Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Marcus Nilson (FULL INTERVIEW) | FN Barn Burner - August 15th, 2024

Episode Date: August 15, 2024

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Our next guest was a mid-season arrival in one of the most beloved seasons of Calgary Flames hockey. Welcome back to a summer edition of Barnburner, Ryan Pinder, Rhett Warner, and a two-time teammate of yours, Rhett. How lucky are we to have Marcus Nilsson here today. All right. Thank you. One of my favorites, favorite Swedes sitting over across the room. Now, how did this come to be? I got a text from you like six days ago.

You're like, do you think we should chat with Marcus Nilsson? I'm like, hell yes, we should. Are you kidding me? Like, and Marcus, you have not returned. You said, your English is rusty. Where have you been hiding the last 20 years? Well, I was here until 08, and then I went and played in Europe until 2015. Then I moved back home, Stockholm, Sweden.

Currancy. So is it nice to be back? How did this come together, though? Because I talked to Byron Ritchie, must have been in May, and he was going over to Europe for some world. Yeah, his son was playing under 18. Under 18s. And then he ran into you over there.

Was it? Is that where you saw? No. I wasn't there, but I talked to him once in a while. Once in a while. And then, yeah. So then we started texting. And then he said he's coming to town.

I'm like, holy shit, get him in. Here we go. So let's go back to Florida. We'll get back to your childhood in a bit. but I do want you to tell us about your first interactions with Rhett Warner. Your rookie year was Rett's last year in Florida. You got traded midway through the year, Rhett. Do you have a distinct memory of right at that point?

Or he's just one of the guys is this rookie that's kind of star-studded, I guess, stunned. Such a long time ago. Right. I wasn't there for much of that year. I was in the minors. I think I might play at seven games or something. Eight games, it shows. Okay.

Yeah. So you would have seen. He lost to training camp and son off to New Haven, Connecticut. Yeah, a beautiful New Haven. But you were over the year before for playoffs and we played the Rangers and Gretzky went off

and was scoring goals and Ticken and I think he scored the OT winner in game five to knock us out of it. And then he signed, yeah. Then he came back in great shape. He was dialed in the next season. Just 30 or 40 pounds overweight when he showed him.

Telling Dave Smith, I'm not riding the bike. care about your test. Thank you for asking. No, I will not ride the bike. I think when I was over the year before, like, he was easy to connect with the, like, rat, Joe Bo was there. And I mean, they're young guys. Like, so we got to know him a little bit at least.

I remember him getting drafted. Yeah. And I was just grateful it was a forward, not somebody trying to take my job. So that was, that was good. And one of the, I've got. have to bring this story up because I picked up Marcus this morning from the hotel and he said his brother was coming with him and I'm lying in bed last and I'm like brother brother what was his brother's name again oh yeah Patrick Patrick was part of the flames what year was that

lock out here lock out here yeah yeah yeah because Patrick was at my house before training camp started and I may have had an influence and not in a positive way let's let's just Let's follow down that track. So you were giving him bad advice, right? What could have happened? No, I was getting an end with the GM of the team at that time. Mr. Sutter, I called Big D and I said, Patrick will not be showing up at the rink tomorrow.

He's going to be hanging out with me tonight. He's trying to leave, and I'm not allowing it. How was that received? I mean, his story is like, you got to the hotel. You know, his first time. in Calgary. He's never met you. And his phone rings in the room. Like, hey, it's red Warren. Be ready in 10 minutes. I'm picking it up downstairs. It's like, I got camp tomorrow. You're coming.

The welcoming committee. Tourism Gallagher. I wanted him to be comfortable and know that he had a place here and friends to be had. So. And he had friends and he was comfy? I think so. That's a win. He really appreciated it. Oh, he was such a good kid yeah so jokes aside like is darrell like oh that's all right you're you're you're you're you're you're you're you're denointing him and you know he's he's becoming one of us as a calgary or is he like rat you idiot what are you doing with my rookie probably a bit of both well he wasn't to be honest he wasn't signed like he wasn't going to make first of all it wasn't going to be a season yeah right he wasn't going to make the big club anyways so yeah i don't think there's like

but you're better off hang you know hanging out with the boys it went okay i'm sure darrell was like Yes, but at the end, and it was, I don't know if today's world, it's going to be as received as well. Probably not. Probably not going to be the same results if you try to pull that one off. Sure. Kids might not do it either. So, okay, you barely know each other, but you know each other from the Florida days. RET goes to Buffalo.

You continue in Florida. You play six seasons there. You eventually become an alternate captain for a few years. And then boom, the trade occurs mid-season 0304. The magical year in Calgary, but, I mean, you would have passed you, through Calgary once every two years or something with the schedule. I don't know if you'd have any sort of recollection of what the city was like, but all of a sudden, boom, there's a trade.

What was that moment in your career like? Because that would have been the first time you've been to a different market as a player. Yeah, it was, I think looking back at it, I kind of knew it was going to happen. I just didn't know where I was going to get traded. And then I had heard rumors about Calgary, and I really wanted to go there. Okay. And once I got traded, I remember we were in Toronto, I got the phone call and I, you know, I get really excited and flew out the next day and started playing.

So why were you excited about Calgary? You said you really want to do it in Calgary? Well, like, growing up and stuff, you didn't know much about NHL, but as you got a little older, like I dreamt about playing in Canada. And I had, and I know Darren was a coach, and I had Darry's brother as a coach in Florida. And, you know, they like them. And so I was hoping. So you know your fingers.

If I get traded, I want to get traded to Canada. And I heard rumors about Calgary. So I was hoping for it. It's funny. Because we talk about all the time. Like, all these Americans, they don't want to come play Canada. Oh, the Russians, you can't. Where are they going to show up?

Where are they not? And then it's like, yeah, like Miami would have been crazy. But to play hockey. that's going to be more like being at home than being Miami. Miami was great because it was Florida and you got the sun and this and that. But the negatives to it was your fan base isn't rampant. There are people that really like it. The new rank was built out in sunrise.

And when you're good, people will travel a little bit. But I guarantee you there will be games next year in December where that rank is not full. even after winning the Stanley Cup, right? So there's lots of positives. The taxes are great. The weather's great. But you don't have that passion for the game that's just ingrained in the people.

Like even this year, all those fans, awesome experience and winning the cup and they're going to like hockey more and more because of it. It's not the same as Canada. It's not the same as Sweden. It's just not, it's a non-hockey market. Yeah. Plus, or if you're winning like they did this year, I mean, it's probably a lot more fun. Yes. I was there a lot of the years we had kind of a bad team. So it was fun for the first

year, you know, you got to walk in shorts every day, but yeah, after that, I mean, you want to be competitive. You're playing to play hot. Yeah, you want to win. You're competitive and there were years there that were a struggle. Yeah, during the time you were there. Yeah. Yeah. So walk us to arriving in Calgary. You're excited. The trade finally happens. It's been rumored. You were hopeful for Calgary you get Calgary what do you remember about coming and then seeing this jackass again I just remember remember flying in we had I think we had a game just the same day and you know I met met the boys for lunch I think and at least I had one familiar face and did you know anyone else I really know not I remember trying to think back on that team and I don't yeah I knew Kipper a little bit

Oh, okay. And I think Willa Neiman was here. Yeah. I knew the Euros a little bit. Yeah. But I didn't know. Ville arrived that year. Chris Simon arrived that year.

You arrived. Like, that was such a fun year as a fan. Yeah. That's true. Yeah. All in trade. And it was like, it went from this plucky hard working group that probably wasn't good enough to like, holy shit. They got a goalie.

You've got Jerome. You had some good blue liners. And now Daryl's like adding some pieces at the day. deadline, like buckle up. This playoff droughts over. Like, there was real excitement around town. And as a player in the other conference, you obviously noticed that as well. This was going to be a good team. Well, at least we were in the playoff. Yeah. When I was looking at it before I got traded, so, I mean. Was that a different feel? I mean, obviously, you're getting traded and you're in a playoff hunt. So maybe it all combines and you don't know it. But like in Florida,

That first year you were there, I think we lost 13 games in a row. Yeah. Oh. Now, you were only there for parts of it. Yeah. But like, we literally got our asses. We lost 13 games in a row. It was like, this is not good.

And so you hadn't had that experience. You walk into. Easier to play, though, is it not? I always thought so. So much more fun to play. Yeah. And easier, yeah. I mean, you always compete.

Your emotions are bit higher. Yeah. Because there had to be times in Florida. I was that way the year we lost 13 games in a row where you're waking up from your pregame nap and you're literally looking out the window and you're like, if I go this way, there's an ocean and a beach and a pub.

And if I go this way, there's an empty arena and I'm going to get my ass kicked. Bikinis or winter jackets. You have to mentally fight yourself at times. I think you go through a process too, right? Like you first year, you try to make it, you know, trying to make it in the league and find your way playing time finally then you know but once you've established yourself a little bit maybe played a couple years then you're like

what I'm going to win hockey games yeah yes what the hell is this yeah yeah do you remember the fool we played our your first game no no no that had no you came right at the deadline I'm sure like it was trade deadline day right I think so yeah oh maybe a couple days before okay I just remember we had a one game one game trip try against Toronto Toronto so I had one suit oh no so like how am I gonna get all my belongings from the other side of the continent so how did you figure that out is you call them they take care just try to go down the stores here and get some little whole room for supreme menswear and start spending love it

I just have to say, I remember Derek called me, because he's the one to call me at the time I got traded. It was a short phone call. Darrell, you don't say. We just trade it for you. See you tomorrow. See you tomorrow. Boom. What did you think of the team when you got here and you got to look around?

Did you see the special run coming or did that take time? Because it wasn't the sexiest group, but it all worked. You had Darrell, the coach, the goalie, one guy that could fill the net. I mean, it was. 73 points. I just looked it up. No. That's how many points that he had that year.

Leading score. Isn't that crazy? Yeah. And it was one of the lowest scoring years in the league. Regardless. Yeah. Like, a guy would have won the Ratt Ross is less than 100, I bet. Yeah.

There's red line offside. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. There's no rules. Yeah. Water ski through the neutral zone. So good. So once it took that away, I was like,

this is going to be tough. Like, I can't skate. So you come in to be a checking forward. You were sort of known for your version. versatility center of the wing where did you fit in and what did you think of the group when you finally got here under darrell got to see you for a bit it's a tough question it's a long time ago i know i just i think i was felt like it you just fit in right away yeah we had a good group it was such a great group of guys like from day one you just it's so much fun you might remember the

parties at ret's house more than you remember where you play in the last i remember i remember And him and Kipper were mad at me because after we lost game seven, we flew home and it was, it had been long. Yeah. I was done. I was so tired. And they wanted to have a drink. And I'm like, I have to go to bed. Go back to the house on Madison.

It was like, I have to go to bed. You loser. One more drink. Come on. That run was fun. The city turned upside down. And it was not only the end of this like near decade run of no playoffs. here but it was like the most lovable group of players because you weren't supposed to be there

you upset a team every single round to get to the final what was that run like like do you like just the city was chaos it's the best hockey experience on my life for sure like even looking back at it it's been 20 years like it's still like gets you emotional get the chills like just the board like the city especially your teammates but the city the fans and everything it was one goal away i mean that sucks we're one goal away all the time though we were one goal away from going home against vancouver yeah that's true one goal away from going to game seven against detroit you know like it was yeah we still get i still have nightmares if not winning it but really looking back at it just that whole guys will say like there's when you win it's excitement euphoria or whatever but

the losses stick with you longer and harder does that make sense i think so yeah maybe yeah yeah Well, I did it three times. You remember it so fondly. You remember how tight the group was. You remember how hard everyone dug in together. I mean, you can never relate to actual military and war. But that's as close as we can get to feeling like a band of brothers where we're in this together. I'll do anything to help you and you'll help me and we'll do it together.

And you leave it all out there. and then you lose that last one. Plus for me, you talk to people and they say, well, you guys lost, but the fact that we even went there, like, you know, like with the team, like... You weren't supposed to get through the first round, yeah. I mean, Pai was coaching for two rounds,

then he had to face him up, we didn't have a forward. I remember there was one kid. We didn't have Dima. They brought him in. Brendan Evans. Yeah, he played... He played the East Coast. Yeah. Couldn't find his equipment.

When he was driving around. I think he got stuck in traffic for the first games. You played all 26 games. There was not a lot of guys, especially in the blue line. Like, guys were dropping like flies. That physical toll. Like, Tampa had played quite a few games less. You guys went, if I'm correct, 7667.

Like, those are absolute wars. Travel was not easy. San Jose, Detroit aren't close. Do you remember just that incredible? incredible marathon you had to go through like physically I didn't it was so much fun like I never really you were just ready to go on the dude always yeah yeah yeah yeah are there anything certain series like we go into Vancouver we lost game one we win game two uh do you remember the game six we're down four to one going to the third come back but we still lose I mean

there's so many things and I always ask guys like what are the ones that you remember You know, obviously, you score that overtime. Was it overtime? Yeah, the overtime goal against Detroit. Yeah. All kinds of things that you can think. Are there anything specific that you remember in each series? Like, fricking the, that stupid cook scores to tie it up.

I remember that. That was hard. Wasn't there a jersey on the ice? I would have thrown a jersey? Yeah. No whistle. Nothing. No whistle.

They came down and scored. Yeah. And you're pretty quiet in the locker room that. Oh. And then walk me through overtime. in that one that was we had power play because prior to that our old teammate jovanoski he before cook scored the reason the draw went outside our zone was because jovenoski had come down when they pulled the goalie and he was literally cross-checking me in the head and i was like well dude like

literally hammered me in the head and i can i so remember the ref screaming jovo stop jovo stop Jovo stopped, like seven or eight of them. And then finally he was like, I got to call a penalty. Yeah. And he called the penalty. And I mean, we're at that point. One goal game late in the third. It's over.

We did it. Like, the draws outside our zone. Goal. I've sold this. I fell over backwards on the bench. Like, I literally went like this and just, I was looking at the ceiling. I'm like, are you kidding me? Yeah.

This is really happening? Like, but we had the power play. And we scored right away. Because the feeling was like if we don't score right away. It's going to be trouble. They've got the momentum. Yeah. Yeah.

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Use promo code FN bonus. That's promo code FN bonus. Hey, footy fans, it's Pinder. Your next two Cavalry FC home games are coming up on August 24th and 30th. The 24th is a Saturday. The welcome in Pacific for their multicultural match. Always a good clash when the lads from Victoria enter at Cofield to take on the Cavs, two of the top clubs in the open.

six years of CPL. August 30th is the next weekend. It's a Friday night clash with Valor. We've actually got the scoring record. I think they scored seven on Valor back in the first or second year. So never boring when the Cavs get to rip the ball on Valor. Let's see how she goes. August 30th, 7.30 kickoff against the Winnipeggers at Atco Field.

We'll see you down at the pitch. Always blast down at Spruce Meadows atco Field and get your tickets at CavsFC. And we're back with more Barnburner. Crazy. The Detroit O2 winner. Tell me about it. The goal or? Hell yeah.

I mean, that series. I just remember like, because this was my first playoffs too for me. Like you, you won the two finals and like I was a playoff rookie. And we're going to Detroit and their team is staffed. Hall of Famers, the whole lineup. And they killed us that game. Yeah. like we didn't have a jazz basically but kipper was in that yeah so yeah they were peppering us

we didn't hardly leave our zone and you're sitting there like is this how it's going to be then then the goal i think jelly had it behind and then he threw it in and just had a one-timer kind of lucky yeah yeah but kipper like there was a lot of games that well i remember game five because i got hurt in game two missed three and four where we split them at home and got back in in game five. We were up. I forget to score if you want to punch it up. I think we won by a goal.

And they literally had the puck in our end for the last five minutes. And all we were trying to do was, I think you were out there and Yeller was out there. All we were trying to do was block shots and Kippert, like it was just dive. It was unbelievable. Like they were so talented. Yeah.

Your first goal since March 24 was the, overtime winner against Curtis Joseph, absolutely pin drop in the rank after that. You steal game one, and it was like Mika trying to find the number of saves. But that was the thing. That was the way we played up to our, like we played the way we had to play.

Remember we always get in the fight too? At the first loss of every series, we'd sigh and every... That's bullshit. Something would have to be. It changed the rules after that. Yeah. I mean, probably wasn't just because

that but there was a little had something to do it yeah like the whole notion was we're tougher than you you can beat us but we're going to make your life miserable and you guys are going to like not be able to just coast to win you're going to have to hurt somehow if the game wasn't weren't closed it when it was going to end it somebody's going to was going to pay the problem and we had the team to do it like oh i wasn't one of them but it was fun to watch well i mean geez olow and then simon won too like not many teams can roll out anyone close to those two. Those two galutes were, yeah, gave you a lot of room.

We always asked read about it. Like when you're in Calgary, you win a game, the city's upside down. You can hardly drive anywhere. 17th Avenue is like 10, 15 blocks, partying, taking the clothes off on shoulders, flags flying, camera crews on rooftops, people drinking in the street. Like, did you, did you ever see, maybe I'll go out and see what can happen out there? Or is it like, get away? No, I never did.

I wasn't down there once in the 17th. You knew everything was happening, but yeah, try to stay away. Because didn't you try to go once? I went one block. And you're like this. I think it was after San Jose. And I was like, no, this is stupid. It was too much.

I actually took a walk on 17th this morning. Because you woke up at 4 a.m. I woke up at 4 a.m. Wide awake. So I took a walk and I had down 17. Just walked there. Yeah. Lots of changes, but lots of the same.

Yeah, I'm just just sucking the atmosphere and, yeah, of the city, basically, like, I haven't been there so long. This is a great time here to come back to. There's so many months of the hockey season. You're like, why do people live here? It's so damn cold. But then you get days like today. You're like, oh, wow, yeah, this is it. Isn't that cold, though, I think.

I love the climate here. Yeah. Like, well, it could be cold, but it's always sunny. Yeah. Lots of sun. Yeah. Like where I live, it's not as cold, but you don't see the sun for four months. Yeah, fair.

The lockout that really screwed the group you guys had because I think some contracts rolled off the books. Daryl had two off seasons to maybe oversteer too much as the GM. He did oversteer and we love Daryl. No, totally. And again, you know, some guys,

two a year without playing hockey was not good to keep them in shape. Rett Warner. So what do you recall about that? You mentioned your brother was in the organization at the time, but you had to go play somewhere. That's going to be a tough field.

yet is such a good group you're like well let's get back together next year and do it and then lockout yeah that's the worst one of the worst things ever happened to me i think yeah yeah just not you know after the one happened just come back and go ahead and then give it another goal yeah did you play in sweden that year i played in the whole year yeah yeah i just played for my hometown team so yeah so is that like fun or are you more just upset that the lockouts happening because i know a lot of guys in europe would be like i don't would be like, I'd love to play for my team at the end of my career, but this isn't the end of your career.

No, I was upset the whole year. Yeah. It'd be frustrating. Yeah. I wish someone would have had a better game plan for us because that sucked that year. Well, because you keep thinking it's going to get solved. It's going to get solved. And maybe it's not going to go as well, maybe it is.

Yeah. They don't call it to like February. So you're just dangling for six months. Yeah. It was not good, not ideal. And I think especially for our group because every time you lose something like that, it hurts. But I think we felt like, I always feel this way.

Any of you, there's, we should have won the series. If we stay healthy, I don't think there's a team that can beat us. We just, we ran out of, we ran out of soldiers. Anyway, it doesn't matter. But when you lose and you're that close to it, you want to get back at it. Yeah. And having that year off was not. And then they changed the rules.

And then Daryl did, in my opinion, stick out. And I, Daryl's biggest mistake then was thinking. Because we actually had a young team that year was thinking that we needed more veteran presence when the rest of the league was recognizing, no, we don't need older. We need younger and faster and more skilled. I think especially with the rule changes. Yes, exactly. It was maybe there wasn't going to be in the rule changes if we just kept playing. Yeah.

He knows. But if the rule changes that they made, you know, you had to change the team. Because we wouldn't have won many games with today's rules. You go back, watch 0304 playoff hockey and see how many penalties are called. It's not. It's a different game. We would have had a tough time. It was funny.

In COVID here, I don't know what it was like in Sweden, but I mean, you can't do anything. They're replaying. There's no sports because everything shut down. So they would replay all these old famous hockey series, whichever, you know, TV channel had the rights would play these classic series. And that 04 run, they televised a bunch of things. It was like, holy shit, I don't remember this being so unwatchable. Like, it was locked down, grab onto a guy, low scoring, no penalties, low event hockey. And then when there was a chance, there's fucking me.

I know why that's going. That's the way it was, though. Yeah. You know, we try to win 2-1. Always. Yeah, always try to. I don't know that you could do that in today's initially. It would be tough.

I don't think you can. I mean, I guess Florida won 2-1 in the game 7 there. Yeah, but I don't think that's the approach to it. If you get into situation, you're always going to try and lock it down. And if you got to do it, you do. But I don't think teams are designed to play that hockey anyway. And nor should they. Because I just don't think over the long term, it's a recipe for success.

There wouldn't be a jam out there that's going. I'm going to win 2-1 for 70% of the games, 60% of the games. Just not have them. You had noted you got two Mike Keenan exposures. It wasn't good for you in Florida. When you got hired in Calgary, you knew you at the end. who is coming. Yeah, I mean, I don't want to throw him on her.

I'm on the bus, but I knew, like, I just don't think he's a good person. I know right away when they signed him, like, I'm probably not going to want to be part of it. Was it going to be a fan. To be fair, like, there's a lot of coaches for certain players. It's, yeah, I mean, it would feel like you're taking a shot of a guy if it wasn't almost unanimous that most players say that. It just sounds like, looking back at it and I knew what I knew because I had him for two years, But I was younger when I had him before

and, you know, he just trying to make a mark in the league and stuff, but he treats people so bad that you just don't want to be part of it. I'm not saying as a coaching wise, I mean, I don't know, but person wise, it's really bad. Drags the fun out of all of it. Yeah. And disrespects people all the time.

Yeah. I just don't need it. That's not the way to go about it. Like, you can be hard. done guys that's not what your beef is it's the it's the over the tell's darrell's way harder um yeah geist than he is but he's fair and he's honest yeah and he respects you yeah probably mind games was was keenan's thing right like he'd toy with you oh it's mind games every day yeah how many people is he dressed for a warm-up oh yeah can't let anyone know who's playing

yeah yeah so guys dress 18 players right yeah he dresses 23 for warm-up yeah but every maximum that's crazy like some of the stuff he did was just about it's just ongoing every day like yeah but that's you know i can you can put up with that but it's the actual when he gets to the personal side of thing yeah like he's actually takes enjoyment of like actually disrespecting yeah and belilling people yeah that's i don't like that yeah So then you knew you were going to, okay, like this is it here. I'm not a fit with Mike. I had one more year, but it's on my contract, but, you know, talking to Darrell and he understood.

So I left, basically. Crazy. Yeah. I didn't remember you had a year left. Yeah. Huh. And I just, I just didn't want to be miserable and live. Yeah.

And you do that again? you have no regrets about that i mean obviously the money's good but it's like you you'd said it you didn't want to have to deal with another mike keenan season i don't know if i'd do the same again it's tough to say but yeah there and then like right at that moment you just play that fun also like yeah yeah not only that's you know that's like me i when i mike kind of ended me too and i i don't know that i had much left in the tank anyway but i look back and go oh i wish i'd gone to Europe. Yeah.

But at the time you make a decision because you're like, oh, the body feels like shit or this or that and you make the decision. Now you can look back on it and go, I wish I'd done something different. But you forget where you were at that time when you start thinking that way. I was 30 and I played another seven years. Yeah. It wasn't, the tang wasn't empty. I mean, I couldn't have played in NHL.

I was 37. I don't think I'm, I wasn't that good. But I'm pretty sure I could. who played a few couple more years found another more years yeah yeah what was the khiel like because i know uh depending on when guys play there and which organizations are in you get wildly varying stories some guys love it some guys hate it uh it's never boring the stories are always good what was your experience because you went to i think the khl was the first year when i went

there okay so it went from russian super league exactly and so it was khll not that i i don't know if it's a branding exercise yeah but i absolutely loved it like the whole year. It was so much fun. It's good hockey. I wouldn't say the hockey was that. Okay. Good, but it was a cultural experience that was so different.

You were saying like not many English-speaking guys. So that, but even with that being, so you still enjoyed it a lot. Yeah. And there was one, except for the guys on the team that spoke English, there's probably one person in the city that spoke English. They had a translator in the front office. You said you had a finished coach and that helped. Yeah, that helped.

But even though the management and everybody didn't speaking, because they were so nice and treated you well. Treated you well. Honestly, I've never been treated so good. And they did everything for you. And so you're having fun again playing hockey. You're really enjoying that season. Yeah, like hockey-wise, I had quite a bad season,

but just everything around it was so much fun. Okay. And then... Maybe it's because it's different, you get to learn other stuff. I don't know. It was a change. Yeah. But I would do it again. It sounds bad now, the way the world is right now, but...

But you liked it. At that time, it wasn't a political thing at all. You go back to Jurgarten after that. You said that was your hometown team. That's got to be kind of fun. At this point, you're not there because of a lockout or business in the NHL going sideways. You're there now to play for your.

hometown team. What was that like? It was awesome. I mean, not like, not Calgary Flames, awesome. It's a different kind of, I don't know how you said. It's tough to describe, but it's... It's more laid back, probably, schedule-wise. Yeah, but it's also where you, if you're from where I'm from,

like, it matters. A lot of pride and yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, uh, it's a, now they're not even in, not even in the top league right now, but it's the most famous club in Sweden, and they always sell out. It's different kind of fans in Europe. Yeah.

You know, you got the soccer, single fans, the whole games, and it's a cool place to play. Yeah. So seven years in Europe after the NHL, a bunch in Sweden, it looks like a six, the last year in the second division, but every other year, the first league, you're starting a family at that point yeah that's one of the reasons i wanted to be at home like

we were having a baby and you know can you need your grandparent they're good to house they're i have around again finally i was always like if i'm going to play in europe there's only one team that i want to play in for yeah i mean you go to russia for the money right then i really liked it but I didn't go there because I was going to like it. I went there because of the money. Yeah. And your wife's pregnant, so you go back to Sweden. Yeah. You get to do that thing where you play for the poster on your wall as a kid. You're proud of your of the team you're sure for. Yeah, exactly. Full circle experience. And now your son's actually becoming a bit of part of the story. You're actually over here in North America because he's competing in Edmonton at the

Graski-Holink tournament for Sweden. What's been like watching him develop as a hockey player. Oh, it's fun. I mean, he really likes it and you just, I mean, I would be happy if he did whatever he want to do, but it's a little extra fun that he wants to play hockey. So, totally. It's fun to watch him. And so hockey over there for the kids in Sweden, you said, move away at a young age. Yeah, a lot. A lot, depending on where you're from. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of kids have to move away if they want to compete at a high level like the biggest city in sweden in stockholm and by far they have the most kids in an area playing hockey and there's no there's only two two clubs in stockland that are kind of big so most stockham kids have to move

away and same player as you skates better skates well they have everyone everybody skates better than me no no and that's not sure to you it's just the game right like you Skating is so much more important now than it was in early 2000. Kids nowadays, skating and skills are way better. They don't think it and they don't work it. I don't think the same way that we used to. Physicality. Yeah, it's just, I almost feel like it's a mindset, right?

Like it is physicality, but it's, I don't know. It's hard to describe, but you watch the kids, they can zip around and move the puck and pick it up and do things with it and skate better. They don't play it as hard. I don't think. And I don't mean just physically. Just that fight? Just that.

That, yes, that desire that I will put my face in front of this puck because it matters, right, to block a shot or do that little extra thing. Line change. Go watch. And maybe it's just youth and kids. Watch them do a line change. Get off. Or maybe just the world's soul is changing. like you know when maybe when we were 17 there was a couple old first sitting there and

watching the same thing you know i don't know but but i think the big difference now is all i mean you got social media you got all that attention all the time and this i mean kids are different than we were i mean yeah totally it's just the way totally different world and probably i was different than my dad oh yeah yeah yeah hey guys you know peter I'm not Michael Law as the personal injury guy, but did you know he's also the go-to guy for your disability insurance claim? If your long-term disability insurance company is refusing to pay insurance benefits to you, contact Peter. He will get you the disability benefits you paid for and that you deserve. He'll get you peace of mind back, the peace of mind you paid for.

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personal favorites. This is the 2025 Honda pilot trail sport edition. Saxe. A woven in the headrest, third row. It's a mid-sized SUV that's totally built for adventures in Western Canada. Village Honda, your dealership for life, online at VillageHonda.com and in the Northwest Automol. Let's get back to another summer edition of Barnburner. Did you have a favorite player growing up? Like, who would your idols have been in Sweden? Were you, was it a guy that played in the Swedish League? Was it a, you, you? Were you, you know, were you born watching or growing up watching a lot of NHL hockey? And because you mentioned it now, like kids will be scrolling through highlights.

Like, you could be a- I never. I think I probably was 17 or something, but when I saw my first NHL. Yeah. Wow. And your kid would see highlights forever on YouTube, right? So my idols were guys playing in your garden in my team. So you got to go watch them once in a while.

Did you get to go to many of those games growing up? A few. Yeah. My dad took me a few times a year maybe. It was funny. I think it was what the Leafs opened up over there this past fall for the beginning of hockey season. And I think it was a huge hit.

Like they played like three or four games. They had three teams. I don't say Ottawa, Toronto and one other team were over there. And it was like, the NHL needs to do this more. Like this is a country that churns out hockey players and is one of the most, if not the most popular sport.

Like how do we do this more? Like you would have been around it a bit. What do you're like I feel like that I went to a game there and there was some events and stuff yeah and it was really big like people really showed up for the games yeah it felt like a big deal for you know just a game in october or whatever yeah so i'm excited for next year we're going to get four nations so sweden finland canada us that'll be fun it's not world cup it's not olympics it's not okay but we finally get to have you know the best the best the best best best best all best. Like we get to see in Canada,

a team that has Bidar, McDavid, McKinnon, Crosby, like, oh, I can't wait for that. I'm sure, you know, in Sweden, it's kind of a fun to watch, yeah. Yeah, but just that those events over there, you can just see that NHL is really big overall in Europe. Yeah.

I mean, it wasn't looking back in mine, like, I didn't even know what the draft was, basically. Yeah. Wow, it's like, because Mike is 17, it's his draft years. I didn't know about a draft year like agents draft years training just a after season like there's this draft you going over too like okay so he's a

right shot centerman that sounds familiar do do does he know where he's playing this year in terms of club hockey he's playing in your garden yeah oh he's playing your garden so he came because he was at a rebrow or right he I didn't have an influence on him so he picked another team when he had to choose for junior which i mean it's it's so he'll be in the man but now he he actually himself wanted to get closer to homes so he'll be shl this year then or the junior team who knows he'll be he'll be in the junior team so because they often go up and down this is the thing we don't get in north america like you could play at three different levels you can play you 17 you 80 you 20 all the

same year you play the men's team for a couple come back down it's an interesting model because you could rather than a whole season where you're like oh i'm not good enough here you get to bounce around and if it's working you stay if it's not yeah like this year he's got three team he could teams he could basically play for yeah because in junior in Sweden you have two junior teams okay you got an under 20 and an under 18 right just two different leagues and he can play for the men's team and then he would he wants to go to college really he's can't play for the men's team oh once you cross the barrier then it's yeah yeah is that's a professional you're not an amateur right which is

tough for Europeans. I mean, the system is built for that. The U.S., but it's... Why college? I mean, obviously, it's a great route. Again, sorry, that's a good question. Because when you're growing up,

anyone going to college? No. Not even a consideration, probably. Didn't even know what it existed. It was an option, yeah. And so it's gotten to be where kids are going, maybe it'll... It's not that many sweets are going, but it's starting to get more and more.

Yeah. So what does he like about? that option I think we've talked about it at home and me as a parent I would like to see him getting any education sure I'm not forcing him but then he started looking into it and he saw it was pretty cool like well then he's the 30 million dollar dressing rooms and training centers and it seems like it's okay you know he's I think he's just started watching youtube and like this seems awesome yeah packed arenas yeah and then after that he's like I want to go to call it which I'm really if you that's what he wants to do I'm really happy instead of you're going to play hockey like if you're playing Sweden or you can go to Canada but at least here you get doing both you get hockey and in education so if you stay four years I mean you got a something else to fall back you had a college education which yeah I would really appreciate to have when I retire and a 15 year old daughter hockey player yeah she plays too all right on how big is uh I mean obviously

women's hockey is huge compared to what was before but are there is there a Swedish professional league for women there or is it like she trying to go to college too because I know that she's so yeah we send most of our best players to college in the States she's turning 15 here so I don't know it's pretty early she doesn't know what she's gonna do tomorrow I was gonna say she's just having fun there's a there's a pro league in Sweden but I think and the game is really growing girls hockey is basically the only hockey in Sweden that's getting bigger. Okay.

So, but it's not, I think, compare to Canada where it's way behind. Yeah, interesting. It's like Canada, USA, seeing the final. Who's going to play for bronze? That's that happens, right? There'll be teams, countries catch up. Yeah, but I watch the Swedish women playing Canada. It's like grownups playing against kids.

Not there yet. No, yeah. It's going to take a while. Give it time. Give it time. So you're going to be in Emmington watching your son play at, Link, are you the stress case dad? Are you totally chill about it?

Are there any chill dads or are there only psycho hockey dads? I don't know. I thought I was chill and then I started drinking the Kool-Aid and now I'm starting. I'm like, I'll be relaxed. Look at all these other dads are too stressed. I'm like, get that fox win a battle. I think I'm pretty chill. You seem pretty chill, but again, your kids are not playing in the room.

I'm just happy he gets to experience the stuff. Like, now he gets to go to Eminton. It's awesome. There's not a lot of kids that all gets to do it. No, it's, yeah. You know, he gets, they got Canada in their group. He gets to play against Canada. Any former players traveling to Edmonton, like on the, kid with kids on the team, other guys?

There's one, this one guy he played a little bit, maybe 20, 30 games for New Jersey. He was assistant coach in Columbus this year. Joseph Bumdian. Okay. His kids on the team. Yeah. And then there's a few kids on the team that their dad's played in Swedish league. So I was just going to say, so are there many kids that you, whose parents you grew up with or played against or kind of that?

Because now I'm just, there's like two or three other than me. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Because it feels like now you're when I'm at the rink, I run into someone every time, Adrian And a coin was at the rink the other day, ran into him. And it always feels like there's somebody you know somewhere.

It seems like guys around our age has kids around that age. In that era. Yeah. Yeah. You got a bunch of teammates all of a sudden. Russ going to these tournaments in like Rochester and Detroit. And he's, oh, around to this guy. Run on that guy.

I'm like, this is like an alumni kids tournament. Yeah. It's crazy. Yeah. It's crazy how many. Coach a kid growing up? How involved were you in coaching? Yeah, I was coaching, well, my kids' team.

Yeah, from when the team started until they were going to junior, yeah. Yeah. Like to the coaching side? Would you be interested in getting into the coaching side? We talked a little bit off the air, but I said it when I always fantasized about coaching and back in the game, but I really wanted to stick around and be around my kids as much as possible, too. It's hard to do both. now that they're getting older consideration for you?

Could be. Yeah. Could be. Do we have to call Conroy right now? Like he listens. His wife listens and she reports back on what the... This is where we plant the seeds. Yeah, this is where we make things happen.

I think the road to become an NHL coach for me, it's, you know, it's pretty long. I could be a scout, maybe. All right. Yeah. But coaching is fun. I just did it because you want to be with your kid and help out. Yeah. We're from like a small suburb of Stockholm.

Like, you know, you start with 20 kids and those are the kids you have. Okay. So you just try to help them out. Rather than some guy wearing boots out onto the ice. I know, like, I was playing old man hockey until COVID hit. And then it was like, everything got canceled. Then it started up again. And I'm like, well, I'm on the ice three, four days a week.

Like, that scratches the it's for me, just coaching. I don't need to, like, I'd like to play a game now and then. but that sort of that piece of being in the locker room. You're just getting in with your kids instead of your buddies. I'm okay with that. This is exciting to watch the kids be excited as me. Exactly. And it's,

I have to say, it's fun to be at games too, because you don't get the game like feeling. The juices, right? Yeah. Personally, so that's one of the things. Well, I miss it a lot. Yeah. When I coached my oldest kid last year,

and I'd have to miss my other two kids games because of it. and you're like awesome love being around that kid and seeing his games pissed off when you had to miss the other kids playing and stuff because it is exciting and fun at any level yeah it doesn't have to be high-end hockey just the fact that they're out there competing and into it and enjoying it it's funny we talk about it a bunch like on this show another show i do it's like for guys that have done what you guys have done which is like you think about that 04 run and the level of insanity that surrounded those playoff games. Like there is an incredibly small number of players to get to experience that,

never mind humans. There's guys in the NHL that'll never play in an atmosphere like that. Like you have to be your right spot, right time to get into that. All of a sudden your career is over. Usually doesn't happen on your terms. It's usually like, yeah, you know, I wish I could play longer. I couldn't. That's how the sport goes.

You know, father time's undefeated. How do you go to a next phase of your life and not feel like you're missing something? And the thing you're missing, you go get it like you're never going to be in front of 20,000 people again like that's I feel like that's a big challenge for guys when they retire and I know you spend a lot of time talking to other alumni about this and trying to sort of fill that void in different ways I had to hurt for a long time it's still there's things and you it's it's no fun I can tell you that you you you think you we reminisce about it and I'm certainly better now being 15 years out of the game it kind of

time heals you up a little bit but for the first six months I was pumped I'm like oh I got freedom. I can do what I want. This is great. For the next 18 months, it was like, this is not a good spot for Rett Day. So I don't have any responsibilities. This isn't good.

What was post playing like this? I was lucky I got to hang them up on my own decided. Yeah, like I was 37 and I just thought like there was another summer coming up. And I didn't have it anymore. Yeah. How old was your son? then you got to watch you play as a youngster you got to watch me a little bit yeah he was seven now two in the round seven yeah that's cool a lot of guys don't get to do that no um

but i still that being said i mean i still miss it a lot like i miss the games yeah yeah if i somebody could have said you just you're fun just play the games i would have kept playing still now obviously but yeah but you just you can't get that and you're anywhere else you come back to calgary because you want hadn't been back for a while are there certain spots places things you want to check out or just get a feel the vibe of the town i just want to feel the vibe yeah maybe go by where i used to live yeah my son was born here too so i might i might go by the hospital there it was good times yeah where did you live in town i can't remember it was called okay i actually i called back home somebody's gonna have to

So give me some remember what the neighbor was called. I first I live in Kensington. I remember that. I remember when you lived there. Actually, you came into a cheese store I was working at for a month and it was around Christmas or after that. And I'm just like, oh, that's Europeans. They're so smart to come and like, he's just going to have cheese and a nice glass of wine. Like, what the hell?

I'm like the same age of this guy. I'm doing nothing with my life. I'm selling them cheese. And then what, then I live on the other side of the city, but I just can't remember. I'm guessing Aspen probably out in that. It was, it was close to downtown. That's where all the guys. It might be.

Yeah. Might be Altador. Not far from here, I'm guess. Exactly. Yeah. It's just like someone in the construction zone, the vortex here. Just want to come back. Like I actually, I love this place.

Yeah. I'm really proud to have played for pretty flames. It meant a lot to me. Well, I'll tell you this. Like this, there was not a team that the city was more proud of. you know, since the internet was invented, like the 80-19 won the cup. That was hardly color TV. Your group, that team that you both played on, lives in the hearts of Flaves fans.

That is the greatest team we saw in like 40 years. It's incredible. It's crazy to think that it kind of is. And I think that there were two things going on. I think that the city was vibrant with the energy industry and how it was going at that time. nine years, I think it was, without making the playoffs. It had been a long time. 96, Jerome made his debut and they got swept by Chicago.

They weren't back again to 3 or 4. A long time. Unexpected. Yep. Unexpected. Underdogs, you couldn't. How could you not root for them? Christ, you go back to November.

We were nowhere near a playoff spot, I don't think. And then how we played. Yeah. Was something else that people, I think, appreciated was that, yeah, our top score was one hell of a player, but he only had. 73 points. We're going to play a certain way. We're going to have to outwork that other team.

And we did. And there was so many good guys on that team. We lost a few of them. Yeah. My buddy, Sy's gone now. Old Monty's gone. Sad news when you hear that stuff. I don't cry a lot, but it's, I actually, it was tough to see that side.

What happened to sigh? Yeah, he was, uh, well, it's one of those things. You lose track of guys. Like, you know, You live in different, like, I don't, then you just read it into paper and it just hits you pretty hard. Yeah. What do you remember about him as a teammate? Like, because he came in the same, almost same time as you.

You're both midseason arrivals that year. I just thought he was an unbelievable teammate, a great guy. And since we got traded at the same time as we both stayed at a hotel for a while and got to hang out quite a bit. And he was really enjoyable to play with. Everyone raved about the teammate. He was such, and he'd battled those demons prior and was living good and that big booming voice and do anything for you and protect you. He was a, yeah. And we had such a good group, you know, you talk about Monty too.

It wasn't that it was Monty or Cy or Marcus or Kipper. It was the collective. And I think that's what, you know, I think everyone on that team would say the same thing. It was, it wasn't one person. Yeah. That's why the team was so. beloved it was the sum was greater than the total of the individual parts you weren't a more skilled team than detroit you weren't a more skilled team than sanoza you you you know weren't but yet you

probably could have won a cup because when all you guys were put together it was that was that everyone fit everyone had a role there was the perfect coach mika was the perfect goalie it was unbelievable we had a good time we were sad you weren't there meka's thing was a good time over the last year yeah it was uh we had a lot of fun seeing guys and catching up there. We need to have some sort of reunions. Get everybody. Yeah, I thought about, because with the Mika thing, I'm like, I wish I was there. Like, but can't just. Hey, guys, I'm here.

What the fuck is Marcus Nelson doing here? You know what I mean? Like, I'm not going to buy, just buy planting. Yeah. No. All we need. Which you can't invite every guy he's played with. Yeah. There's a couple hundred guys. Yeah. Totally. So I totally understand. I wish I was there. It was funny too because everyone's like, well, noodles. will speak for him for sure.

Like there was a, is he going to talk? He talked and he did actually a really good job. I don't know if you saw any of it, but he was. I saw it. We were joking that if you had to set the over under, it'd be like, yeah, about 45 seconds over or under. And he went for like a good like four, five, six minutes. It was, that's, we've never seen that from Kibber.

No. At least not publicly. You guys might have seen it after a few pauses. That's pretty bossy by him. Like, that's a good job by him. Like, just probably took a lot of courage to do that. His son, he was pretty nervous. For a guy that didn't show any emotion,

he stood on his head. That's about, that's probably his nerve-wracking is a thing as Kipper's ever done. He doesn't put him so far as sure. Well, here's what we need to do. We'll get Connie's wife to tell Connie that there's draft coming up this year. We need another Nelson in the organization.

And then you've got a good excuse to get over here. We'll have a new building built in no time here, new rink. And then we get to Marcus Nelson. experience full time, not just once in the decade. Good plan. Everyone works. Come on, Connie. If I had more time, I would come here. He's a skier. Is that right? We got to have this. Yeah. The perfect excuse. Like downhill, not cross country, right? Downhill, yeah. When I retired, I was like a year in. I'm like, I got to find something that gives me some adrenaline and, yeah, a hobby. I went on some, uh, ski trips. And I,

I'm really into it. So you're flying into France, Switzerland, Austria, things like that, go. I've been here a couple of times and going this winter. Where are you skiing out here? Around kicking horse, I was still. Beautiful. Yeah.

Unreal. Well, I've been to white water. Okay. Bernie. Yeah. So you come back a bit? All right. I was under some.

I've never like, because usually you go with a group, right? Yeah. Land in Calgary, rented a car, and then you, head out so well maybe this winter else try to get him to stick around for a couple more days I'd like to see a game break yeah if you can convince ret to stay here I mean it all works we're still working on that somehow he's decided Buffalo New York's the place what a spot I mean I would want I would want to live in Calgary but it's just where you when you're from where you're like oh yeah you know it's normal like but

if it wasn't for that I'll Calgary It would be my spot, I think. Great having you in here. I appreciate you share some time with us. I want to enjoy that tournament in Edmonton. They're going to try to indoctrinate you, the orange and blue stuff. Don't do it. You know.

You're flame through and through. He knows better. Don't let your kid get indoctrinated either. Great to see you. And, Rhett, you work on this living in Calgary, bringing Marcus back. I smell a barn burner ski trip. Let's do it. I'm in.

Let's go. Thanks a lot. Thanks a lot. Thanks, Marcus. All right.