Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Former Calgary Flames Forward Matt Stajan (FULL INTERVIEW PART 3) | FN Barn Burner

Episode Date: July 27, 2023

Boomer & Rhett sit down with former Calgary Flames Forward Matt Stajan!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.

Hello, buddies and welcome to Barnburner here as we are rolling through another beautiful week in summertime. We hope you're enjoying yourself. Download the podcast, watch it on the YouTube, do whatever you got to do. I mean, watch it. Take it with you. That's what it's all about. If you missed the first two parts of our conversation with Matt Stage and go back and grab them. I mean, you can catch up.

It's not going to, if you didn't, you should. But if you didn't, it's not like you're going to be left out in the cold coming into this episode because you'll be able to play catch up. Stajun from the flaming sea to a red bull Retirement thousand games do we get there And really all of it matters not because as a As a father and when you become a father it's just one of the greatest things that could happen to you in your life And for Matt he experienced that the trouble is it was fleeting and tragedy struck for these stageans and An emotional finale.

The conclusion of our interview with Matt Stagen starts now. Thousand games. Did you think, was there a point where you're thinking, I'm going to finish, I'm going to have 993 frigging games. It's not going to, I'm not going to get there. Yes.

When I signed my last deal, I was like, I stay injury free. I can you always look. My dad would always tell me. He's like, he would be like, this is,

you know, dads do. But then I had some injuries. injuries, my first years of the deal. I had a couple. My MCL one year, I missed some time, two years. And then I had, I missed some time with, with everything we went through with our, with Emerson. So I missed like a bunch of games there. So there was, I was getting scratched. But then by the last season, I think I needed, I played really well. Gallaudson's first year. We made the playoffs. I, like I played pretty much every game that year.

and then the next year again, you're just kind of pushed aside. You're the older guy last year deal, you're going to be in another lineup. There's a time where I got scratched, I think, four of five games in like November. And I remember looking, but like, it was a good run.

Right? And then then Yager left. So when Yager came, I thought I was screwed, tell the truth. But he left. It didn't work out. And yeah, we don't have to get into that but it was just a weird out and didn't work out yeah yeah well that was a weird another weird dynamic but anyways so that happened it's cool we get to say we played with yager but besides that um

yeah there was a stretch and then but then i started playing well because i didn't have a point that year until christmas i was in a lineup and i was rattled not the points mattered for my game but still when you get a point it helps your confidence you just you're just playing more free and then the second half of the There was a stretch there where I took off playing. I was on the fourth line, but I ended up getting, you know, it's over 12, 14 points and was playing well and they couldn't take me out. And if they did, I would have been right in Gallatin's year. Are you kidding me?

Like, like, let's watch game tape. And he knew that. Like he's like, he said, he's like, the good thing is I don't have to take you out because you've been one of our better players. And then, yeah, and then I got to the final stretch. And I was like, I'm going to hit it. And then I hit it. And then the next game I was.

scratched. Not because of my play, it's because we had been eliminated from the playoffs. I'm like, yeah, we're going to play, you know, Lazar and all these young kids. I was like, okay, I was like, we can I get a few more games? So it's not just on a thousand. So I got three more. And I honestly thought I could maybe play another year in a role, just like, in a line up somewhere. The tree was straight up with me. You know, maybe I was like, oh, if I signed for league minimum, maybe go somewhere. But then I was like, do I want to do that? You know, Germany sounds pretty good going to Europe.

And unless you can guarantee me that I'll win a cup somewhere, like, that's the, that's the thing. Do I want to go to another trial on a PTO after you play a thousand games when the percentage of guys making it off PTO is like really small? That's the conversation I had with my agent. And we just said, oh, let's just go. like one more year overseas and call it a day. And did it happen fairly quickly?

Because like you say, you have to make that decision that, okay, I'm not, I'm not going to go to camp on a PTO. Then you got to find a place to play. Did it come together quick? No. Like, so July 1, I just,

my age is like, we'll just see who would, because we knew it would be a PTO. Like, no one wants old guys anymore. And he's like, you have interest from a few teams on a PTO. And I'm like, yeah,

maybe. But then the hard part is Europe fills their imports really quick. So it's hard to get a good spot. Because for me, it was like, we want to live in a good city. Like Munich, we were like right away as soon as they called. But like there's a, we could have went to the KHL and do all this. I'm like, no, we have two kids. Like I'm not doing that.

And it came, I think, and mid-August. So it took like two months or a month and a half. Like I remember talking to Yari Curry. He was trying to get me to go to Yolkrit. And I was like, I'm not playing in the KHL. Like I know yogurt's not in Russia, but you'll be, I'll be gone a lot. And then I was like, no, Munich worked out. They had one import spot, thankfully.

Germany has more imports. And I don't even know why they had it. Usually they filled them out, but they did. And I went over July 1st. It happened quick. Now they look back at it. We were also having a baby start of August. So our minds were elsewhere too.

Is it safe that there would be some frustration and you'd be disappointed. and there's sadness that your career is over in the NHL. But I know talking to you in the past, going to Munich with the family and everything, just such a great way to put an end to your playing career. It was just a great experience for you, right? Yeah, we just love living there. Like it was just an experience that was awesome.

The hockey was really good. You know, when you go there, like, oh, I'm going to get to play the power play again and be the guy. but it's not like that. They have their, they're still, they have their power play guys. They have,

it's good hockey. But I got to play a big role on the team. And, um, you meet lots of guys. There's guys Keith Ollie was on the team who was in the Finoff Trade and John Mitchell. I played with in Toronto.

He was there. And then you meet, you know, a bunch of Germans, the guys that play out now. When I watch international play, there's a bunch of the guys on the team. So it was cool in that sense,

but just the atmosphere of those games. It's like a soccer game. That was awesome experience. And then I got to have to have, my, my oldest, Elliot was in the room with, like, I'd bring him to, like, practices. He'd, during team meetings, I'd sit him beside me. We'd watch video. The coach was fine with it. Obviously, some coaches wouldn't like that, but there was pretty laid back. It was kind of eye-opening, though, like, guys have cell phones in their stalls at practice.

Like, it's, but I guess that's everywhere now. So it was a perfect way to, to go out. Plus, COVID happened the next year. So I was like, if we were to go back, that would have been a hassle. But yeah, no complaints. March 3rd, 2014, you talk about your two boys. You talk about Emerson. Emerson was your son. And if I'd text you about it, if you could walk us through you and your wife, Katie, you're having a, having a child and just the greatest fear a parent can have. Unfortunately, happens for you guys. Leading up to that. Was there any indication that there could be something potentially? No.

So my wife was pregnant and like I'm we're very open about this. We went through that season and do all the checkups and we're ready to have a baby. Like it was just like any new parents and we were in Edmonton. We stayed overnight in Edmonton and then the team was flying out the next day to Minnesota from I remember getting a call on the way to the airport that Katie's water broke. So or something had like she needed me to come home. Like we're going to be having the baby a couple. It was, I think it would have been like three weeks earlier, month early.

And so I just jumped on a plane to Calgary. And so we literally were going, she was at the hospital. When I got back, they had to keep her overnight for, you know, just make sure everybody was fine. the baby was fine and the baby was fine. But like, okay, that you're just, we're going to have the baby early. Everything's going to be fine. And so we did the, like every parent, we pack up, we go, I go there because she was staying. I got a call like early in the morning to go meet her because the baby was coming.

And then it was done by C-section. We had to have a C-section. And we were just in the room having a baby. And baby came out. And as soon as they cut the, like, as soon as the baby's umbilical card got cut and they brought them, like there was no crying. So,

but the baby, sorry, the baby was alive, but then there was like, it was weird because we were in the room and you, you know, you just feel something's wrong. You could just tell panic on,

yes, on the doctor and on the people around, right? But they didn't know what it was because there was no prior indication that there might be something. So when the baby was born, when Emerson was born, they took like, we're like, okay, can we hold Emerson? And right away, they're like, no, they're like, we got to just, sometimes they have to help the baby's heartbeat or, you know, different situations happen all the time. But then you just saw people getting message in, the door would come open and maybe they would have

him on the table next, trying to get his heart going. And basically he wasn't getting air through normally so they would have had to give them a tube to help them breathe but they didn't know where it's complicated but we find this all out after but the three four or five minutes it was just like panic and we're like katie's on the table and i'm like i don't know what to do it was just a weird and and then like i don't know how long later like maybe 10 minutes they're like there's no words that they can even stay to us so So, yeah, it was just kind of an exciting moment. Baby's coming.

And then it just with no indication or anything, it was just, yeah, he didn't make it. So that's kind of how it went. And, yeah, to this day, it's been, we're blessed with two healthy boys now. And we've made Emerson's memory something important to us and we keep him in our memory. but it was it was a tough tough tough month for sure and I don't really know how else to put it other than so it and it was because I wasn't that familiar obviously I knew most of it but it was that it was that quick that in 10 minutes it's the greatest moment of your life yeah to your worst knowing and Katie's had a C-section so she's yeah right what do you

How do you handle that? Because everyone's helpless. There's nothing you can do. You more than anyone else. How do you handle that? There's no answer. Honestly, like, it was, and there was no, like, it's not like we were preparing, okay, there might be something wrong or like there was a healthy baby right through.

Just something didn't develop properly where he can breathe on his own. Like they could have, if they'd known, they could have had something there ready and he could have, they could have helped him breathe. But obviously that wasn't the case. So it was just quiet. And the hospitals do have staff and they deal with this, you know, obviously probably more than we, we thought at the time. It's, you know, it does happen. And, yeah, they let us stay there a night.

And the hard part is, you know, yeah. You don't, you're just at a loss. And then, but then this is like your only moment that you can really share with the child. Even though he's passed away, they're like, do you want some pictures? Do you want at the time, you're like, you're just like, I want this to go away. Like that's your initial thought. You're like, this is the worst day of our lives. But now we look back and we're so thankful that we took some pictures.

And we have a memory of what he looked like. And, you know, and that, that's. like we got to hold them but at the time you're just in such a so much shock and you just want everything to go away like let's just get back to our lives um so that that was really hard um and katy's obviously the one who went through all the experience of being pregnant having that connection with the baby so then you have to deal with and help her along and and we grieve differently like she grieves differently than I do. So it's figuring all that out. There's just so much stuff mentally, but then also then we got to like plan for like what do we want to do for because he did

have a birth certificate. He was born. And then there's a debt. I guess like, then we have to like, what do we want to cremate him? Do we want to, where do we go from here? And so it's just dealing with all that while you're in shock. And it was, it was crazy. And yeah, we tried to make, looking back now, we made, we did the best we could. And we've made a positive out of it by raising money and helping the NICU there and Children's Hospital. But I don't wish that upon anybody because it was, it's hard. And I don't even know how else to explain it. Village Honda is a proud supporter of Barnburner.

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and studies have shown that serious health risks have been linked to untreated hearing loss. They have nine locations to serve you, four in the city of Calgary. Make a health, Make a healthy choice and book an evaluation today at hearing loss.c.a. I can't pretend to know, but it's just from the outside having anyone that has experienced loss. If you lose a parent or a brother, there's, you talk about grieving, it's kind of like we're experiencing the same loss. No one experienced that like you and Katie. Is that help you too? because everybody is around you and they're bringing you in,

you have so much support, but no one is feeling what you two are feeling at that point. Yeah. Yeah. And everybody's like, my parents' case, like they're grieving in their own way. But yeah,

we're the parents. And I remember a nurse coming in and saying, like, because they bring, whatever, they bring a, whatever, a priest in case you're,

you know, religious. And they bring in a lot, they give you lots of pamphlets. And I remember nurse coming in being like, honestly, you guys are really tight-knit. You can tell. Like, we would lie. We'd lied in the hospital bed and just kind of held each other for a day. And they're like, when this happens, I guess the percentage of couples that stay together is like 20%.

It's like really low, right? because and they're like really focus on each other. Don't let that have. Don't let this destroy what you guys have, right? And that's because it's hard because it's a constant memory you have together. So we were always close, but that definitely has brought us. Yeah, we should like, you're really close after that, but you're always close. You're married.

You're sharing your life together. But it was this, the grieving part's really hard. And the reason that that couples, I don't know, we're like talking couples therapy now, but couples often drift apart after that is because the grieving's different. Guys kind of go one way and the wives will be like or the mother would be like, well, you're not caring enough. You're not showing emotion. But guys sometimes don't show emotion.

They just kind of go about it differently. So it's understanding what each of you need. And we understood that. and you know we've worked through it so I think you start and when you go through something like that you meet other people and we've had people now call us we've gone through that and you try and help them and that's that's kind of how we've tried to go forward because like people will call us and reach out through social media through the hospital like how did you guys deal with this like I've had friends in Ontario come my friend just lost a baby at a stillbirth or whatever

it was and so you try and help but it's you can't speak for anybody because everybody's different because i i've it was the point i was going to make because i think the statistics show that those sorts of tragedies can shatter marriages and relationships it couldn't go kind of one of two ways you then i mean it's because i want to there's also that poll for you that i got to go back to work. It's, I kind of have an important job. And I know the flames and everybody would have been great. Are you riddled with guilt? How are you, I need, I just need to go. I need to get my mind onto something else. Not immediately, but as the days go on, I don't think you, did you ever feel like, okay, I can go now. Or how do you handle that guilt of leaving Katie and going back to the team?

Yeah, that, that was hard. I need for myself, I needed to go back. for it just clear my mind, focus on hockey because it was hard at home and her parents were here and family came down. My parents came for a bit. But for me, the way I need to move forward was I need to move on and have that time. And Katie needed certain things that she needed. And the first few days back was weird because, everybody around you doesn't know how to react to you either, right? You just want to go back and things to be normal,

but it'll never be that way. So you go back and you have 23 teammates, trainers, and every single individual is like, what do I say to him? What do I do? And then that makes you in an awkward situation. But the guys were great. Honestly, it was pretty seamless. And then you just get back into your team.

But the support we had from the wives and the girlfriends and even people in the city and the organization, like we were thankful for that. So I think I don't think we ever, I ever felt pressure to go back. I just, I think when the time was right, I wanted to go back. And we thought it would be the best for for me moving forward. And then we had things for Katie. But going on the road was really tough for sure. the stretch there. But the team did let me take different flights to go meet the team. So sometimes I wouldn't, it was a long trip, I could fly home or, um, so Katie wouldn't be on her own. And then

even the next year when we had Elliott, the team was very conscious of that and actually left me behind on the road trip before until we had the baby. So I would, I would be here because Katie had to have a C-section again. It was, it might have been the exact same room. It was almost, identical same hospital so that we had to go relive everything that we went through i wanted to ask because you guys you get back in your feet and you're pregnant again how that can't be a normal experience yeah to go through a second time it's great that quickly you know you build up your strength and you go through it again but how nerve-wracking was it yeah it was stressful like that whole season that whole time was stressful.

But, yeah, we, we had support around us. Katie's, Katie's so strong that, you know, that we were able to go through it. We would, we'd have to do extra check-ins and all that just based on the history of what happened. And, yeah, it was, it's hard to look back now at the time, though, you're scattered a bit, your brain is like because trying to play hockey in the NHL trying to you know making sure my wife is mentally like how hard that is on both of us but she's carrying the child and then the guilt she feels of what happened thinking like who knows like why it happened like because you you do

question like why did this happen to us is there something we did is um but we we had support the team was great like they they let me stay back when I needed to um Like I wouldn't miss games, but I would fly in. Yeah. And then, yeah, like, even when Elliot was born, it was that he's born a day before. So it was less than a year that Elliot was born. So he's one day before his brother. And I stayed back that whole, like a week.

It was a two-week road trip. The team went out to like a New York, Philly. And I joined them in Boston a week after because they said, We don't want you to leave your wife during this time. So Berkey was all, well, the flames organization's always been really good with that. Ken King, everybody. And then after that, they let the same. They would let me fly in and out when I need to.

And I didn't miss any games. They just had book flights as you need. McLeod Law is proud of their Calgary roots. It's a big part of their longstanding client relationships. They understand the city, people in it, and the way things work in Calgary. Like the communities they serve, the McLeod Law team varied, diverse, and share a commitment to making a positive impact in Calgary. Whether your challenge is business or personal, they're in it with you, professionals with a common goal,

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Yeah. what is what is it for you when they bring you the boy yeah i was we got to hold them right away as opposed to last there's no panic it was just it was a weird so when you get a c-section you're kind of you meet other people where i would see sections so you're in a room and the people beside us were like right after us, but people knew our story based on being a Calgary flame and what had happened. So like hereafter, like, they're all asking, did everything go well with the stage ands? But holding him, it was, I can't even explain the feeling. Like, I remember just looking at Katie and her just being so, we were both so relieved at the same time, we were like how special

like this is, like not taking it for granted at all. And it was a completely different experience, but it brought back the memory. So it made it hard and stressful in a way, but it also, you get to experience the joy of having a child and what it's really like and not dealing what we did the year before. Yeah. The Emerson goal, While I'm choked up, we may as well go there. I think the hockey world got choked up that night. You are grieving Emerson. You go back to the team.

You're on the road in Edmonton. And penalty call, penalty shot. Yeah. You talk about things and sometimes how they're meant to be. Yeah. Yeah. That was only my, it was either my second or third game back. in Edmonton.

And we weren't making the playoffs that year. It was the year before we made the playoffs. And I remember Lenny saying to me at lunch, he goes, it's weird. He came to me at lunch out of nowhere. And he goes, I got a good feeling about tonight. And I was like, well, I said, I hope so. Like this is my first time away, my first road trip away to being away from Katie overnight. and that night it was the same game it was very laid back in the dress room and it was the game when camillery went on for warm up without escape blades on so it was like it was very like laid back in the room guys were laughing it was near the end of the year and then we went out and everything went our way that and we went like 8-1 glennie had a hatcher i think i had four points but the penalty shot it was

for that to happen when it did. And the call, like, it was, shouldn't have been, like it was a really weak hooking call, but it was called. I guess it was a penalty, kind of. And then I remember lining up for that penalty shot. And I'd only had one previous penalty shot, and I tried the same move.

It was in Toronto. I'm like, it was the old fake shot forehand, back in. and I didn't score the last one. I'm like, I got so much shit going through my head right now that I am just doing this move. Yes. I know this move. I'm doing it.

I probably just should have shot it with my skill set, but I was like, no, I'm doing this move because this is, I just felt like I could score. And so I went in and I just didn't even think twice. I went in. I made my move. move and I backhanded it and I went seven hole in the goalie under his glove and uh it was pure emotion like I remember I blanked out like I remember pointing up and then going to the bench

and just the whole team kind of trying to hug me. It was it was an emotional because it was everybody was trying to be so normal to me in the room it wasn't like guys were coming up being like when I returned like giving me a hug thinking about you like guys want to be guys right like just be normal but when i scored that goal it was like everybody just wanted to give me a big huge hug um and kind of and we felt like they were there the team the players and wives were where it was so great but that moment guys kind of you find it felt the emotion from all the guys so it was it was a special moment yeah and you've got the the puck and that's kind of yeah yeah yeah they've got a great

picture. That's one of the pictures I, we have a picture of, uh, of that the flames that gave us a picture of that where it sits downstairs of his memory. So it goes with my hundredth gold puck and my silver stick and all those other stuff. And it's probably the one I look at the most. And now two boys, you're coaching, you're running around. It's busy being a dad. So busy. It's the best, but it's busy. It's just so different because when they're baby, so we were in Germany and Dylan was just born.

It's our youngest. So he was a baby there in L.A.3, but now they're, it's just, and you guys are parents. So like the young years, you still nap. But now having two boys at the age where they just always want to do stuff. And if you don't do it, they drive you more crazy, right? Exactly. not doing something worse than doing something yeah they're like dogs if you don't exercise

and they get into shit exactly and tire them out yeah and we're not we don't like giving them their iPads and that stuff so it's like find something to do but everything they want to do involves dad or mom so here i am playing catch at the park for three hours a night and what else what are they all into they all mini sticks every sport very sports they're like star wars that'd be the i've never really watched star wars except with them now so it's kind of all new to me yeah but uh they uh sports any sticks they have our own league set up in the basement where they beat me every time um so it's all and then they have their hockey and so it's it's fun it's uh it's busy though anybody with kids it's busy but it's it's you enjoy it

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nature. Lab created diamonds have the same hardness, right? Refraction and same as the natural diamond. Only difference their lab created and referred to as synthetic because they are chemically and physically the same, but are man-made. Be confident knowing you can save up to 80% compared to mine diamonds pretty much across the board. You want a custom design done. Vina Nova can do that as well. Just give them a few weeks of heads up to complete your custom piece. Find out more at vina nova.com. They started to grasp that you played. I'm guessing you're not bragging to your kids. Oh, dad was in it.

You know what I mean? But it takes, it almost takes a while from, it almost takes their friends to say, your dad did what? Yeah. For your kids to kind of go, oh, yeah, I guess he did. I don't know.

Is that what you did, Dad? Yeah. My oldest for sure knows now because he came home the other day with a library book and he's like, oh, one of my friends said you're in a library book. And it's like, so now, and with hockey cards, they see my, so he gets it. Or not like when I'm coaching and I'm on the bench at a hitman game. And there's their teddy bear toss.

There's all the people walked there. They're kind of like, oh, my daddy was a somebody. The youngest is still not there. But they never look at you that way at home. No. You're just their dad. It's more like Ritch has said when you go or coaching the kids and then their friends are like, saying stuff to or like I'm walking down the street at the mall with my kids and all of a sudden

you know there's a flame saying oh it's mad stage or like you know and you people recognize you then the the kids are like why are they recognizing you like and so they're starting to grasp it but that's just all part of you know being a professional athlete in a Canadian city you know people will recognize you and hopefully uh they're going to be fine I think as long as they understand just to be good kids. Like it's, we're just, we're just people, right?

But when their friends talk your dad up, you just hope that they stay grounded and, and all that. Now, you brought it up earlier, not concussions or a laughing matter. But as we bring this to a close, I have to say, you have taken some of the most hellacious hits

I have ever seen from any one guy in the NHL. I was in New York the night when, I mean, Mark Stahl just about decapitated you. You mentioned Wyden. Wydenman clunked you when he was with the Bruins. Johnny Boychuk hammered. You took some blows, my man. I did. Yeah, I never, probably not smart to me.

I wouldn't dodge it. Sometimes I, sometimes I would have my head down and get clunked. Yeah. like from a sui pass but i would never if i was getting a sui pass i i wasn't smart enough i would just stay in there and be like i'll just take this hit and but sometimes not the right choice um hey if that's if you're a centerman in the nchel and you're especially like i feel like now there's a few guys that you got to worry about catching you with your head down when you watch but like in the late 2000s especially when i first came in the league like there was no hooking but when the

rules change, there were still a lot of guys looking for open ice hits. And when you come through the middle and you have your head down for a split second, I got caught a few times. We talk about it now. It's such a lost art in the game. You could come across the middle like that. Yeah. Ten times. Eight times you're probably fine. Yeah. But there might be two times that somebody's like, this is the time I'm going to hit you. Yeah. And you get blown right up. It's almost more dangerous now than it was when you knew you were going to get in the game. Well, because. you expected it. Now you don't think it's going to happen. And I look back, not one of those hits do I think was dirty. Maybe because they hit my head. So now it's a headshot. But at that time,

headshots are just becoming a thing. It was like it was more, you could make contact with the head as long as it wasn't your elbow back then. So I look at those. I'm like, either was a suicide pass from my D or was me, me having a lapse and looking at the puck after I passed it. having my head down. That one in New York, it was a couple days later. We were in the elevator in Pittsburgh. It's like, oh, that man is not, he is not okay. You were white, you were not good. Yeah, that was right through that tough time in Calgary too.

I remember that one because I remember giving it, I was carrying the puck, Gio was coming as the fourth guy and he was calling for it. And then I passed it, but then I, as a center, you're like, okay, that better be. be my guy. It was kind of like, so I just checked and Mark Stahl just stepped up. I mean, I'm like, after I was like, that was my own fault. But the same time, tip your cap, get up, get off. Probably take a week to get back to normal. But that's just how it was. Like, you know,

it's, it's, it's just the way the game was. And luckily I've, I was able to bounce back from, from all those hits and not miss extended period time. And I've had, my wife will question my wife will question my memory sometimes but i haven't had any problems with the head but it was definitely shook me up quite a bit i reached out to guys like give me some dirt give me something on stage i mean i guess two things the one is guys say your stick was atrocious your blade was so what was your blade what's the story with your i was just a lot of my i had a thick thicker grip stick i think it was more square but my blade was very straight. But I feel like in the early 2000, more guys had straight blades. So when I

came in, well, there was, yeah, probably had those, the, they did. Legal curves. We did. In junior, we had every, I played with Jason Speson, Jr. They would check it all the time. They would check his stick and he would break it every face off. And it should have been penalty because that's what they did in the NHL to him. But in junior, he would just break it and they switch a stick. But like, so I just had a straight stick. And so I remember, and when it was most notable, it was on I came to Calgary because all those guys would, you check out with a new player stick and they're like, what is this? Like, that's just the stick I use.

It was a stiff stick. Yeah, just so different than what you see now. So, yeah, that's fine. That's just what they, it worked for me. Guys were pretty impressed that you were able to play with a boat paddle or whatever it was. And the second thing is, there is no one that has a bad word to say about you. And I know that it's kind of one of those things you, you'd, Oh, well, whatever.

But when you talk about legacy and leaving the game and now giving back to kids and junior in that, people have great memories of you. There's the player, but then there's the guy. You were an unbelievable teammate. Coaches respect you. You are one of the more respected guys that a lot of guys ever played with, which you have to. What else is there? the day, that's what you're kind of judged on.

Yeah, and that's flattering. But that's what you want as a player. Like I wanted to win. That's my biggest regret. Like I wish I had more of an opportunity to win. But you're one piece and you control what you can. And I just, that was always a thing. Be a good teammate, right?

Even in junior, I just remember. And it's a fine line. Like, because your teammates have to, you can be a good guy and not be fun. But I wanted to be fun too. Like I didn't like I liked going out and having fun with my teammates. And that's part of it. That's how you get to know your teammates.

But doing that, you still got to be a good teammate, good person and you want your teammates to trust you. And that's just what I always, I just wanted to be one of the guys. And you guys that they could talk to, but also could have fun with. And we could have good memories.

that's how I always went about my business and still do. And luckily, people have good things to say about me. I don't think it's anything I was just trying to do. It's just the way I was. Thanks for your time. This was awesome. I'm glad to see that you're doing so well in retirement. The family is great and life is great.

Thanks. Appreciate you. Oh, thanks for having me on. Anytime, guys. Guys, it's Pinder looking into some NHL futures for our Betway bet of the day today. let's stay in the Pacific Division where Vegas is going to have the shortest of off seasons, lots of partying, that's what happens when you win the Cup. Calgary, we don't know.

LA's improved. I think the Empton Oilers can win the Pacific Division in the regular season. That's playing, that is paying plus 200. Triple your money. If the Oilers win the Pacific, we're dancing. Betway, bet the responsible way. There you have it. Great guy.

One of the good ones, Matt Stagin. Thanks for spending that amount of time with us. It was another one. We sat down just started talking. kept going and kept going and kept going and we figured this this is really good I remember sent him the message as we were getting ready for this I just wanted to see if he was okay I wanted to ask about Emerson and if he didn't then that's totally cool there's enough of a story there obviously without without that

detail but he was absolutely yeah we're we're very open and and willing to talk about it and you think of other parents who have gone through something as terrible as that there would be some real strength that they would draw from the experience that the bat and katie went through and their willingness to share and how you deal with with that kind of mental trauma and that kind of anguish and it's pretty amazing people when you think about it that they're willing to relive that over and over again just for the benefit of others. Hope you enjoyed it. Summer rolls on our series of interviews roll on as well still to come Curtis Glenn Cross goes one-on-one with Ryan Pinder.

Glenn Cross, when you think about it and you look back, pretty appropriate he was a Calgary Flame, right? Almost feel like he was born to be a flame. And a couple of Hockey Hall of Famers, Lanny McDonald, Mike Vernon, all coming up. We hope you enjoy it. Subscribe and like and tell your friends and take us with you and do what you got to do.

Check out the other interviews. We did one with Robin Riggier. It's there waiting for you if you missed it. Ryan Huska, Coach of the Flames, talk to him just shortly after he got the. job that's there as well either way hope you're having a great summer we appreciate you support the sponsors see you next time on barn burner