Empty Netters Podcast - 71. Heads are Rolling in the NHL with Erin Ambrose

Episode Date: January 24, 2024

The drama in the NHL gets even juicier as Lane Lambert gets the axe, and Patty Roy is back behind the bench. Corey Perry decides to go Cup chasing in Edmonton with a new chip on his shoulder. Erin Ambrose joins the pod to talk about how she’s tearing up the NHL as well as her amazing journey of spreading mental health awareness to hockey players everywhere. Chapters 2:23 - Intro  11:24 - NO BUCKIE WARMUP 11:31 - Alex Ovechkin Is Not Human  13:34 - Leo Carlsson Back With The Ducks  14:39 - Are We Going To See A Goalie Trade?  22:30 - Time To Blow It Up For The Flames 25:45 - Valeri Nichushkin Enters The Player Assistance Program 32:05 - New Jersey Cannot Miss Playoffs 41:20 - HOT ICE 41:24 - Shane Pinto Re-Joins The Senators 52:00 - Are The Canucks The Real Deal? 1:04:00 - Which Slipping Teams Are We Most Worried About? 1:07:57 - Darren Dreger Interview  1:11:12 - OVERTIME 1:11:17 - Armchair GM 1:19:32 - Saucy Predictions  SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuf52MHW1O7guPMzsMvv2kA FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/empty.netters/?hl=en FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@empty.netters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of the Empty Netters podcast is brought to you by Labat Blue Light. There is no beer on the planet that tastes better and has as much kindness in it because Labat Blue Light is brewed with Canadian kindness in every single bottle, can, and pint that you could find. It's hockey season right now. You need a cold, refreshing beer while you're sitting down watching the game, whether it's in the stadium or at home, and nothing is better than that crisp, refreshing taste of a fresh Labat Blue Light. hockey's favorite beer, empty netter's favorite beer. Get yourself some today and start enjoying the game that much better. Ice is ready and we are back with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast. It's raining here in L.A. The sky is falling literally. Everything is upside down.

I don't know where I am. And C.P., how's the groin? I'm over this. You know what? I'm over it because we went skiing this weekend and this bitch didn't have, nothing was wrong. A lot of people forgot my growing. At no point was he like, oh, God, I'm so sore, which partially credit to him for not complaining. But the other side of it is he's clearly full of shit. Dude, you know what the PEDs? You know what the PEDs was?

It was two hours in the hot tub both days. Like a full two hour soak, dude. Got it loose. Got it limber. Change the game. This is actually a discussion that I would love to open to. the floor. And by that, I mean just Blake, because I know my answer. I know what you're going to say. How long is too long to be in a hot tub for you, Blake? Because I don't love hot tubs.

I think they feel great. But after about 10 to 15 minutes, I'm just sweating and miserable. And I'm like, get me the fuck out of this. I'm like a set the hot tub to 98, 99 degrees type of guy. And this lunatic maniac will legitimately stay in a 104 to 110 degree hot. tub for no less than two and a half hours that is not an exaggeration wish you could get hotter usually they have a they have a governor I wish I could get them hotter dude no I think I'm like once my hands start to prune up yeah I'm out of there and and I'm way more down to go in a sauna or a steam room than a hot tub completely and because I find if you're in the hot tub the second you get out you're instantly cold yeah and it's like then you've reverted the the process of going in the

hot tub. So I think for me, it's, it's, if the second I'm pruning up, I'm out of there. Yeah. And I got to have like, either a big towel or two towels ready to go. Yeah, yeah, the big one is good. I will say the big one is good. There's also a difference of, you know, when you're in the sauna or steam room, it almost always, and it should always go right into the shower. It should be like, I'm in the sauna steam room, sweating out the toxins, whichever way you like, right into the shower. Clean and you're out. Now, I take a shower after the hot tub as well. And if you don't, you're a mutant.

So that's a lesson to all of you. If you get in the hot tub and then don't shower, right to bed. You are a disgusting pig. Right to bed. And I'm looking at you, my friend, you swine, covered in filth, rolling around in your own sheets.

Right to bed. Horrible. Sometimes I'll dry off in my suit and just go right to bed in that suit. Right to bed. I feel like Chris has like one of those towels that it's like a poncho with the hood. Yeah.

And he hasn't washed it since college. A towel cleans me, dude. I'm clean when the towel touches me. Jesus Christ. But yeah, my point was about to be the shower post hot tub doesn't feel nearly as good as steam room or sauna because you were just immersed in water.

You were submerged under a cauldron of filth, sweat and chlorine and booze. And now you're in the shower, which is nice, but you were just wet. It's not the same. You're right. So I take it you're off the IR now.

I think I'm off, I think. No, not you think. Are you playing hockey and soccer this week? Game time. Okay, so you're off the IR? Off IR, game time decision. Been upgraded to questionable. You enlisted as questionable.

Okay, yeah. Good for you. You know what my favorite part of the ski trip was? What? Dan and I had to get back and we were taking the L.A. exit shuttle with an 8 billion ski bags and like it was such a nightmare. First time I've ever been on the shuttle. Where did you guys go skiing? Taos, New Mexico.

Yeah, hey, quick plug for Taos. Holy shit. Yeah, quick plug for Taos. Awesome Mountain. If you're skiers, check it out immediately. Oh, my God. Check it out immediately. It's a really cool spot.

We flew into Albuquerque, then drove two and a half, some odd hours to Taos. Amazing spot. Amazing people. Yeah. Yeah, really good time. Really good time. So, yeah, we're on the LA exit, and we get there, and all the bags, and we're like, dude, can we get on? And the guy was like, yeah, he helps

get the bags in. But then we were just standing there and he said, can't stand here, you've got to sit in the back. There were a couple seats in the back. So Dan and I trudged to the back of the shuttle, and he tries this all the way to the Uber stand or whatever. And as we're getting off, there was a dude sitting back there too, and as we're getting off, the dude, he gets up, and he's like, hey, boys, big fan. And I was like, all right, dude.

Thanks, Logan. Logan's a Red Wings fan. His wings are buzzing. Yep. So I hope Logan had a great trip wherever he was coming from. Me too. A great night. Awesome, awesome dude. loved meeting Logan and I'm now one for one on great experiences on the laxate shuttle because I've never

Also I know it's LAXET But I like lax it Me too What the lax it's a little cross crew Yeah Lax it Hell of a trip Had a great time

Hell of a trip Yeah We've got a great episode today Aaron Ambrose Star of the PWHL Montreal team joins us on the podcast What a blast Aaron was a great example

of I could have talked to her for 25 hours. Not 24, 25. Yep. A day in an hour. Just buzzing with the conversation. And to be clear, because I want this on record, she went on a heater after we recorded. So I know this is coming out. Yeah.

And she's already scored. You'll hear, well, you'll hear us talking about it. But like, I need the record to show. You're going to hear us talk to her about a little netter's bump. And boy, boy, oh boy, did she get that? Oh, my God. Absolutely buzzing since talking to us. So that is going to be a blast.

We're going to get into all the nonsense that has happened over this past week, and we've got to start with no bucky warmups. One more thing before we get into that. What do you guys wear it? Oh, I like that. What a question, Blake. What a question. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we got some merch.

This is the long sleeve number. Yep. I'm wearing the crew neck right now. We got a T-shirt as well. It's right there. Do you want to get it? Not really. Okay.

They've seen it. People will see it. We'll post them more on the stories. Great call, Blakey. New official Netters T merch has dropped. The new Friday Beer Shop and empty Netters Shop website is going live on the 31st of January. We've got a great new supplier. We've got great new operations.

So that stuff is going to be smooth sailing. When you figure out what you want, get that right into your shopping cart. Get it to your place. But these are truly, this is the best stuff we've ever made. Agreed. It's fantastic. Comfy as hell, looks clean and crisp. You got to love it.

I heard from an inside source fellas out there. It's made from boyfriend material. Wow. Wow. Yeah, it's pretty high quality. So fellas out there, if you need it, just so you know. Yeah, make the point. Do you think there's, I think there might be some girlfriend material in there, too.

I think with the boyfriend material comes with, you know, the territory that the girlfriend would steal the shirt. Oh, nice. Wear this right to bed. Wear this right to bed. Yeah, but actually, the gals out there, if you stock up on this, it's just going to make all the dudes be like, what the fuck? where did you get that? Right. So you're helping us out.

That's going to quadruple sales. Yeah, exactly. I get the girls. Okay, no Bucky warm up. Blakey, you had a great discussion topic. Why don't you take us there? Is this the fan etiquette? Yes.

So I went to the Kings and Rangers game on Saturday. Shout out to my friends of the Kings for hooking me up with some tickets. And, you know, it was a great game. It was super cool to see the quick tribute. You know, they at the first TV timeout, they played the video. and then coming out of the TV timeouts, when the broadcast came back, there was a spotlight on quick, all the lights went down, had his mask up, you know, stick up to the sky.

Super awesome. King's got the dub. They needed it. But what I want to talk about is just general fan etiquette at games. So I went to the game with my wife, and sitting behind us was just a group of friends, you know, like you would go to any game with. But they wouldn't shut up.

And they wouldn't shut up. about nonsense. Like they weren't talking about the game or anything. Like they were just talking about their plans afterwards, their, you know, stories about their friends. And it's to the point where they're almost yelling to talk to the guy five seats across. And it was just, I just, you know, comes back to me where, like, if you're at a hockey game, it's not social hour. Yes, you're in the box. Let's hear, you know, you get the sweet, do your thing. Yeah. But, you know, if you're in the bowl, and if you're in the section, like, we want to watch the game. I don't want to hear about what you, club you're going to two hours from now or, you know, what you plan on ordering from,

from DoorDash when you get home at 2 a.m. Like, so that, but then also, we had, you know, the rags were in town and we had a rags fan in front of me. Older gentleman was, seemed like he was there with either his daughters or his nieces. And this guy, the king scored first goal of the game, this guy stands up and just mother fucks one of the Rangers defensemen under his breath, but then gets progressively louder and madder. Yep. And, like, his daughters are sitting right next to him, and they're so embarrassed. One of them is literally, like, going up to his, pulling his shirt, like, trying to get

him to sit back down. The wife literally got up when, like, left, and this guy would literally be trying to have his rant with other fans around him, because people were looking at him. Like, he was, like... He lost me. I was going to say, I was with him. I was with him for a moment, but he lost me. Like, people, like, he kept going on and, like, everyone was like, looking back, like, this guy's serious.

And the cherry on the top was, we had a group of kids in a suite behind us doing a Go King's Go chant during the, like, during the play. And they're pretty loud, you know, they're into it. That's what we love, into the game. Yep. And this guy, literally, as the play is going on, looks back at these kids and stares at them until they stop their chant. I'm back in. actually back in. Wow, that's a fucking power move. So intense. That is a power move. So intense. And yeah, so my, my thing about fan etiquette is, look, if you're at the game, care about the game,

watch the game, and yeah, have some courtesy for the fans around you. But that's impressive. Like, don't get me wrong. This guy provided some pretty great entertainment. Yeah. So I'm more annoyed with the people behind me rather than this, you know, crazy, loud, obnoxious Rangers fan. but is there ever been a time where you guys have been that, you know, that really intense fan maybe at like a Bruins game? Um, no.

I will tell you, the one thing I can say is my buddy invited us to a college basketball game here at the former Staples Center. Oh, dude. And we had, we had floor seats. It was like BYU versus Gonzaga or something.

And I forget what it was. It wasn't the tournament. No, it was preseason, like they did those preseason tournaments. Yeah. Was it preseason? It wasn't preseason, but like... No, I said, was it?

Oh, I don't know. Who knows? Either way, we're sitting there and I, for whatever reason, probably alcohol-induced, started chirping the shit out of this BYU kid. He had full arm and leg sleeves on, and I just went out of him for that. And I never cussed. I never got too personal. Didn't involve his family or anything like that.

that. He would have liked that. But I gave it to this kid to the point where he started missing shots. And it was awesome. And the people around us were laughing every time I said something. And they're like, you're in his head. What were your like go-to chirps? I think, I don't really remember. Maybe you do. I kept saying, I was like, you guys- You're cold. You're like, you cold? Yeah, I was, I was saying shit like that. I was saying shit like that. I was said he had a fucking flex suit on. I, like a swimsuit on. I think it was a wet suit. I was like, buddy going surfing later. He's got his wet suit on or something like that. Very simple. But it was definitely affecting him.

eventually members of the Staples Center staff moved me. They were like, you guys can't they were like, we're moving you. And I was like, what? And everyone around me was like, what? That's bullshit.

You can't do that? He's doing so well. And someone was like, you can't fucking kick him out. And they're like, no, no, we're moving you to the floor seats just on the other end. Like, you can't be here because I was right by his bench to. And I got, I was forcibly removed from my seats at Staples Center. But just to another part of the floor, which was weird. It was like we respect your game, but you're killing this kid.

Making it harder on you. Yeah. I think that was bullshit. So on this topic of the Rangers Kings game, something I wanted to bring to you, one of our homies, shout out shy guy, went to that game, Rangers fan, obnoxious Rangers fan. I love you, but he's obnoxious. Just like all Rangers fans, he is delusional and loudmouthed about the Rangers. He, after that game said, to me, is Crypto.com the worst hockey bar

in the league. There's zero passion. There's zero culture. There's zero representation. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I was aghast. And I'm not going to sit here and say, crypto's the best hockey barn in the world. It's not at all. But I couldn't believe that statement. And we've been fortunate to be to a ton of arenas around the league. And I can think of multiple that come to my mind that are a shittier environment than, I mean, first of all, crypto is one of the better Barnes going. It's pretty cool. It's a, it's still staple center for the record. It is a very famous and iconic arena for, you know, both basketball and hockey.

And I can't, I don't think there's anyone I've ever met who has come to a game with us to crypto and been like, crypto sucks. I think, like, everyone is like, crypto's a dope place. It's like, there's, you know, there's great food, there's great drink options. There's better barns out there for sure. Yep. And if you want to focus in on the hockey culture, there's one thing I have always said, people forget how old of a team the kings are. Like the kings are in the second expansion.

The kings are a great organization. And if you look at value of a team, they are on the high end in the NHL. I think my final take on this, and I know I'm going to get murdered for it, but it was in the heat of the moment talking with a Rangers buddy. MSG is a fucking done. Let's go.

I've never been there. Let's go. I'm so fucking sick of this, dude. I'm so fucking sick of this charade that we're living in where people go, MSG is a cathedral, the famous ceiling, New York City, the blue shirts, and Rangers fans, I know you think that we're coming for you all the time, but it's like sometimes you got to call it what it is. I mean, we talked about, you know, we're Boston sports fans.

Gillette Stadium is a nice stadium Fuck that place, dude Yeah, yeah. It's an awful... Fuck the lighthouse. It's, yeah. It's an awful draw. I mean, if you're in New England,

if you're in Boston, it's a brutal drive to get to the stadium. It's all fucking pink hat, rich fans there. There's no intensity. There's no culture. The Patriots were just lucky to be dominant for 20 years and, you know...

Are the tailgate's not good? They're pretty sick. They're okay. I think okay. is as good as I'll give them. Again, it's a bunch of powder puff people, dude. And the thing that's brutal about that tailgate is when you're driving two fucking hours from Boston to get to the game. It's not that bad.

It's not two hours. But it's tough. So they're not the best tailgates. So I'm not just being, you know, I'm not going to be biased here is what I'm saying. I just can't take all of these fraud-ass New York Rangers fans being like when you, I mean, we did this once on an AMA. It was like, what are the best Barnes in the NHL? And people were like this. You're not saying MSG is a crime.

And I'm like, dude, half of these people have been to MSG fucking twice in their life. So shut the fuck up, first of all. Second of all, it's in the shittiest part of New York City ever. It's not a cool spot in New York City. MSG became famous because of like the Knicks back in the day, not your Rangers who haven't won since 94. And it's just a old, crummy arena with a stupid-ass ceiling that people think looks iconic. So they say, anytime someone goes, MSG, they show you a picture of that fucking ceiling. And is it unique?

Absolutely. Is it cool? Yes. I will give it. It's cool. But that and your fake lore is going to call it the best arena in the NHL. Shut up. MSG, not cool.

Dan, you're public enemy number one and the Rangers fans, eh? I know. You don't like the building. You don't like the fan base. Squad. I don't like it. You should not go to a Rangers game. I know.

I wouldn't be welcomed and I understand. Wouldn't be safe. I wouldn't be. But I just like, I don't get it because no one, no one other than Rangers fans would bring up MSG. It's like when people do this, and first of all, if you do it in an actual unbiased way and just say like what is the best environment. I mean, we talk about Bridgestone all the time. There's a reason it won the best arena in the league last year. It's right on Broadway. It has amazing food and drink. It has amazing entertainment. And it's a nice, good looking barn with great amenities. And a great sports lounge.

and a great sports launch. A great bad MGM sports lounge. I don't like how at MSG, they don't have glass seats. They have some, but like it's not all the way around. So like the guy scores a goal at one end, wants to jump into the glass. There's no one there to celebrate there with you. You've got to look up.

Yeah, that's nice. So I just, again, when I call it a dump, I'm stirring the pot. It's obviously a good arena. But it is a dump, I would say. Oh, I mean, it's kind of, It's like Dodger Stadium. The third oldest stadium, it's a fucking dump. I just think it's people need to pipe down a little bit,

except when you've been surpassed and you have. So enough. Good day. Good day, sir. I'm talking too much. Take it away. Okay, next topic I want to hit. Some fines going around the league.

Connor Timmons, Crosschecks. Who do you hit, Tanev? Yeah, Crosschecks Tanev. Gets a minor penalty on the play, gets fine, two grand, two thousand, 800-something bucks. And it was a, they called it a penalty, right? Yeah, they called the penalty live.

Can we get the clip up? Yeah. I was watching the play. Oh, yeah, that would be great play because I want. So, yeah, thanks for pulling this up. Like, watch this play, Dan. The, it's a penalty call, and it should be a penalty. And it made me think of something when I'm playing.

And you said this. This is why I brought it up. You said this. Here you go. Just so you can see it. That is ugly. Okay? So when I saw the headline and it was like maximum fine for a cross check, because I didn't see this game live.

When I saw the headline, I was like, oh shit, Timmins must have put one through his fucking nose bone. You know, nose cartilage, I guess I should say. There's a bone in there. Is there? Yeah. Oh, up here, I guess. Yeah, right? Then cartilage?

Yeah. Yeah, I guess, of course, you can break your nose. I knew that. Nose bone. So I was like, oh, he really popped him in the face or something. High cross check. And then as I saw the play develop, I was like, oh, this is going to be. going to be like a gnarly boarding.

Yeah. Right. And it's not. It's not, that wasn't a fun play to watch, right? But whatever. So I was thinking about it and you always say, or we were just having this conversation about soccer where it's like, uh, you, I think, I think it was flopping. You were talking about where you were like, they should give you a, they should say one

season, the start of one season. If you flop, you get a direct straight red card. And no one will believe you. And then the first couple games, couple red cards come out and people are like, oh shit. And then they'll stop flopping. That's that simple. So I was like, man, when I rewatched, I was like, oh, there are a few plays that drive me insane. And I'll go first.

But I was wondering if there was any play in hockey that you are like, I wish they would go. This is an automatic ejection if this ever happens. So it would immediately get tossed out of the game. Yeah. This one's tough because honestly, I went through a very similar journey that you went through. Yeah. Where you see the headline, you're like, oh, boy. Oh.

then you see the replay and it looks ugly but not from anyone I don't look at that and go oh Timans you fucking idiot and then in the slow-mo I kind of feel the same way dude I honestly

was almost about to say this is soft by TANF and not even a penalty but the fact of the matter is I have zero you play that problem with the stick position on the body Like that isn't that bad of a cross check. That's normal hand position.

And he's kind of putting his hands just being physical on TANF. Yep. But there's no doubt a little chop motion. Yeah, yeah. And Tannab's getting low to get an angle around the net there. There's no way that if you show Timmons that and go, if you do this. Do you think it's the maximum fine? Well, no, no.

If you do this, do you think that there's any world where he falls into the boards? And if Timmons said, no, he's a fucking moron. Yeah, right. So I do think that's a penalty, but I don't think it's a cross-check. I think it's boarding. Okay, yep. Because the reason this plays dangerous is not because of the cross-check contact. It's you hit him in a position where he can fall into the boards, which he does.

And break his leg. I think finding him for that is crazy town. Yeah, Maximum Daddy. That's like a really, you barely touch him. And I don't like, I like how Tannav's getting up being physical, but he's coming after him like, how you fucking piece of shit you could have killed me. Yeah. And part of me is like, stay in your fucking feet, Dan. He'll dig that edge in, bro.

Here's my issue, Dan. Because this is my number one. I have two things that I think should be automatic ejections from now on in hockey. And this is kind of, kind of number one. The cross check to the unprotected lower back is one of the most doucheek things you can do in the fucking world. Such a pricks scumbag.

And also, not specifically, but also when you are hooking it like on the pants. And to me, that's kind of, I don't know if you meant to do that, but it looks like he goes down on your pants there and that's why you kick out like that. He's a pre-zav one. Yes. That's what I'm saying he's a moron. You can't do that.

Like straight up, if he cross-checked Tana just as hard, because we both agree, kind of just as went like that. If he gets him just as hard right here and knocks him up into the boards, even from that far away, I'm like, that's a good play, dude. And maybe they'd give him penalty anyway, but I'd be like banging the drum that that is completely fine. It's the hook on the pant

down, like into that area here where I'm like fuck you, dude. And I'm not mad at Tim's, I'm just saying, I want that to become an auto straight red card so that I never have to get cross-chicked in the lower back again for the rest of my life. I mean, look at the play. Like, the reason he has to make that cross-check is because he doesn't have the foot speed. Because he's got slow boots. TANF has rounded you. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I just think it's a dumb decision by him. Look at the circumstances. Completely agree. You're an idiot for making that cross-check. Yeah. Like I said, when I was about

to be like, that's soft Tanev. Yeah. That's before you see that the genuine and it's not just like he's being like, I'm touching you to stay with you around the net. He actively does chop down on him. So I don't like it and it should be a penalty. Auto ejection. I think the fine is a little much, but I'm okay with it.

Boarding's dangerous. That I agree with the auto ejection on a cross-check to the lower back. That one is not one. Okay. There's a blurry line there, though. I'll tell you exactly where it is one of them. The amount of fucking times we're watching a game

and you see a defenseman standing in front of the net with a forward in front of him looking for a tip, and that defenseman is just going, boom, boom, boom, boom into the lower back. Red card. Dude, get out of the game, sir. And I, because you know what? I do this in Beer League.

All you have to do is just put your glove on them. Yeah. If you want to move a forward out front of the net, whether top or bottom hand, put your fist into their back, into their hip. Get them swiveling off balance. But when you put that fucking carbon fiber stick into their... spine into their side, into their kidney shot.

Dude, get out of the game. And I can't fucking believe that that isn't an immediate, like, if the refs sees that, I would go like this. Boom. Immediate penalty. Red card, dude. I can't fathom that that is allowed in this game. And it's, you call me soft if you want, but that shit is to your point, Blakey, that

shit to me is an inferior player knowing that they can't push this guy out of position. If you can't in a clean way and physical way, push this guy out of position so he's not getting a great chance to tip the puck in, you are a fucking plug, and you should be in the box. Yeah. And I'm telling you guys, next time you watch a hockey game, especially on the power play, or when a team has a lot of possession in the offensive zone, watch those defensemen in front of the net.

And I'm sure you will see at least once in the game someone going to fucking town, hacking down a tree, just ripping into that kidney or that spine, and it's got to go. You slip a disc just watching it, dude. It's unbelievable, dude. I am so out on that, and I'm so in on your take on the ejection. My other penalty or play that should get ejected, diving. Yeah, diving. So guys are throwing their head back.

Dude, on a high stick. On a tripping. Yeah. Especially, like, you saw a lot of that in the playoffs in round one last year. You know, guys just trying to get every inch that you can. Yep. If we're going to review stuff now. Ejection.

Review it. And if we see some guy just throwing his head back because of the same. stick comes right about here. You're out. Playing a man down. It's ruining the integrity of the game. So I think yeah.

I'm going to disagree with both of you. No, no, you want a fucking red card for diving in soccer and not a red card for diving in hockey? It's the most hypocritical shit I've ever heard. I think we're already seeing embellishment calls and I think that's an amazing step. It's amazing step. Just take it step further. Ejection.

It just doesn't happen that often. Well, it'll happen never if we eject them. Okay, but that to go auto ejection on something that's not a problem. You're going, Jackie. I feel like two years ago. Nice. I feel like two years ago

we started to see more embellishment in the league and they've gotten ahead of it being like this. There are embellishment calls. It was like five years ago. Yeah, yeah. And since we have embellishment calls and they get called a lot. I know. And I like that. It's not, if it becomes more of a problem, if we start seeing... Then we can go to ejection? Yes, but it is not

yet a problem to that extent. And I also Also, I want to clap back on you specifically. I don't know if you said it as much, Blake. The head back, high stick, that is a like, sometimes it's a reaction. It's a self-preservation reaction. Yeah, sometimes it's reaction. If you get hit in the face, you're kind of like, whoa.

And then when they show it in slow-mo and a stick comes up and, you know, hits you in the shoulder pad and the guy's head go back, people are like, this fucking bitch, he's just selling the, dude, if you see a stick at full speed in your eyesight, you're going to go. You flinch. Whoa. So I'm going to defend the guys and myself, because God knows I've done it. There are some fakes, though. There are some people are genuinely faking. When you throw a head back and then grab your face when clearly it has not been touched. Yeah.

Ejection. I'll listen to an ejection. Ejection. That slows down the game because then the ref's got to look at the replay. I don't care, dude. Get out. But you know what I am? Okay. I'll go on.

I got it. I figured it out. This is what we do. We see a play. There's a high stick. whether it gets called or not. And the player throws head back and covers mouth

and starts looking for blood. Let the boys in Toronto handle that. And then we get a mid-play. Whistleth. No, no. Oh, you just pull them off. Literally, we'll be, like, so let's say someone's in the box,

you know, whomever. Tanev, we're talking about Tenev. Tenev throws a high stick, catches someone in the shoulder pad, they throw their head back, cover their mouth, goes to the box, two minutes, no blood, whatever, two minutes.

He's in the box, the boys in Toronto, at it and they go like this, he covered his mouth, there was no face contact. Little radio down to the game, Tanna's booted. No, no. The guy who Tana might have. Sorry, yeah, yeah. The guy, they do the little radio walkie-talkie down.

The guy who sold the call. Booted. Question. You're gone. Question. You're gone, buddy. Let's say on that, let's say the guy's a power play guy is a PP1 guy. So, boom, penalty.

Tana, two minutes. Go to the box. Blake steps out to play, to play on the power play. win the draw, face off, bang, one T, Blake, goal. Then phone call. No, Blake faked it. So Blake's now ejected. Does the goal stand?

No, or does it go backwards in time? The penalty still stands in my... So it's still a goal. Yes, because TANF still slashed him. Yep. Just wasn't in the face. Still a high stick. Yep.

Being hilarious if you had like guys in like all black suits just working their way onto the bench, tapping so on the shoulder. Oh yeah, yeah. I think every arena needs a, needs a toss guy. Dan. A guy in an all-black suit, black shades, full men in black, and he comes up behind someone and goes, gone. You're out.

It's like a bouncer tossing you from the club. Actually, I want them to do that. I want it to be two guys. I want it to be two guys. And they pick you up, they pick you up by the arms. With a little earpiece and a clipboard maybe, and they come out and they loop under your arms. Both sides drag you out, feet kicking out of the club. Yeah, yeah.

I got one more for you, Dan. If a player in the league is carrying the puck into the offensive zone on their strong side, okay and they fire a shot on net wide and it rims around the boards and starts a breakout for the other team ejected I need it out of the game and I need it out of the game yesterday

but it's not the league it's a coach's decision I need a discrepancy they're still ejected but I need it to be on the graphic on TV it needs to say coach's ejection and if it kett if it kisses the outside post and starts to break it

breakway, and the player is allowed to challenge his own coach on his ejection if he feels it did graze the post on the way by. Okay. Or a goalie. Like, maybe like, clip the car. Yeah, yeah. He's like, that hit his glove. If there's any contact.

But if you miss the net wide and it zips around the boards and starts a breakout, then just keep skating down the fucking tunnel. Is there? Because you are ejected, dude. Yeah. Take that back check right on the bench and right through the tunnel. Is there ramifications for a challenge that does not go the player's way? Yes.

So if you, you get ejected. if you challenge, you are still ejected and you miss the next game. That feels like it's just going to hurt the team. Don't stop. Did you guys ever do kangaroo court? Yeah, God. This would be something that is just like primed for. That would be a grand.

Yeah. Oh my God. For them? In the national, that's a grand. It might be 10. Yeah. If you rip wide and cause a odd man rush going the other way, I'm not going to name any names,

but at Andover in our championship game. one of my buddies did that when we were winning three two came down took a reckless wide shot on a three on two himself led to a three on one the other way game tie and goal which we then lost in overtime i think about it often and and buddy you know who you are yeah so i think uh yeah we'll have to uh have some kangaroo court uh story time yeah that's a good idea This could be some pretty interesting stuff. That's a good idea. I like that a lot. Okay. And I also like that toss job. Yeah.

I think I think throwing a head back when there's no face contact or mouth. Covering the face. Touching the face. Oh no.

My eye, my lip. And there's no face contact. You're gone, buddy. Yep. You're gone. Okay, now we've got a couple all-star things. Yeah, we've got to talk about All-Star.

For no Bucky. First and foremost, we got Two additions. Two additions. One great, one not great. Didn't know if we were going to say it. Yeah, that's true. Kyle Connor has been added to the All-Star game to represent the Winnipeg Jets.

And couldn't deserve it more. Would have easily been an All-Star. Not from this season. But he would have easily been an All-Star this season if he hadn't gotten hurt. Now, this replacement is replacing who? So I don't know who specifically, but Vincent Trocheck and Kyle Conner are replacing Jack Eichel and Bedard. And Connor. Yeah.

So two big losses. Let's just say this. Let's get this out of the way. My God, how bad the Blackhawks are. Yeah. That their star people. You mean the Rockford Icehog? Has missed the All-Star game, which is devastating.

Devastating for the league. He's hurt more. Devastating for Connor. Yeah, yeah. The fact that they are going to be the only team without a player representing them because they literally can't justify adding one of the members of that team is like so insulting. It is ridiculous. So, so insulting.

So I'm just, I'm, I'm, I feel terrible. I think the Blackhawks are due for a, not this isn't a punishment, but a bad look. Yeah. Look, you know what? I agree. You don't get to play in the other game. You don't get to throw Dickinson in the All-Star game or Peter Morazic or Philip Hirschev because no one wants to see

No one does. So then Ikes misses the game. Bummer. Absolutely devastating. I need to know how Vincent Trocheck has made it into this game.

Now let me be clear. I've already guessed I've got. Yeah, yeah, we can't. I think Vincent Trochecich is fucking amazing. Truly I do. I was devastated. When he signed with the Rangers, I was devastated

because Trocheque, to me, is a guy that I wanted on the Bruins so badly. He is like a perfect middle six player, love his game, gets down and dirty, can play PP, can play penalty kill. I love Trocheck. I'm more sitting here being like, of all the guys that are missing the game, how is this it? But there's had to be like a, you know, there's tons of guys who get asked and they're like this, no, I'm not going. He's got like 40 plus points right now, right?

I think the reason, yeah, he's got 44 points, so he's tied for second on the team with Mika Zabanajad. And so just to note, Tami Panarin is not going. He was invited initially, but he's not going because of his baby. So congrats to him. Foxy's going. What are the racquet area? Chestie's going. I don't think Fox is going.

I think it's just Shasturkin. Really? Yeah. So. Hold on. Someone looked that up right now. I will. I think you might be right, but that's crazy to me.

I think he's getting in because he got the crazy Rangers fan base just voting him in. Yeah. That's the answer to. Like, is that it? Like, they had to go to like who? That has to be the answer to the question. Was it just the next two fan votes theoretically? Must be.

I think, yeah, I could see Kyle Connor because that Winnipeg fan base could get is pretty, you know, juiced up and riled right now. So I got to think that's, that's why. Yeah. And I mean, like, here's the deal. Trochecks got to finish the season with 70 points. And, you know, that's a great year. Especially for, you know, he's not.

He's not getting necessarily first line and first P.P. minutes. Yeah, just Chesdy. So, yeah, so it's not Fox. Yeah, no Fox. So that's what's interesting to me, because their crazy fan base has to be voting for Fox more than Trocheck. That's true. And Ziba.

Like, yes. So you've got to imagine here that Ziba and Fox were maybe asked and they were like, no, I'm going on. And Crider. Yeah. Like, I feel like they all are just. And they're like, I'm going on vacation. Yeah, they got a Seth Jarvis. And whereas this, Trochec's like,

fuck yeah, dude. Like, you're playing All-Star hockey, getting in. That's an honor. I love it. So we'll say two great ads. I think it's cool for Trochak. Yeah. No, not a bad.

Not a bad ad. So, all right, so these boys are added to the list. They're going to be at the All-Star game. Okay. Should we strap on the buckets? Hell yeah. Let's strap on the buckets and let's get to hot ice. Talk to me about the biggest one.

I think the biggest news of the week. I wonder, it's kind of debatable. I'm going to start with the one I want to start with, but I think they're both pretty splashy. Maybe not. I want to start with Patrick Waugh, coaching the Islanders. Waugh's first year with the Aves,

2013-14? Dominant. I want to say that's what it was. I wrote it down. They go 52, 22, and 8. 112 points finished first in the Central had the second best record in the league behind the Bruins how are you and he wins the Jack Adams Award

Nate Doug wins the Calder unbelievable regular season they lose in the first round in seven games to the wild after being up 2O in the series and up 3-2 they lose game 7 54 in O T so it's killer first round exit and that's got to be

the first time the wild got out of the fucking first round it's certainly the last time sorry that's what I meant yeah that's got to be the last time Yeah, I was like that's, yeah. So great regular season, playoff, speed bump, whatever. I think you can live with that. Second year, the abs go 39, 31, and 12, and finished dead last in the Central. Dead last.

And then his third year, they go 39, 39, and 4, which was worse, but somehow they finished ahead of the Jets, so 6th the Central, and then he's immediately gassed. I did a dive. Stats CP did a dive on, like, was it home record, away record, goals against, you know, like, there was no, from a quick grace, there was no thing that stood out to me or I was like, oh man, they gave up way too many goals.

They couldn't play D under his watch. They couldn't protect home ice on his watch. They couldn't win on the road, whatever, whatever. It seemed to be a different problem each year, or the two years that they struggled. Now, double L's, Lano, did a pretty good job year one, I would say. I wrote down their record two.

What was it? 42, 31, and 9. They finished 4th. And I know a lot of Islanders fans, because you're coming off those back-to-back Eastern Conference finals appearances, where like,

anything less than that is a regression, which objectively is true from the stat sheet. But I'm like, you've got to feel like those Islanders teams were overachieving, right? Like those back-to-back Eastern Conference finals, I was like, what are you doing here? This is ridiculous.

So, like, similar to the argument we made I think it was maybe about the Kings teams where it's like I guess it's kind of the reverse

but the Kings did worse against the Oilers last year but we felt like they were better you know there's a world

where the islanders didn't make the Eastern Conference finals and I would have been like yeah but you're you're still improving like that was Fugazi

when you were up there before so I didn't mind the islanders performed they were nutless we made fun of them for being nutless

many times but like that wasn't that was more of a roster situation than a Lambert situation for me. Yeah. So them not making the Eastern... Fourth wasn't it, but they made the playoffs.

Them not making the Eastern Conference Finals. I'm like, whatever, dude, you weren't actually that good before. So to have a start this year where they're kind of... I think they're in fourth again, right? Like right now. So to kind of have a similar start, to pull the plug, I'm like, oh, wow. Like, that was kind of surprising to me.

Yeah, okay. Can I jump in? Yeah, please. I, you know what's funny is, so Lambert was named head coach after the, in my opinion, surprising trots firing. Oh, of course, yeah. And so last season was his first year. Yep. And then he does this year.

I thought last year was so bad. Oh, okay. They limped their bitch asses into the playoffs. And I'm on record saying, I think they stole a playoff spot from a team that would have been way more fun and would have done way better. And I was so bummed when they made the playoffs. Sorry Islanders. No, me too, but I have a counterpoint to that, but keep going.

Yeah. But looking at their roster and the ad of Horvatt last year at the end of the season, they just were, they had no business being that bad. I think they have the best goalie on Planet Earth. He's not playing like it this year, but I think they have the best goalie on Planet Earth. I think they have such an insane D group. and they have really talented forwards and then you added Horvitt.

We said, shout out Witt on chicklets. Dude, all they had to do was add someone like Horvatt last year, and they did. And it was truly a shout out, it was truly a good job Lou. Like, all Lamarillo had to do was add someone like Bo, they did it. And they just had a pretty,

to quote you again, nutless performance in the playoffs after what I thought was a nutless. lose to you? They lost to the canes. Yeah. Talking about last year? Yeah.

First, because they were the eight seed Cains were the one, or... Yeah, they lost to the Cains. Yeah. They lost to the Cains. Yeah. That was just such a boring performance, in my opinion. And

I borderline would have fired Lane then. But you made the playoffs in the first year as a coach. Then they, start this year and they're kind of like whatever. But I do think the Islanders in the last month or two have been playing a little bit better. You're seeing Matt Barzell playing much higher than he has in the past. He's back up to that first year in the league production.

And I'm with you in that. I'm like, this was a bit unexpected. They're, you know, they're fourth. And, you know, they're in the playoff hunt. And I just don't think I would have called this. but at the same time all said I love this firing oh okay the firing or the hiring the firing

oh so I heard that Lou had his eyes on Patrick Waugh for a while now and they've been talking for a little bit so it seemed like it was like Patrick Waugh or nothing yeah oh and maybe it's a situation of he got Watt finally

a little bit of insider trading he was like I want you maybe why I was hesitant and now he's like I'm in it's a situation of in. Yeah. Just like, boom, we're swapping. If that happened, then that explains a lot.

But yeah, I mean, I love this firing because I look at the Islanders team and their roster, and I think they should be better. The Met is tough. Above them is New York, Carolina, and Philly. Philly has got to be the team that you're like, how are we not fucking ahead of the flyers, dude? Because they have a fucking goaded coach. And when you say all that, too, when you think about the fact that the fucking devils and their roster are below you and you are somehow not in third.

That is not like you look at this limping devils team and you go, what a fucking gift we've been given to maybe steal third place and you're below the Flyers. And that's not a shot at the Flyers. I've said it a million times. Flyers are the most fun team in the NHL right now. But you just have to look at it as a look at strictly on paper the rosters, look at preseason projections. You can't be below them. And with this opportunity of the devil's sucking, oh my God. This is not okay.

So I love this firing. Now, as far as Waugh, the NHL's a better place from Patrick Wiles behind a bench. And I say that from a sheer entertainment standpoint. This is a guy who literally when playing for the Montreal Canadiens told their management to get fucked and trade him. And owner. And owner to literally get fucked and trade him, which they then immediately did. This is a guy who went coaching ripped down the stanchion between benches trying to fucking get to another. coach. He's a lunatic. He would have

ate Busbujo. Yeah. Literally. He would have snapped his neck like a predator. Unbelievable. And we're also talking about a guy who is the number one or two goalie in NHL history and he ain't two. Yeah, dude, I agree. I didn't think you were

to say that. And I love this dude. He's a competitor. He's a fucking animal. He's a lunatic. And I don't know if he's going to make the Islanders better. I really don't. Big overtime win in his first game, but there's a chance that the plagues that have haunted the islanders over the last several years might just still be there and they will drive him insane. Or he might find that next level for this group. I mean, you saw Maddie Barzell doing his interview and he said a coach like

Patrick Gua in this team and his systems and his style of coaching is quote, music to his ears. Yeah. You love hearing that from a guy like Barzell. So I have a no way. idea how this is going to go, but I love the move. I love the move because, again, the opportunity that this Islanders team has and that they haven't taken requires change and demands change, rather. One thing I think about this, like, look, the guy's a winner. Like, he's won two MEM cups. He's won the Q once. He won the MECU last year. I think it's in the NHL these days, like, it's not about the X's and O's, about the gyms and the Joes. everyone does the one three one now everyone does the umbrella

everyone does the drop pass on the power play breakout you're not really like Patrick Wall is not going to come in and be like all right guys we're going to go five four checkers no defense the game like it's it's more a matter of how he can you know reach that group and really speak his mind to that group and I think he's the perfect guy for it him and Lou like Lou think about Lou his whole the majority of his management career he had Marty

Broder is his backbone. So he knows those kind of personalities and I think that's what he sees in it in Patrick Waugh. So it's interesting. And I think, can you do me a favor and get up the Islander's roster here? I think when you get a a guy like Lou who had Marty

Rodor and now you have Sorokin and Sorokin is not performing. Yeah. You know, what's, what is the problem here? And maybe those are questions that he had to ask and then found out that maybe the answer of why it wasn't going well was Lane. And you got to do something about that.

You got to remove that equation to the recipe, you know? But I think when you've got him, you've got a defensive core that has Dobson, Pellick, scroll down for me. Mayfield is, or this might be added. Ryan Puehlock is injured. Okay, Pulloch is injured. Okay. But either way. So your decor on this Islander's team is Romanov, Dobson, Pellick, Sebastian Ajo, the other one.

and then you got Mayfield and Bulldoch on the third pairing, that's a good decor. And brutal that, Pullock is injured. Because, yeah, he's a stud. He's a stud. Pelican Pullock last year, we're like, oh, my God. They're like one of the best shutdown pairs in the league. But I just think that's a pretty solid decor. Yep.

And then you've got Sorokin, and Sorokin's not playing that well or not performing that well, and then you are, again, in fourth. Something had to change, I think. Okay, so here's all I'll say. The, I love Patrick Waugh. I want them in the league. I like the hiring in a vacuum. I hate the firing, though.

And here's why. Well, I don't hate it, but here's why. The Islanders, and I'll say again, I already said this, but they, those two Easter Commerce Finals appearances gave fans poor expectations. They were not that good, or they should not have been that far in the playoffs. They made it that far. They were dismissed. And that should not have been expected.

The next year, they missed the playoff. Trots gets gas, which was kind of reactionary, certainly, but that was closer to what they were, according to me, than the Eastern Conference Finals and audiences. So I'm like, you're a barely make the playoff team, according to me. You miss it, but with Trots, fire him, higher lane. He immediately gets you in the playoffs, and I will, I agree with you. I was also, like, I hope they don't get in.

But we have to give them credit, dude, because I was like, when I was looking at it, there was so many games at hand and shit last year, remember? I was looking at it last year and being like you traded for somebody there is no chance you stay in the playoffs like you guys are fucked you fucking idiots and God bless them dude they never fucking wavered

they were the team that was never fucking out remember all that chaos it was like Panthers Penguins blah blah blah senators I think The founders were like this We were in the playoffs Period Yeah yeah go ahead

Now I was gonna say I wanted to give more credit to the Sabres but you did You know they were in there So it was like Like, I actually think, I was like, wow, great job, Lane and Islanders. Yeah. You finished fourth.

That's a fucking exactly where you should be. And it's an improvement from last year. And then he shows up this year. And yes, I'm like, ooh, shit, we should be better than the flyers. Like, you know, that was a surprise. The devils give us a gift, whatever. But I'm like, they're in fourth right now. I think they're two points out of the wildcard.

But they're in a similar spot. And he's kind of got at least Barzell, but some of the guys going. Like, that was our big concern. Like, dude, Barzal better fucking produce this year. if Barzell was having a horrible year this year and they were in fourth, fifth, whatever, I'd be like Lane's got to go, you're right. But I'm like, he's got the kid going again.

You're in the playoffs, basically, again. Like this team, and I don't mean to trash the honors, but like, I actually don't think this team's that good. Everyone's like, well, they're so sick, and I'm like, no, they're a fucking wildcard team. Look at that roster. That's a wildcard roster, according to me. So, that's why I was just shocked that you

gas him, because I'm kind of like, dude, what did you want him to do? Work a fucking miracle. So that's my opinion on that my Patrick Waw thing, I'll just say this. I'm slightly concerned. I'd almost be... Hold on. Save your Patrick Wattake, so I can just quickly shove your words back down your throat.

You think they're a wildcard team? Fine. And I think two Eastern Conference finals and then missing the playoff is a huge gap. Yes. And you think they're closer to the bottom. Sure. But I still think closer to the bottom means you're

the playoffs. Yeah, they're a first round team. You're a first round, second round team. No, no. You're first round. First round, second round team. And, dude, Lane gets, like, immediately gets them back in the playoffs. I'm kind of like, go good for you, dude. You got back from a massive drop-off. I feel like a fucking nutless monkey can do that. No, dude, it's hard. And you went out and got Horvatt and got better, which is why you got into the playoffs. And now this year, you're worse. They're not in the playoffs currently. Yep. So you're fucking fired, Wayne. And, and, and, and, and, and, and. Horvath or

Barzell is going but dude like Anders Lee is having a bad year and that's your fucking captain so like what's going on here other than Barzell and Dobson who are your two point leaders on this team by the way a fucking defenseman

is your second point leader thanks to Lane great job Lane no something is not going well so yeah dude fuck that and again I stand by the devils have free fallen and you have not taken advantage of that

that is a failure Yeah, but I will say if you were a, if you made the playoffs by a point last year. And you're, and this year, you're a point out. Yes, you're a point out. And their GM goes like, I guess you're fucking fired. Hey, statistically that's worse. But halfway through the year, I'm like, yo, dude, I like, we were, can I have fucking 40 more games to get in, you idiot?

Yeah. So, what if you don't? Yeah, then fire me. But, but, but you go like this, I'm not taking the risk, dude. Like, you should have gotten better. I didn't expect you to be exactly where you were. Yeah. expect you to improve. And they haven't improved. They have regressed, which is aggressive to say,

I hear you. But if you go like this, we're going to stick it out and you miss playoffs and then you lose out on Waugh, who's apparently your guy, that is fucking brutal. Yep. So I think clearly this goes back to the rumors and assumption that for Lou, Waugh was the guy. Was the guy. Yeah. Waugh is available and Lane Lambert is not performing. That you cannot argue. He's not performing horribly, but he is not the guy, but I'd be like, well, your roster's not the guy either. But okay, so let me say this Patrick Waugh thing. And I'm basing this off fucking nothing, obviously, because I've never been in the locker with Patrick Waugh.

But some early report, we've seen the intensity, obviously. And early reports are, at practice, he's already like stopping drills and barking at stuff to, you know, like make sure it's all good. My knee jerk is I'd almost rather Patrick Waugh coach a super talented team that isn't quite, like the devils even, that isn't quite putting it together. And you're like, I just need a fucking field general to be like, Jimmy Johnson and the Miami Hurricanes stuff. can do this.

You idiot. And I'm like, yes. Versus a team that I don't think has the high end talent that I'm like, oh, now the coach is going to like, coach us up our very good guys to compete with like the elite elite guys. You're saying you need a Herb Brooks for this team. Yeah, I need a Herb Brooks on this team and I need a Patrick Wall coaching the devils. That's why I'm kind of concerned about this higher.

Do you guys think that the NHL is starting to go the way of European soccer a little bit in the GM and coaching roles in that names? are getting a lot of jobs and attracting a lot of players. Yeah, that's been a problem for the last 10 years. For sure, they recycle. Yes. Reduce, reuse, recycle. And I think it's especially, so, you know, you've got a lot of guys who are coaches and GMs right now who played.

But, you know, in the 60s and 70s, there wasn't as much media coverage or TV coverage. So the general hockey fan doesn't know a lot of these names, whereas now they do. Like, I feel like when you've got a team like the avalanche with Sackick in a role. Yeah. And you've got a team like the Wilde with Garan in a role. And you've got a team like the Bruins with Cam Neely in a role. And Sweeney. And Sweeney, but more so Cam Neely.

You are, because to me, Don Sweeney, good player, but not a great player. I don't think he was like an icon player of the Bruins. He was good. Yeah, don't give me wrong. But when you're seeing a lot of these teams with legends, legends of the game in rules I think it makes the whole package more attractive. I'm appalled with myself that I didn't just say

Stevie Y. But like that is a thing dude and I I've said it before as a fan when a goat retires I'm like put them in a senior management role immediately. I'm dead serious I think it does I think it goes a long way when you get a guy like I mean it's the

fucking well seems to have been poisoned but like Martin St. Louis Marty is a great example I was going to say Stamcos Like if Stamco's You know But again

I don't know what's going to happen there But I look at a guy like that And I'm like if he retires And in 10 years Isn't the GM of that team Or like at least the president or something I'm like you've made a mistake dude Because if you get

If you get guys Who lifted cups for your team Were icons for your team Played there for 10 Plus years It helps when they're in a role And can talk to new players about what the culture of that team is and like what they did for them and what the team can now do for

these new players. I think it's huge. And for me, when you've got guys in the league who can now on that Islander's team look at the head coach and go, I fucking watch that guy play when I was growing up and falling in love with this game. And I know that he is a legend of the game. It's got to be helpful. It's a lot easier to respect your coach and listen to him. Chris, to your point, a team that could really used that kind of intensity. Toronto Maple Leafs. Dude, a great one. Yeah.

I mean, he wouldn't. I probably don't think he would have wanted to go to Toronto. Yep. Fuck. Someone like that. Just get the boys fired up. I've been saying Toronto should go after Craig Barubei. Oh, wow. Yeah. Oh, I can't think of a worse pairing on planet Earth. I agree. I hear you. But like, I'm thinking about Barube being like, hey, Mitch.

I mean, not Mitch. He's a fucking Selkie condender. but like Austin Willie Forecheck and get fucking down in the dirt They're like But that's what you need I agree that's what you need But I agree that's what you need

But I don't think the owners Will ever let it happen Because they don't want to upset the boys Dude yeah that's the boys The boys got to stay smiling And sell in tickets That's all that matters For the Maple Leaf

So anyway I hope we'll get some fired up I'll be really excited To see what happens there Okay the other huge piece of news That we got to get into Corey Perry has found a new home

First reported by who Anyone? Dregs? No, it wasn't Dregs. Oh, yeah. Stick tabs for DEP. Oh, I think it was me. That's really good.

I think I broke that news. Corey Perry, we heard from a nice source. Might have been sniffing around Edmonton. Edmonton sniffing around Perry. Our girl, Emily Kaplan, reported that there were a number of teams interested in, and essentially at the end of it, Perry chose Edmonton. Edmonton gets a much needed depth, you know, a Stanley Cup winner and former MVP. Yeah.

This is big, big news everywhere, but the big one for me is the pay cut. Yeah. For him? Well, I think... He just signed a one year $775,000 deal. So, yeah, Perry is signing a, or has signed a one year, $775,000 league minimum, veteran minimum contract. and was getting 4 mil a year. Ouch.

That is brutal, dude. And you wonder to, for me, Perry signing with Chicago was a mentor. Yeah. They were like, we need you. We need a former, he won an MVP, right? I'm not crazy. Yeah. Yeah, you won the heart.

Yeah. So as a former MVP, Stanley Cup winner, the guy who's been around is a serious competitor. They wanted him in Chicago to help Baderd adjust. and you know get into his professional career and obviously that didn't go as planned but the crazy thing for me now is when Perry signed that contract he must have been like this is it yeah sure I think it was two years to two by four check me on that but I think it was a two by four and I think Perry something like 36 years old I think he probably was like I'll retire after this I'm going to play two years I'm going to help badard as best as I can and I'm going to retire here in Chicago and

go on my ways. And now he's back in this, you're a suitcase at the deadline to help a team on a cup run. And I wonder what that mental shift is. Yeah. Because when you sign with Chicago, you go sweet deal for me,

but this is it. Like I'm not, I'm not playing for, I'm not going to the playoffs this year. No. And now you sign with a team like it was reported, he picked Edmonton.

So he actively was like this, I want the grind again. Yeah. Not the, I want the New York Islanders grind. I want the, all the pressure in the world, all the expectations in the world, lose and die grind. Yeah. And fucking good dude. He was, he's a savage.

He was a second overall pick. He's been in these before, you know. He was in, he won with Tampa, right? Like they won one and then. No, he didn't ever catch one. He only won a cup with Anaheim in 07 and then he lost three straight cup finals. That's right, dude. Dallas, Montreal, Tampa.

Yeah, so he's in this... And the Montreal one is so brutal. It's like insult to injury because what was Montreal doing in that cup? Yeah. But then he was like, oh, go to the team that just beat us. And then boom. Yep. So he was right there.

You know, you want to taste it again. And say what you want about the O-S, but I think they're really competitive. And certainly so to see. Oh, my God. So he doesn't mind being in that fucking mixer. Let me tell you this on the way to my larger point. Here's a list of teams in order. for a certain stat in the league.

Okay. Jets, kings, penguins, Canucks, Panthers, Bruins, Oilers. So the Oilers are seventh. And that's this season? This season, and that's in order, yeah. Say it again. Jets, kings, penguins, Canucks, Panthers, Bruins, Oilers. Bottom six points.

No. What? Least amount of goals given up this year. The fact that the penguins are up that high and are where they are is a calamity. So it's this, what's crazy, and dude, no one has talked more shit about Stuart Skinner than me. But in 31 games this year, he's 21, 9 and 1, has two shoutouts on the year, which is a career, actually only had one last year in the year before. His goal is against is 2.53, which is the best that's ever been in his career.

And his save percentage was 0.913 last year, currently 0.906, but is on the rise because he started horrifically. Yes, yes. So he has been good. Their D has been good. They don't give up goals. and you think about the O's you just think like offensive firepower, right? But they're reasonably middle of the pack there.

But that curve is out of control because it was so bad, dude. Oh yeah, no, they're scoring now. They were giving up a ton of goals. They were terrible defense. Which is why they won 13 straight fucking games. Yep. Yes.

So during their 13 game win streak, they're giving up an average of 1.6 goals against per game. Right. So Perry last year in 81 games had 12, 13 goals, 13, assists 25 points in 81 games. But he did have two goals, three assists, five points, and six playoff games.

Right? So far this year, he had four goals, five assists, nine points in 16 games. But, you know, like, he's getting the puck way more on the Hawks than he was on that Tampa team. But he was a weapon on the power play. You know, like, he would still get those power play minutes on, on Tampa. And remember how insane the Oilers power play was fucking last year. You know, like you had a guy like this to stand in front of the net and get fucking

cross-checked in the lower. back. But like, you know, he stands there. He can do that job in his fucking sleep. Right. So when I think about this dude and I'm like, oh yeah, he's not that productive anymore, he can step it up in the big moments. He's been to Cups over and over and over. He knows what this takes. This to me, everyone's coming in like, oh, it's a great depth. This is a great depth move. I'm almost like, oh, this is a gargantuan move. And I know I've been stroking you for the last couple episodes, but I'm like, I was in the camp of they need to make a move at the deadline. Their buyers for sure. This was their move. they are they I feel I think they are maybe they do something out small but like I think this is a massive piece for this game fucking dumb that massive I think they got to keep adding debt me too I think they'll add something else the move is the is the craziest thing I've ever heard this will be the biggest piece they acquire during the season if that's the case they're gonna lose in the first or second round let me put a thought in your mind imagine this third line in the playoffs Fogel, McLeod, Perry. That's a bitch and a half to play against.

Yeah. I think it's not going to be their last move. I can't think, but I think it's a great move. Me too. It really solves that depth problem. That's, to me, I think Fogel's an amazing player. That's what I need. I need a second line winger out of this team.

And yes, if you move Fogel down and play him with Perry and McLeod, I'm like, yep, that's a great fucking line. I agree. And maybe they will, but I, I, everything you just said about Perry to me makes me go, this, this move doesn't move the needle for me at all.

But I agree with you. His playoff mindset, I think, is a big shift. I think there's such low pressure on him. Yeah. On this team, which is nice. There's a big part of me that asks the question of like, what's what's his compete level you know like is he washed is he close to washed if if he is this is a disastrous ad yeah yeah what i'm really curious about and this comes with the caveat of

i don't know what he's going through i don't know where he's at also fair he said he's been working with mental health professionals that's amazing i hope whatever's going on he is dealing with it well and is in a good mindset going into this the rest of this season I think if he is, let's say, and this wouldn't have happened, but let's say we can erase the cap hit and nothing had happened with Chicago and he was on Chicago just doing his thing and Edmonton traded for him and he joined this team. I think this version of Corey Perry is more valuable because I think with everything that's happened and people going like this, he'll never play again. He's done, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. given the assumption that he's okay. Yeah, yeah, he's in the right headspace. I think he now has a chip on his shoulder.

Something to prove, and something to prove. And he is like, I just took a fucking $3 million plus paper. Yeah, right. And I can still play, and I pick this team to win a cup. Because I want to win a cup, and I want to show people that I wasn't just going to sit back and fucking let everything happen and fade off into the mist. I'm still here, and I'm going to help this team win a cup.

I think this version of Corey Perry is more dangerous, and is a better ad for this team. So in that regard, I agree with you that it is a good ad for them. Yeah. But this is the move. I think you're nuts.

I think that... I don't think a third line Cory Perry is the move that's like, bang, the Oilers did it. Well, I'm not saying the whole hockey world is like they're going to win a cup now definitely because of Corey Perry.

And I also, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to cash this check till playoffs. Yeah. Because I don't think he's going to finish the regular. season going point for my god I think it's going to be wait your fucking turn not you I'm saying

no no no haters wait your turn and then in the playoffs I'll show you I was prepared to be like first 10 games is going to be a good sample no it's not right you're right so the weather or not this is good is going to be completely dependent on how he plays in the playoffs yep and the listen my whole argument is they won't do it sign anyone big in this

yes if they go and bring in a fucking sick ass second line winger then I was wrong they did do something more I just think if you are looking if I'm the GM of this team I'm like, dude, the the D is there, the goalie's there, the firepower is here, we need it, we got a guy like, we need the Cory Perry type, you got him,

continue to add a little bit, I think, maybe for some depth, but I'm, I feel good. Yeah, here's a question for you both. If the Oilers win the Pacific is Knoblock coach of the year? Yes. He legitimately has to be, right? I mean, he's basically right in the fucking lines on the whiteboard before the game and opening the door.

I don't care. It's, I mean, that it did something, yeah. Yeah, like it wasn't working. working, you know, so now it is, I don't know. I think it's, there's something to be talked about. Well, I don't know. This team should be good. I think it still is talk it. Rick Tock. Yeah, actually. Oh, fair. Talk does it. I fucking love talk too. Okay. That's it for Hot Ice. We've got to get into this Aaron Ambrose interview. What a time. What a player. Yeah. And I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Taking a quick break to tell you guys about Southern Comfort. It is the innovative blend of fruit and spices that is ready for anything spirit. Soco original is my favorite. Back in the day, Soco and Dr. Pepper was my absolute jam. Ask anybody who knows me, they will tell you that the CP special was Soco and Dr. Pepper. Still dabbling it from time to time when I want it right now. Next time you're out at the bar, try out a Soco shower. Next time you're out at the bar, try a Soco Sour Shot. One part Soco, two part sour mix.

It does not miss. Southern Comfort, ready for anything. Well, we are absolutely pumped. to be joined by a Keswick, Ontario native, a two-time U-18 gold medalist, a two-time World Championship gold medalist, a 2022 Beijing's Olympic gold medalist, an NCAA first-team All-American,

defenseman of the year, rookie of the year, and national champion. Oh, come on with the Clarkson Golden Knights, and most importantly, the sixth overall pick in the inaugural PWHL draft, Aaron Ambrose, welcome to the Empty Netters podcast. Thank you guys for having me. I must say I listened to Heise's episode and I didn't know if I was going to be able to compete with her stats.

And she got me with the three times U-18 gold medal. And probably the first overall pick. But other than that, we're doing all day. Otherwise, we're right there. Yeah, the resume is right there. It was pretty solid. I mean, now that we're on the topic, did you like watching USA just win the men's world juniors or was that not fun for you? Okay.

We're going to go there right away. Yeah. No, we're going to flip the script and say you 18 women are looking fantastic right now. They are. They are. They are. They are. And Chloe Primarano is unbelievable.

The real deal. Yeah, she's a D. She got drafted in the dub, I think. And, like, she's got it. She's got it. It's one of those situations where you're watching it. It honestly looks exactly like Padard playing in the dub. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. It's like, you just score it will, huh? It doesn't matter at all. It's unbelievable. You got a hat trick today. Yeah, I mean, it's ridiculous. They're forced. Yeah, there's loose.

And honestly, so Blake, our new producer is Canadian, and we loved rubbing his face in the world juniors too. But as he humbly put it, the team Canada could have sent a gold medal team. They just chose not to. So we're going to take our wins when we can. A lot of boys in the league that could have just played for that team. Yeah. It's good stuff. I'll shake your hand and thank you.

Congratulations. Yes. Thank you so much. There we go. There we go. We're so pumped to have you. And CP, I think Aaron wanted to ask you a question. Oh, amazing.

Yes. Yeah. I really have a big question for you, Chris. I just wanted to know, like, are we on LTIR? Are we on IR? How's the groin doing? Where are we at with the bowl situation? Okay.

So if not question couldn't be timed better. So I, that was what? When was New Year's Eve? Sunday? Monday? Sunday. Jesus, I don't know. Sunday night.

Sunday night. Sunday night we had a career-ending groin injury, so it seemed. Yeah. Okay, but then, you know, you could do all the testing. You see the team doc. Monday morning I woke up, still pretty tight, but I was like, you know what? I think we might be okay. Came back last week and getting better every day, a lot of ice, a lot of treatment,

and was feeling pretty good. Last night, we had a double-header roller hockey game, which I had no business playing in. But you know what? You rush yourself back because you're, trying to get out there and you're trying to play well. Not only did we lose both games. Not only did I play horrifically in both games, but I have severely re-agravated my groin injury.

No. We talked about it before you came in. You've got a ski trip coming up. Why are you playing roller? I don't know. We hadn't played in a while. We were out of town. I wanted to get it back out there.

And it's fun. And I honestly, when I started, because Aaron, we live so close to the roller rink that we roller blade to the rink. Like I literally get dressed in my house and just blade. I blade there literally and all my stuff. So I bladed to the rink and I thought to myself if I, if this hurts, I'm not going to play.

But it felt fine. So I went there. And it's just the, it's the change of direction. You know, like the casual blade there was fine. But then, you know,

the puck goes somewhere else and I try to move, try to push off. And that's when it really was hurting. I was telling Blake by, because Blake plays with us two, halfway through game one, I was like, this is bad. And then game two was a shit show.

Did you just Charlie Brown roll your whole way home? Dan, I was, you know how it's kind of downhill? I was doing like this stick. Just rowing your way. Couldn't even stride himself. Yeah, really tough. The neighbors are like, bro, you're right? I'm like, not even close.

You're not at all. Send over some pasta. You might have to go through some cap circumvention for the ski trips, kind of figure something to help bring somebody else in. I think we might have to bury them, pick someone up off waivers or make a last minute. a trade for sure. Yeah, but... Rob it all island. See you later. Yeah.

Because it's tough out here. Not a lot of people give me enough credit for battling. That's true. I don't. Yeah, not you especially. Effort was there. Execution, not so much. Yeah, exactly right. Okay, Aaron, we have so much awesome you stuff to talk about. But before we even get into that, we'd be remiss to have you on this week and not at least get your opinion on the Willie Nealander extension.

eight years, 11.5 mil for the lease. That's a lot of money into the top four boys. How are you feeling about it? Okay. I appreciate you guys asking me because everybody's like, oh, you're in Montreal now. You've got to be a habit fan. Like, no, I am leaf through and through. It's well known.

It's well documented. Me and Laura Stacey are like, we are Leaf Gals. I like it. I'm not going to say I love it, but I think I will love it after Johnny T. comes off the books where he is. Yeah. I think in that situation, like, it's going to, it's going to, it's going to hurt next year, but I think after that they're going to be fine.

Like, Willie and Austin are Toronto Maple Leafs, like, they, they own it. They can do the big city stuff. Like, you couldn't lose them. You couldn't lose them. I think that's true. I also love talking to a rational Leafs fan. Yeah. Because admitting that things might be, there might be some tough sledding coming up here.

That is huge. I think the self-awareness is important. And I could not agree with you more. Austin and Willie, you know, they're fashionistas. They embrace the bright lights. I think I think he had to stay. But the tough question is, is do you think there's a world where Marner?

Yeah, does it cost you Marner? I think it might, yeah. I do. I like I, again, rational Leaf fan. And I mean, I was just watching the Leaf game before we hopped on. And like he just made a six pass. McCabe like he's one of the best in the league like no doubt but he's going to want to raise so I don't know well it'll be interesting to see what tree does because at some point the

recipe does it keep working like I'm still going to be the girl that goes to a bar in Montreal if I leave Jersey on to watch playoffs and get absolutely roasted but I'm going to do it and I respect you so much for it yeah we love you for it that's what you have to do um all right I want to get into your career here and I want to start in college because you have, as we listed at the beginning, one of the greatest resumes in college that you could ever hope to have. And the success came quick for you. So you get to Clarkson. You immediately win rookie of the year. Sophomore year, you win a Natty. Then you're a captain, junior, senior year. You're in the dance every single season. You're breaking records. You're the all-time leading defensive score in Clarkson history.

what drew you to Clarkson? How did you find yourself ending up there? And then what are some of the, you know, there's so much for you to think about here, but then what are some of the things that just have stuck with you forever and will continue to stick with you forever of your memories that you made there?

Great questions. I think it's crazy to look back at like this year's like 10 years since we won our national championship, which is insane. And like, uh, hurts my soul a little bit. but like, I guess going back to the beginning of it all, I was fortunate to have a lot of offers, like kind of looking at everything.

And I was definitely the kid who I was like, I want the full experience. I went on official visits, which really aren't a thing now. But I didn't commit till like November of my senior year of high school, which was not appreciated by a lot of coaches. But I took my official visits. to Wisconsin, Dartmouth and Clarkson.

So three completely different schools. And Wisco was hilarious because, like, full treatment. Stace and I actually went together on our official visits. Like, we went on the football field for a game. Like, we did everything. Like, it was the top tier. And it was just, I think, the big thing with Clarkson was, I knew the coaches pretty well from some summer camps that I had done.

And I liked, like, I'm a small town girl. Like, I'm from Keswick and just going to Potsdam, It felt really similar, and I think I knew a lot of the players that were already there and the comfort level. And a big thing for me, it was actually going into 2014 centralization. So my big whole kind of grand scheme of things, if I go in there and have a good freshman year, I'd give myself a chance to possibly get centralized with the Olympic team. And that didn't end up happening, but at the same time, like, I was able to go into a place and play good minutes right away and play big games. minutes and I think like the focus that I had from Matt DeRosha who was he played at flu he played

uh overseas like professionally and him as a D like that one-on-one work my freshman and sophomore year like took me to new levels yeah that's oh god and then there's more questions I forgot there's more questions to no no I can tee you up because like I said I asked you I asked you so many things and uh I do love that you know you talk about growing up in the small town and then sort of going to a school in a small town. Was it a school that was at a young age, sort of always on your radar? Because in the grand scheme of thing,

in both men's and women's, Clarkson's not one of the biggest names, but obviously they're a great program. You guys went in Addy your second year there. But when did it sort of come on your radar and then later down your senior year, it sounds like materialize as the option that you eventually. And I'd love to hear how close you maybe were to the other ones.

Like were they on the table or was just kind of like I did visits there and it was never happening? All three were definitely on the table. To be honest, Dartmouth probably would have been where I ended up, but I was going to have to retake the SATs. And I was like, no, I'm out. Like, I'm done. Absolutely.

So Dartmouth was not on the table. That is the biggest. Absolutely not. Dude, that is the biggest fuck that I've ever heard in my life. You can pay me to take the SATs again. And then we kind of joke about it now that it's probably a blessing in disguise because they ended up being on academic probation after my first semester at Clark. So like if I was on academic probation at Clarkson, like I probably would have been kicked out of school at Dartmouth because of academics.

So like clearly made the right decision there. Definitely. And same thing though, like in looking at it with Wisconsin, like it was so big. It was almost overwhelming. Whereas especially with my situation with my academics, it was like I started to struggle and I'd have one-on-one meetings with my proffs every week. Like so I was able to get that help. So that definitely helped me. and I don't know if that would have been the case at Wisconsin.

So in hindsight, like it definitely was the right choice academically to get myself out of that hole, which I shouldn't have ever put myself in the beginning. But I think the biggest thing with Clarkson is, like I said, I had a relationship with both Matt and Chandroche's before I kind of got there. And it was just like their ability to make me feel heard.

I think this was kind of in the transition period of, I guess, our game and, coaches having more relationships with players and actually getting to know them as people, not just hockey players. And that was kind of a big thing for me with those two. And I mean, I've been very open about my mental health struggles and everything like that. And I think that in the end, it was a very good decision for me with everything, just to have a little bit of comfort.

And I knew Jamie Lee Ratrae going into it. I had some really good friends actually in my class and Kaylee Mercer and Chan McCauley, who I played you 18s with. So I think that comfort level helps a lot too. And then kind of coming out of college, the rest of my classes, Renata Fas, and Olivia Howe,

who were two of my best friends to this day as well. Yeah, that's amazing. And, you know, I feel like anywhere you go when you play in college, when you play juniors, when you kind of have that family element with the team, it exists no matter where you are.

But I do think that there's something really special about a smaller school and a smaller campus because you get that with everyone, all of your classmates. I'm sure your classes were smaller. The fact that you had one-on-ones with your profs and things like that, how important do you think that small family element was both with the team and the other people at school for you both mentally and then just emotionally with all

the memories that you made while you were there? I think it was huge. I truly think that if I look back at it now as a 29-year-old, I'm like it was much needed, but I also think about it when I was in it. And it was like, oh, my God, I spend every second with the same people because we didn't have friends outside. Like, men's and women talkie were the only two D1 programs at the school. Everybody else is D3. But I would say, yeah, like, I would say my senior year is when I started to kind of have some friends outside.

And it was kind of my changing point, too, as like a person. And I think it was just, like, it's crazy to go back there now. Like we've had some alumni weekends and stuff, and it's like some things have not changed at all. Like you see professors that are still there, and they remember you exactly. Like they talk about the Celebration Act in the National Championships in 2014, like all those kinds of things. And I mean, Clarkson's gone on. They won back-to-back national championships right after our class graduated. And I think the success that we had at first, like, it was like, oh, my God, nobody in the East that ever won an NCAA before.

So it was kind of like the start of something, which was really cool. Are you a little bitter that they win a national championship? The year you leave, yes. But it was it was so cool to see them because, I mean, there's three classes of ours that we all knew when we were seniors. So it was pretty special to see them win back to back afterwards, even though selfishity, you're like, damn it, missed out. So I'm always curious with this when we talk to someone who's as exceptional of an athlete as you are and has, the success that you have. You have, you know, a pile of gold medals and then also this national championship.

Where emotionally does the Natty rank for you? I mean, I know that you, like we talked about, you bond so seriously with everyone on your team, with every team that you play for. But I do think that there's something so cool about winning with the people that you're living with on campus or all your best friends, your family, your teammates, doing it for your school. It's just, it's got to rank up there

with something as amazing and as monumental as winning a gold medal for your country. So what is that rank for you? So, you hit every nail on the head for sure,

but I am going to give you a gut punch and tell you I didn't play. I was injured for the national championship. So that would be the only reason I would say it's not there.

I got, I had a high-end Skisprane. It was our ECAC semi-finals in the ECAC tournament and missed out. But it's actually insane because we had four defensemen. So we won a national championship. Did you just four defensemen in that game? Forward defensemen. Were you the last to play? Were you talking to your coaches like, let me fucking suit up, please? The coaches wanted me to literally put my equipment on and only run the power play. That was what they wanted me to do. But I couldn't fit my foot in this gate. Yeah. They were like, you won't do break

you can just sit at the blue line, we'll get you the puck at the blue line, and you can run the power plate. And I was like, I can't get my foot in the skate. Like it was, so yeah, like, it would 100% be up there for exactly what you said. But, like, I actually take, I think my favorite part about that national championship is it was Renata fast, like, coming out party to the entire world of hockey. She absolutely dominated. And, like, now, looking back and like being alongside her for Olympic gold medal and world championships like I'm like it was the time that the light switch went off for her and it was the coolest thing to see because she everybody was like oh my god and it was just like damn right renata's here and like she hasn't

looked back like literally since that national championship she's been a staple on the national team yeah that's amazing those natdies after you left are even worse now yeah yeah right yeah and also Those fuckers at Boston College, a junior and senior year. Oh, don't even get me started. How much you hate BC? Give you a little bit, vent a little bit on BC right now. That is my next question, because obviously they're not in your division or anything like that, but it's like, do you despise BC?

Yeah, I do. And the worst, like, the worst part, best part, we beat BC the year we won. So we beat them in top eight. And then the next year we went to BC and lost, which it was our senior year that we were like, this is a national championship team. And that was BC's year that they went undefeated up until the final game and lost to Wisconsin and the national championship. And we lost an OT to them.

And yours truly was on the ice for the OT goal. And like, Puck came out, Haley Scrupa, one-timer in the slot and missed Aaron's stick. And I literally can remember all of it. And like Alex Carpenter is somebody that I played against since you 18s. We both played three years of the UA teams, and I've had the utmost respect for her every time I face off against her on the U.S. team. At most respect for when I face off against her at BC, but she has been a main reason for a lot of misery in my hockey career. A lot of sleepless nights, yeah. Do you have a relationship together?

Are you friendly at all? Do you talk ever? Yeah, like I would say, like we're pretty, I actually know her wife really well. So, like, Carp and I have a lot of respect for each other. and we'll say hi and kind of carp's isn't one of many words i'll say that much but like i i think she's probably one of the most underrated girls in the game of hockey in the world so i mean i got to tip my cap like i mean i don't know if you guys saw the highlights of her on opening day against toronto like her snipe on soupy like carp just can beat you in so many different ways it's

disgusting yeah um and then so my last clarkson thing is that we touched on briefly do you have any, you know, hilarious stories or burned in memories from the times with the girls or times on campus or anything like that that come to mind? I would say like our celebration after we won was insane, but I was also on crutches. So like it was tough for me. I was going to ask me. No, I was in a boot and on crutches. Like I actually, after we won, because I was on the crutches, there's a photo of our strength coach. He's giving me a piggyback onto the ice.

And I've like got one hand. It's almost like the miracle on ice, like the fifth pump in the air. Do you have that photo still? I will send it to you guys. Yeah, please send us that photo. That is still awesome. Yeah. So those celebrations were pretty good.

I'm trying to think of some good ones. I actually was just talking about it the other day with somebody. I've got some trauma from Clarkson from a couple of my teammates that definitely need to be called out. And that would be Erica Howe, Renata Fas, Shamicali, and Olivia Howe. Because these fuckers would corner me in wherever we were in a rink. And we always played keep-ups together. And like Renata had the chance to go D1 in soccer. Like Renata was an unbelievable soccer player. So she would pretty much just keep up to herself. They'd corner me and like, tie me down, like hold me back. And they just kicked the soccer ball at me. Like they would

just hoof it at me. Yeah. And I'm like, you jerk. Yeah, I agree. It's bullying. They made me tougher, apparently. So that would be one that's just, that's going. That is insane.

You're too valuable. You're running the power play. You're Pee one. Seriously. That's also the strangest decision for all of them to get together and be like, you know what we're going to do? We're going to just, literally. Pegging Aaron with the soccer ball.

Yeah. It's just ridiculous. So they deserve that call. Were they all your grade? Erica Howe was not. Howie was two years older and then the other three were all my class mates, yeah. Okay, yeah. Jeez.

Man, that's bullshit. That's savage. And we got to tag them back for that. This isn't over just so they know. When they hear this, we are going to start planning something right now and they will pay for them. We're going to post this clip and just let them know that we're coming for them with a soccer ball at some point. For sure. Incredible.

Incredible. Okay, Aaron, so you actually mentioned earlier some of the mental health. topics, right? And I want to get into a little bit of that because we got to read the in my words article, which you did, which was so amazing. And I think, at least for me, the best way to get into this would be to talk about what you brought up in that article, which was November 20th, 2017. You get sent home from centralization. And in the article, you talk about how, you know, you were a 15 year old going to U-18's youngest ever. Like, you are a hockey player. That's all the whole world knows about you. But you felt then and you feel now that you're so much more than

that, right? So if you can just touch on a little bit for us and the listeners of what you were struggling with, how you found your way out, and what you're doing now to stay centralized and stay in the right mindset. Yeah, absolutely. And first, I just want to say thank you both for reading that. It's something that I kind of forget sometimes that it was done, that I did it. Like, obviously it was a big thing in the moment, but to know that you guys look that up, I appreciate that. But for me, like, I think right after getting cut, like, it's like you don't know what to do. Like, your world's kind of ripped out from underneath you.

Obviously, my dream was to go to the Olympics and at that time, it wasn't meant to beat. And I think one of the hardest parts, and like you said, I kind of touched on it, is it was always, like, I had had a lot of success in hockey. Like, everything that I did, I was successful. and I'm very fortunate to have that. And it was like to have that first disappointment be with my biggest goal of going to the Olympics. Like that was one. Yeah. Yeah.

And it's just like not to say like I wish I would have gotten cut earlier in my career to understand it all. But it's just like it was hard to grasp for me because it wasn't something I had kind of dealt with. And one of the hardest things but also the best things was like I was so isolated from my family. and my family has always been my cousins and I are very close my sister's my best friend and I like very much just remove myself from everybody like it was like hey I'm going to hang out with different groups I was gonna like when I first got back to Toronto um like I was staying on different people's couches that I just like I knew them but like kind of like they wanted to help me but it was just like an awkward situation um when I made the move to Montreal like we actually my I've reconnected with my old roommate that I lived with in Montreal since I've been back. And the one night we were watching the rivalry series, their game in Tharnia. And after the game, we were going through our Snapchat memories from 2019 and 2020. And it was an absolute gong show.

But it was just like, that's what I needed at that time. And I have to say, like, Emeritus Mashmire, who also didn't get to go to 2018, She was the main reason for me moving to Montreal because I needed to kind of lean on somebody that knew what I was going through and knew what I felt. And we shared a lot of tears together that year. We shared a lot of just laughter

and just kind of trying to find joys in different aspects of our life. And I think for us, like we both knew that it wasn't the end of the road for us and we needed to find a way to kind of help each other get out of it. As for now, like it's, I feel like I've gotten a lot better at understanding who I am as a person.

I joke sometimes that like I'm Aaron and then I'm bros at the rank. Like that's just like my alter ego is just like my hockey bros. And I have to do, I have to be diligent and kind of reminding myself of that. And I think this year is a lot different than anything I've experienced before in the sense of our schedule and all our travel. and to truly be immersed in a team again, which we haven't had in so many years, it's just now understanding what I need to do at the rink to perform well, but also what I need to do for myself away from the rink

in order to make sure that I'm taking care of myself. And I'm lucky that I've got people that have known kind of my ups and downs and people like Laura Stacey and Marie-Philippe who have kind of seen me at my worst. but also like understand how they can help me and and they do a great job by like I always say like when I get quiet when I get frustrated when I'm kind of not doing well in my anxiety's high I very much become a little bit quiet which is not my personality at the rink and they do a great job of supporting me and knowing that like when that's the case like okay what is errant need it's not

that I'm being an ass and a bitch at the rink it's just this is kind of one of those days that I'm is not doing well and they give me the space to know that that's okay and also like how can we help kind of thing yeah i think that's so important to bring up that fact of you know the the the errand versus bros element because so many people think when you're a professional athlete you got to be clicked in all the time you know it's live you know and sleep what you're doing the game that you're playing your preparation and all that and it's really important to point out that you do need to switch off sometimes. You do need to take care of yourself, both mentally, physically and emotionally. And when you talk about that Aaron versus Bros element, what are some of the things that have

helped you switch off when you need to, you know, take a breath, re-center yourself, maybe set the game aside for a second to make sure that you're checking in. What are some of those things that have helped you be able to do that more easily? I think one of the big things is my relationship outside of the team. Like I kind of mentioned, like I have my go-to people. I have the people that I can lean on on my team but at the same time like connecting with people in montreal that aren't necessarily on the team connecting with my family a big facetimer like most of the times we get home from the rink around one in the afternoon and by the time i go to sleep i probably called eight people like whether it's our full cousin group chat my mom seven times like whatever it is there's some sort of

sort of conversation. And honestly, I love puzzles. Like, I crush puzzles. Like, it's insane. I sit there, put music on, or I'll put hockey on, and I'll just puzzle for three hour of street. Like, I don't know why. It's just something that I do.

And I did use to game a lot. I'm not going to lie, I would get online and game quite a bit. But we did not. I heard you were hitting cod pretty hard during COVID. Yeah, I was. Wait, what was your gamer tag? Okay. Okay, so this isn't fair because I got my PlayStation from, I did the Sportsnet Bracket Challenge, like right at the beginning of COVID.

That's right. Yep, yep. They gave us the PlayStation. So my gamer tag is FN. Violet, which just, I don't, I didn't know how to change it. So it's just FN Violet everywhere. And I'm like, this is just weird. But I never changed it. It's killing us in the melee.

Yeah, that's beautiful. Oh, shit. I love it. Okay. So, yeah, so puzzles, a little bit of gaming.

Yeah. Yeah. Those are great. I love the big puzzle. The console didn't come, though. Console didn't come. And my roommate who's back in here

is probably pissed about it, though, because she's a big fortnighter. So. Yeah. Oh, there you go. I'm letting her down.

Yeah. But, Aaron, one thing I thought was really high opening in your piece and you're saying right now is, um, I feel like so many players find the game as the escape,

right? And you said that where you were, like when you were in some of the dark days, you were leaning on hockey as like, well, whatever, I'll just ignore everything else because hockey is the happy place.

And that can feel like the right thing to do. Where you're like, oh, I'm finding my happy place. It's good. But I thought that was such a beautiful thing to highlight where it's like, well,

no, you're just putting a band-aid on it right now. You know, like you have to have to send it. Don't use that as the crutch because first of all, it's not going to be around forever. And second of all,

this isn't the healthiest way forward. So I thought that was such a beautiful thought that you had. Thank you. Yeah. And like, I think the big thing for me when I look at like college is I could never understand like it was almost like the messier my life was away from the rink, the better I was on the ice. And it doesn't make sense to me.

And I don't know why it was that case. And part of me now looking back on it is frustrated by it because it was like because I was performing so well. Like as an athlete, if you're performing well, like you don't, you're not going to change anything. else. So it was like, why do I, I don't need to make changes in my life. Like, I wasn't doing well. Like, there was a lot of things my freshman and sophomore year that were not good about my mental health, my mental all-being. And it was like, oh, well, I'm playing well. I'm putting up points. We're winning games. Like, I don't need to change anything. We're really, it should

have been a lot of red flags that early on. And I think that that's been a big thing as I've grown up and matured a little bit is like, I know that whatever is going on away from the rink. Like, I have to deal with that in a manner to not just like go to the rank and perform but like actually genuinely being at my best however I need to be and I think that that's been a hard thing for me to understand because I don't like to just focus in and zone in on hockey because that's not when I'm successful but at the same time like I need to make sure that I've taken care of things away from the rank and that my anxiety is not overwhelming me before games because it actually does make a big difference for me yeah and and not for nothing not to make a silver lining

got of nothing, but you said, you know, oh, maybe if that major setback had come earlier in my career, whatever, I'm not sure you would have had the maturity then. If it had happened early, you know, let's say you got cut freshman year at Clarkson or something and then came back. Like, when it did happen, you had had enough life experience to really notice the red flags, right? You kept saying, I was missing red flags. When it did happen, you were at a state in your life to recognize it and then help shape the rest of your life, which I think is amazing. Yeah. I think to a point, yes, I think there was also like red flags that I I was just like, who don't care.

Like that was kind of the point. Like, yeah, I was like, whatever. Like, kind of my, my give a shit meter was pretty low after getting cut from the Olympics. Like it was like, well, is this the right thing to do? Probably not, but like, going to do it anyways because I was like, whatever. Like, there was a lot of me that was like, no, I don't want to keep going. I don't want to try to get to 20, 22. Like, there was a lot of those thoughts.

And it wasn't until I kind of had people like a Carolin. roulette and a Julie two of my life that it was like okay there's so much more to things right now than just the moment I'm in right now and I every chance I get I thank them for what they did because I think they knew that that wasn't the end of the road for me and that was something I'm pretty thankful for that's beautiful it's so incredible that talking about stuff like this is becoming more prevalent in professional sports and definitely hockey in particular we had Nate Thompson on the pod and he told us about his battles with this and how it's become so important to him now moving forward and talking with fellow players and friends,

how serious and important has this become for you to sort of be able to be a mentor of sorts to some of the young girls coming up that you're playing with both as teammates and then coaching here and there or just seeing entering the game and giving them a platform to be able to talk about this stuff and know that there is a really safe space to sort of figure out what you're going through and find the best ways to cope? I think that's a major reason. and why I did speak out about things. I knew that there was a time for me, like, I think I knew what I was going through for so long.

I knew what I was dealing with for so long. And there was a lot of me that was like, I don't need to let other than kind of my people know. I didn't need to let other people know. But I think once it was out there that like, hey, like, this isn't, again, like, it's not me being an ass. Like, this is, like, I'm not having a good day. And it wasn't really until all of the COVID stuff really hit that once I had those

conversations, like, I was able to sit down and talk to Gina Kingsbury about, like, the isolation that we were going through in our camps that we had to go through. Like, it wasn't good for me. And, like, we worked on a plan together. And it was, like, knowing that I had that support from our general manager. And it's not ever going to be a cop out. It's just like, I need help. Like, I don't know how else to tell you.

Like, I want to be a part of this however I can be, but like I can't do it without your health. And I think once I was able to do that, like, yes, it definitely helped my teammates understand me, which was important to me. But I also, I'm a very big person who puts other people's happiness and desires over myself. And that's kind of part of the reason that I struggle sometimes. But at the same time, it's what brings me joy. and knowing that people can have conversations with me about this kind of stuff, I think allows me to be able to do that. And I think the other thing is like,

I think you two should, we're very, we're very, we're very, you should spend some time with each other and, and, oh, no, how you're constantly putting other people about.

No, Aaron, I read something you said, you had a quote that you were like, I forget the exact quote, but it was something like, you know, your favorite part about yourself is how compassion you are, and your biggest flaw is,

is that you get too compassionate. And I was like, oh my God. Because very, very relatable content. And I'm just saying that if you two want to just do stuff for me, whatever you're like it, I'm more than happy to accept that generosity. Oh, gladly. Gladly, gladly will be able to do that.

No, I think like, as for the next generation, like, I just think about the impact that a Haley Irwin had on me early on in my career with the national team. and it's like I want to be able to do that for kids that are coming up and that's not just somebody who's new to the senior team that's people that are on the development team that are on the U18 team and now even in this league like

I'm it's crazy to think that I'm kind of a vet in some ways but I'm also like I don't look at myself as a vet because I'm like oh I'm not on the back nine yet like don't consider me a vet kind of thing but there's just so many things that I've gone through that I'm like if anything that I've experienced can help somebody in some way, a teammate, somebody that I care about, like by all means, like I always joke, I'm all ears and it's not because I can hear well. It's because these things are so big. That's why I'm wearing the two. So like, I am here

for it and I want to there. Took them a little while, man. Holy! It's just something like I want to be able to help people however I can. And sometimes it takes a little bit of vulnerability to do that. yeah that's amazing i mean like we said i think it's it's so it's so great how vocal you've been and and and the the positive results that it's leading to it's fantastic and you know we talked about the the setback that was that was huge and you kind of discovering this stuff but then you obviously decided to tighten up the laces again and get back out there and bang 22 you get the call up and go to the olympics in Beijing obviously you bring home the gold but first it's been awesome reading about and hearing about now how close you are with your family you've got

the cousins group chat you are so close with your immediate family tell us about what was happening when you were sitting back in ontario and you got the call that you were on the team and headed to Beijing and don't i want to hear how stressed mom was yeah it was up and down up and down the stairs all morning so you don't know any details it was um so we had come back from uh we had a rivalry in St. Louis, Minnesota, and we had a COVID outbreak. So we all had to go home and we had to be isolated for Christmas. So I was down in the basement the whole time. And we had our timing for when we were getting our calls. So we all knew when the day was. And I'm not kidding you. Like, I think my call was at like 10.30 that morning. And I was up at like 7.38-ish. And my mom was

up and down the stairs. Like, it was, I was like, I could hear her pacing upstairs. I was like, Laura, like, you need to calm down right now because you're not helping me whatsoever. And it was just, it was awesome. My stepdad went and ended up going out and grabbing a bottle of champagne. And he came downstairs and was wearing one of my jerseys from like my first world championship. And I just remember calling everybody. It's like, I just got emotional thinking about that. That's such a sick move.

Yeah. And like they actually like they weren't supposed to be around obviously. But like I was on the FaceTime or the Zoom call. And my mom and my stepdad are like just on the other side. so they can hear every word. And I just see my mom just start sobbing as soon as I got named. And it was it was pretty special. Yeah, that's amazing.

Were you, obviously there was some PTSD going into that call, but were you like, I'm on this team, come on. Or were you like, I literally have no idea? You can be honest. You can be honest. No, I would never, this is the thing that I always say is like I, I would never kind of lie or say like I felt very good, especially after our world championships that were in August,

had our world championships in August, which I played really well there. And that was kind of like my, I think my big, because we hadn't had an event for so long. So kind of going into the Calgary world, it was like a lot was up in the air. Like I felt like I knew where I was stood.

And then like P.P. has always been my big thing. Like that's something I run. Like I take a heck of a lot of pride and like my power play abilities. and that was something that in Calgary like we were at lights out like I think we were like 47% on the and then that year like there was a yeah let's go so there was a lot of good things that happened there and then developed a lot of chemistry with Claire Thompson with my D partner and like I felt like the two of us were doing really well so like I felt very confident with the call but like again like you said like a lot of PTSD like I wasn't I wasn't saying anything

I wasn't planning anything, looking ahead of anything after December 23rd because I was like, I can't. I can't do it. Yeah. That's amazing. That's a great mindset to have. So you get to the games. Obviously, you guys are buzzing immediately. You score in your debut.

You lead all defensemen and points. Did it feel like a blur? Because, I mean, you guys, you rolled teams. It was unbelievable. And then obviously, US gave you a little bit of a test. But honestly, it looked closer than it even was. Yeah. You guys were dominant.

What was all of the emotions going through? Were you taking it game by game? And when you think back on it now, does it feel like a blur? Or do you kind of feel like you have a snapshot memory of every game and the whole process? Because like you said, COVID was still kind of a thing going on. Kind of. It was very much a thing. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. You're in China, too. Now you're going to China and playing the Olympic Games. Like, what was everything like there? I have to first correct you. I did not have the most points. My D partner did. Claire set the record.

Most goals, though, I think. Yes. Most goals. Yeah, yeah. Sorry, goals is what I meant. How do you give Claire a credit? Yeah, yeah, respect.

Respect. Respect. Got to show props to Claire. No, like, I literally think I could probably tell you almost every shift of every game that I played. Like, that was like how it was truly, like, they always talk about like just being in the zone. Like, it was just like everything was just seamless. I've never in my life, nor do I ever think I'll play on a team. like it was just everything worked.

Like, I think about the game, we were playing the Russians and, I can't actually say the Russians, but you know what I mean. And Emily Clark got pulled out of the game because her test was inconclusive. And that was the game we had to wear the masks.

And so Clarkie was on the line with Jenner and Pooh to begin the tournament. And then Clarkie got pulled. and then they put Nersie up there and then Nersie went on to set every record possible. So it was just like things like that, like that's how seamless that tournament was. Like it was like our first line left winger at the time

got taken off, couldn't play, and then NERCY went up there and then broke records. Like it was just like any hiccup, nonexistent. It was just like, like I will never forget when the U.S. scored to make it a one-goal game in the gold medal game. And we like there was not a ton of time left, but like a decent amount. Like it was possible.

Like we all were like, oh, okay, sounds good. Like there was. Yeah. Yeah. Like we were like like Blair Turnbull came to the bench and was like, it was a hell of a kill. Great job. Like we couldn't have done anything else.

It was six on four. Like that was unbelievable because they fought off like a good 35, 40 seconds probably before that. And it was like when we got them to. point of time left, we were like, no, no chance. Yeah. Yeah. That's such an awesome thing.

Incredible. Yeah. And then obviously it was reasonably locked down, but what would you guys get up to after? We had a good celebration like in, so we couldn't go to any other houses. Okay. So usually like you can kind of go amongst. And so we were just in ours like the men's team is still there. So they were around for a little bit.

A lot of the speed skaters were there. And then we ended up going to the third day after, I think it was. We had a dinner of the one night and the morning before that, or morning. Anyways, we actually went up to the mountains to watch Blair Turnbull's fiancé at the time compete in the bobsled. So awesome. And that was a rough bus trip for Aaron. And that is all we will say on this podcast. Yeah.

That's that. And that's all we need. I love to hear that. How, obviously, I imagine, you know, with the girls, you guys were going nuts, but did it feel like for you that that was an extra special celebration moment for yourself, winning that gold medal and playing as well as you did? I think like it was just so surreal. Like, I think the hardest part about that entire celebration and incredible moment was that. that the families couldn't be there. Like not being able to share that with them other than through a FaceTime was extremely

difficult because it was like this is also their moment. Like I just think of like my dad getting all the calls and text that he did and my sister and like those kinds of things and I just like I wish I could have shared it with them. But also it kind of made it really special for our group. Like the celebration that we just got to have because usually like if your families are there like even it happens all the time at world championships like when our families are there like once you're kind of out of the dressing room you lose the group in a sense like everybody's still around but like you aren't immersed in each other so it's pretty special and that we got like three or four days

together afterwards it's pretty awesome yeah and and and not just the family Aaron but i imagine for you too because i know you did so much work with your strength coaches right like dan um yeah and and the the amount of stuff i imagine you wanted to share that moment with them too, right? So there were so many people that, that you looked back on reflecting, like, my God, was it, was it that Olympics when he gave you the, with the note with the word love on it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Unbelievable, right. So, so I imagine you were feeling those, those relationships, too, in that moment. Yeah. And it was, like, I'm the first one to admit. Like, once we got back, I think all of us were like, zero care about COVID things because we just wanted to see anybody and everybody. Yes. Like, it was like, I don't care. I'm. going to this celebration, that celebration, here, here. Like, you just wanted to share it with everybody and anybody you could. That's so awesome. God, what a great experience.

Okay, before we get into the pro stuff, because that's coming, I wanted you here just really quickly because I thought this was so cool. In between, before the P-Dub started, the stuff you've been doing with University of Toronto women's team, skills, coach, and athlete mentor, just talk to us a little bit about what that's been like and what it feels like to be able to, and you're not a vet. You're so very young. You're not a vet yet.

what it feels like to be able to give back to some future stars of the game in that way? Honestly, I love it. I first got my opportunity with coaching at Concordia, like, after I got released in 2017. And, like, that was really special for me. And then timing just didn't really work out once I got back to Toronto. I didn't get to kind of help out right away. And then Vicki Sonahara called me. And anytime somebody like Vicki Sonahara called you, like, you're like, yeah, anything

dropped. So I started out as like the skills coach. I would go once a week and then as I usually do when this situation arises, it's like, oh, now I'm going to go to this game. Now I'm going to do this. And like by the end of the year, I went to the national championship tournament with them. Like it was like, oh, I'm coming on the bus. Like I was going to Montreal.

There was no doubt about it. And I'm really passionate about it. Like I love getting to coach. I love getting to kind of teach. Like I am very much a high IQ methodical. hockey player. So it's almost frustrating in a sense trying to teach, but at the same time, it's something that I want to be able to do and kind of show people like a different side of the game

or different looks and been able to learn from, like, I, my head coaches that I've worked with are Carolyn, Willett, and Julie 2, and Vicki Sonohra. Like three legends of the game that I've looked up to since I started playing. And I would say that all three of them are like very good friends of mine. And that's kind of cool to say. That's awesome. Yeah, it is. So we're going to get into the pro stuff.

Mm-hmm. I love how you sort of have a history of remembering important dates in your life. So September 18th, 20203 is one that you will remember forever. Yeah. And you're obviously here. You're in Toronto, where you grew up in a sense. and you are getting drafted into the PWHL and you go in the first round to Montreal, on the scale of everything that's gone on, where does this moment rank for you?

And how surreal was it to think? Because it was really awesome seeing an interview you had in your last year at Clarkson. Yeah, I don't know if you remember this. This really made me happy. We watched this really awesome interview where you're in your last year and someone's asking you about what you think you want to do after you leave school. And so emphatically you were like, I want to be in hockey. It doesn't matter what.

I want to play. I want to coach. I want to be in the world of hockey no matter what. And here you are playing professionally and being a first run pick in the inaugural draft of the P-dub. It's like, how amazing is this? And how do you feel now? Yeah. Like, September 18th was a whirlwind.

My parents couldn't like whirlwind. My parents couldn't come. So I invited my brother-in-law and my cousin to come with me. My sister was pregnant, so didn't really want to have to force her into that. You know, you know that your mom was running up and down the stairs. She was in Portugal. She was in Portugal with her sister and her best friend. They were watching on her iPad.

Yeah, apparently mom was crushing the wine. Like mom was like, when's her name's going to be all? Like, mom was freaking. but it was really cool to have my brother-in-law there like my brother-in-law is like shout up to Adam because he is like a hockey nerd and he's a saber fan though so like whatever oh poor guy I know oh not whatever not whatever we feel terrible for him yeah yeah um so he was able to come and there's a photo after I got drafted of me hugging him and that one just like chokes me up because I'm like, you're not even blood, but like it just meant everything to have

them there. And similar to Taylor, like I had the CBC camera crew as well. And they were everywhere. And like it was just trying to get everything kind of organized. And honestly, I hadn't even talked to Montreal. Like I had a relationship with Sovejo. Yeah. Go ahead. Go ahead. Well, one of my questions is going to be, did you have a sense of where you were going? Do you know anything? or were you like, I have no idea my name was going to be called. So answer that as you keep telling this story. Yeah, so I had a relationship with Sovejo

from when I played for Lake Canadian in Montreal at the end of the CWHL. And I didn't talk to her at all going into the draft. So, like, I was pretty, I mean, you knew Taylor was born in Minnesota, and then I was pretty sure Toronto was going to take Joss. And after that, I was like, I have no idea.

There was a lot of, a talk that they wanted to take D early and I'm like okay so New York then Ottawa then Montreal and I was like Montreal was my first choice out of those guys but I also was like so I was confident that at least in the because they have the back to back too they had six and then seven I was like hopefully but I was like yeah yeah good call I was like I haven't even talked to so when we were at uh like one of our hockey Canada things I just like just said to Corey I was like I like I like Montreal like that was it that's all I said like I was like I'm not going to like but I was like because I had heard some things that people were like Amrose left unhappy she didn't like her time in Montreal and I was like no no no

like I I like it so when Danielle called my name I was pretty excited and my agent was sitting beside me and he was like a proud dad at that time because he was he's in he's based out of Montreal too and he was like yes and I was like okay Thomas you need to relax this is my moment call yeah but it was awesome so I'm pretty pumped to be back Yeah, it's incredible. I love the idea, too, of your, like, you know, like crossing your fingers to not get drafted higher. Like, no, no, no, wait, wait, wait. Oh, like, I would have been, it would have been awesome.

And, like, especially seeing as the teams developed kind of thing, like, it was pretty cool to see your friends and everything go to different places. But I was like, I mean, Montreal, like, I want to play with Marie-Philippe Quinn. Like, who doesn't? Come on. Yeah. Amazing. So. So, it's, you know, we, we sort of talk to Taylor about.

this and and I just love getting all of your perspectives on it. Do you feel like in the moment and even now it sinks in fully how monumental you being a part of that moment is? Because it's like, I mean, that's unreal. This is as far as the women's game, the P-dub is this huge step into where we all want this game to go and how big we want this league to become. And forever, for you and your family to be able to say that you were a first round pick in the inaugural draft. It's Like that is your history. Yeah. That's part of history.

Your poster is on the wall now. Yeah. That's you. You are the first ever draft pick for Montreal in the P-Dub. And that is going to be, you know, in the hallways of their facilities till the end of time. Like Dan brought up that interview. And I was like, and I don't know the guy who asked you that question. It was 20 when did you graduate from Clarkson in 2016?

It was 2016, whatever. The guy asking you, he's certainly not laughing. But the tone of his conversation to you is light in that he's like, it's your last weekend in college hockey. Like, what are you going to do for a job after this? And I just love, I want to like teleport you back into that time and be like, I'm going to be the sixth overall pick in the fucking professional hockey league. Thank you very much. Yeah, it's like I want a video. I want to make a mashup video of that question fading into you tucking your first goal.

Yeah. We got to get that. Yeah. Has that sunk in, you know? Have you been able to soak all that up? Um, I think like, I, I, I know, I watched like the, the CBC put together, like, their draft day thing and I watched it, showed my family kind of thing. And there was a moment that I actually was in my apartment. And I was like, I want to remind myself, like, as it, I was nervous as hell that day. Like, I was so nervous. But I also was like, it is a monumental day for our game. And not just for me personally, like, it truly was like, we have never had anything. Like the drafts in CWHL,

the only time you ever actually had legitimate drafting was, okay, you're going to Toronto or Markham. Like that was the only time there was ever a question. And I think for me, like it was just like trying to soak that all in

and be like, okay, this is like actually insane. And there's been like different points now throughout since the draft. And then it was like, first time we got together as a group of Montreal.

And then, I mean, I'm not going to lie. When we were in Ottawa, the season opener, like it was packed and the crowd started singing all Canada and it just kind of took over. And it was like, I actually had a huge grin on my face because I was like, this is pretty awesome. Yeah.

I mean, that's an all-time memory. Oh, my God. All right. I want to ask you about that. But right before I do, did what did you guys do after on draft night? Do you guys rage? We had a celebration after. and then I actually had a flight out.

I had to leave. So, like, it was a lot very quickly, and then went into the lounge at the airport. Yeah. Okay, hey, good time to be at the lounge, though. Did you get buckled in the lounge, though? Because, listen, I've been there many a times and done exactly that.

The lounge is a great place to be. I'll put it at that. It's a wonderful place. It was a long bus ride for Taylor after the Natty. It was a long flight after the draft or for Aaron. I love that so much. Okay, so let's talk, let's talk season so far. Okay.

Opening night, OT win. So sick. Unbelievable. And then you guys play against many. You lose that one. You're one and one. You're at New York tomorrow of the recording. But you guys haven't had the home game yet.

So I'm going to ask you a lot, answer it, however you see fit. But talk to me about the crowds. What has surprised you about the league so far? What hasn't surprised you? And how fired up are you for? that home opener in front of the Montreal crowd for the first time. Okay. So I know you guys are big into suits.

I know you guys rank them on your TikToks all the time. Yeah. We are a TikTok fan. So we've got a couple suit options for Saturday's home game. Oh, hell are you. Let's go. Then you talked to Taylor about how she had her three blazers and how she was like, ooh, big choices.

So I've got two suits that I'm trying to decide between for the home opener that are going to be pretty bold. So we're trying to figure that one out. Both have marooned burgundy in them. So like obviously, actually that was convenient. I got these done and I didn't even know I was going to Montreal when I got them done. I had to a burgundy.

Oh, hell yeah. Wait, can we get into this? Let's help you make this decision. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. We've got a great... I want to hear about them. Got a great plaid.

I'm gonna Oh, here we go. Yeah. Yeah. I can tell you this would stress me out. Oh my God, Dan. It would stress me out and I don't even, I'm not even the fashion guy.

You would have a heart attack. I truly would. Oh, damn. Wait, is that the line? Yeah. Yeah, that's the liner. I don't know how we beat that. Who is that very good dog?

That's Henry. Is that a dog? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, it's going to be hard to top this. So then this is the burgundy one. Okay. So it's just like classy.

That's gas. But we'll show the rest of that part afterwards. The liner of that one will show you afterwards. Okay. Okay. So yeah, we're just trying to decide like the gray and the burgundy. Like it doesn't actually show you the actual design of it very well. But we're just trying to figure it out.

I don't know. I don't know if it's too bold. Both good options. Wait, you think the burgundy might be too bold? That thing is, that's fly. I think that plays well. I think fans will love that. Don't worry about that being too bold. The question is with the dog. Yeah. Is Henry in the Burgundy one too? No. No. I think we go gray. I think we go gray. Man, I think I want Henry on your back heading into opening night. Okay. At home. I'll take that into consideration. Take it into consideration. Just think about it. That's all we can ask.

Okay, but you said the crowd was amazing, right? So, like, talking about some of the hype that's been there and, you know, honestly, all the experiences so far in the first couple weeks there. It's been phenomenal. Like, I think blown away in Ottawa, I think it was Haley Salvean talked about it, that Marie-Philippe-Lenn got booed in our nation's capital, which I think is the craziest thing in the world. but like she went to take that penalty shot and I was like what is happening?

We actually got booed when we first went onto the ice and I was walking out because I'm last to go out and I'm like in the tunnel I'm like I've never been booed before my life yeah so it was just like sweet to like it was surreal and then Minnesota's fans are awesome. A little bit. A little bit, yeah. Yeah, yeah, a little bit.

Yeah, yeah, a little fired up. Minnesota was awesome although I think this is the first time I experienced. Like it was like anytime Hysey had the pot like over her own blue line it was like, I was like, I'm not even taking a shot.

Like that was the first time I've really like heard the fans get into it that much. And it was like, oh my God. It was a dump in. It wasn't that close to going in like settle down kind of thing. She rimmed it. Yeah.

But it was pretty awesome. Like go ahead. You know what I love about this is there's animosity building all. right yeah hell yeah and what i honestly i think erin what i was most there's two things right now that i i'm so eager to ask you and one of them is this this might be the one i'm most excited about do you feel like you know it's the first season yeah do you think that there's rivalries already brewing or are there rivalries that already exist because of certain players on certain

teams and do you think that those are going to keep growing like what where where are you feeling like is Montreal's rival right now if there is one yet? I think all of the above. Hell yeah. I truthfully think like it's just going to be every team. Like I think

by the time we play each other the third time like it's going to be like I think of that Ottawa game like I think our next game against Ottawa is going to be in the best way possible mayhem. Yep. Like it'll be sick.

I love that. Okay. So then perfect follow up. the games have been so physical. Yeah. I mean, that Ottawa game, you gals were throwing bodies around.

And we're getting rubbed off into the boards, hard. So as a fan, I thought it was electric. I loved it. And I feel like that's been a pretty general reaction across the, you know, fans across the continent and the world,

frankly. Yeah. So where, where are you standing? Do you think that the girls in the locker room, are like that. Do you want more of that? Because, you know, I remember talking to Bilks and Taylor, and they were kind of like, fuck yeah, I want to hit people. I want more of this in the game. Where do you stand on that? I'm definitely on that side of it. I think we have to figure out what it's going to be. I think there's been sometimes, like, I mean, we've had a prime example is like, Lee alum took a penalty against Minnesota. And it was like, That exact same thing has happened in every other game.

It's not being called. So that's just the hard part. And like, honestly, we're still trying to figure out, like, is that allowed? Is it not allowed? Like, anything along the boards I'm all for. I think, like, if you're going, like, I think that's for sure. I think the stuff in the open ice, I think is a little bit. If you're, like, you've got to figure it out.

I mean, half. A lot of people probably have never played hitting before. then you've got somebody like me who like yeah a lot of our international games get physical but like it's not like a true like so okay i haven't played true checking since i was 14 years old playing boys hockey kind of thing so i think it's a little bit of both like i want the physicality like i think it's really stepped up the intensity of our game um i think we just got to figure it out and i mean i i think what i really like is with this like you talk about the NHL and how like it polices itself like the game polices itself. Yeah. But I also think like we're going to show you that it polices yourself in a way that like you don't have to literally square up and fight somebody. Like I'm going to come over and give you a shot, but like what am I going to do? Okay, unbuckle. Here we go. Let's chuck them. Like that's not going to happen kind of thing. But there's going to be times when like, okay, you're going to hit our girl. I'll get you back kind of thing.

Yeah. That's cool take actually because I've always. I've always felt that in, I've always been in that camp of like, well, yeah, the NHO, that's why you, that's why you have fighting because you can protect the star players and blah, blah, blah, but I think this will be a great case study of like, hey, listen, we can, the game can police itself without punching you in the face. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, true.

And it's just been really cool. I mean, we're so few games into the season already, but the, the energy is so, so there, and people are buzzing about it. And I also think it's really cool how already there are so many people talking. about ways that the NHL can continue to adapt and improve based on what the P-dub is doing. I mean, the point system is something that people- Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just all this stuff, it's a rising tide situation.

And I think having the P-dub, something we've been talking about, we've been banging the drum hard on, and it's just going to make all the leagues improve and get spotlight on every, every facet that we possibly can. So it's just so awesome to see how high energy it's been. far to start. It's been such a blast. When, when, can we, can we go on record when you're going to have the first tuck? I saw you got the first PIMS out of the way game one.

Yeah, I did. I didn't think it was a penalty, and I'm like to the ref after, and it was penalty. Well, we're going to start with the first point. First point's going to come tomorrow. There you go, Rose. I like it. First point tomorrow, and then maybe, maybe say the first tuck for home opener. Yeah, I've got to wait for my nephew to be in the stands. Oh, yes. A nice peeper goal at home would feel quite nice. Yeah. I like that. Can you, what can you tell us, what are you allowed to tell us about the team names?

I don't know a thing. Don't know a thing. I literally don't know a thing. Yeah. Do you, are you allowed to say if you like all the rumors? Like we have the rumored names. Do you like those? Are you, are you a company line? We love everything. I was surprised. Okay. Fair enough. Fair enough. What I will say, allegedly, is that I think it's great that these rumors don't seem like they're totally set in stone.

Yeah. Big responses. Big responses on the internet. We'll see. Let's see what the internet can do. Yeah. Listen, we got Sonics eyes changed. You know, we can get some good names here.

All right. Aaron, we want to close you out, as we always do, with our game past shoot score that we We play with all of our guests. Oh, okay. So we're going to tap into some of your personality here. And I want to start you off with first the rules. Yeah. Pass shoot,

score. Let's call it what it is. It's essentially Mary fuck kill. It's just a ranking system. Passing the puck's great. Passing the puck's great. That's going to be third. We love shooting,

getting pucks on net. That's number two. And then obviously scoring is the ultimate goal. So that's number one. So I'm going to give you three things. You got to rank them your least, or, you know, third most favorite to first. Okay.

Start me with food. Okay. Past you'd score. Number one, your favorite poutine in Montreal. Two, a burger at Eden's hearth at Clarkson. And three, a pulled pork bowl with pico, grilled pineapple, black beans, cheddar cheese, and Chipotle sauce. Well, I made that one, so.

Yeah. You sure did. be score. It's going to be score. Okay. If you would have put burger and a big beer from Evans, that's number one. Wow. I almost said we should do that, but I was like, I don't know if she was going to be like,

yeah, I was gas and beers at Clarkson. So I didn't want to say it, but that's amazing. Big beers are like, yeah. Like they're like, they're huge. I don't even know what they are. All right. Is that place sick? I read that.

it goes off during your games. Oh, yeah. Well, not my games, but the men's games, it's always fun. Like, that's literally, we're either there

in the alumni lounge the entire time for alumni weekend. So awesome. It's a lot. Yeah, that's solid. What is your burger order?

Patty, cheese, tomato, and ketchup. So, yeah, nothing. Okay, simple.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was always curious about. Yep. You know, some people throw mushrooms and bacon.

New, you know, Simple. Okay, but so that's your shoot and the Poutine is Poutine's pass. Have you gotten to Poutine at all in Montreal or not really? No, like body of an athlete here. So I'll go for the big beer at Evans instead of the Poutine. The Evans big beer takes the cake.

Over the gravy price. I feel like I'm such a Puder fan and no one we've talked to is into it. Every time someone from Montreal comes on, we ask about the butine and they're like, I don't eat it. Cole doesn't walk with it at all. It drives me insane. Lab on Key. When you guys are in Montreal, Labelonkees. Yeah, okay.

Oh, yeah. That's where, yeah, what's some of your favorite food spots in Montreal right there? Yeah, a grinder. There's a restaurant in Gryffintown, unbelievable. September, the cafe coffee shop. That's pancakes ever. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, okay. Nice. Like pancakes with a little bit of salt on top too. Oh, oh. Oh, yeah. Salt? Yeah, dude, it's just like ice cream. You put a little bit of salt.

salt on anything nice and sweet. It activates the flavor like you read about. Wow. Okay. Okay. This category is obsessions. Okay. Pass chute's score.

Cockapoo dogs. Nice watches. Oh, or Gerbera daisies. Okay. Well, like, I'm going to be logical here and say pass is cockpoo dogs because it's not all cockpoo dogs.

It's just Henry. So you said cocky dogs. So, no, but you said cocky dogs. the dog so that's going to be passed. Extremely fair. Extremely fair. Extremely fair.

And then I probably have to say shoot is nice watches because I have two tattoos of Gerber days on me so like they're with me for life. So like probably you're going to have to be used for. The watches you can take off. Yes. Very fair. Very fair. And tell us a little bit about the tattoos before you go.

Just what those mean to you. Gerber daisy is my family's favorite flower. So my mom, my nana and my sister. I have one on the back of my arm, which is three of them for the three of them. And then I have one of my top of my foot, actually, which is a purple one. So I love it. Only see that one in heels, though. Yeah.

All right, Aaron, this, we've taken up enough of your time. This has been an absolute blast. We can't thank you enough for coming on before we let you go. Is there anything you want to shout out, say what's up to, anything like that? Check out PWA-TL Montreal. Team to beat. There you go. There you go.

That's it. Thank you, guys. Aaron. Can't wait. We'll be tuning into the game. Good luck tomorrow, Ryan. Thank you. Guys, BetM-G-M-Ap. You have to get on this thing. I'm giving you offers here. I got deals. I get deals. I get deals.

You're going to use promo code Netters 158. That's N-E-T-T-E-R-S-158. And then you get to place a bet on the BetM-GM app. Win or lose. You get $158 bucks back. Free bets with that thing. Are you kidding me? We're ramping up. The season's getting to All-Star Break. There's a ton to bet on. Take advantage of this office.

offer, you are going to love it. Disclaimer, for terms and conditions. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C., Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. Call 8778-8-Hope-N-Y or text Hope N-Y for New York.

Call 100, Next Step for Arizona. 1-800-3-50-50 for Massachusetts. 1-800-off for Iowa. 1-800-2-1-1-1-7-1-Mash for Michigan. 1-8-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1. First bet offer for new customers-only and partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Massive thank you to Aaron.

Huge. We kept her up on a school mic, dude. On a work night. Love Eric so much. Like you said, Aaron played that next day and lit it up. And then has gone on a tear since. And then has just been so fun. Such a homie.

She's the best, yeah. Certified homie for the empty netters crew because Aaron is so cool, so much fun to talk to. And if you didn't get it from that interview, the Pdub is sick. It's firing. Truly watch those games. Those ladies are buzzing and, you know, smoking each other, playing. such an intense game of hockey, highlight real goals coming out of every single game. So get dialed in, no question about it.

What do we got? We get overtime, and you know what that means. Little armchair GM and a little saucy predictions. Let's get into Armchair GM. Blakey, hit us with the results of last week. Okay, so big week for CP last week. I know. Have you guys already peaked at this?

No, I haven't peeked, but I just see. I don't want a lot. Like, oh, headman, 4.9. And I'm like, hell of you. Yeah, I like being surprised, but I was just looking at a couple of my players just not doing it. Yeah. So, I guess we'll give an update on the standings. So after last week, after Chris's

39 points last week, he now is a cumulative 62. And Dan had 25 points last week for an accumulative 59. So Chris is in the lead, as of now, by three points. That's a dominant week. He had a big week from one, Austin Matthews. Five goals, three assists. for 13 points on our scoring system. Yeah, definitely a big comeback week for CP to make things interesting.

I think next week I'll implement a theme. Oh, yeah, fuck. Okay, we'll do that next week. We'll still keep the same rules. Can't pick anyone that was picked the week prior. Okay, so can you give us a rip of who's off limits? So off limits from Dan's team. We have J.T. Miller, Sam Ryanhart,

Philip Forsberg, Dobson, Charlie McAvoy, and Demi. Co. And then from C.P.'s team, we have Willie Stiles, Peterson, Patterson, Austin Matthews, Evan Bouchard, Victor Headman, and Elias Sorokin. I don't know if this is, there's anything

to this, but the person that is picked first both weeks has shit on the other person. I know. And I don't think that's going to hold. Like, I think that was totally random. It's something to keep an eye on. I'm also going to tell you this right now, for the fun of this, what I could do is go right back to my team one

in week one but I'm not going to do that I don't even think you'd want to do that though I mean there's certain players that could definitely you know like going back to pasta and going back to Cooch obviously would be fun but I'm going to try to keep mixing it up a little bit here so I've got first pick

you do man there are some players here that just feel so insane to not I am going to start off my team my first pick I am going to go with the surging avalanche and I'm gonna go moose I'm gonna take Miko Rattner

I think I'll do I'll do pasta that's fucked up okay I'm gonna be boring I'm gonna take McKinnon like he's just he's too good and I just said I'm going with the buzzing

avs so pray to God this week the avs stay hot because I'm in a tough way already okay let me take I'll go Quinn Hughes on D. All right, you just took Quinn.

Yep. I'm going to go the other side of this. A guy that I've been pumping the tires of all season long, not getting enough shine, Philip Pronick. Pronick has been really awesome all season long and, you know, benefiting from a great Vancouver team, but I love me some

Ronick, and I want to see him have a nice week carry me to a victory. Very cool. Yeah. All right, I'm going left wing. I'll take Kevin Fiala Friend of the program Love that I'm gonna round up my D

I'm gonna take Carlson I just think Fuck I wanted him so bad Suck on that bitch I just think we're We're entering a little phase here Where Crosby's gonna get pissed And be like we gotta stop fucking losing

And I just think that's gonna lead To some Carlson points So I'm taking EK I really wanted that I can't believe you just got him I'll take Yosi Actually

Yeah I'll take Yosie Okay I am going to Ride the new coach bump With my goaltender And take Seroquin Fuck Yeah

Sorokin was picked last week Yes By CP Sorry Damn it Give me No I'm not gonna do it

You know who I am gonna do Linus Olmark Oh shit O'Mark back in the lineup He's gonna start getting some games here he's going to get me some points. What were you going to do? I was going to do goly bob.

The Panthers are buzzing, but that man is too trick-or-treat for my liking. Give me goalie bob. Nice. I was going to do it. I was so positive you're going to say it. Fuck it, dude. All right, what do you need and left in?

All right, rounding out my left wing, I really, really, really like two guys here. I'm going to tell you who the one. they are. I like Jason Robertson, and I like Matthew Kachuk. I think Matthew Kachuk has woken up a little bit. I like it. I think Dallas is just like struggling. Robo has been playing a little bit of slower pace than he was last year. So I'm going to go with Maddie Kachuk. Okay, and for my center, give me dry saddle. Let's see if the first pick team continues to stay in form. Yep, I'll keep check for next week And we'll have a theme in coming for next week

Yes, please So last week We had to eat Some nice last dab hot sauce Because we fucked up our saucy predictions What was yours? What was yours this week? Mine was that Jacob Markstrom would be traded

And he was pulled off the ice And he wasn't And remember there was a time where you said That wouldn't be saucy enough Yep. Well, I got it wrong. I should have to eat another one. If he gets traded before the deadline, do I at least get a... Maybe you can give out a... I get to give someone.

Basically, you'll give it to me. Yeah. Okay. Deal. The mine was that Sam Reinhert was one goal behind Austin Matthews. And I said by the end of the week he would have more goals than Matthews. Between Monday to Monday, Sam Reinerd scored zero goals, and Austin Matthews scored four goals in three games. So that would also be an L. So we're going to last dab it up yet again here.

And I'm just telling you folks, I really hope this doesn't become a reoccurring a theme. Yes. Okay. Ready? Yep. I do, though, because the clips are hilarious. Here we go.

Cheers. Don't touch anything. Cheers, sir. You forget. You forget. And then you remember right away. I do wonder. if this will ever get better. Like if I'll build up a tolerance or something.

Yeah, you will. And then we'll go to DeBomb. Yeah. What's frustrating is the sauce tastes good. It does? Yeah, it really does. So that initial bite, I'm like, this is a good piece of chicken. But then already now, it just, it escalates into absolute madness.

I just, I said last week, I can feel the hiccups coming. and they're already coming. Those are big bites that you guys are taking too. Well, I'm not going to skimp on this. And I like that we're doing bites as opposed to wings because we have to eat it all. All right, I'm going to go first. Okay.

Because I've got a really good stat for you guys here. Currently, Quinn Hughes has been the brass of defensemen in the NHL. He leads the league, I believe, with 56 points from the blue line. Holy fucking shit. Right behind him is Kail Makar with 54. I believe that Kail Makar will be the leading defenseman in points by this time next week, over Quinn Hughes. Okay, good one. Now, I make this pick because of this stat.

Kail Makar just got his 300th point in his career, becoming the second fastest defenseman to do so. Behind who? Number four, Bobby Orr. Do you have a guess how many games it took Bobby Orr to get 300 career points as a defenseman? My God. I think I saw, so I'm going to be close. You want me to withhold my guess because of that? Yeah, do you know?

No. Guess. How many games it took Bobbyor to get 300 career points? $250. 279 games. Jeez. How many do you think it took kale? Because I love these stats.

I'll go 350. Okay. I love these stats because... Jesus Christ. That's so bad. It always is like, you know, Connor McDavid reaches like 500 points. He's the fourth fastest to do so.

And the top ones are Lemieux, Gretzky, Messier, and it's such a preposterous number. It's like the stats back then were absurd. Kale did it in 280 games. Literally one less. So when people talk about this, Kale might be the greatest defenseman of all time at the end of the day.

It's not ridiculous. It's not that crazy. Because Bobby didn't play that long. And here you see Kale, 300 points in 280 games. Bobby, 300 points in 279 games. And Kail's already won a cup. He's already won a Norris, and he's already won a Kahn-Smyth.

Like, he might do it. So, Kail's my guy. pick. Go for it. Okay. Sidney Crosby is on a four-game point streak as of right now. He has three games this week. You boys are dying. By this time next week, he will be on a seven-game point streak, but to make it saucy enough, he has to

score at least one goal, so we can't just have three games where he has an assist each game. Seven-game point streak with another goal over the next three games. That's my prediction. Okay. One thing I wanted to note, in Sid's 18-year career, never once, never once, has he finished the season with more goals than assists. He had one more assist in 1617, and he had two more assists in 10-11, so it was close, but never once. Right now he has 26 goals and 21 assists.

And it's not because he's not passing. It's because the fucking penguins can't finish. Like, no one on the team can fucking score. So figure it out if you want to be. I just said you're giving up the third-release goals in the league, and Sid's firing. Just fucking shoot in the puck when he passes it to you. Yeah. And you'll be in the playoffs.

Yeah. That's it. Beautiful. Okay. That is it for us this week at the Empty Nair's podcast. love you guys. We wouldn't do this stuff if we didn't love you. Do us a favor. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a five-star review. If you're watching on YouTube, please like, subscribe, spread the word, keep building up this fam. We absolutely love you. I am going to go ice my mouth.

And until we see you next week, skate hard. We got to go.