense your skill guys. Mayor is a character guy you know playing the fourth row crash bank easier to play your game. Yeah. You know, the measuring sticks a little easier,

I think for him. Oh, definitely. Yeah. Looking even later, my crew, when I was a fourth line guy, like you,

you just make sure you do your job. And it's, you're not relied on to score. But yeah, we just all, it was a, I didn't say, I just,

I didn't even think I played terribly down the stretch, but I wasn't like, it just, the next year was the really tough year for me. Yeah. But we just didn't make it. And then, um,

but, Hagman was, he was so good in Toronto when he came here and I talked to him about his, he just couldn't find a role on the team. Like he was a good player. He was putting up 30 goals. I know he's getting more opportunity there, but he was still getting an opportunity here. So it was just weird. Like I think everybody looks at it one for one, me for Dion, but like there's other pieces that were solid NHLers that just didn't work out. So that's what happened. I, it just kind of went that way. So unfortunately, it was a, a tough start, but I think anybody gets traded mid-season and gets thrown in like that.

And I was excited to play with Iggy and I'm a passer and he's a shooter. But we didn't, we had some success at times, but it wasn't like what everybody thought. And I wasn't a legitimate number one center. Like that's the honest truth. I was always a two, three guy, more of a penalty killer. Even in Toronto, that was my role. I never was a offensive guy, but all that pressure came on to me. because I resigned here and people thought that's what I should have been.

And that was near the end for Darrell too. That's why all of that felt it felt like Darrell had gotten a little bit desperate and was trying to make some deals. And Brent was the coach. And we'll talk about Brent. And I don't know that he and Brent were. Yeah, it was weird. In a great spot. The whole thing was weird.

I was far away from it. I was done. But I knew just talking with guys that it wasn't a cohesive unit from top down. And you saw it immediately. It was, yeah, like it was like within a road trip, like you go on the road, you see kind of where everybody's hanging out and you're getting pulled in different directions. I like me and G. Or are, you know, best of friends, but I knew him a little bit. So he's kind of the guy you hang out with.

And then you hear different sides of and you just feel that in the room. It was, it was a weird. And I know I've said that a lot, but it was individually. Yeah. Good guys. Yeah. But it was a weird dynamic. Exactly.

And I loved all. Like, we had fun, like, Kipper was awesome, and Noodles was the goalie coach. Like, we had such a good group. We just never meshed because there was, yeah, difference of opinion on a lot of things, including the style of play. Every day on Barnburner, the Pinder Report is brought to you by Village Honda. Village Honda has new Honda's arriving daily and has a huge pre-owned inventory. With over 70 used vehicles on site and access to over 400 more in their dealer group.

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It's worked for them and it can work for you. Check out their social streams on Twitter at The Hearing Loss or on Instagram at the Hearing Loss Clinic. So you come in your first full year. So that's the, you get the trade in January. You come back that fall. And, okay, we start fresh, clean slate. We're going to, but you and Brent,

Did you clash? Did he? I think when I first got there, like when I first got there, I was, I played with Iggy a bit, but I was, Lankel was too. So I was kind of in a good role, the Landkow got hurt, and then I forced in, and we'd miss the playoffs. And then the next season, I was slaughtered to play with, on the second line, I think, with Borky and Hagman, like, be a good.

second, third, wherever we were slotted, because they brought Olli back to play with Iggy. So, yeah, which was also weird. But anyways, I got hurt the first preseason game that year. I separated my shoulder in Vancouver. So I missed all of training camp after that. So I missed the first three games of the year. I think the first game was got blown out in Edmonton, the old Everly goal. It was a tough start.

And then I came back fourth game. And I was playing with tangay and Iggy. And we played good. I looked back recently at like, how did my game logs back then? And I was like, oh, I wasn't terrible for the first month and a half.

Like, it wasn't bad. And then I looked and as soon as my ice time dropped, so I obviously had lost Brent's trust in that time. And then all of a sudden I found myself on the fourth line. And it was just, and that's where I was. So I don't really know why that was.

I thought I would at least be on the third line and play a little bit more or penalty kill. Like he wasn't even using me as a penalty killer when I first got here. Like there's this notion that I needed to put up points and I was like, I've always penalty killed. That was my thing. And then it just took a while. And by the end of Brent's tenure, it actually came full circle and he was playing me more again. But then he was gone.

Then Bob came in and Bob used me in a role. He's like, you're not playing any power play. I said, okay, that's, I don't think that's my. role anyways and he used me on the penalty kill and as a checking center to play against other teams top line he said that's your job and that's all he said to me and from there my two really good seasons and kind of niched out another five years in my career from that it's funny that's it seems like such a simple thing but i wonder if that's so often what players don't get you're like you say am i well it's supposed to get points or am i a penalty killer am i

Checker was two things as well, though, because stage is accepting of what he's told by the coach, right? Whereas if he's like, the hell of that, I am a point producer. You can't put me. You know, that's where the disconnect happens. And that's where some guys fail in their careers. Like sometimes you have to accept a role that. And not that you're saying that you deserved more or even wanted more, but you do accept a role and you apply it to the best of your ability. Whereas other guys will go, the coach is an idiot.

i should be doing more and i and i want you always want to play more and you always want to play on the power play like that's just i didn't i didn't like the yeah see accepting accepting of your role but you just you have like right so you have to adapt you don't survive in the league a long time if you can't adapt like obviously you're going have your stars that are going to always be the stars on the team but everybody else like you have to adapt or you're gonna you become a bad teammate and the guy who's always bitching and like, team's going to find someone else.

Yeah. It's pretty simple. So find a roll and do it well. Yeah. Exactly. So I'm kind of jumping all over a little bit. So you come after the trade, you end that season,

the next year, obviously Katie's here now. And looking back, I was maybe a little surprised because you signed the extension four years. And it didn't, it still felt like I'm not sure where this team is at

or if this team is cohesive, it just still didn't feel. So it was like, this is a, this is stage and saying, I'm in. I'm in for the city. I'm in for the team. I'm staying long term. When you were close to free agency, what was your decision making process? Because that's everybody, let's get to UFA status. Yeah. And I remember talking, well, Calgary offered me the deal four years. It was, it was during the Olympic break. And I remember being like, okay, like, how do you turn that? down. I was a guy making one and a half, uh, 800 and then one and a half. So talking to my agent, it was like, I was like, okay, so if we went to free agency and the salary cap where it was

then, I'm like, what would I get? And he'd be like, he said, it's very similar. Like Matthew Lombardi, you also played here. We were always comparable. He was a free agent that summer. He got the exact same deal I got, but in Nashville. Um, so it was just kind of honestly, like, looking at the situation, I still feeling it out. It seemed like a mess. But I'm like, yeah, you got Kipper, you got Jerome, you got GEOs coming on, you got Reggie. Like, we still had really good players on Mike Kiff. You know, it's not a bad spot.

And we're enjoying our first, you know, a few months in the city. And then there was also a little bit, and this is just, I want to, it's just me as a person, feeling like, no, we owe the Calgary Flames. they wanted me, they traded a big piece, like, we owe this franchise, you know, to be here and play it out. And that was a big part of it. Like, if we just walked there, it would have looked like I would have been hated in Calgary, right? And maybe not because how the first few years went. But you know what I mean? At the time, I was like, we owe this team traded for me and the other players. Like, let's see how it goes. And that's kind of, that was the decision.

process and how do you turn that down when it's your first big deal they I could have wait till July 1st I guess looking back but we were in a playoff race at the time too so you have the GM Darrell at you know offering you this you got to make a decision because if you say no there then who knows how the rest of that season goes how how hard was it because again being honest like you were saying it's it was a rough start you went from being you know 15, 16 double digit goals. And then that was gone. Your role with Brent is fourth line, third, maybe, that sort of thing.

And I think from a fan's perspective, it was like, this is not what we thought we were getting in return for Dionne Funuff. Because of course, now as we know, in Toronto, you're on that pedestal and Ron Wilson loves him and Berkey loves them. It wasn't going well for Hagen or for you guys. How did you deal with that? Because it's not Toronto and the media is a little different in the fans. You can still probably go to the grocery store in the movies. But you, how disappointed were you in the production and were you feeling that pressure that maybe this was now a bad trade for the flames? Definitely.

Like, yeah, I probably took it out at home a lot. I definitely did. Yeah, you, like, I remember going out, like, you still go out with it. Your teammates don't really, even if they think it, you're still friends. like you're going out having good time but i remember being out in calgary just around the city and fans coming up and just giving it to me like and i would be like what can you do i can't start you just can't get in trouble like i remember like my wife would like yell back of people i'm like can we please not do that like we don't need to but it there were it got to a point where like i'm like

man let's just not go out at times um but that's that's what you signed up for and and it wasn't going well. Like I got to a point and and David Moss, I love David Moss. He's a winger, but Brent had him playing third line center over me on the fourth line. It got to a point where I lost total trust. And speaking to Brent and I have a good relationship with Brent when I see him now and like he's he's a good good guy. And he based it, I had to break you down and build you back up. That was his logic. He thought I needed something. And in his opinion, maybe he did. I my opinion, maybe it could have went about a different way because I was always... Did you start to question yourself?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I was in my own head too. Because then you start worrying about, okay, I got to produce. I got to do this. I got to... Well, then every little mistake is... Agnified.

Now, did Brent give you that, like Harley did, here's your role. If you do these things, you're working within the program? Or is there's confusion? It was confusion, like played a certain way, but then you're put out only against the fourth line. You just know the coach isn't trusting where Bob was like you're playing against this, you're playing against every night. And so then you're like, you feel a part of it.

Like you feel like you're important piece. Or at the time, I was kind of like, they're just trying to give me minutes. They were protecting me. Ultimately, the way I was the ice time I was getting was like, they're playing me in roles where I'm protected. where Bob was like, no, you're, it just kind of, that's kind of how it switched. But by the end of Brent's tenure, Brent was playing me the last few months. I was back playing with Iggy and Tangs for the last few months. So we had a good stretch there to the end of that year.

So I think I want like by that point, he had trusted me. But the year and a half to that point, it was. And it was a tough time. Like we made, we traded Reggie. We traded. It was a crazy time here. And then as a player, you're like, you feel a lot of the at fault because the trade and then Whitey's been traded now

and Hagenman's been put on waivers or like it was. Those were goofy years. It was again, every year you felt like this team should be really good. And then it would be a struggle and a fight. And it just seemed like, yeah, they just seemed. The organization seemed to be in seven, different pieces and it didn't know where the hell it was going i was sitting in the in the media room this was during brent's first year and i worked in red deer for a number of years with brent so i

knew him and it was after a game another loss and brent does the postgame coaches thing and on his way out he taps me on the shoulder and gives me the kind of thing so we go into the whatever the alumni dressing room wherever it is and he was just like what the fuck is going on like What have I got here? What have I got myself into? And I said, I don't know. And he just kind of like, like, J-Bow doesn't say a word. And like, he's just like, not to pick on J-bo.

I just, he's like, we got this. And that's just, who's, who's the leader? What, what is going on here? And there was no answer. It was like, this is, it's the collection of players that are here right now. And it. And a lot of those players were there through that whole time. Yes.

It's just like, Kipper hit a lot of stuff on the outside. Sure he did. 100%. Like, because he was always. was just steady Eddie but there was just the problem was there was the divide was the defense and the offense it was like certain players up front and then certain players like like we got to commit to defense and then play from there and then the other side was like no we need to score goals we have we have we're still playing yeah right we didn't yeah yes I mean you would have been right through it because but at the start we're winning yes that makes a big difference I came in yeah

a year and a bit after you were done so i'm still catching how it was at the end of your tenure that's kind of how it was until they started trading everybody yeah because i had the i had the conversation with mike he'd run me into the rafters and was done but halfway through the year that i was my last year under contract i hated it i was in the dressing room and i was grabbing they had the day off or something and i'm in there going to do a work out and he comes in to get a coffee and I'm like oh god great and he actually goes what's what's what's with this team said well you want me to tell you the truth like are we actually you're actually talking like is this something and it was the same sort of questions like what's with these guys

why why is there guys going this way and that way and this way and that way and from afar and from a fans perspective you've got a group of guys i mean you had a great decor you had an amazing gold tender you had one of the top forwards and even maybe lines in the league like there was no reason for the team to struggle so mightily in those years yeah but shit happens so and you're not the only team in the world ever and you look back now and you still can't figure it out no because you go through the line up

you're like this should be yeah but it's because there's dysfunction it's not like the only team that is free of dysfunction is the team that wins or that all teams that are making the playoffs oh everything's you know hunky dory it's just it was so then darrell leaves and jay comes in and but then brent leaves and and uh bob hartley comes in because feaster because i remember there too you knew it was happening because feaster and bob how the hell did fester get here feaster was he would be in that was the one to me i was like What is this guy doing here? Right?

Like not because I don't know him from a hole in the ground. And I'm like, I thought Darrow was the gym. And now Feaster's working under him. And I'm like, well, that doesn't seem. Who decided on that? Right. Like, it was weird. It's time to discover or rediscover the legendary St. Eugene golf resort and casino.

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Yeah, but Darrell wouldn't have anywhere else. I know. But Jay Feaster, he's an out-of-work GM that has a Stanley Cup ring. I don't think it was anything more than that. And they beat the flames and Stanley Cup. And I had heard that Brent was still coaching the team and Jay would be on the phone to Bob asking him what thoughts were. Like, Jesus, like no shit. Things aren't going well.

So then Bob comes in and we've talked to, I just find it funny. You might be one of the few guys and maybe oddly Backland was kind of unlocked by Bob Hartley. Not a lot of guys love Bob Hartley. Oh, I don't, I don't love them either by the end. But at the time, like Bob came in. So once you trade, like once Iggy was gone, it was, so you had our younger team and it was kind of a new, everybody was kind of on the same page.

Yeah. And Bob was really good at, um, details. So, so we, we played the young team. Like, you got to do the details. You don't have everybody was on the same page. Very simple system, like our breakout. was basically go back and de-rim the puck. That was honestly, yeah.

And it honestly worked for a bit because the way we were good off the rush. We had Johnny coming in and on and they're good off the rush. They're not guys who go in and cycle the puck for 30 seconds and create chances. They're off the rush. So it worked. And then where Bob went sideways is he always, his thing was he would get four or five guys, or he would go to the top guys and play. the crap out of them and get them on his side and then start treating the rest of the team like

that don't matter right and you can't do that because then what that does is it causes divide in the room i remember being the dresser room and and we we hashed it out one day and i guys players the room was divided and i was he had said something in a meeting in a video and he attacked like six or seven of the bottom six guys bottom d and we came in and i was like that can't happen like our team's divided he can't treat this half of the room one way and the other half the other way and we you said this to bob or no within the dressing room oh i said it to bob too but bob didn't listen to players um so we hash it out and and then everybody started realizing what he was doing and and this was right after we had success the year before too we went made the playoffs

and we were kind of good group and then once there was you could start seeing a little divide and then we had that meeting be like no like he's the coach we can all hate the coach we all got to stay together once we had that little hash show in our dressing room it was like okay we're then all the guys who he's treating well started seeing the way he's treating everybody else and then then you really start to see okay this guy's a dick do you think do you think that was by design because sometimes they'll say well that's the coach's plan it's a galvanizing thing for the room when they can come together and hate the coach. I feel like that gives a shitty coach too much credit sometimes.

No, I, I, hey, you can't take. A shitty coach, but an asshole. You can't take away what Bob did. Like, he, he, like, made us believe, and we had some good season. But then after a few years, you start seeing through that. And then it goes sideways. And then, I don't know, it was, let's put it this way, Bob was a lot different in the media than he was in the dress room.

So it was his time to go when he left. But when he came in, like he was hard work, put your work pants on, details. It was what we needed. Like honestly, it's what we needed as a team. It was like no bullshit. Well, and you give everyone a role too. And he gave roles. That's huge too.

Everyone on the, yeah. Not everyone, because I said three minutes ago, you'll get guys a butt up against that and go, I want to be a goal school. But most guys, you give them a role. Yeah. And set him up for success. Thank you very much. That's all I need, coach. That clarity is great.

And he did that. And he was very like for every game, it would be like this line, home game would be like this line you're playing against this line or this line. The game planning was, he was really good at that. But it just, the way you treat people sometimes catches up.

And even backs, I remember backs kind of came to light under Bob too. Yeah. like there was times when where backs would stand up for himself and you know it'd take him a while but like the thing is when you challenged bob it didn't always it wasn't like some coaches want you to challenge him once you challenge bob you're like yeah he's you're not ever going to win him back and that's kind of what happened with a few of us and by the end it was just like okay well that's why you're that's why it ends for a coach because now you're exactly no one where you got it

where you're turning to you got to you can push your players as you want but you're you're want, but you got to have their respect, right? That's just, so you wonder if it wasn't for Jay Feaster, if Bob would have even coached again after Colorado because he came here and it was more of the same. The stories were just Atlanta. He was terrible to people. Yeah. Awful to people. It's too bad. Yeah, because he was good at certain things. So, and it like, you, I'm just wondering, again, here's this dysfunctional room. And then Iggy, Jay Beaumister, Kiprasoff, you take these guys out. What's that next year like?

It was, we just all felt like what we had, the next year was kind of the tough year, right? It was the end of the lockout year? We played half season. But then was it the next year we made the playoffs or two years after? It was two years after because we had the half season and then we had one season, Monahan's rookie year. And then the next season we made the playoffs. Yeah, Monta is 18, Berchie's 20.

Those guys are gone. Yeah. Yeah. It was very, we just, it was like, okay, guys got to step up now. That's what it was like, okay, the big, the Hall of Famers that are on our team are not here anymore. And guys got to step up and we do it by committee. That's the conversations we had. You know, and Gio was the perfect captain.

He's a soldier and, but Gio needs people around them. because that Gio is so focused on what he's doing. And so there's a group of us older guys. There was, well, Camelary was still here, Glenn Cross, Lee Stampniak, like none of us were like, Cammy is probably the biggest name at the time before Gio really took off. But it was just kind of a collection of older guys. And we just were going to work hard.

And it just kind of worked. And then you make a few adjustments before, you know, we're, we're surprising the league. And that's kind of how it happened. But it was just a different mindset, I think, when those guys left because there was so much, it was so much talk still about 04. Honestly, like when they made the cup final until Jerome and Kipper and everybody was gone, it was kind of kid.

Like now the team's going in a different direction. And that's kind of. Well, they tried to slap that team, that 04 team onto every season moving forward. Exactly. And it was like, guys, this. And Darrell left it up the year after we had to lockout year. And Darrell, be a GM coach, he wanted to get older when the whole league was, no, let's get younger. Like, and so from that point on, it was kind of like the Leafs when you started with Toronto.

It was like you had old guys that were going to be gone in a year or two and never, never built from the ground up. And if they'd have done that, they'd have been way better off because you had Kipper and again, isn't that. Dion even came in. But if you'd have done more of that instead of trying to, we're one piece away, we're one piece away. They were one piece away for a decade. Yeah.

Almost. Right? Like it felt like, oh, if we can just get this, we're one piece. You weren't one piece away. You were a dysfunctional squad for six years. And now you look back at the lineups and you go, yeah, that was, there was some weird team. games and you said it and everyone knows it Kipper had everything it's Kipper's fault it's Kippers fall there you go well just look at the like what high end

first round forward was brought in from that time I can tell you got like back him but he was more back one's not high like he's more like was not a high end it was until you got Johnny and Monaghan like there was no high end adrian a coin came in year before you were there And he said, he goes, this is the first training camp in my career. I've never, I've been unimpressed or I've not been wowed by at least one prospect. He goes, I remember the conversation. He was like, there is not one kid in this training camp that has a chance or should have a chance to make the NHL.

He's like, usually you go to training camp. He's like, oh, this. There's somebody that stands out. that happened for like numerous years and that was how they drafted right it was oh you didn't want your if they were too small if they were skilled where you know where's it from lay check us that no no no chance like none of those guys were getting drafted it was tough rugged and again they were there were a lot of times in the draft position where the leaf swear where you weren't drafting high top 10 pick right you were kind of bottom half of the least

league draft picks in the first round. So you weren't getting the best of the best to begin with, but they also had a philosophy that. But again, it went back to the, we're a piece away. Yeah. We just need one more piece of grits to get us. And it's like, no, no, it's a fast league now. You need to revamp every. But there was a stretch there where you had Owen Nolan come in for a couple of years, Bertuzzi came. Yeah, Tony Amonte. Yeah. It was like year after year. But you've got a hit on, even if they're late for us, you got to hope that one or two in a decade. Wow. Yeah, but again, that goes back to the philosophy of the kids that were drafting.

They're not trying to take. I mean, the highest skill guy, I think they took a swing at was the, the guy that played with Taylor Hall. Yeah, Greg Nemes. Greg Nevis. Yeah. And he played a couple games. Yeah.

And it was like, yeah, he was good because in junior, he could give the, he played with the best. Taylor Hall. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you make the playoffs, you talk about 04 and how it's kind of hanging over your head.

So those guys all leave and you're. It's finally kind of a fresh start almost in a way. And then you get to the playoffs and it's Vancouver. Do you remember what were your expectation levels? It's great to make the playoffs. You don't want to just, now you want to do more than that. What were you thinking about that team specifically as you're getting ready for Vancouver in round one? Oh, I thought we lucked out with the matchup.

Definitely. We thought we could beat them. But we were playing, like when Geel got, because Geel got hurt for the rest of the season around the trade deadline. So the last 20 games, we were playing basically do-or-die games the way, that's what we thought. So we were playing hard hockey. And I remember we were in Nashville and Berkey. This is because Berkey was the GM at the time. And we had a meeting in Nashville.

They brought in Nashville sandwiches. in Nashville meat. It was awesome. Like after, you know, and Berkey said, I'm having me with the guys. So Berkey came in and Bob was there and all our coaches and he wrote on the board, I think we had 10, at that time we had 10 games left or something or eight games left. He wrote on the board eight eff and hours. That's what he wrote on the board. And we were like, what's this mean? Right. He left in there for a bit. And then he said, he came in and he said a speech. she's like, that's all we have to work and be the best for the rest of the season. And then every game, then the next game would be seven.

And this would be on our board until the end of the season until we got in. And that, it just kind of, we had a goal. Like, Gio was her. We were playing for him. And then it just kind of brought us together. And it was, you know, the guys laugh about it. But it also, it was like, our mindset was like, that's what it was. And we would win games.

And before you know what we're playing LA at home with two games. left and if we win, we're in the playoffs. And I remember that game. Like, we played so well. And we were playing awesome that game. And we were playing so structured. Like, we were, I know people want to see free flowing, but at that point, and you watch the playoffs, you got to be structured.

Like, we were having, like, Johnny wasn't turning pucks over. Like, like, he maybe had been in his, at points. We want him to be dynamic, but even he was, like, buying in. Like, we're getting pucks in deep. And, and it just kind of worked. And then we've made. the playoffs and we're playing Vancouver and game one that just I was so excited because it's been so long since I even played a playoff game and I just remember the juices and we just we just

felt like we had this and the thought was the whole time was win one road game and then we'll take we're a good home team that year and and we were in that playoffs too and we won that first game one late and Berlin did his thing and a game then a game two we had that brawl at the end of the game where england and i fought two guys and i was getting pinned under the the net there i was going to ask you about that yeah he had no he had no uh he didn't have his fighter strap on so his jersey came i couldn't grab anything that's my excuse but uh but we that's that that that actually like so we lost game two but that end of the game that was so big for us because we were so fired up about everything that happened there and

All that, we came home and we cooked at home, like those two games. We ran them out of the rank. And I remember with game five in Vancouver, I remember being so pissed that we didn't win that game because Hiller stood on his head that game and we lost by a goal. And we didn't play well. I remember being like after the game, like, we were like, this can't happen. And then we came home, we're down three nothing in game six. We're like, oh, oh.

But we got a late goal in the first. and then it was just kind of took care of business. It was meant to be like you want to say that, but like we just had the right mindset, nothing to lose. It always is easier not being the favorite. Like, let's be honest, you're out there. But we just stayed in control. And yeah, as a team, we just believed.

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And I just remember thinking as I'm sitting there, I can't believe this is the game that I came to. Three nothing. You fucking guys. I don't get to many. Like, come on now. And then you just, it's, it turned. And it was inevitable. You overwhelm them. And it, I've asked you this before. And I guess. it's got to be the biggest goal you've ever scored. Tell me about that third period. The clock's winding down, less than five to go. And there it is. Yeah, that I just remember, like, before that game,

it was game six Saturday night, and it was like an eight or eight 30. It was a late start. And coming in, like when you're warming out playing soccer, the crowd, but you could just, it was buzzing in the dome. And I'm sure Rhett, 2004 was the same. And yeah, we go out. We actually came out strong, but then they got,

they scored. They got a power play goal, whatever. We're down three nothing. But late in that game, so our job, I'd Furlin on my line and David Jones, we were, we were just playing as Sadiens. We're like, our job shut down the Sadiens. And Furlin can run around and do his thing. And we'll just kind of be the safety guys to cover up for him because he would run out a position. And it was, That's all that was. We went out for a shift and they forced the pass up the middle. And we turned it over, went down in a rush. Furlin went into the net like he did, like careless and took someone with them and almost

dragged two guys. Jones went to the net after he shot it. And two guys over back, checked before you know, I'm in the slot with the puck on my stick. It was rolling a bit, bouncing a bit. But I remember just taking a second and you're just so focused on what you're doing that You're kind of can't take in the crowd. But yeah, it was lucky enough to put that one in. And then back to refocusing, making sure that we get through the period because they did have one more chance late in that game.

But it's looking back now when I watch it, it was really loud. But at the time, you're just kind of like so focused on just what you need to do to help your team. It was really loud and much like you and how excited you were to get back. to the playoffs so too are the fans they just 04 it was just such a thing and to see the dome red and full and loud and it was that was an amazing moment and there's some stuff online there's because you're wearing a mic somehow for that game and it's I love how there it's just joy to the point where you're almost you're making noises but you're not saying or you're just kind of like it's just yelling you're just so excited um I think they they edited

that they might have yeah but but it was it was to it was to win it was to win at home and it was to beat them yeah it was everything yeah and they were the team that for five years like they were the team in our division that we just well everybody hated like they they made the cup in what 2010 good and they had exactly a bunch of pricks on exactly drive you nuts which and that was almost the end of that error for them too like after that they all just spantled that team. So it was awesome. And it was just such a good experience. The city was awesome. And like it was just,

for me, it was just so many hard times for when I came to Calgary. And then to kind of build my way back up, feeling good about my game. And to get to that point, like I was just so thankful. And it was, it was just unbelievable. Honestly, I was like, I was just so, we were just, excited to go to the next round and then hopefully we can do the same and we had that exciting game three at home but um they were just and Anahom was just a really good team yeah they also had some pricks as a That's, well, that's the other thing.

When I got traded to Calgary, it was like, I went from playing in the East. And it's, I don't know if it's as much the thing now, but the West was way tougher to play. Way tougher. And then you look at our division. You had Thornton in San Jose. You have Kopitar in L.A. He got Getslaff in Anaheim. Like that's our division we'd have to go through.

And we don't have a centerman when I got, like, so I'm playing against these guys all of a sudden all the time. where in Toronto, you're not playing those guys. Like those guys are hard to play against, let alone the rest of the team. So then the next year, Sam Bennett is here. And you can't be, because I think you were,

I think there you were at 32 years of age. You got lots of career left. You've got time in your contract. What do you remember about coming in? Because there's some expectation for the team, obviously. You're now a playoff team. there's some good young players coming in how long i mean for you personally was that where it started

to kind of just in terms of playing time because like there was some pressure to certainly play sam and to play the kids did it changed that quickly it did like i remember going into um like players talk and i remember at the end of the year you go to your team parties and stuff and and wide wides he was wide. He likes to stir of the pot. He came to me at the year-end party. He's like stage. He's like, I was like, how's your end of the year meeting? He just, you know, because it's with Bob's, we're always laughing at some of the stuff he would say. And he goes, Bob actually brought you up in my meeting. I said, why? Like, why would I come up? Like, and he's like, he told me, he said, stage is going to be the fourth line center next year. Like basically said, that's

going to be his job. That's his role because he was trying to put a message to why is that you're going to play a lesser role. But at that point, I just had a really good playoff, scored, and then I hear that, and I come into the season the next year, and all of a sudden, I'm playing, and no offense to guys, but my wingers are bowling. And, you know, it would have been nice, like, why aren't we battling for ice time? Like, you're just placing me, and I get you fill a role. And eventually, I just, whatever, that's my role, but you still, it was kind of rubbed me the wrong way. And then other guys were, that was kind of, and then you brought in Dougie Hamilton. So other guys' roles changed. And then there's a different dynamic on the team. And we hit a

rough patch. And before you know it, we're out of the playoffs and everybody, Bob's doing irrational things. And then that's why things went sideways with Bob. Like it was a lot of things. And I wasn't the only guy. Like he did that to a lot of guys. So that's kind of where that went. It was kind of weird how it went from such a high and great that next season it just kind of felt like it was just going to we'll just be fine we'll make the playoffs you know but he didn't he tried to force sam bennett into a role maybe you know you shouldn't have or actually bennett played wing that year with backland he actually did well it was the next year where they tried to play him at center again so it's just kind of lots of weird things going on and that's what always happens really when you're

with some you're never going to have the same team so it's always going to be different the year yeah and if guys don't fill the roles that they're expected to fill and this and that it doesn't like sometimes you have to be adaptable on on one hand we say give guys roles because it's important they like that on the other hand it's like well they have to be able to do it too exactly yeah because if someone's filling a role that maybe you played before and they're not doing it like well why aren't we there's got to be competition within still like you can't just give a guy a role that's his role i'm leaving it all here like if guys on the first line he's not playing well like sit him like i thought that was a problem too my last few years

there is young guys would never get sat it was like well and i'm fine you scratched the the veteran guy like i got sad a bunch my last few years that's fine if i'm not playing well but if so-and-so's not playing well maybe sit them that'll teach them trust me i got sat early in my career there's nothing that wakes you up more than being a healthy scratch healthy scratch is never a good one yeah and the young guys here never really like it took forever like I love San Ben I still talk to him he's first line and Stanley or second line center and Stanley at final right now I talk to him and chuck you all the time but it would have benefited him so much if he was scratched here and there through his first few years instead of just being given 18 minutes a night where he played and and that goes for

a lot of those guys I think it it hurts them because if you're playing bad like sometimes you need to reset and sometimes you need an ass kicking and wake up call. Not just we'll work through it together. It's almost like I get the other young guys and they're the ones you want to succeed, but it's professional sports. You also got to make sure they know that it's not okay to keep playing this way. For you, because I know obviously the injuries, but as far as playing time and you talked about Keenan, how it didn't go very well. But what was that, you know, the last year where you're playing in terms of ice time, responsibility, role, that, did you face the same sort of thing where you feel like I should be playing more? I'm okay if I'm sitting or how did it end in a way for you?

Wow. I was a little bit different because I'd been diagnosed with a shoulder that I needed to have surgery on and they were like, can you hold off on that for a while and keep playing? So you try to keep playing and you're no good anymore. And all of a sudden you're supposed to, I look back and I'm ashamed of my last few years because I know the type of player I'm supposed to play like but because of injuries you're trying to play differently and it's almost embarrassing right like i'm working on things like i'm going to rush the puck like who they have to i think i am i've not done it for 12 years and all of a sudden my last year in the nchl i'm going to be a but it was because of injuries you're trying to adapt your game to compensate for the things that you couldn't do

so i don't know if that answer even answers your question but i was i was on my way to to a surgery and he just expedited the end. Yeah. But I think as an older player, when you get scratched, you know as a player if you played good or not. Like you know. So as a older player, if you know you played well, and this happened to me a few times with Bob,

I knew I played really well the night before, and then I'd be scratched. And that's where I would get into it with them. But if you play bad and get scratched, okay, I need to be better. It's fine. where young guys they don't really always know if they play good or bad because all they look at is like well i scored i's got two assists or like they're so focused on and i was the same when i was young too like you're focused on different things where when you're older you're like you just want to win

you want like to make sure and and you got to have the same rules throughout the lineup through everybody you can't because if you cater to the young guys the veteran guys who are running that locker room like they're going to get upset and it's the op like you can't have that and i just feel like that's that's just the way the NHL is you see it with everything well it feels bloody obvious too doesn't it but then guys don't do it exactly how can you be missing this yeah oh it's and you call them out and they get mad at you even more and it's then you're out of the league i remember you were you were talking about when burkey comes to calgary you're like well honey packer stuff because he traded me in the last place and I'm sure you're going to do it again.

What were you thinking when Burke comes here? Exactly that. Because it was the exact same situation where I was last year of my contract, I was playing in a, Bob was playing me in a checking role. So I was playing against their team's top lines because at that time, like we just mentioned the names of Gatslath. Like that's our division.

They don't want to put Monahan against those guys. Let's let the older guy take the dashes. Right? So I was like, we're going to get trade. And then Berkey wants to keep me. He honestly pulled me aside to his credit. First day of camp, he brought me for a coffee. And he's like, I see you here to help young kids along and I'm not going to just trade

you to trade you. He said, I know what kind of person you are. I think you're a great guy for the guys to learn from. And we're going to turn this around quickly. And I want you to be a part of it. And I went to that season that way. And in January, he's like, obviously, just wanted to make sure. and he he kept me and and uh traded cammy and and stempy so that that's kind of or didn't keep

those guys and we're all buddies but he was very straight straight up with me so and signed you and signed me yeah hey guys it's pender with your betway bet of the day don't know if you caught much of wimbledon but it was an incredible performance from the young rising star of men's tennis al caraz He's already a king on clay. Let's see how he does on hard court. The final major of the season is the U.S. Open from Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York. I love Alcaraz to win this tournament. I think it's clicked. He's the best on the planet. And thanks to everyone else for showing up. It's Carlos's tournament now. Alcaraz plus 150 to win the U.S. Open. That is my Betway bet of the day. Remember 19 plus Ontario only bet the responsible way, betway.

There you have it. Part two of our sit down with Matt Stage. And I love the honesty from Stage. He's so good in that way. It had to be tough, right, when you think about it as that player. Blockbuster deal. The league takes notice. Deon Funf, wow, this is a monster trade. And in Toronto, they're very excited. Not so much to see you leave if you're Matt Staghan, necessarily. But they're not broken up at all that you're leaving. And in Calgary, they're not exactly thrilled. You're what's coming back in this trade. So no question about it. That would. have been a tough time for for maddie boy coming up in segment number three the thousand game plateau it's in sight you can see it but will he be able to experience it and feel it and taste

at us the ice time starts to go away and the responsibility dwindles as the coaching carousel continues in calgary so more adversity and hockey really takes a back seat a lot of things take a back seat As Matt and Katie are dealt a blow that it's a parent's worst nightmare and it becomes a reality for the Stagin's. Coming up tomorrow in part three of our sit-down, long-form conversation style with Matt Stajon on Barnburner. Hope you join us, would you? See ya.