Empty Netters Podcast - Connor Zary On His Breakout Rookie Year & Getting The Flames Back To The Playoffs | 125

Episode Date: August 12, 2024

Connor Zary joins the pod dishing stories on his crazy draft night, getting the call to the National, and what it was like switching to wing to join a line with Nazem Kadri. After battling through injuries he knows how much it would mean to the city to get the Flames back to the playoffs. Plus, you'll never believe how obsessed he is with waffles and fedoras... NEW EPISODES EVERY MONDAY & WEDNESDAY!  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 (0:00) – Intro (3:55) – Jersey Number Switch? (5:27) – The Draft (16:00) – Being Called Up To The Show (18:11) – First NHL Goal (22:57) – Playing Top Line Minutes (30:34) – Switching To The Wing (34:55) – Rookie Year (44:45) – The Flames Grind (50:14) – Keeping Busy in Saskatoon (52:05) – Pass, Shoot, Score Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On game day, pain can hit hard and fast, like the headache you get when your favorite team and your fantasy team both lose. When pain comes to play, call an audible with Advil plus acetaminopin and get long-lasting dual-action pain relief for up to eight hours. Tackle your tough pain two ways with Advil plus acetaminephim. Advil, the official pain relief partner of the NFL. Ask your pharmacist at this product's rate for you. Always read and follow the label. He'd body check me so hard through the wall from like my outside. all the way to my shoulder.

There was like an indent, like four inches into the wall. It's like the Kool-Aid man. Like it's like a picture, a perfect frame of czar through the wall. Ice is ready, babies, and we are back with another episode of the Empty Nutter's podcast. You got your boy, Dan Powers, DP over here. I'm joined by my brother CP as always. As always. Flames fans, we've got a good one for you.

And hockey fans, we've got a good one for you. Look at that. It's a double whammy. Finally, Connor Zeri of the Calgary Flames. Rookie sensation last year, going to be a stud this year, joins the podcast. We've been chasing him and chasing him. It's like Derrily. De Zulander.

Unbelievable. We are Mugatu. He's Zulander. Every time we want him, we couldn't have him. Now we can't have him, and now we want him, and we want him, and we got him. And you're retired. No, I can't have you anymore. He's unbelievable.

Such a funny guy. He claims to not be a locker room clown, but he is. He certainly is. Connery is such a stud in this league. He's such a good dude. Can't wait for you guys to enjoy this interview. We'll kick it to it right now. Have a blast.

We are joined today by a Saskatoon native, a WHL first team all-star, a world junior silver medalist, the former captain of the Camloops Blazers, the 24th overall pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2020 draft, and a man so crazy that he sometimes makes his bed after dinner. Conrad's area, welcome to the Empty Netters podcast. Thanks for having me, boys.

Appreciate that. Come on, buddy. Let's go. Do you just like seeing the nice bed? Like, you like to go and go to bed, you just want to see it. That's obviously the answer. But, Zeri, I'm here to say, just fucking make it when you wake up, dude. Like, what do we do it?

No, I always get that. It's like the old saying, like, that's your first win of the day. Yeah. When you're rolling out of bed and you listen to 15 alarms and you don't want to leave your bed, it's kind of one of those things where you just roll out and get dressed. So for me, it's like come home, like, especially after practicing, afternoon just make the bed just so like when I crawl on it in like an hour to take a nap it'll be made do you do make it when you wake up from the nap or does that you don't get that

win either depends no nap naps don't usually get too crazy but like I'm I'm wrestling myself during the middle of the night so that's pretty pretty messed up now hold on you mentioned those alarms are you a snooze guy or are you you have like 15 separate alarms guy no I'm both I got on dude we got all we got a ball together here Like, it's psychotic. I don't know if how clear you guys can see me. I don't know if I can pull this up, but, like, it's bad. Yeah, do it.

I'm going to hate what this looks like. I already know what he's about to show us. This is bad. Like, say, like, in the summer, like, say, I never really wake up before six. But, like, I have an alarm for every shot. Oh, my God. Dude, look at how many AMs there are there. Every single one.

So, like, when I'm, like, in season, it'll be, like, 7.30. And then I'll give myself, like, 10. minutes and then the next one will be 740 then every one on from there every five minutes yep i don't get you people i'm the same way i'm guilty too i'm the same way dude like don't you want to just sleep like i understand the feeling of going back to bed but just like you're costing yourself like an hour and half of sleep till the whole till the alarm i think it's like too much anxiety of like missing missing one and if i miss one i might miss two and if you know if i got 15 i'm not gonna make 50 yeah well you should see me when i have a flight dude i fucking i said one thousand it's a on the plane it's going

off every five minutes. People are like, shut your fucking phone off. He actually sleeps sitting up with his luggage in his lap. It's like not even. Well, especially like first year, you know, you don't want to be that guy. Like, you've been in the league for two months and you're missing a meeting or something. I'd rather be up three hours before it. Yep. Cannot happen. Cannot happen. On time is late, dude. Dude, before we jump into your career, I got to know because, you know, got a new season incoming. There's something that's available to you. Are we switching to 18 this season or what? Or keeping 417? I was talking to Depot, the equipment guy in Calgary, and I thought about it a bit.

Like, people tell me, like, either way. But, like, I was honestly just like, I'm kind of, like, I'm not like a superstitious guy, but I'm also like, okay, I had a good season. Like, I don't really want to mess with anything or get too comfortable. So I just, I'm going to stick with 47, even though it doesn't really mean much. Like, it was kind of just given to me as a camp number. But honestly, like, just try to make it my own. And instead of switching things up, instead of going back to my old number.

I love that. Okay. I was going to say, like, do you have plans to? But I think stick with it, dude. Because here's the thing. When you light the world on fire this season with 47, you can't change after that. Exactly. You got to just, we're leaning in.

I'm into it. I'm into it. It's not like it's like, I don't know, when I look at it, it's like, it's kind of a bad number, but I'm also like it's mine now, so I might as well keep wearing it. Yeah. I also think it looks cool on the flames jersey. Like I don't know. It just looks sick with all the angles in the white number.

Yeah. I think it's like plus like you get I don't know you got 100 I got like 50 buddies that bought a jersey and it's like I don't want to screw them right man of the people man of people yeah they're coming out of my bank account exactly because if you switch you then got to buy them all new sweaters and that's a fucking nightmare exactly yeah no this is a no brainer I love it um well listen we're talking about you know you getting into the league here we got a year under your belt but I want to go back to the draft for a second because you're now the second guy we've had on the pod who was in involved in that 2020 draft. Got tons of stories of, you know, your work ethic, the awesome time spent in the basement out on the homemade backdoor rink with your dad and all that. But what was it like hunkering down? Good news is you didn't have to possibly miss an alarm to get to draft. Yeah, that's true. But after all these years of work, you finally get to this day where you're going to get drafted. Looks like you're projected first round and you're watching at home. What was that vibe like? Yeah, it was pretty nuts. I guess like just the whole,

whole thing of everyone going through that you read about the alarms though i remember like my schedule was like like especially when it first happened like you weren't skating or anything until like a few months after here until everything like started to set down people weren't freaking out so much and everyone's just like but like i remember those first few few weeks are like yeah this is actually gonna be nice like we're just gonna hunker down like i remember like it'd be like wake up at 11 a m go workout for for an hour and a half in the basement and then just do like absolutely nothing be like oh it's only gonna be two weeks like everyone has to do it so like it's not like i'm gonna fall behind and it's like you're working on that's like play video games have supper and that's like you jump

back on you're playing video games it's like 2 a.m and it's like okay well that's what does like i have nothing in the morning i'm just gonna sleep till 10 am again and then you gets like 10 days in that you're like okay it doesn't look like this is ended i should probably like dialed in now but then it was like ended up being like whatever six months and you have some whack schedule but the the overall draft like when you get to that point it's like first of all it's like oh the combine i got canceled i'm not gonna cry over that yeah yeah yeah you have to do the fucking oh two tests on the bike yeah i was like oh that's awesome but um other than that it was like really weird like i think just like you gear up i think we already had like people like

making plans like family friends and stuff to go to montreal and like people who like we have family out in Toronto and stuff and like people were booking off work and stuff in like january to make sure they could go for it and and then that the covid comes around and and and you just like chilling at home like I said and especially the actual day came along I think restrictions here like eased up quite a bit when that finally came around so that made things a little easier we had had some people over my agent kind of did it up nice brought some food in some some appetizers some drinks and stuff like that and then pretty much just had had five six buddies come over I know I think

it was like you could have 15 people in your house I don't know how many we actually had I was gonna say it looked like a pretty big bubble didn't it pretty big 15. Yeah, we only had 15, but, um, no, I'm just kidding. But, uh, no, it was good. Like, we, we, we had like 15, 20 people over and, and, uh, it's crazy. Like, you think it's just gonna, it's on TV. Like, it's just gonna go like this. But like, I swear, like, you're supposed to, like, had your camera on and be, like sitting in that, like, wherever your camera set up, say, living room where it was for us from, like, it's like, like, you're supposed to turn a camera on like 5.30. And I was, like, getting juiced up at, like, 4.30. And I think I ended up getting jacked at, like, 8.30. I sat there for like three and a half hours And I was like, okay, it's going to go quick like it's just on TV And I was like, okay, this is like the longest time of my life And I kind of had like a hint like well you kind of know you're going to go like I was like maybe somewhere after 15 16 I can start locking in like hey down and like I might go any time like from the next 10 picks here

So let's see what happens. I knew Calgary was was pretty interesting. They were at 19 and then they ended up trading once I think with New York and they knew York selected my good buddy I train with is is brain Schneider and then and then they were like I think they were like 21 they traded another down like two more picks for the a draft pick I was like and then it finally got to like 22 and I didn't go and then 23 and then I was like then 24 in calgary I was like yeah this has got to be me and I was just like one of those things it was like having a wide open net with the puck like you know you're going to score but you're not going to celebrate yet yeah yeah so like I was like they have to pick me like I was 99.9% sure and and I think that's kind of like

Like why I was sitting there, you can see in the video, like, I kind of fist pumped it because I was like, literally like it was like a tapping goal. I just couldn't celebrate yet. Yeah, I love that. And I mean, you just said it, Lannie McDonald walks up there, mustache looking pristine. Yeah. They call your name. So why did you feel like you had a good chance with Calgary?

Did you have some good meetings with them? Yeah, I think. What were those conversations like? Just as best as they could kind of go over Zoom. I remember just like sitting in my room and doing all these Zoom call meetings for teams. but I think those ones with Calgary, like they just seemed like they were pretty genuine about how they felt about me and they were open and honest about their interest in me and the type of player they saw me as.

So I feel like when it got closer and like I kept hearing like my agent said a few things, like it wasn't never for sure thing. But I just like, I don't know, I just kind of had that feeling being a Western kid and then Calgary coming up and then hearing like, okay, they're pretty interested in you and they're picking around where your area is. I think that's just how it kind of came up. And then obviously to have Lanny McDowellon come up and say your name is like, you almost black out. But it was pretty cool.

I think either way, like it almost worked out in a way like I could have like my grandma and my buddies and everyone. Like every, you're not going to have 25 people or whatever fly to Montreal. But I think it worked out in that sense that they could come watch the draft and celebrate that moment with me. Yeah, no doubt about it. Getting drafted is such an interesting element because,

you know, you're a hockey player your whole life. You grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan because of your dad. But you're a Western Canada kid. You play in the WHL. Then you have these good meetings and conversations with a Western Canadian and HL team. And then sure enough, you get drafted by them. What's it like and how did it feel to sort of have this team that you've rooted for

your whole life in the Maple Leafs? All of a sudden, it looks like you're going to get drafted. Then you start hearing that this team wants you and then bang, you end up there. How quickly does your allegiance shift? and how was that experience with being excited about playing for a different Canadian NHL team? All of a sudden you can see your future down the road. What was going through your head during that time?

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I think, like, I was a Leaf fan growing up, and then, like, it kind of always switched, like, okay, who's, like, going to be the best Canadian team this year? Like, it was always for me, like, between, like, Calgary, Emmington, Toronto, and those, like, I was, like, who's going to be the best team? Then, obviously, you got Crosby, all assigned you're a Pittsburgh fan. but yeah um same uh like it's pretty it was pretty crazy i think like the the trano more comes from like wendell clark like my dad was a big wendell clark like dougie gilmore kind of fan and we have a wendo

clark jersey hanging in the in the basement still and and i think that's kind of where that came from and then just that the whole leafs thing and sundeen and and those guys and then and then it just became like i'm cheering for every team but then when it started to come like kay you're coming closer and close to the draft like when you get to that draft like when you get to that draft you're like whatever like I care less whatever team picks me whatever I just want to get drafted to the NHL and that's like okay you're going to most likely be a first round and it's like okay now it's getting real I still don't care what team and then it kind of gets like the draft order where the team's finish and whatnot comes on it's like okay you start to look in your area again like

between k say I'm rated on average of 18th overall or 22nd overall what teams are in those picks from 16 to 25 and it's like okay you narrow it down it's like oh there's Calgary's right there. I wonder if they have any, like, we see a Western Canadian kid. Like, I feel like that could be good. And then you have those talks, and it goes a long way, and they feel pretty genuine about you and the type of person and player you are. And then as it got closer, I think, like I said before, it just became like,

I think I think Calgary's it. And honestly, it's the point where it's like, I think, like, I was already, like, connecting myself to Calgary. Like, I think Calgary is going to pick me. Like, I'm excited. like I know I'm going to be aflame this like two days before and like I was like 90% sure. I was like okay maybe another team will pick ahead of them but like they were at 19 and I think or somewhere around there I was like I think that could be it and that's where I kind of like locked

myself in at so I was like I'm not going to get past calgary if anything so I think it worked out worked out perfectly and obviously being from Saskatoon that's between them and emminton practically the same distance as closest team to us so it's it's It was a pretty cool situation overall. I'm slash do that with Acrobat. Hell yeah, man. Thank God they picked him. Yeah, yeah.

All the meetings. He's like, I've always hated the Leafs. They're fucking terrible. But dude, it's cool. That's a unique story because most guys we talk to for better or worse, as in higher or lower. I feel like they always have a story like, oh, I thought I was going to go 19 and then I fell or I thought I was going to go 19. I went earlier. It's cool to be like, I was really hoping for Calgary and the late teens, early 20s.

And then you bang, Galgary early 20s. Yeah. That's pretty sick. I think it just like worked. I know a funny story. Like my buddy Adam Beckman, he was with Minnesota last year. He just got traded in New Jersey. But he's sitting in the living room and they'd send you this big box of hats for the draft.

So when you get, they're supposed to put your hat on you, take the Calgary hat, put it on. After every pick, obviously the first whatever, 10 or whatever, but he'd grab a hat on the box and he'd just throw it over. Every time a team didn't pick, we'd just grab it, throw it over his shoulder. They trade back in, take you. He's like, oh, shit. Somebody find the wild hat. Yeah. Yeah, that's amazing.

Everyone's grabbing these NHL hats and just taking them home and imagine someone trades back in. That'd be funny. But no, that's just like funny stuff like that. I remember I got drafted and then there's like five of us. We like walk because you couldn't take like calves or anything because the bubble is a small bubble. Yeah, I remember we walked from my house like 25 men. The only place open was Boston pizza. So we went, we were trying to have like a post draft little party and we're sitting.

Boston pizza. I think it was literally like five or six of us sitting at a table in Boston pizza. We each had a drink or two. And it's just like, it's like 10 at night, but it seems so late because like everything. We're only one. There was like three other police officers because it's like no one's out because it was still COVID. But the restaurants are back open. And we're just sitting there like pretty much just watching highlights of the draft of Boston pizza.

Dude, that is when you win your Stanley Cup, we are getting a picture of that up in Boston pizza on the walls. That is incredible. That is incredible. Zar, so it didn't happen right away for you either after the draft, right? Like you spent, you had some WHL times, you had some AHL time, all of which you were crushing, but you're waiting for that call. And I love the story, and I want you to tell our listeners a bit. But when Pascal calls you that day, you get, like, when you see the phone ring, assistant

GM, you're like, am I cut or is either very good or very bad, you know? So when he jumps on and says, you know, you're coming up. What's going through your head? My first question is, what's going through your head in that exact moment? yeah it was a pretty wild morning obviously you go through your time it kind of you're hoping for that moment you had a I had a pretty good year the year before in the A and it kind of never worked out to get that chance to get called up and and I just wanted to go in and have a hot start and I feel like I did that but it's it's pretty funny like I was sitting on my couch that morning I think it was

it wasn't like early it was like 10 a.m. I just well I probably woke out of night 30 is a day off and the funny part about it is we so he has I don't know if he owns it or at least he has something to do he has a brewery in calgary and the night before we had our Halloween party there as an hl team sick and he had called me the next morning i was like what happened last night i was like i didn't do i know i didn't do anything that crazy last night like we just had a Halloween party like it didn't get out of hand or anything but like this is kind of weird why is he calling me like he didn't even really think about it and then he's like czar like i'm so excited you're going to go up tomorrow or whatever and i was like

what? I was like, I was like, I was pretty stunned. Like, I was like so excited. Like, I couldn't really believe it. And I was like, I just like, I think I just said like, thank you. Like, this is amazing. And I was pretty just like blacked out stunned. And I remember I just, I called my mom and dad.

And I was like, they couldn't believe it either. I think they were both at work. Yeah. That was a pretty cool. That was one I'll remember from forever. Like, you don't really remember phone calls, but sitting on my coach in a Calgary apartment on a Sunday morning at 10 a. m. After Halloween party.

You get your costume still on. You know. Yeah. Yeah, seriously, half of it on. No, I remember I was just like standing there. I was like, why is he coming? I didn't even clue into it. Like, obviously, like, we were like five, six games in the season.

Like, there's really not much of a reason for the assistant GM to be calling you besides that. But it worked out and I just a pretty special moment. Yep. So then now we're game day, dude. Like you, were you freaking? What were you eating? And then you get your no bucket warm up like that. Talk about coolest feelings ever.

Like, that must have been insane. Yeah. For sure. That day was like, it actually worked out nice because like the day before I got to go and it wasn't just like, hey, you're called up. We're playing tomorrow. Yeah. I got to go and I was probably more nervous to go for practice, to be honest. Just get out there and just get touches. It was a night. Day before games, it was a nice light practice. It's just like a touch of day. So, so that was pretty huge for me. And then that whole, I actually got a good sleep that night. But the next day was like, I like to go home and nap. But I was just like, I went to. the rink and I got home I ate my pregame and then I just like kind of laid there and I I fell asleep I remember for like 15 minutes and I woke up and I was just like my heart rate was already at 120 and I was like usually I'd lay in bed to like 3 30 and I think by like 125 I was I mean listening to 15 alarms will be jack car ride god knows how many he sat that day dude

holy shit did not need the alarm that day no but that was like just like going there like the whole thing was just like I feel like obviously there was nervous energy but I was just like I was just like my heart rate was just like at 120 the whole time 150 like I just got in there like like I honestly could have just sat there and shipped a water for two hours and I would have the same amount of energy like I tried I like I went in there like I did my warm up I know like I talked to other guys before it's like there's so much adrenaline but like when you actually do it's like you don't like feel anything like like like like Like, there's not a different time.

It's like, I could have stayed out on the ice for three minutes and I wouldn't have got tired. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, you're so hyped up. And it was like, that first shift, it was just like, kick at the puck and don't do something stupid. And then, like, I started to feel more comfortable and make some plays. And I think, like, third shift, like, I got pretty lucky, like, puck got off the point. And all of a sudden, I was skating backwards from the blue line towards the net. And the puck comes in, gets behind Ottinger and hits me in the stomach.

I just blacked up. First shot, dude. Dude, were you like in the, when did it, like, did it take after the game? Was it first intermission? Like, when were you like, holy fuck, dude? I just scored on my first shot ever. Be honest, are in that moment where you're like, I'm going to score 100 fucking goals of shit. No, I think it took me like a couple shifts.

Like, I was still like, I had so much adrenaline that I score. And then I was like, like 10 times more. It's like, I don't even know. It was like I took every single drug in the world. it was crazy like your brain just like doesn't even like you know what's going on but it's like you don't feel anything it's just like you're going so that's how much adrenaline I had and I was just like going and like then I come off at the first intermission like I had a couple shots like I felt good I was starting to make place like I had a goal right. Yeah. In my first game I was pretty excited and then I think it finally hit me like I come off the ice like I'm doing an interview right away and Ryan lefty was was sitting there with my first goal puck and I'm doing an interview and like that's pretty crazy. I think don't think it actually really really. hit me till like after the game but like just like I was able to make a couple plays and I was like I

started to feel calm and I can I can do this and and I can I can succeed at it yeah yeah dude now listen I know we really just met each other but I need you to be honest with me in this moment how fucking pissed were you you didn't score on that filthy fucking rush I get that too awesome I like I've seen the clip of it I actually I don't know which one of my my one of my buddies we were watching it the other day or like maybe like a few weeks ago and I was like like that would have like bro it would have been the best goal in my career and I probably would have never been talked right yeah yeah correct you know honestly thank this is good yeah it's a good thing dude gives you something to strive for I'm peeking too early that is so funny dude no I just I remember that and I remember like

I probably beat myself up for like the whole game and the whole time after that and that's like all I could think about is like I was like so excited to play my first game score my first goal and like for the whole night. I was like, how didn't, like, I had like, I actually had so much room. I was like, I just put it into him. Like, how did I not score that? And that's all I thought about all night. And I just played my first game.

Horrible night. Everyone's trying to celebrate. It's amazing that that moment ruined the fact that he tucked in his first NHL game. First shot. First shot. Fucking blew it, dude. Oh, my God. Yeah.

Oh, it's unbelievable. Yeah, that one, that one would have been nice. But, you know, you can't have more. So, man, what's I think super interesting is you, you obviously get that call. You get the call up. First game. goes great. A lot of guys when they, you know, break in, it's a lot of battling on the fourth line, third line, stuff like that. You kind of immediately get tossed right on a line with

NAS. So you're playing with cadre immediately. And this guy, you know, has had a unbelievable seasons under his belt. He's a cup winner. You get tossed on with him. And he actually got off to a slow start there. And he was, I think it was like two points in nine games. And then all of a sudden you're playing with him, he has like 19 and his next 20 or something like that. So clearly, you guys had some quick chemistry. You were buzzing around there together and you yourself had an unbelievable run and first stretch there games. What do you think it was about the way you two play together and then him, especially as a veteran, as a great center that really just clicked and allowed you two to find your game together? Yeah, I think just like coming in, like you said,

like it's, you know, it's tough, right? You can get just thrown on the fourth line, but I was able they were able to have confidence in me to see that I can play at a high level and I'm able to play in those type of situations. Obviously, I still had to prove I could after for a couple months in that whole first year. But I think just to be able to get that opportunity, I know when they called me up, they husk and Conroy, they said to me, like, hey, we're not just calling you up to play six minutes a night and put you back down. We want you to come in here.

We're going to give you an opportunity with NAS. we want you to play your game and show us what you can do. Don't worry about like you're going to make a mistake. Like there's guys who are 15-year vets with a thousand games who make mistakes, right? So you're going to make a mistake. Just go out and play your game. Don't worry about anything else and just have fun. And I think that made it a lot easier for me, right, to come in and hear that

and get that opportunity to play with NAS. And obviously with him being able to be patient with me and have an understanding that I'm out here and I want to be my best as well. And I think it was, it just fed well because he's so skilled and he commands the puck and he wants to make plays. And every shift he goes out there, it's not like he's just like, okay, it's just the shift where we have to get through. Like he just wants to score every shift and he wants to make plays every shift. So I think that that helped me a lot.

I feel like that's the type of person I am. I want to go out there. I want to create a scoring chance. And I feel like that really helped me settle in and really help me feel like I can play like myself because that's always been my games to go out there, create offense and make plays. and that's exactly what he wanted to do. And I think that made it a lot easier for me playing wing for somewhat the first time I played it a bit in the A, but I was back and forth between that and center and to have him up the middle and kind of leading me along and helped me out.

And a guy who plays that similar type of style, it worked out well. How do you guys work on the chemistry together off the ice? Because obviously, you know, getting your reps in game, at practice, stuff like that. But do you find it helpful and important to spend it? time together, you know, eating meals, hanging out, just getting to know each other on a multitude of levels. For sure. I think, like, honestly, I think it even like comes down to as much like just cracking a stupid joke in the walker. Just like me, especially like if it's an older guy, like even whether it's NAS or like Hubert O. Backlin, like whether it's anyone, like, you know,

you come into the dressing room. You want to feel comfortable, right? You want to be yourself. I'm a vocal guy. I like to act like a bit of an idiot, right? So I like to have, fun and enjoy it while I'm there. So I think just being able to come in and then it's saying like even like chirping me and you know it's not like something like crazy like it's not like they're saying like hey you fucking suck. Yeah. Like did you wash your hair?

Like did you comb your hair with a piece of bacon a day or something stupid right? That just makes you feel like a quick laugh in the morning like you feel good about yourself. And I think sometimes it comes down to something as simple as that sometimes just feeling comfortable coming to the locker room allows you to play your game, which allows you to them to see what type of player you are. And that kind of just builds confidence and connection between guys. So I think just like simple things like that even make it easy.

Hold on, Zar, are you a locker room clown? Not really. Like, I try to be funny. I'm not that funny. I kind of just do stupid stuff. Like, I'm not like pranking guys or anything. I'm just vocal. Like, I like, I love saying hi to everyone in the morning.

Like, I'm just like, ask you how's it going. and say something stupid. If someone's making a joke, I have to throw my two cents in there and try and make it my own. But I wouldn't say a clown, but I think I'd just like to be myself. Sounds like you might be a bit of a clown.

You're good, dude. I love it. Yeah, what's the vibe like in that Calgary locker room? I feel like that's a fun mix of big time vets and a bunch of young guys right now. That must be a fun dynamic. For sure. I think especially after,

obviously I wasn't around for the first eight games or whatever, but as soon as we started rolling after a little bit and everyone started to feel comfortable with each other obviously the team kind of moved around a little bit and guys were up and down and trades and whatnot but once we started getting the rhythm and stuff I think and we were winning games and guys were guys were enjoying it guys were having fun and and you know you come into that locker room and at first like maybe that first week you think these guys like chirp at each other and then you realize their personalities and it's like hey this is awesome these guys are like making fun of each other but in a fun way.

So I think that was like once you start to get to know guys and have fun with it, it makes it a lot better. And obviously when you win games, it makes it easier. And I think we had chances and we had times when we were winning games. And obviously it makes it more fun. But I think we actually had a pretty tight group and we had a lot of fun. I think we want to keep building on that and winning games because that makes it a lot easier of an environment to be in.

But I think overall, like it made it real easy on me to have that. that kind of, we had the young guys, we had the guys in the middle, we had the old guys, and everyone was pretty personable and easy to get along with that it made, it allowed me to feel comfortable and you know what, you got to know when to do it as a young guy, but like still be myself and say stupid stuff and add in my two cents and not get hurt if, if someone doesn't want to hear it because they know I'm just going to say it. Yeah, right, right. Yeah, there you go.

Dude, did NAS ever give it to you it? Like I saw you guys have a bunch of awesome articles with him being like he's so supportive. He wants to fuck all this stuff. But was there ever a time in a game where he was like, hey, mora. That's the worst play I've ever seen. No, I think every guy is kind of like that, especially when he gets to that level. Like everyone wants to be the best. Everyone wants to win games.

I think there's probably a time for sure where he was like, hey, like did you not see me? Like I was like or something like that. But then it would be like, he'd say that and then he'd be like and then he'd look right over and then he'd come back and be like, no. But like then he'd actually like. trying to teach it like hey like i think if you turned up there and then fed me there like and then it's okay actually now that you're saying that i see that so it's just like he was never really like that to me like okay like hey i was wide open there like move the puck or something but then it'd be like i think you can do this and then this is more of like a teaching thing especially for those

first few months like to really instill that in me you know it's it's a different game when you get up there so i think you did a really good job of of actually trying to help me learn instead it would just be like he could have just came to the bench and be like, hey, you're in- Get this rookie off my line. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just mother fuck you every time you make a bad play. Yeah, exactly. And I think like you could fall into a situation where it could be like that,

but I got pretty fortunate that things jelled. That's awesome. And you just talked about this, but every pre-draft article that I found about you anywhere, when you're talking about yourself and when Scouts are talking about you, it consistently came up like 200-foot games, super responsible, all the things you want to hear about a center. and you just said you played a little bit in the A,

but it must have been kind of crazy getting called up to the big time and being like, you are a wing now. And some guys, though, are like, oh, it's natural, I get it over there. And some guys are like, it's a different fucking sport, you know, so I'd just be curious on your take on what that transition's been like

and how you're enjoying it. Yeah, no, actually, I honestly, I loved it, like, coming up playing wing, especially when, if you're going to get an opportunity to play with a guy like NAS and play on his line, you'll play wherever you need to play, right? So I think it kind of worked out where it's like in your head. It's like, okay, do whatever you can.

And that's in our system to play as best you can defensively. And then you have free range to do what you can offensively and play your game. And if that's where you can spend 70% of your time as an offensive zone or pass the red line attacking, it's going to make life a lot easier. So I think trying to focus more time on playing down there. And that makes it a lot easier to not even have to really play wings. So I think that's kind of the mindset going in was with that. And then I think just kind of like I said, building off your system, playing with your system.

Like if you have that dialed in and just like keep beating it into yourself and instilling that, it makes it a lot easier just to not even have to think about it because you're so instilled with that system that you can just play wing and go play your game in offense. Dude, I love it because, you know, of course, as wing, you still get a job to do in the D zone. But I love talking to centers that switch and they're like, wait, dude, this was a. option the whole time. This is fucking awesome, dude. Yeah, I know. I played a couple of games at center at the end of the last 10 games.

I think I played center. I was like, this is completely different from what I just played the last 50 games. But honestly, like it's so, I feel like it's a lot harder to go from wing to center than center to wing. So I feel like when you know that position, it's like a little more natural to come back to it. Yep. No, agree.

And you're in good shape. I think the lack of pressure of snapping them back in the D-Zone, getting that out of my life was a huge shift movie too. Yeah, you're exactly right with that. I think that's such a big part, right? Like, NAS was really good at it. And you see guys around the league, like, if you're starting with the puck 6% of time,

it's going to make a life a lot easier. So I think that's one of the things that gets overlooked a lot, even from like a fan standpoint. But like, it's so huge and so critical, like, to just win a draw. I even like tie up a draw where the puck sits behind you. It's so big and you don't even think about it. Totally agree.

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It's the feeling we have all the time. And now you can have it with every pregame you got going. Go get this thing in stores right now. It's cards. It's a die. And it's got everything. Like we get to play, there's horse races, there's trivia, there's most likely challenges, rapid fire stuff. It is fun in a box every time we're getting going. If you feel like your pregame is missing something extra special, then I need you to go out and purchase the almost Friday card game right now and host the greatest parties in your friend group by far. Dude, you had a pretty crazy rookie year with ups and downs, which is something I'm really curious to hear your take on because obviously you come in and you have a, no pun intended, flaming hot start.

You get 22 points in your first 33 games. And I don't even know if you're aware of this stat, but in the last 30 years of the flames, you're only the third rookie to have at least 20 points in your first 31 games joining Ginnla and Johnny Hockey, which is pretty fucking decent. Not bad, dude, not bad. Decent company, my man.

And, you know, you're buzzing, and then obviously you pick up that injury. And the injury knocks you out for a few weeks. And then, you know, you get the healthy scratch that, you know, complicates things. How do you deal with as a rookie, man? I mean, like you come in, like you said, those nerves you had in the first game, then you get that first goal, and then you kind of find your confidence, you find your comfortable spot in the lineup, and then these things happen. How do you just stay focused, keep your head down and battle through it, and also stay positive

about the team and about yourself? Yeah, for sure. I think that's probably the hardest thing you deal with, right? Like, when you're, I was feeling so good. Like, I felt like I was playing like, obviously pretty well and then all of a sudden you get injured you miss you miss a few weeks you miss you miss time it's like you get right out of that rhythm and then you're almost you like just stay in pause you feel good you're like hey i'm just going to come back and i'm going to go right back at it and then you come back you're like okay i'm i'm not quite there yet and it's like hey now i'm a step behind now i got a catch up and then and then i got to a point it's like okay i played a bit of catch up for eight games or whatever and i'm not playing like myself okay and then it's like

you get healthy scratch and you're like oh shit that almost like to me was like hey now now it's time to wake up like you got you know what you can do like you did it for 45 games or 40 games or whatever like you know how to play you know how to be successful and what makes me successful and so i think for me that was that was a bit of a wake-up call i think just to get get scratched and then just come back out and and be myself again and in all honesty it gives you another another few days to kind of reset and make sure your body's feeling good again and especially coming off injury. And it allowed me to kind of start and kind of give myself a little mental refresh to play how I play again for, I think we only had probably 10 or so games left at that point, but to get to that point and really finish off the season strong.

Yeah, when you have to get to those moments where you sort of need to re-center and get back to basics, do you honestly find yourself a little bit, you know, refocusing and mentally getting back to that place of, you know, skating on the backyard rink and putting holes in the wall of the basement with a medicine ball? Like, do you just sort of get re-centered and think about how you got here? And now you're sort of doing it all over again.

Yeah, for sure. I think it's just little things like that, like little things that add to your confidence and make you feel good about your game. I remember, um, I think it was after like I'd played like 15, 20 games. It was somewhere in there.

within my first 30 year games or so, I think I went like three, four games and I was still playing good and I just like didn't, I wasn't producing or creating as much and, and Savvy Savard, assistant coach pulled me in and, and he's just like, this is what I want you to start doing. And I was like, oh, he's going to show me like me screwing up or something. He just showed me like 10 highlight clips of myself. Sick. I think what it's like like little things like that is like just just play like this man like don't even worry about just just get back to this and just have fun with it and he just showed me like 10 10 highlight real clips of of me playing hockey and and i was like hey that actually made me feel really good and he has confidence in me he's like obviously you can do it like

go do it and so i think it's just like little things like that like or even like if it's not hockey like just getting away from the game to refresh yourself and doing something other than hockey and it gets along. So trying to get something else to go out, even if it's going to the mall or something. But I think just getting your mind away from the game, just to reset and come back, like, you know you can do it.

You just got to do it. Yeah, for sure. I do have to ask, when you threw up that Muhammad Ali quote on the wall to cover that hole in the basement, did you think that that was going to trick your parents for a long time? Did you think they were going to find on the next day? What happened there?

And I have a question, too. And everybody that I know most people in the story, everyone that doesn't know it that's listening to this, please look up what Kahn's did with the white hockey tape. But while you answer Dan's question, I also want to know, did you just fucking throw the medicine ball into drywall? Like, did you think, like, was it an exercise? Were you like, oh, I'm doing wall.

Yeah, he was doing wall tosses. I'm sure he thought the ball was going to bounce right back. Honestly, I wasn't thinking. I was like, oh, it's going to hit a stud or something. And it's like, it's nothing's going to happen in the drywall. I was like, sleep. And I would have been 15 years old. I'm like, okay, it's like, outside walls are congregating those drywall,

whatever. I was like, okay, but this wall, I was like, I was just like standing there. I was like, okay, the exercise, I don't remember what planet is fond from junior or whatever. And I was like the exercise, the sidewall tosses, it's just like that against the wall. And I'm like, it was only like an eight pound ball. I was like, yeah, I'll just bounce off. Yeah.

And so I just go up like one throw right there. I'm like, oh shit. And like we just like, we are in our old basement. Like my dad's, it's been redone for like eight years now or so. But in the old basement, it was just like a crash zone. Like it was all done up, but like we completely like trashed like play mini sticks. Trey had already thrown you through the wall. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. My brother threw me through the wall. Like we knew we were eventually redoing it. He'd body check me so hard through the wall from like my ass all the way to my shoulder. There was like an indent like four inches into the wall.

It's like the coolade man. Like it's like it's like a picture, a perfect frame of czar through the wall. Exactly. And like we had an old TV down there that we didn't really use much. And my body put me through that. Like we were just like putting each other into. the walls and stuff and like there was like six different holes i remember like when we were finally about to demolish it like we were like running and jumping and see how hard we could body check

through the wall to break the drywall and stuff and but like this and then like this was probably only like a few years after we'd read the basement that i grabbed this medicine bomb like yeah it's fine like i'm just throwing against the wall like idiot i am but like i grabbed the ball i throw and i go oh shit and i know like i put like minor scuffs in the like walls before and my dad's like come on Like we just redid it. Like, are you kidding me? Like, he's a pretty handy guy. Like, he'll fix anything.

Like, he'd just done all that work for, like, a year redoing the whole basement. And I put that through. I'm like, you know what? Because I already had another poster on the other wall. And I was like, I'd put it there just like, it's for fun. Like, because the walls were bare in the gym. I was like, we'll put like a gym poster up. And then I was like, you know what?

I run off like within two minutes. And I'm halfway through a workout. I don't even know if I finished the workout. I'm on the computer, like on our desktop. computer with her printer there. I'm like G, jeet. He's like, don't know what and don't pay attention to this. I'm on Google images. I look up

Connor Zeri, Camloos Blazes, and then I find one to be playing hockey, printed out. Connor Zeri, and then it's like a teen canon one printed out, and then I'm like, inspirational sports quotes, and then it's like a Mohamed L.E one. And it's like, and it's like a Derek Jeter one about being out work. And I was like, yeah, that sounds great.

Perfect. And so I rip down stairs, grab white hockey tape, and I'm taping these up, and like, they don't match up. And it's like one was horizontal, one was vertical. And I was like, I'm just going to tape him. So I taped him up and didn't hear people. Everyone's just like, okay, like he did something like whatever. Like he wants to throw his hockey pitches up there.

Like maybe he's motivating himself. And then I remember it's like two and a half. It might have been like this. So this might have happened like 2017, 2018. And then in COVID, I think is when my dad figured it out. Because like we'd always come down here and into the basement, like, workout together and stuff and he works out pretty vivid like quite a bit like every day and and he's always always at the gym so i was like i'm just going to work out with my dad we get down there

and mid workout like the papers like slowly tipping down he goes he looks so he goes what the fuck is this and i'm like i'm like honestly dad like it's been there for two and a half yeah you can't really get mad at me like and then he just like laughed so it actually like it couldn't it worked out in a better way. Like it ended up, like, he went upstairs. He's like, dying laughing. He's like telling my mom and my brother. He's like, for two years, I thought this kid was motivating himself and there's a giant

ass hole in the wall. So, yeah, honestly, like, totally worked out in my favor and I don't really regret it. Like, I regret. No, that's amazing. Like, hiding it worked out perfect. Oh, it's fantastic. Here's a question for you. Have you ever seen Shawshank Redemption?

I have, but it's been a while since I've seen it. Because you need to. You stole that move. Yeah. Like that is a, exactly what you did is an instrumental part of the plot of that movie, which is fantastic. It was fucking perfect, dude. I loved it.

I love the story so much because it was pictures of you, too. Like in my mind, you should be like pictures of Crosby or like other dude, but like you just got you on the wall. It's like, clearly the kid was panicking. Yeah. Pretty out of a bunch of photos yourself is like the wildest move I've ever heard of my life. It was like, it was said and done. I had it done within like five minutes. Like the printer was going.

I was taping these up as like it's foolproof and I was like even if it like I was like hoping like okay even if it lasts like a month I'll be like okay this happened so long ago like whatever and then it's like still like no I thought like I just assumed after like a while I was like okay they must like they must have saw like there's a whole because like when every time like the air would move through the house it would like they would suck the papers would suck in a bit yeah and I was like okay like they definitely know this didn't say anything like they just like forgive me And then it's like two and a half years later and they finally figured it out. I was like, well.

Incredible. Yeah, incredible. Very funny. Zar, you talked about a part of the thing when Dan was talking about the rookie season is how long the year is in the NHL, right? It's like a grind. I saw you give an interview saying people think they get it, but they don't even get how intense it is. And I'm sure another part of that in terms of like a, wow, the NHL is intense is just the business side of it, right? So coming into this year and this almost all.

all of this predates you, but the flames since 2004 when they were in the final, it's like a lot of first round exits, a lot of missed playoffs. You miss the last two, and you're coming into this year, and it's like a lot of guys are coming out, and you have a bunch of exciting signings too, but a lot of guys coming out to Markey trade, but I know there's a ton of belief in that room. Can you just tell us about like what you've just been so successful on such good teams your whole life? And then now you're just in the NHL and you're like, fuck, we're grinding.

What is that like just kind of experiencing an offseason and being where you guys are at as a team? How you guys work through that? yeah for sure obviously like when you get to the NHL that's completely different like you're in junior whatever you have really good teams maybe you make one two trades you never see like teams obviously like in junior like there can be like rebuilding teams or whatever and they just like all a sudden they're good in a few years right just off draftics and stuff but like in NHL it's completely different right with contracts going up in ufas and like guys like hey I'm going to get a better opportunity here I'm going to go there like free agency signing it's just like completely different kind of thing and obviously with us missing the playoffs this past year and I think, you know, you make trades and whatever. But I think when you have so many guys in that locker room that are just like competitors, and obviously everyone in the NHL is going to be a competitor. And when you're a high level athlete, like, if I go to practice, like, I don't want to lose to anyone.

Like, I want to go out there and score, right? And I think everyone in our team is like that and understands that, like, we can be a good team. And we want to push for that. Like, there's no sense of saying, like, hey, like, just because some guy on T. center said something like we're not going to be good this year like what does that mean to us it doesn't mean doesn't mean shit all right like it's up to us at the end of the day to like hey if a team wants to say like if a team wants to come in and say like hey this isn't a very good team right and they want to doubt us like we'll want to shove it back down their throats right so i think that's

that's that's on us it's always fun to be the underdog and always be kind of the unexpected team to to kind of win games and string things together so i think that's kind of you get to that point where it's like, okay, you turn to like, let's enjoy this, but like, let's also like, let's turn it up and I think be competitive and be a really good team and push for playoffs this year. It doesn't matter who we have in that locker room and, and you have a team of guys who want to be there and want to compete. And I think that's the exciting part is you don't really, whether a guy, maybe, hey, it's being a UFA, he's going to leave or like we don't really, you don't really have that as much anymore. Like, guys go.

traded things happen it's a business and now you have guys that are there now and and there's not as much chatter it's just on us to go and play hockey yeah and and for such an awesome fan base too i imagine that's a ton of motivation as well like you grew up near there but it's like god what they would give to watch you guys make a sick run you know so that must be extra yeah that must be cool too i know i think you just like see how much support you get as a team like obviously you're in western can it doesn't get much better than that and and you can see like just being like on a regular season night like how passionate or if you're like walk through the city or whatever at the mall or something and someone says something like how passionate people are and like you're just like you're

almost in your head like kay like this would like even like making playoffs and playing in playoffs like it would be an absolute zoo in there like that's all you want like you like you almost get like nervous like thinking about like how fun that would be just to play like a playoff game the sea of red like so i think just like little things like that just like motivate you to want to win yeah absolutely as a competitive guy and a determined guy, do you like the feeling that, you know, just in your second year, everything that you're saying, you are a player on this team that both the guys in the locker room and the fans are looking at to be, you know, a leader and someone who's going to be a huge impactful player for this team this season. Do you like that feeling? Does it kind of motivate you a little bit more? Does it fuel you a little bit more? Yeah, I think for me, I think even talking to Husk and whatnot, just like your second year, your second year is always your heart is to come in.

You have so much expectation for yourself. And I think for me it's trying not to think about it like, okay, like I'm in the NHL. Like I'm going to, I feel like to me it's better for me to think about, okay, like I have to go into camp. Like I've never played a game, right? So I've got to earn that again. And I got to make sure I'm out there trying to be the best I can possibly be and be myself and be my player. Obviously, it's, you can say that, but you obviously, it does make it easy.

You do feel comfortable because you know those guys. You've played with those guys. You've traveled with those guys. You've spent a lot of long days, long nights with those guys. And it makes it easier in that sense of being comfortable. But I think just coming in and know, like, you really haven't done anything in the league and you haven't proved yourself and you've got to keep pushing and you got to keep doing that, I think it's, I've only played 60, 6.6.

games. So I think for me, my kind of mindset is to come in and like I've only played maybe like one game. I know the guys, but I got to prove to them that I can be a good player again. That's sick, actually. I love that ad too. Like a rookie all over. You can't have a sophomore slump if you're a rookie. That's that 47 attitude. Yeah. That's why he's not switching 18. That's 47. Keep the camp. That's fucking love it. Con, you're up and to ask you and like we said at the top, but tell me one thing that you are grinding on this summer with your game and one thing that for fun while you're up there this summer. I think that, well, the biggest thing I'd say grinding on is just like that overall

strength and speed. I think just being able to get on the ice as much as I can, but also take that time to be in the gym, I think for that first, in a way, it's an advantage that we ended in April. I got to go out in the gym a month and a half, a month before I even started skating. So you get that time to recover and try and build strength and build speed in the gym without just breaking yourself down on the ice every day. And I think that helped me quite a bit. And I think just those little things are huge.

We got a great group of guys who train here in Saskatoon and skating and stuff like that. So that makes a lot easier when you still have that dresser and talk and stuff like that in the summer. It makes it fun, not miserable to show up to the gym every morning. But for fun, it just depends on the day. I was playing a ton of golf until I kind of got busy. I went on vacation at the end of June. After that, I've been slouching on getting on the course. I probably played like 25 rounds from then April to middle of June.

And then after that, I've only played a few. Just got busy with skating and stuff like that and went on vacation and visited family in Vancouver Island as well. But I think just fun, like, you know, it's we got, like I said to you guys at the start, we got a pool in our backyard and whether it's with buddies or whatnot and going there and enjoying that or sometimes every tough day if it's a good day you know nothing really beats just absolutely melting out on a pool floaty for a couple hours perfect dude uh that's fucking beautiful um all right well zar we're going to hit you with uh our final thing it's a game we play with all of our

guests it's called pass shoot score are you are you familiar with this no no i don't know this one i haven't done the last thing i haven't seen the last thing so pass shoot score is basically just a ranking system. So we're going to give you three things that we know that you are into, things that you enjoy. And you've got to rank them pass shoots score. Now pass is great. We love snapping it around. Shooting is better, getting pucks on net, scoring the ultimate goal. So score is going to be your favorite of the three. Okay. Your first category is something I know that is very near and dear to your heart. I'm very excited for the answer to this one, by the way. Your first one is breakfast foods. So we're going to- Wait, do I only get, do I drive?

I only get to know the one and then I have to say them. No, no, no, I'm going to give you all three. I'm going to give you all three and then you have to rank them pass-shoots score. Perfect. Breakfast food category. We're going to hit you with pancakes, waffles, and French toast banana bread. At Desjardin Insurance, we know that when you own a cleaning company, things need to be tidy and organized at every step. That's why our agents go the extra mile to understand your business and provide tailored solutions for all its unique.

needs. You put your heart into your company, so we put our heart into making sure it's protected. Get insurance that's really big on care. Find an agent today at Dejardin.com slash business coverage. Oh. Well, Pass shoot scored. So we went pancakes, waffles, and then French toast banana bread. Yep. Rank those three. Hot take probably, but I'm going to go pancakes at pass. I knew it. Dude, God damn. I'm in this kid's head, dude. God damn. I'm in this kid's head. I'm in this. fucking kid's head. I knew it. And then like a good, like, I'm talking like the best of the best. Like if you have a good waffle with like a little bit of crunch.

Yeah. Like just a bit though like not too soggy, not too hard. Like I put that at that shoot and then score has got to be like the banana bread French toast. Like we get at the rink. It's so good. Like I never even thought about doing that. But like when you take banana bread, you put in the French toes batter, you grill it up.

It's like it's the greatest thing ever. Dude, I've never been heard of that. I saw you talk about it. like, what the fuck? It sounds amazing. All right, hold on, Zar. Are you now, I know you're a breakfast food guy. And by the way, I'm team waffle over pancake too. I'm pancake, dude. I'm pancakes.

You guys are fucking crazy. Pancakes are gas. I'm telling you, man, people will be sleeping on waffles. Waffles are gas. A good waffle, like he said, with a little bit of crunch. Fantastic. Wait, dude, you know what I do like? And I'm still team pancake. I'm not abandoning all the pancakers out here.

But I will say, I like how the waffle, the compartments like catch the syrup. Oh, unreal. Syrup and butter. Yeah, dude. Like that is actually... Get a little Nutella in there, dude. You want to get crazy?

Come on. Waffles is versatile, too. Like, you make chicken waffles. You can make a egg sandwich with waffles. Good point. Go ahead. It holds its own, you know. You got to get...

What you got to get the integrity of the sandwich. Two waffles, get some chicken, bacon in there and make a sandwich. Yeah, yeah, right. That's pretty good. But I don't walk for a couple hours. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Here's my question for you. Are you in, are you strictly a sweets breakfast guy? Are you getting in the savory game at all? Like, are you doing eggs and bacon at all? Or are you just?

Honestly, like, I say like that stuff, but like that's like I, we never really like, I'm all like eggs and eggs and toast and bacon. Like, oh, you are. That's like my go-to. Like, that's like the sweet is like the treat. But like the eggs like every morning, like I could eat eggs. If you give me like a couple over easy eggs on a piece of toast and like whatever on the side, like a bake and a sauce, it's like I could eat it every single morning and I pretty much do. Well, I mean, this is clearly why this kid liked sweet and sour pork because it's a little bit of both. Yeah, yeah, right. Sweeten sour pork, Chinese story. Dude, I'm I could have breakfast for every meal every day. Easy.

Yeah. Like the best thing is like random weekday when it's like you've had a long day and like my mom's like my dad will be at work and like. My brother's gone and she'll be like, hey, I made breakfast. Unbelievable. It's 7 p.m. Best news you could hear, dude. Jesus Christ. Zah, you're a simple man.

I like you. God, dude, that's fucking amazing. Okay, here's your next category. I'm calling this category, your happy place. Pass you'd score. The old backyard rink. A Blue Jays game. A Chris Stapleton concert.

Oh, that's tough. This is going to be hard. Like, I think I got to put, I got to put the Blue Jays game at pass, and that's hard to do. I like ball, but, and I put,

I got to put Chris Stapleton at shoot and the backyard ring. Got to do it. Which is tough. Like, you can't, like, it's legendary. Like, the backyard rank,

whether it's mine or one of my buddies, like, that's like, it's just going to be a score any day of the week. But, like, I don't know. I got to go, like,

my dream concert to go to Chris Stapleton. Oh, you haven't been yet? You haven't been? I've never been. my god dude i can't be scored but like that's just like everyone asked me like there's one thing i want to do in life is go to see you dude we can make this happen this is good we'll make this happen that hard dude that's easy um give me okay i need i need uh favorite stapleton song and i need um just

because i know a lot people know but just tell us tell the people listening like how you bullied scott into making the fucking into making the rink out back for you guys oh Oh, favorite's Chris Stapleton song. Oh, shit. Wait a second. Sorry. I'm in my brother's room. He's got like an office desk and it's like stands and I just bump.

Oh, that was sick. Dude, I couldn't tell what was happening. That was straight up over in my head. I'm trying to think what my favorite. Like obviously there's the classics like Tennessee whiskey. Classics for a reason, dude. Classic for a reason. Yeah, like those are classics.

But also like, The ones I actually like is like, I think is like when he first started, I think their band was like steelhead drivers or something like that. Okay, we're going deep now, dude. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, like there's one. It's like where rainbows go to die or something like that. Oh, yeah. I know that one.

Yeah, yeah. It's an unbelievable song. It's an unbelievable song. I feel like that's one of the more like not as known like how he sung in that band before and when he was in Nashville and stuff. But like I think when even if you go as far as back as that, I'd say like those ones are just like so good. Like just like that no one really like. to who he is now like no one and then you hear that it's like dude this guy's a stud like his voice insane yeah all you western canada boys love fucking country music dude i know it doesn't

get old i mean it's great stuff yeah it is it is and then wait wait tell everyone about the rink how um how you how you how you get the snow that one i think it just like it came to be like okay so we have like a community outdoor rink that's like not very far like half a mile away through you walk through one park and it's in the second park like it's like three blocks away and and we always went there and i was like it started to get like there was a shack that was built there and it was only open every once in a while and then it just became like dad i want to get on like the outdoor rink and then i finally got to like an age where it's like okay we'll we'll build one and and then it's like we started my dad started like building like these contraptions like the

piping thing to put the hose in and have the towel so he's like flooding it and then my brother would flooded for me and it's just like all of a sudden we'd be out there and I'd my dad and brother would be throwing me into the snow bank's body checking me and stuff like that but why are you guys just beating the shit out of each other all right? It's like the basement in the rink it always was because it'd be me doing something stupid

and I'd be like oh yeah like I'm 12 years old I can wrestle my dad who's 6 foot 185 and I'm 4 feet 11 120 pounds like yeah of course I can rest and then all of a sudden I'm head first into a snowboard But I don't know. I think that's just like that's what always made it fun.

And I've had too much like, like I didn't really have to bully him. He kind of made it easy. Like he, I was just bagged him a couple times and finally said, KAK will build one. And we ended up building one for probably five, six years straight in the backyard until I got from a certain age

where I just wasn't home at all. I remember like my favorite thing to do was come home from school, go on the outdoor rink right before I'd go to my actual game. And I'd be like, Trying to visualize like, hey, I'm going to go through the legs tonight or something. I'd be like doing the outdoor ring and just like something stupid like that. But it was always fun. And I'm pretty happy that's not, you can go on there.

Like I remember I cut my face open a couple times, I lost a couple teeth. It's like on the backyard rink. We're in the backyard rink. Like I lost there. Like my buddy like cut like my face open on the outdoor rink. I remember we played mini sticks in the basement. Like we went on the outdoor rank and like we're always like just doing stupid stuff. And then I remember he came in the basement because it got too cold.

And then my buddy took a shot with his mini stick. When it was like the first time, it was like the first time the bigger ones came out that looked like that's a sick. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Like, this is a long time ago. And like we're just started using these and he comes close. I'm playing goalie and my two front teeth just completely gone. Disaster.

Disaster. Just not needed at all. But when you look back at it now, it's funny. When you're there, you're screaming and crying. Yeah. It's a beautiful thing. Yeah. I mean, God.

I had plenty of mini stick. Oh, yeah. Injuries for sure. Too many. Yeah, too many. All right, your next one is prize possessions. So pass you'd score one of the teddy bears from when you scored the teddy bear toss goal in 2019. The Chris Yulee stick that Toledo gave you off the bench in the Blazers Blades game.

And then the fedora that you wore every single fucking day when you were in Maui. that's fucking funny the teddy well I already got the easy number one so I'll put the I'll put the teddy bears that pass I'll put the Yuley stick I still have it in my garage

it's like an old Nexus Bauer's so sick it's got a Camlos Blazers little logo on it I'll put that one at score that way that's just a crazy story because my buddy's cousin played for them we're like 12 years old and you're standing over the the tunnel where they come on like can have a stick and every kid does now and you're like come on like no one's going to give you a stick

but then Toledo like comes by legend dude yeah this little bit was broken off the top so like I could cut it perfectly still use it like it was like a two inch break at the top like obviously couldn't use it but I could use it and see like handed to me as like the most psyched like the only time in my history of going to any hockey game where I actually like got something like a or stick when I asked for and it's like the best day ever but that so that's a pretty cool keepsake but obviously the the fedora I got it right here actually no you don't dude I fucking can't believe wow oh my god dude that is gas $10 dollar fedora we bought me Jacob pallets you and Matthew Phillips we're like we're going to we all like we're like hey we got to go somewhere and like I remember

we were at our last like road trip in Abbotsford and obviously in Abbotsford and it's It is what it is, but we're in our last road trip, in a regular season. We had already clinched first, and we were going to go to playoffs. We're like, boys, we got to book something. And we're like, Kay, like, because we had a really good team. That was our, that was my, the first year when we moved to the Calgary Wrangler. It's like, we had a really good team. We clinched first in the league, and we won the regular season.

And we're like, okay, like, but we got to book it. So it's like, just like, if we make the finals, like, it's got to be after. Yeah. And, like, crazy thing is, like, when we booked it, like, if we would have made the final. like we and we did like obviously we like were dummies like we didn't really book it refundable or anything we booked me right like it wasn't refundable within a certain amount of time and it's like if we would have made the finals we would have been like in like game three and we were supposed to be in maui so it worked out good for us but like we all bought these

stupid hats and we wore them every time we went to the beach every time we went for supper all three of us just wore these fedores like they're literally like i don't even know where it's from probably like h and m or like yeah i'm i know palchid bought one one at like the airport like store like the hudson news store and yeah so like i remember i was walking through the airport i think it was one of those two guys was wearing that hat like on the flight because he didn't want to like squish in the backpack so i don't know it's pretty funny it's a pretty funny keep saying if you like you literally like look at our phones from all those pictures like you can't find a single one with us not wearing that hat dude the pictures are fantastic

like your whole trip i just here's the thing i feel like you kind of kind of kind of Because I know maybe it was last year or something, but you got a couple new suits, some new dress clothes, so you're getting your fits getting going here. I feel like you might have to become a fedora guy. Like, you need to get multiple fedoras that you incorporate into your pregame fits. That would be such a play. That would be a pretty good play.

No, I, like, actually, and I did, the funny thing is, like, I didn't bring it to Hawaii. I was like, I went to Hawaii, like, a few months ago, too, like, again. And I was like, I think this hat might be worn. I wore it every day. Like I couldn't bring it. Like I was like, I wanted to bring it. And I was like, I think it's seen it. It's had its time.

It's had its time. And then I got there and like every second store, those ABC stores out in Hawaii. And I was like, I need to buy another one. Yeah, right. Maybe that's it. You'd get a new one every trip. Every time we go back to Hawaii, we get them all on the wall. You write on it.

It's like, 24, summer, a fedora. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Just every time. Every time I go on a holiday. I'm wearing a fedora. No matter where it is.

Okay. Okay. Incredible. Okay. last ones are I'm calling this category chilling out okay yeah pass shoot score going fishing on the boat playing madden or playing cribbage oh I haven't been able to fish much lately but hmm I also haven't played madden at all so I'll put madden at pass I'll put fishing at shoot and I'll put cribbage at score I love cribbage

It's so fine. It's my favorite card game. I play all the time, bro. You two old ladies. Just enjoy crimmich together. No, but I remember I've learned that game probably like a while ago now and I'd always play against my mom. And then I finally figured out like how to play and how to get good. And then I'd always like, there was like for a year straight, I remember like every time someone like my ground would come over my uncle or something like I'd be like, okay, we got to play cribbage.

And like I would like I need to win. but like and I wouldn't stop playing until I won. Like my grandma, like I was at my grandma's for breakfast the other day and she's like, can't even play cribbage anymore because you won't let me win. Yeah. So, no, it's always funny like that. I remember same thing that Matthew Phillips when our first year in Stockton. We'd always pull up the cribbage board on the southwest flight.

We'd make sure no one would sit in the middle seat. Yeah. We'd be like leaning over. You know, you get on the southwest plane, you're like leaning over. Like you're both leaning in towards the middle seat. Like, no, you put your backpack on it. Yeah, yeah. But those are always funny.

Like we'd always play cribbage and see when he'd always kill me for some reason. But it was always fun. Dude, I love the idea of like team flight. One cup group of guys are playing like $20,000 hands seven up and getting Zahar is playing cribbage in the middle of the played with a couple of boys. Exactly. So good, dude.

That's fucking awesome. Oh, I'm glad you're a cribbage guy, dude. I love it. Love it. Love crudge. Unbelievable game. All right, Zarro, we've taken up enough of your time. But this has been a fucking blast, my man.

Can't thank you enough for coming. on and before we let you go, is there anything you want to shout out? No, no, I appreciate that. I appreciate you guys for having with me and stick with me even though we were going to do this months ago. So, no, I appreciate it. That's awesome. I love your guys' page and I love your guys' podcast and it's awesome to be on here.

Hell yeah, man. You're the best. We'll have to have you on again soon. That was Connor Zeri on the Empty Netters podcast. What a beauty. He's coming back for sure. Oh, he is a legend. And it's like, I love when you meet a dude.

and right away, I've said this before, I think, but sometimes guys, again, people think we know everybody, like we know a lot of dudes, but some dudes were meeting for the first time, you know, and he jumps on and we're best friends. You know, there's no like, hey, let's be awkward for 20 minutes and then get going. He's just a good, sharp kid. Yeah, got to love everything about it. Love that he's sticking with 47. Same dude. Maybe I just broke that news, but yeah. Well, it was on the pot. Oh, yeah, it was on the pod. He heard it. Yep. That's it for us today at the Empty Nerds podcast. Hope you enjoyed that interview. We will see you next and until then, keep those boots tied tight so that you can skate hard.