Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Tommy Wheeldon Jr. (FULL INTERVIEW)

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/TTuS68RKK14Pinder sits down 1-on-1 with Cavalry FC Head Coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. ahead of a massive home playoff game this Sunday night at ATCO Field. They discuss the team’s mindset going into the match, the season’s biggest challenges, and what it will take for the Cavs to make a deep playoff run. A must-listen for Cavalry fans as the postseason kicks off!CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️FLAMESNATION MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTShttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, if it isn't an old friend, heading into the final game at Akko Field this season, playoffs are here in the Canadian Premier League, and it's Tommy Wheelden Jr. Hair, where are we at? Short, long, in the middle. We need the hair update before we go anywhere. What's this? My hair? Yeah, where are we at?

What's going on here? I don't know. Just that's it. This is where we're at. This is playoff hair. Good. I love it. Okay.

I was in Seattle for Jay's Mariners, and we got a really gross mullet. How are you like that? That is the business. Raleigh Mullet. Party in the back, that's it. Very gross. I know you're a sports fan. I don't know that you're a baseball guy,

but have you seen the fever take over the nation? I have, and it's interesting because we've been going through airports a lot lately. Sure, yeah. Regardless, like, we were in Vancouver, and we had Blue Jays fans coming from the game. And, yeah, it's, it's, you know, even our players have got it now. They're watching it on their phones as we travel or in the locker rooms. it's yeah of course it's it's uh canada's team isn't it's um i think it's always nice when you see

those underdog stories and defying the odds i think we all get behind that and i think that's a story of the nation but yeah it's been enjoyable watching the highlights obviously as you know baseball is not necessarily my game but i can appreciate um i love documentaries when they make them of these uh teams in behind the scenes and i love what i'm seeing now with the blue jays there and defying the odds uh it's not just an excuse to talk baseball It does sort of, I think, give a little window into what the country could turn into. If the national team gets on a run this summer with the World Cup being in North America, Canada, USA and Mexico, have you sort of let yourself dream that into existence yet?

Yeah, it's funny because I think when starting this league back in 2018, that was always in the distance, right? We're doing this because, you know, one, you had to have your own domestic league to be able to host a World Cup, done that. But also imagine the ripple effect that it can have. and we've seen that with our neighbors in the south with the MLS after USA-94. And to be on the precipice of it now next year, it's actually really exciting to think of that the world's best and the biggest tournament in the world will be coming through our shores.

And before we get there, we've got the Canadian Premier League playoffs, which did start last night with the 4 versus 5 game. You've got an opponent, you've got a home date, walk us through what you saw last night, and what Sunday might look like at that, field. Well, it was a game of chaos. I don't think I've seen, you know, since probably the FIFA Club World Cup where there's been a bit of a rain delay, but to have it in extra time with only like eight minutes left, you're like, well, that was quite interesting because you're thinking

what they do, both teams just come up tired and just be cagey and it will go through to penalties. But then for Halifax to score to go ahead 2-1 and then York to respond a few minutes later, that was just nuts. And then for penalties, as we know, it's a coin. flip right and uh and on halifax unfortunately for them didn't win in front of their home crowd for the i think the second time in playoffs and york did the ugly and came back from being a goal down um twice and to win on penalties so but um i think either all we fancy our chances against both opponents but we know they'll be coming in on our high and it's up to us to give them an unwelcome at cofield what has the season series been like with york

We've won two, they've won two. But the one in which they won here, I think that left a bit of a bad taste in our mouth in the way there was a bit of chippiness. That we didn't get the decisions from the official that day. I think it was arguably one of our best actual performances, and I think it was the time where we weren't scoring. And we were, you know, the keepers made probably five or six years.

We were getting tired of seeing goalkeepers really facing being in the team of the week the next week. That's probably, yeah, the story of our season. And that drought in that little mid part of the summer is probably why we ended up, you know, being the points back we were from one and two. But look, all we think of now is, you know, we're defending a trophy. And to do so, they got to come through our house. And last time we played a playoff game was the 2024 final.

And I think the fans that day, the energy, the performance, it was special. So it's up to us now to deliver another special performance. Yeah, having been there last fall and Weasling, my way onto the field as one does. That was a sporting moment for the city. There are very few, where were you when moments and were you in the building? And to be at Akko Field last fall against Forge and you guys get your first league playoff title, it was incredible. It gets you into that tournament in Concordia Calf for Champions League.

It's a level of awareness that spreads across the country. I mean, they got great numbers on TSA or on CBC for the final, which was great. right to see you for the league. You've won the regular season and not one in the playoffs. You've finished second and then one in the playoffs. Now you're in the three hole. This playoff format's been shuffled a ton, but it feels like the league settled in on this five against four.

Winner goes to three, one two play for home field in the final. And then winner of the three game hosted, we'll go play the loser of the one two. How do you feel about the three hole here? You know you got one home game, but you also know you're going to have to go on the road and win a couple. It's a great feeling, really, being on knife edge.

I think that's why we play the game of sport because there is, you know, left to chance. And for us as coaching staff, you know, myself, Jay, Nick, Dave, we all work on, you know, what can we do to help control the uncontrollables? Because as we've seen even in our last game, you know, the officiating can change it. And I've, you know, bemoaned officials in playoffs before. So, like, right, this is a great reminder that we have to take care of our own destiny. what can we do with our attacking set plays? What do we do with our defensive lock?

And how do we hurt them with our attack? And our attack is special. I think it's the most goals we've scored as an attacking unit since 2019. If you remember back to our first year, that was a special group. And I'm not sure if that point total will ever be beaten, what we're 62 points on the regular season. We ran the league.

But yeah, playoffs are one and done. And I think that's what makes it special. But they said, you know, these are moments. and where were you there? And I think even in my bar, I've got all these things that are, oh, look this, yeah.

There's a sign there of the, the champagne bottle and these are the things that you stack because they're nice. I see them when I come down into my basement, but I think once I retire, look back and sit in the stands and go, wow, we help build this. And a testament to that was Leon Hapkud,

my former assistant worked with him for many years, very good friend of mine. now at New York City, as you know, he came to the forge, the one-one game, and, you know, it was under the lights and the fireworks went off and the intensity of both teams going at it, and then, you know, to see

everything around Struis Madden. He's like, Tom, you don't get to see it, I didn't get to see it. He said, this is a special club. What the ownership have done for this city, what the staff, you know, your Mason Trafford's in the front office, to you guys on the field, to Ian Allison the present, you know, this is a special thing

for this city. And he said, and I think people feel it. You know, if you're a cash fan, you see the stickers around, or you see the hats and the hoodies in public, the sweaters, like people want to be part of that tribe. And to give them special moments like we did last year,

that's what gets us motivated again to do the same this year. It's really true. I mean, you're out there working and you're, you know, focused on every little thing in the match and communicating with players, communicating with officials, talking to your assistants, trying to manage a bench,

all that kind of stuff. You're the only guy that's never, got to go to Atko Field and just sit back, have a beer, and watch some great footy. Like, it really is a special sporting venue. Yeah, it is. And maybe my day will come when I'm a little bit more grayer than I am now. Because I always say to the fans when I sit with them at them getting in the season or miss, like, I'm a cavalry fan, you know, so the difference between my sideline and theirs is they do it

with a beer and can shout and swear at officials. That's right. I tend to get sent off if I do that. But what I did do actually is I did go to a couple of wild games this year. And the only games are sat there with my wife and we shared a beer, had a hot dog, sat there with a ball cap on. And it was just an amazing experience to be a fan. And I think that's really, you know, what the city's doing now is we're creating

these really cool moments for our city. Yeah, amazing. Okay. So it's Sunday. We run some contesting throughout the year. I am still amazed at how many people are like, oh my gosh cabs tickets please yeah like i've never been and then i get the okay there's your ticket link and i get a message the next day and they're like that was unbelievable i had no idea that was in our city

uh paint the picture for sunday it's playoffs looser goes home winner advances to the next stage win and move on and i think that's um that's the excitement of the game is every league game is exciting anyway because it's an entertainment uh industry um but i think the win and done uh win and move on I think that with that little bit of something at the end of it, I think that's what brings people in. It's that do-or-die mentality. And the fact right now, look, Galgary's glorious now as we're going through the four changes,

Spruce Meadows is no different. The moment you park up and walk through the gates and the music's playing in the concourse, the smell of the food and people socialising, there's just a great energy about it. And then the game itself, I said, I think we've had some incredible, we had a really incredible home performance issue.

That's been really one of our strong, suits. The large part of it is our fans and the noise they bring and the encouragement they give the players is if I could bottle that and bring it with us on the road, I think that will certainly help because it's just, it's part of our DNA. And at the field for me, I'm always biased, but it is the best field and the best stadium and the best atmosphere in the league. How have you liked your form heading into this? There was a flat spot earlier in the year. We had a bunch of ties. You went on a huge heater. You had a cold month. Another really hot month. It has been more of this than just the steady straight line, if you know what I mean.

Yeah, it's been unusual, really, to be honest. And I said, I think we as a staff and as our leadership team, right, if this is an overwhelming on the outside and people think, you know, third is not where we're at, that's a compliment to us. It is. Reality is Ottawa have stepped up. That's the difference. If they hadn't, you know, we're still in that top two.

They've stepped up and they took a lot of points off of us. That's a challenge we've got to go through soon. And I like that because I think as we've seen last year, we were told, oh, you can't win in playoffs or you know, that you don't win in Hamilton in playoffs. And we beat them. And then it was like, well, I've never beat forged back to back in players. Correct.

So we beat them. And I think that since then, I think that we've actually had really good result. I think we've only lost them once in this four and they've won the regular season. I would beat them four-one at home. We can beat anybody on our day. We started the year against a Mexican giant in Pumas and beat them in the first leg and lost and we had a man less in the second leg.

I think we know the group we have. It's just been the inconsistencies. Unfortunately, we've had too many niggles that have, you know, we haven't really seen Shemit Shalman Diego Gutierrez run the midfield like they did at the end of last season. You know, our back four partnership, Dan Klomp only came into the late part of the season. But our front floor, you know, even now we've added Gote,

the back half of the season, that's been a positive. So I think what we've done is looked ourselves and going, well, yeah, we've added some inconsistencies with it now, but all it matters is the next game. And if we have this attacking unit and we have this defensive block, I don't think there's many that can get through us. Yeah, I was just going to ask you,

I mean, when you bring players back who have left to pursue greater dreams, you never know what you're going to get returning. I know it's not the same as hockey, but when I worked in the American hockey league right below the NHL, sometimes you'd get these players that got sent down and it was like a beaten dog. It hasn't looked like that at all with Intigny nor Dan Klomp. And as you're looking to,

it's really solidified both ends of the pitch for you. How pleased have you been with their returns? Well, what I think, it's almost like we've got ourselves a quarterback in Dan Klomp at the back because he does carry the play very, very well, but he also pops up with really important goals.

And he makes us tick from that side. And I think, also I always think, I always use the term star power. You know, if you're a team that's looking along the lineup, up as you're stood in that tunnel, he carries that aura about him of star power. And then you look at someone like a Gote and Tigney, he's like the best wide receiver in the

league in terms of his power, his pace. He's actually from a data point as it gets into the box more than any player per 90. On average, he'll be in the box about five or six times per game just on his own terms, getting there one-on-one, cutting back. So I think if you know you have those two there, then the likes of Ali-Musi can continue to put up is he's had a record year in terms of his points per game with goals and assists. Same as Sergio Camargo, you know, he's quietly gone about his business. And, you know, Toby Walshevsky's had a quiet one, but he's hit double figures and goals

across all competition. He had a dry spell. But as we know, in playoffs, if that lad turns up, he's a showmaker himself. And then that's it. It's just about, you know, Marcos and the defensive unit and we've had Eric Cobbz. And now we've moved him into a more defensive midfield, but he gives that presence. Shemit Shoham and his leadership, we've got some great pieces. And when I look around the locker room, you phrase your heads and people like that,

is we've had people who've been in this situation before. And in a one-off game, that matters, that experience. Yeah, I'm excited. Sunday, 4 p.m. York visiting at CoField, where Calvary FC will look to defend their Canadian Premier League championship title. Best of luck.

We will see on Sunday. Cannot wait. The weather looks great. and nothing beats playoff footy down as Bruce Meadows. Thanks, Tommy.