Empty Netters Podcast - Outrageous Devils Stories And The Rangers Are Thieves w/ Scott Gomez

Episode Date: February 4, 2025

Scott Gomez joins the pod and if he's not the best storyteller in the NHL we don't know who is! Those early Devils days were absolute madness and he was right in the mix for all of it. Winning rookie of the year while playing with all those legends like Scott Stevens and Marty Brodeur will get you serious street cred. And the JT Miller trade finally happened! The boys break it all down and decide who got fleeced. NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY! PRESENTED by BetMGM. Download the BETMGM app and use code “NETTERS” and enjoy up to $1500 in bonus bets if you lose your first wager! 00:00 INTRO 04:50 NOT ICE 15:28 HOT ICE 17:53 JT MILLER 47:15 SCOTT GOMEZ INTERVIEW 2:34:08 BEER LEAGUE 2:38:57 BETMGM ODDS 2:42:30 BLIND RANKING Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Empty Netters podcast, the JT Miller trade has finally happened, where the Canucks fleeced. And two-time Stanley Cup winner Scott Gomez joins the pod, and he is possibly one of the funniest guys in NHL history. Ice is ready, and we are back with another episode of the Empty Netters podcast, brought to you by BetMGM. I am your host, Dan Powers, along with Chris Powers, as always. You know what? I'd like to shit on you for the shirt because it's probably 20 years old, but now. Napster shirt's pretty cool. It's gas.

It's in pretty good shape compared to your other stuff. Correct. Because I love it. Yeah. Because I love it, damn. Should we just get you a new Napster shirt? I was actually thinking that today because it's starting to crack fire. Yeah, but I kind of like that look.

It's like the faded, weathered look. And I was like, I was going to get another one, but I was like, this probably doesn't exist. But I guess you could just make it. Yeah, you could make a napster shirt. What is it called? Like, that t-shirt site. What is it? Shutterstock.

T-Moo. Some t-shirts.com. Custom ink. Custom ink.com. It's not, I feel like there was like red bubble. I don't know what you're saying. Because, you know, one of these could be... We could be talking about corn sites.

Talking about corn sites. Yeah, red bubble, dude. Red bubble. Yeah. 40% off site wide right now. You're telling me I couldn't remake this on. Red bubbles actually a t-shirt site? Red bubbles.

That was a risk. You just rolled the dice heavily. Yeah. Heavily right there. Serious, serious trouble. Yeah. Cancel. Unbelievable stuff by you.

That's a good T-shirt site that we're plugging to the kids right now. Yeah, let's go. We've got to talk about the rat bum bastard yesterday. Who? Oh, oh. Punksitani Phil. Punksitani Phil, dude. Can we talk about Groundhog Day real quick?

I got to, yeah. What the, what is Groundhog Day? How is this a thing? I remember. I hope this is still up. I've never really done my due diligence of researching what Groundhog Day and why we allow. Where does that happen in Pennsylvania? In a young township near Punksitani, Pennsylvania.

Yeah. So some township in Pennsylvania, we allow a rodent to determine whether our seasonal depression is going to extend for six weeks or not. Yeah. Why did we do that? Why is this a thing that happens? Oh, man, this must have changed, dude. There was, I remember reading, I remember weeding a Wikipedia on. What's happening to you right now?

On Punksitan. Where are we? Weeding the craziest article of all time. What is that, bro? I have not. It's good, dude. But it's something that the Gen Zers are doing. Dude, so this is not in here anymore because I'm reading the Wikipedia now, but it says, like, it says it is claimed that this one groundhog has lived to make weather prognostications since 1886.

Come on, blah, blah, blah. But I remember it used to say something like Punksitani Phil is the world's foremost prognosticating rodent. There are other ones. I think there are. I heard yesterday there's a Charles G. Hogg. Hold on. Oh, my God. Staten Island Chuck, dude.

There's another one. Staten Island Chuck also referred to more formally as Charles G. Hogg. is a groundhog who resided in the Staten Island Zoo in Staten Island, New York City. He serves as the official groundhog meteorologist of New York City, who predicts the duration of winter. Oh, so he's also on winter. Each February 2nd on Groundhog Day, the tradition dates back to 1981. He makes the prediction based on whether or not he sees his shed.

It's the same fucking thing. So Staten Island just went ahead in 1981, decided to get their own rodent. Dude, you want to talk about corn sites? If Charles G. Hogg is it the name? That's one of the great porn names you've ever heard, dude. Charles G. Hogg, dude. Dude, six, I get the two graphic. Never mind.

Yeah, take it easy. Take it easy. Hey, reel it in, pal. Real it in. Dude, graphic. Kid show. So we've got Punksetani Phil and Charles G. Hogg, also known as Staten Island Chuck. Satin Island Chuck is also a Guy Ritchie character in a crime movie.

Wow, that's great. He should take that. Yeah, Staten Island Chuck. I will take that. Yeah, like he's the Yank that comes over to speak to London. That is so good. I just think it's insane. It's insane.

I had a tough Sunday, dude. I was dealing with a lot of things that were pissing me off. I was old man waving at the clouding on Sunday really hard. Punksitani Phil and Charles G. Hogg definitely added to that because why we continue this tradition to see if some coward rat sees his shadow. now I have six more weeks of winter. Insane tradition. We need to stop that.

Why isn't it like fun things? It should be good. It should be two good things. Okay. So like if he comes out and sees his shadow, it's, if he comes out, doesn't see his shadow,

six weeks less of winter. If he does see his shadow, six weeks more. Monday national holiday. How about that, dude? It's, how about that, February 3rd national holiday?

Did you just come up with that right on the spot? like that? You're firing this well right now? I guess though. That would be, dude, dude, could you, that'd be appointment televisions, yeah. Appointment television. We need to change Groundhog Day. Okay, Groundhog Day now, doesn't see the shadow, six weeks less of winter. If he does see the shadow, huge bummer for everybody, but Monday is off. Dude, so much is riding on that. And dude. People are going to be planning long vacation. Correct, dude. Oh, on Phil. They're going to go, Phil, are you paying for this? Phil, Bill better. Better see his goddamn shadow because I am not getting back from Hawaii until tomorrow.

Dude. And can I take it one step further? The summer, six weeks less of winter, I want that acknowledged by schools. Agree. Absolutely great. So it's like, oh, dude, you get out early now. Yeah, absolutely great. So either Monday's off or the school's out early.

But hold on. You mentioned it. We got to get back. That is appointment TV, dude. Dude, I would literally like Twitter. A appointment? A national holiday? an added national holiday Groundhog Day?

Be sick, dude. Phil crawls out of his cage, start sniffing around, dude. What is it? It's, see your shadow, we said? Yeah, yeah. He's just like this. Dude, yeah.

Look at me. Look at me. Funk Stony, Phil. The entire nation goes like this. Yeah. People would start trying to scare. Like people would be there trying to scare him into his home. Dude, if we're getting this gift,

yeah. If we're getting this gift, No one, you can't tamper with Phil, dude. Phil. Can't tamper with Phil. But God, imagine that moment when you see him crawling around. Dude, a national holiday. Crawling around.

You go like this. Yes. Dude. No more tomorrow. Oh, dude, I would get absolutely buckled. I would have a drink on hand, dude. We would then need to make a Groundhog Day cocktail. Groundhog Day cocktail.

We're waiting to go. Boom. Punks Tani. Phil sees a shout out. Rounds of Punks of Tantis for the bowl. Get a couple hogs going. Yeah. Get a couple Charles.

Yeah, dude. Come on, man. All right, that's what we're doing. This is a new thing. That was great, dude. New thing. That's a good pod. Let's get out of here.

Yeah. I mean, seriously. The other thing I was going to say that was, but now I've come around on Groundhogger because changing it. The other thing that was driving me nuts is the Grammys. What's going on with these people? Tragity. Billy Alice crying.

Crying because she lost. Remember Luca cried? Remember Luca cried? On the bench. Yeah, he found out. Billy Alice, dude. a don'tage. Crying.

Stop crying. Nice new player, Lakers. He cries when he doesn't make All-Star teams. God damn. Insane. But hey, get off, but she got robbed.

She got robbed. Yeah, Billy got robbed. What about, did M. M. Win? I don't know. If he didn't, he got robbed.

It's the outfits, dude, that drive me insane. Like, what are we doing? Someone had a house on there. It was the Will Smith's kids. One had a house on his head. The other was wearing like a pea coat and a bikini.

And I'm like, who the fuck are you two idiots? What do you even do? Literally, what do you do? being like, can we talk about the political and economic state of the world? I mean, like, god damn. And then he has a house on his head at the Grammys. And I'm like, go in your room, dude. Go back to your bedroom. LA real estate. How much does that cost?

Seriously. Give back. Yeah. Who's living in there? Who was unhoused from that? It's unbelievable. All right, let's get into some hockey talk. I want to start quickly with a debate that Johnny Laz and I started yesterday. Okay. Johnny Laz and I were talking and it came up on hockey talk. I said, the only thing that matters is winning. If you look, you know, you know, in my opinion, and I genuinely mean this, you know what two teams last season had the exact same season as far as I'm concerned? Well, I'm about to do one better. You know what 31 teams had the exact same season?

Well done, Chris. You're out of control today, dude. I know. You're out of control. I knew it walking in. Did you? You could feel it? You're in the zone?

It's the shirt. Fuck, it is the shirt. Dude, the Edmonton Oilers and the San Jose Sharks had the exact same season last year, as far as I'm concerned. And the only difference is the Oilers got a worse draft pick. Yeah, the shark got Celebrini. The only thing that matters is winning. And I said to Latt, Lazz said, would you rather be a fan of a team that goes to the final and loses in game seven 10 years in a row, or be a fan of a team that is dog water and comes in last place nine straight seasons and then wins a cup. And I was like, this is literally the easiest question of all time for me. It's

win the cup and finish last place nine years. I don't even think it's close. Do you have any idea how early you would unalive yourself if you were a fan of that, the former team? Oh, dude. So that's why I started to laugh because I was like, imagine it's too extreme. It's too extreme of a scenario. But like, if he made that, if he made that year in the playoffs every year, you know, maybe even make two finals and lose them versus the other one. maybe I could hear him but the losing game seven every year is is a is torture chamber it's absolutely

torture it's not okay it's it's horrifying but but he brought up a good point he was like it's it's the bills dude like you're the buffalo bills and I'm not even talking about the four straight bulls that you've lost like that sucks but it it's god can we talk about bills fans they had that and now this new generation has lost four straight aFC championship games to the same fucking team that's not true is it I believe that's correct isn't it haven't they lost lost to the Chiefs four straight AFC championships games. This is, this is Mahomes' fourth straight bowl. Yeah, it is. That's correct.

But I think he maybe beat the Ravens in one of them. Maybe. Keep going. Or maybe it's just they've lost to the Chiefs for a years in a row. Yeah, that's possible. And maybe it wasn't, maybe it was divisional round first. But either, either way, it's like his point was, you're in the hunt. You're like, you're always in the hunt.

Yep. And I'm like, I don't care, dude. Like, it's, that is miserable. Yeah. And ultimately, they don't win. I would rather go like this. I'm going to get a great graph pick. Future.

Future's bright. I wonder what people think about this. The Bruins Leif's 2013 series. Bergeron, Bergeron. Was, I know where I was. I have a great story. You know where you were. You have a great story.

Every Bruins fan. Every real Bruins fan knows exactly where they were when that happened. Even if the story's not that great, even if it was just I was sitting on my couch with whoever, like everyone remembers that. when I think about that night, I'm still brought joy, and no one can take that memory from me, but it's so tarnished in my brain that they just lost that year. You know, like, it's, it's, the thing, the ride.

I try to forget it. Yeah, like the ride that Laz is talking about that you get, because obviously if you made it to a game seven, there's great wins along the way. For sure. The ride for me is just, it doesn't hit as it should when you just end it with a loss. and you're like, oh, I lost. I love that movie series, but I'm like, yeah, they lost. No, it drives me insane.

We talk about all the time. Let's just go straight to the well, dude, to Tom Brady. Yeah. Seven bowls as Brady fans. What do I think about more often than not? What do I lie awake at night rolling around in bed in tangled sheets, drenched in sweat because of the nightmare that is losing to Eli Manning and Nick Foll?

And fucking Nick Foll. Literally, those are the things I think about. the most. Like losing is the worst and losing in the final is just end at all territory. So never in a million years would I wish that upon anyone. Talking about winning. Oh, dude. Johnny Quick, dude. Let's just give quick stick taps to Johnny. That's all it is, dude. Little stick taps for the boy. First American born goalie with 400 wins, beats Vegas. Nice. He's a nice one. He's 15th all time right now with 400 exactly. Chris Osgood 401. that feels insights this year.

13 Grant Fear 403, that feels insights. Glenn Hall feels insights. But that's seven, there's only 30 games left. He's the backup. Yeah, he's probably going to play. He might not even play seven. 13, yeah. If he plays seven, he's going to win them damn near all.

Yeah, you're right. Maybe not Glenn Hall. But I think he could get Grant, and I think he could, he's definitely going to get Ozgood. He's definitely going to get Oz good. He's at least going to tie him. You'd think so. Yeah.

But the rags aren't winning them. No, they're a 500 team. So you know what I mean? Like, he's got to play. He's probably going to play 10 games. probably going to go five and five. How many games has he played this year? Let's look right now.

Yeah, good question. I would love him to get... I would guess he's played like 20. Glenn. That would be epic. 22 games this year? He's played 17. 17, okay.

So yeah, he'll probably play 10 more games. Yeah, 27. Yeah. Okay, so he plays 10 more. He's going to go 5 and 5. Yeah, so that... He'll get Grant. He'll get Grant.

He'll have 405 wins. Yeah. He's not going to retire. Do you think, or he is? I don't know, man. Quicky is so... For those who are unaware, yeah, yeah, yeah. For those who are unaware, Quicky is, like, truly a Mount Rushmore Hall of Fame person.

He's got multiple cups. He's got all the accolades now winningest U.S. goal. I wouldn't be surprised, Chris, if he went into this season being like, I want to get that and then I'm out of here. Get the 400. Become the winningest U.S. goal of all time. Yeah. I think he already. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. First of 400 is what I meant to say. I wouldn't be surprised if he was like, let me get that. and then I'll call it. Yep. So he gets the 400 shots are down. I guess it depends on how they do also, you know. Like if he,

if they make a run and he's like, I'm just staying here. This is fun. I like, I can see Quicky liking New York. I haven't got to talk to. Oh, for sure.

For sure. I think he definitely does. Yeah. He definitely does. But these contracts up. Yep. It's good kids. Yeah.

Got to see the kids. Yeah. Let's stay on the Rangers. Okay. Obviously, big news of this weekend. We got back-to-back Blockbuster Fridays. Dude, Blockbuster Fridays are back. I love it.

It's unbelievable. The fact that, by the way, I am the only one who has done something with that, like the NHL. Guys, let's go. Let's have some fun, NHL. That is an obvious thing that you need to, like Blockbuster Fridays are back. You know what I like about it, Dan, is the, if you are an exec, a high-level exec on a professional sports team, there, a,

Football is a little weird because of the Sundays of it, but what I'm trying to say is there's not really days of the week. You're not like punching a clock nine to five Monday through Friday. You just work during the season and then, you know, I'm sure you take some vacations during the off season. But the last two weeks makes it feel like they do punch clocks nine to five because like we're going to get just get this trade out. I don't want to go into the weekend and I have to deal with this on Monday. So let's get the trade out. And I'm like, I'm like, I love it. Truly. Truth. Like late night. People on the East Coast too. It's been so funny. Shout out. Anadua, Las, all of our friends on the East Coast who are like, can I just have a fucking Friday night? Crazy, dude. It's so funny. But obviously, the big trade squad, you know that we are BetMGM boys and we want you to join the BetMGM family as well because it is officially big game week. It is Super Bowl week. You know there's going to be so much action going on and BetMGM has you covered better than anybody else because they're doing a first bett offer giveaway. If you sign up for BetMGM right now using our promo code.

N-E, T-T-E-R-S, netters, you are going to get 1,500 smackers in bonus bets. If you bet up to $1,500 and you lose it, they give that all back to you right in your account. No one is taking care of you like BetMGM, especially not during Big Game Week. It's the Super Bowl. You know that there's going to be tons going on. You need to get in. You need to sprinkle some of that action on it with us with the whole BetMGM family. So get signed up today and join in on the fun.

there's no other way to do it for Big Game Week. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 Gambler. Call 8778 Hope N.Y or text Hope NY for New York. Call 1-800-3-50-50-for Massachusetts. 21-plus only. Please gamble responsibly. Call 1-800 next step for Arizona. 1-800-off for Iowa. 1-800-0.0.000 for Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-mdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. See betmGM.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico. J.T. Miller goes back to the New York Rangers. Waves for the New York Rangers. It does feel like as far as J.T. is concerned, it was the only team he was going to waive for. J.T. Miller goes to the Rangers with Eric Brandstrom and Jackson Doorington, back to the Canucks, Philip Heidel, Victor Mancini, and a conditional first round pick. We asked the question, fleets. Is it a fleets? Or is it a pullover? Is it a cardigan? I was like, what? That was good.

I, the Rangers won this trade. You know what? Someone on Twitter came in and said, Rangers won in the short term remains to be seen. I think the Canucks will win in the long term. Interesting. Did they say why? Well, I think Mancini is, and forgive me if it's Mancini, but I'm going to say Mancini, I think it's Mancini.

He's a good prospect. I really like what I've seen from his game, and I think a lot of Rangers fans are like, that one kind of hurts to lose. But as we've said a million times, Gabe Perot is the most important asset the Rangers have, in my opinion. And he has remained untouchable. So kudos to Drury for not, like there was no world where Perot was going to be moved for anybody.

And the fact that they kept him is great. Given that the Rangers D is an area of weakness right now and you lost a D prospect, I think that does hurt. Yeah. Now, Heidel. great player real quick though any thoughts on brandstrom because i was talking to some kinnucks fans and they're like he's he's 25 and they're like he's pretty good so like that's not to me he's he's in that realm of he's been around long enough where i'm like are you going to make it work or not yeah um i don't consider i consider that a depth piece to me that is like a as people get hurt he'll come

up and down this is only j t miller j t miller is the only player that the rangers have as far as i'm concerned right now and i'd love to be proven wrong by these guys Yep. I think Heedle is a great player. He's got to stay healthy. So young. Which has been such an issue for him. Yeah. And sometimes that stays an issue. It, I hesitate to, he's 25, so I hesitate to be like, he could never improve, you know, like people. Oh, I think he's, I think he's trending upwards. Like, he's been playing great this season, but he, his concussion issues are scary. Yes, like 100%. Super scary to me. But I'm just, here's, and I, this is my pushback.

That's too, and actually, dude, you got to watch yourself because you were doing this exact speech the last week. That's two times in a row that you said he's great. He is not great. I don't think. I, I, I, it's fair. You know what I mean? What I meant to say is I think his potential is great. Is it, though?

Yes, I, I do. Oh, I look at the way Philippeel plays and I'm like, if he stays healthy and plays 82 games for fucking once, I think he could be a great. You think he's a 90-point guy? I don't think that's what great means. I think, 90 points is a great player is a 70 point guy to me. Really? Yes, 70 points, that's great.

That's very good to me. I hear that. And again, you're buzzing today. I'm not going to challenge you today, of all days. I would hear, I mean, dude, great isn't awesome. I feel like great is that next level. Like, we're very good, great, awesome is a good ladder. PGG is great to me.

PPG and up. I'm like, you're a great. Point per game is only great for you? Dude, great. You defended the word great. I'm trying to say great is like, yeah. No. PPG, I'm like, you are a great in H-HL.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like 70, I'm like, that's fucking great. Dude, like, getting 70 points from a guy? It's very good. Wow. Very good. No, I respect this. I respect this.

And Hedel, at age 23, 22-tucks, 23 says 45 points in 74 games, so essentially a full season. Yep. And that was 23, obviously. he's tracking this year for 40 again, not even, actually. And I'm just like, I don't know that he goes jump. I don't know, here's another, well, he's not on the rags anymore, but here's another rags big jump situation. 100%, no.

I don't know that he goes. He's on pace for like 20 goals and 40 points. And like that's, that is. So even if he takes a big jump, he becomes a 70 point guy, which I only feel is very good. Yeah, okay. That's like best case scenario. We're going to call him very good. So, so yeah, no, I think it is fair to say like Heidel is,

Hedel's Charlie Coyle at best. Like you're like a 60, 70 point guy. And that has a ton of value. It has a ton of value. But you're right. I think that's fair. It's about the first round pick. Like you had to get at least that.

Like basically, Heidel, Mancini, and a first round pick is not the value of J.T. Miller. Correct. So you lost this trade right now. Yep. But if Mancini becomes a great player that you control amazing and if Heidel becomes a 60 point guy that is on a good contract, you're like, okay, like this is pretty legit. What is for you?

What is the reaction as far as, A, what these teams are doing and be where these teams stand? Like, it was really interesting that the split on Twitter, a very, very volatile group of fans, New York Rangers fans on Twitter. And I say that with passion. Yeah, yeah. Very split. I feel like lots of them were like, we're fucking back and lots of them were like, I fucking hate this straight. Uh, immediate impact from JT. Yeah, two goals.

Two goals. Two assists his second game. Yeah. So immediate impact, um, shit pumped by a limping Bruins team in the first game. Yeah, that was bad. And then pounced on Vegas in their Vegas, we absolutely suck ass in January, February stretch. So like, Rangers to me are still that, I mean, literally in the sample size, they're just a 500 team. Like they're, they've got holes.

And this just did not fill the hole. Like, did your sense? inner depth get better with this at? Of course. But yes, but, and I, they're changing lines every game. I pasted in some, like the most recent one they put up was Panarin Miller, Ziba, Riley Smith, Trochec, laugh, which breaks up the Trocheque Panarin laugh line. It has been going for a while. Ziba on the wing. Ziba on the wing. That's weird. Yeah, exactly. So the, there's no universe where, like, if I think, if you, if Crider can get going and he comes back up over

Riley Smith. So your top six is Panarin, JT, Ziba, Cried, or Trocheck laugh in whatever fucking combination you want to play them. I think you did get that, that helps. And I know sometimes, dude, it's really hard for guys. And sometimes it's easy. The wing, you just don't really, it's hard to tell before it happens. Either direction. So like Ziba on the wing, maybe he's a good player. I heard, I heard, um, somebody, someone was doing an interview. And he was like, he's a good player. We're putting good players in the ice. They can figure it out. I think they did get better. And I actually think maybe it's, remember last week we were joking about the Predators,

Flip is firing, Stammers firing last few games. And it's like Flip Stammer and Marcia are playing together all of a sudden. And it took them 50 games to break up Flip Factor Nyquist because they had such good chemistry last year. Yeah. And I was like, yeah, and that can be a trap sometimes where you just don't want to break. You're like, they'll get back to it. For sure. to it. And to your point, these are situations where I'm like, you're losing.

Yeah, dude. Exactly. The Rangers, too. I'm like, what the fuck are you got? Like, you're losing, you know, and they're like, what worked last year isn't working now. You can't make up Crider and Ziba because like, they'll get it going. And I'm like, well, they're not. So maybe play Ziba on the wing with J.T. Miller and see what fucking happens. So I'm kind of like, this, Dan, this might have been just what they needed. Come on. Because it actually forced them to accidentally break up the line combinations that weren't working. So I'm like, I don't know, dude. They could get cooking. They could, they could get cooking. They obviously. have the goal tending um to steal games which is not you'd rather just play good team d and not have

chesty steal games but luckily you don't play that good of team d and you have a goalie that can steal games yeah um i i don't want to immediately walk back my i think they are going to miss playoffs because every the the take now is they're definitely making it like for sure or see and i kind of want to dig in a little bit longer um but it's almost less of how much better i think the rangers got and how much of a clown show I think the teams above them are that I'm like you can't hang on definitely um so I I won't say it out loud yet but I do think the ranges are in in good shape yeah it's I'm totally with you what we'll get to um you know obviously we saw uh there was a number of trades I mean like Calgary made a big trade uh on Thursday I think it was then obviously uh Marcus Peterson and Drew

O'Connor traded to the Canucks by the penguins for Danton Heinen and day or nay. That's why I put it in there. Yeah, yeah. And that pick. It's they immediately shipped the pickup, which actually to me, Dan, because remember, remember when this, like two weeks ago, J.T. Miller was our thumbnail because this, this trade was essentially floated. And they were like, I'm not taking, that pick better be unprotected, you bitch. Like, that was the Kinex response. And then they took it protected right now. And I was like, what happened? And by the way, to kind of circle back, you were right about, um, they did have, they have no leverage. They had no leverage. Yeah. I guess I,

I also said that they were going to not get a good return for him, so I feel justified in that too. But yeah, like the whole tirade from Ralph, everything was just not good and led to this not good trade. But I remember thinking, well, if the Ranger, because I think it was only top 13 protected. So the Rangers could have still missed playoffs and the pick could have been like 15. And I was like, well, I don't know, maybe like, let's check back on this. Because if they get someone sick at 15 and then they were like, immediately traded to the Penguins for Dan. Or for Patterson. And I was like, what?

Yeah. That was the pick. Crazy. Crazy. So just quickly, you know, a few things to say about, you know, these teams here. The trading that first and getting Pedersen, great player. Very good player. Sorry.

Yeah. That makes their D better. It makes me curious again what Vancouver thinks they're doing because I can say can confirm. first hand, there are a lot of players on that Canucks team who are upset about what just happened. They're not thrilled that J.T. Miller is gone. We are also now hearing, as we've seen here, Blockbuster Fridays, this is like an extra trade deadline. It feels like with foreign nations. A lot of teams are making moves. Brock Besser mentioned every day right now. He's a pending UFA, you know, really saw 40 goals last year.

We're still hearing about Elias Pedersen. My thing is, if you're in that Canucks locker room, we heard Rutherford being like, we might have to deal both these guys, we might even have to deal Quinn. But I would understand, dude, if they were like, we have to trade Elias too, because there is a chance that there's a lot of dudes in that locker room who are not going to be able to get over what happened and might look at Elias as like a, this is your fault, dude. Yeah. Now, they're all professionals, they're all adults. You would hope they'd be like, whatever, dude. You're an alternate captain on this team. You're one of the best players in the world when you're buzzing. Fuck it. Forget it. That's the hope. I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't what happened. And he gets moved to. If he does get moved, I'm so confused by the Marcus Pedersen trade. Like, why did you flip the first? But maybe they're flipping that first before it becomes protected and, you know, maybe changes. Who knows what happens. So, like, the rags are making the playoffs in this. Yeah, yeah. Or, yeah, whatever. So, anyway, moving on from Canucks, like, I'm still super curious what is going on with.

Actually, I want to ask you something about the place. Please. Go. The, so I found this. I couldn't find it. I was trying to dig it up again because I saw it, you know, and you're, like, scrolling and I see a stat and then it's just gone. Yeah.

But it was something like, it was either this year, because I know J.T. missed some time this year. Or maybe it was J.T. missing time last year, but it was, like, in the times, in, like, in, like, the 10 game sample size when J.T. Miller was out. Yeah. PD had 22 points or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So whatever.

Everyone can have their own opinion on what happened and if you should be have thicker skin or whatever. But if the simple fact is you get elevated PD without JT, that's interesting to me. So they can kind of take between now and the trade, I guess it's the Four Nations break, but you can kind of get a couple games here to be like, let's see how PD's playing. If PD is all world, maybe that changes the equation too. but if you are the Canucks and you just did this, they are not, they're worse now.

Definitely. And they lose to Dallas and then they just lost to Detroit. So you're like clawing for a playoff spot. Maybe this year's a wash anyway and kind of who care. And not that you ever want to do that with like guys like quitting their prime. But, you know, even if you want to go, this year's a wash, fucking disaster. Demko was hurt too long, blah, blah, blah. if you are the Canucks though are you going okay let's literally blow it up yeah and just build around

piti maybe and Quinn certainly or are you like we have a lot of pieces here like we have Demco and Besser and Petey and Quinn like I don't the blow it up feels fucking insane me too me too but the way I look at it is JT was such a big piece for me I know and that that clearly got to the point where you can't continue. JT. is gone and you did not get adequate return for him. So yeah, I look at the core now and I'm like, your core is Quinn. We'll say Demko, but I, you know I love Demko. I'm just talking about the injury stuff that scares me with him. But let's say Demco, let's say Quinn and let's say Petey. Besser is a good player, but Besser's got a career high, 73 points. Obviously scored 40 goals last year, but Besser is not a 100 point guy in my opinion.

So I'm not entirely sure I'm going to say Besser is like this. Like he's getting you a cup. Like it's so consistent though. Yeah. Oh my gosh. He's going to get you 30 goals every year. Well, no, but he is going to get you, you know. You don't think so?

I think he's getting you. He's only done it once. Well, sorry, I'm saying now, like moving forward because he's going to get 30 this year, I feel. He's get 16 to be close? Yeah, it'll be close. All right, he's going to get you 25 goals. Yep. For sure.

But again, is that a guy that you're like, you're winning a cup because of that? No. No. So Besser, who is UFA and we're not hearing anything about a new deal. Yeah. This is where I'm like... And Demko's injury dude is like a... He'll never get better.

Yes. We think he can just play... It's bad. But like he's hurt. Yeah. So Petey is one where Miller's gone now. I actually think the leverage is back with Petty. Yeah.

Okay. You were not getting fleeced for Peter. I like that for Pedersen. Yep. Pederson is under a huge contract. This to me is a, because of the RFA situation, a Matthew could Chuck trade. This is like a, if you trade PD. It's what you wanted from fucking JT.

Yeah, but it's different, right? Like, JT's about to be 32 years old. Like that, it was never that. Yeah, fair. It was never that. This is that you have a, how old is PD, 25, 26? I think he's 26. You have a 26 year old stud on a franchise contract.

If you trade him, you are going to. to a team where something else is also not working and you're like a brutal year. Who, Petey? Yeah, I know. Terrible. Jesus Christ. That is somewhere where you go like this. You're either going, give me three first round picks or give me Islanders.

Maybe things, give me Matt Barzell. You know what I mean? It's like it would have to be a swap. Yep. So, I don't know. It's going to be interesting. To the New York Rangers quickly, they are better. In my opinion, they are still the same.

same 500 team. Really? But you had them in, you had them making it. Yeah, I think they're going to sneak in. I think they're 500, right above 500,

and we see that team make a wildcard spot every year now. And I think that's what they are. And I think that they're, they do not have it to go for a cup as currently built. And it begs the question to me. I'm like, you have Zabanajad with a no move. You have,

Crider, you have, Trotex great, but like Zabanajad, Crider, Panarin and now JT all guys in their 30s on big hard-to-move contracts and it's not getting it done. Like that is the fear. You know, like obviously JT immediately producing.

But the fear is like you now have all these old guys and it feels like you don't have enough to win a cup. What are you collecting here and where are we going and how are you fixing the defense? Yeah. Because like why is Zabana Jad going to waive his contract? now. So, yeah, I don't know. Like, if I'm, if I'm the Rangers, am I like, was that the silver bullet? I don't think so at all.

It feels like the Bruins where I'm like, you guys are in very similar situations where you have good young players, but you don't have a cup team. Is it better to miss the playoffs and get a good pick and like work towards something here or losing the first round, losing the second round? At that point, to me, at this point, with these huge markets, like, you've got to fucking win. Yeah. Making the playoffs

doesn't mean fuck all. I know, dude. And the, um, they think Bruins fans aren't buying fucking tickets. Sorry to interrupt, but I'm just like,

this isn't, it's not the, no disrespect. Like, it's not the sharks. It's not like a, dude, we haven't been in the playoffs in a while.

Get back in. Like that's, uh, you're selling out. Your season tickets are selling at MSG and at TD Garden. The, a lot of,

it would have to break the right way, but one thing I think is really interesting about whoever gets these wild. wild card spots is if Toronto, because they're right there with Florida right now, if Toronto gets that one seed in the Atlantic, which I don't think they probably will, but if Toronto gets it and then the caps are probably getting it, that's who I would want to play in the first round if I was a wildcard, those two teams. You know, I wouldn't want Florida. I wouldn't want canes. Really? Yeah. The caps haven't proven you wrong yet. No, they're great. I just think in the playoffs.

Oh, I would much rather play the fucking Keynes, do. Really? Oh, definitely. Wow, that'll be interesting. The cane's spine is made of a pool noodle, dude. That's true, dude, but they're making moves out here, dude. I mean, that'll be the second round series, probably. We'll get to see it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I wouldn't want to play, I mean, to me, I totally, totally.

I mean, we've talked about it. God forbid, Boston gets a wild card and plays Toronto in the first round. Like, Leaves fans will be like, no, dude, absolutely. I would reject this. not. But I wouldn't be happy about playing Washington in the first round. Yeah. I mean, playing the ones either good, obviously. So it's never an easy thing. Last thing I'll say on this Rangers thing, so far, first two games, they've taken Kreider off PP1 for JT. And as, you know how they always say with good NBA players when they're shooting poorly? They're like, get to the line.

You know, just like see a couple go in. Needing to get a guy like Chris Criter going and taking him off the power play feels crazy to me. I guess I just said. you've got to be willing to jumble shit, but I'm like, that's how he scores. But it just feels like it hasn't been going. Yeah, you're right. It's what we talked about earlier. It's not working. Take him off.

Take him off. But with JT, though, you know, maybe, I don't know. Yeah, maybe with him. Yeah, crazy stuff. I think they had like three power. Let's talk quickly about the cap increase. Yeah, just wanted to hit this really quickly. We all said that it was going to be 92.4 at least, they said.

And then they make an announcement that the next seasons, it's 95. point five, 104, and 113.5 over the next three years. Dude, not to revisit this too hard, but are you fucking my dad, Colorado? When they're like this, we can't afford them.

And all the people in the fucking DMs and comments on that post, they can't. What do you want them to spend that much money and then have literally zero dollars to put a team around McCarr and Brannon and Nate? Yeah. And I'm like, it's a hundred and fourteen million dollar cap in three years.

It just went up $20 million. Huge. The entire, the entire Rantanin'in salary, A.A.V. It just increased by. So whatever team you have currently, you now have an increase of Moose's fucking salary. Yeah, it's tough. Like, you're so right. And I also, I look at Edmonton, I'm like, Leon's isn't like that bad anymore.

But, like, Conner's about to make 16 mil. And, like, Bouchard will get too much money. It's talking to you guys really quick about our. partnership with Southern Comfort. Southern Comfort is the greatest blend of fruits and spices to make it a ready for anything drink, okay? And you've got to figure out what your best favorite SoCo drink is. I've said many times I love Soco Dr. Pepper, diet Dr. Pepper specifically, because I'm trying to stay off the sugar if you know what I'm saying. But I tried Soco lemonade this weekend, absolutely loved it. And you know what, actually, I'm thinking in real time right now. This just

occurred to me. This is a moment of pure inspiration that you were witnessing, actually. The AMC movie theater has Dr. Pepper vanilla. And I could get that in a cup and take it home and then mix that with Soco and I bet it would be absolutely insane. So you just witnessed me find my comfort zone. I want you to find your comfort zone. Create a Soco

cocktail. Mix it together. Find out which ones are your favorite and then hit us with a DM. We want to hear about all the best Soco drinks getting made out there and we will shout out our favorites on the pod. So go find your comfort zone right now. I do still think you need to look at it as a absolutely you could have afford

forwarded these guys. But you have to remember every team's cap is going up this much, and every team is thus going to have more space to get more depth and better players. And everyone, when we, you know, we posted that clip of, of the Chickles Boys talked about it too. They could have kept Ranton. Yeah. So many people are like, yeah, ask Toronto how that's going, paying four players. Fair point. It's a valid point. I think it's incredibly different, but especially given that it's in Colorado, it's three players, not four. I think, I think it's incredibly different, but it is a fair point. I don't give a fuck what anyone has to say.

It is a fair point. So I do think you still have to consider like, yes, it's going up. That doesn't mean you should give all of that cap space to one player because this is how teams lose. To the Toronto people, I would say their failure is their stars not performing in the playoffs, not that they're paying their stars too much so they have no depth. That would be my take on. I'm like, dude, do something. For sure.

But as we always talk about, though, dude, depth helps your stars play better. And the only thing I would say is kind of, this might be. be completely off base, but in hindsight, I'm like, you should have got a deal done with him. Everyone knew this announcement was coming. If I'm an agent now, I'm like, we don't know that, right? The agents definitely have a better insight, but like how many times in the past three years in the NHL, we've been like, caps going way up and it goes up $2 million. Yeah, yeah. Like, I don't think we knew this was coming. Mm-hmm. We'd be lying if we sat here and said. Oh, no, I didn't know it was going up as much. I just think, I guess as a fear of it was, you should get these people

signed. And the Leon right now is the benchmark, so it was never going to be more than that. Yeah. So, like the agent could go, well, now we want 18. because I'm like stopped it. But kind of funny that you're like, whoops. Yeah. All right. Quickly, I want to give some love to certain teams. We have been going through the pod here, and we've got fan bases up our ass about giving flowers to certain teams.

First and foremost, Ottawa senators. Wow. Ottawa senators, seven, two and one in their last 10, they won four straight. They are firmly in a third place in the Atlantic in a playoff spot. one point behind them is the Detroit Red Woot suit, which is phenomenal. But let's stay on the sentence. What are you thinking?

I think it's awesome, dude. I wanted this jump last year. I actually really liked their team last year. I guess it's not that different. But, you know, I was like, oh, this is sick. Teresanko's there. All this shit's going on. And then, like, they were like, just kidding.

This is a disaster. And, dude, we had talked to Brady right before last season started. Right? And then he was like, I really want to, he wants playoff so badly. And I was like, I, you know, I hope you do it. Pinto this summer. Yeah.

You know, they were talking about it. It just like, it went so bad. Dude, and it went so bad last year that not only were they selling off assets, but it also looked like they might be going the wrong way. Brady gone, everybody gone. Yeah. You know, so I think it's great, dude. It's great.

They've got a plus eight gold diff. You know, like they're playing really well. Levi-Marolinan, backup goalie. just got sent back down to the HL because O'Mark is back. But in O'Mars' absence, he went 8, 3 and 1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 goals against and a 925 save percentage. Like, that is your HL backup.

Like, they are buzzing. They look good. Players are, like Stutzla looks unbelievable. So yes, tons of flowers to the Sends. Because this is, as you said, this is what we wanted. This is what the fans wanted. And this is, like, they have caught up to the trajectory that I felt that they should be on.

And it's great to see. Detroit under McClellan, I can't even believe I'm talking right now because this goes against everything I believe in. But like six straight wins. Yep. Six straight wins. Monster OT win last night over Vancouver. They are in a wildcard spot right now. Like the Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators are in playoffs.

Hell yeah. It's fucking amazing. I know. It's absolutely amazing. We've talked about them a ton. The Columbus Blue Jackets obviously also buzzets. Now, the last team. Dude, real quick, though, the wings, that's like...

Nope, nope. I just want to say that the... Talk about... We don't change coaches mid-season. Yeah. And then they were like, just kidding, we change coaches. And it's the best team in the league. It's literally changed.

Dude, since December 28th, they are the best team in the NHL. And it's like... You should have pulled trigger on that one. Hey, guys, we could have done this a while ago. Like, they would probably be in second place in the Atlantic if we had done this a while ago. And then lastly, I feel bad because finally, there's someone, in our comment section on the ICE's ready post who's like no aisles pick seriously dude no islanders pick and i've just been like you suck shut up yeah the islanders do not they don't suck yeah they were on a

fucking heater dude absolute heater seven three seven and three in their last 10 they finally lost last night it hate say it and then also map is oh fuck out indefinitely fucking brew town nightmare timing i think um and also dude look at the there I are right now. Mike Riley, Varlamov, Fashing, Noah Dobson, Ryan Pollock, Hoburg, Barzell, Scott Mayfield. Like, dude, they are obliterate.

Yeah, God, it might cost them, unfortunately. Yeah, so Barzie going down, um, that fucking stinks. But Dan, maybe this is just what they needed. I actually don't think so in this circumstance. But also, you know, it sucks that they just lost. But just try to weather it, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I just fucking play 500. I hate the word indefinitely. I know, same. Because I'm like, is he dead? Yeah. Is he died? Like, it says he's day to day, but I'm like, is he alive? Show me a body.

Yeah. Send me a video. God, damn. But yeah, giving flowers to them as well. And then a quick shout out to Calgary, dude. Yeah, God, dude. Really exciting. L.A. was on a skit.

Two fucking brutal shoutouts, but they finally got their first win with Dewey in the lineup. Got on the board as well. Huge win over Carolina. But Kings, you're in third place. And Calgary is also in a wildcard spot one point behind you sniffing your ass. You do have two games at hand, though. That's good. But yeah, great performances from those guys had to give them some shells.

And this is one thing I want to say. It's not flowers, but just I think this is crazy. If you look at the West Dern Conference, Jets, Stars Wild, Oilers, Knights, Kings, Avs, all plus Goldiff. Literally everyone else in the West minus. Yeah. And we're positive that those seven are making it. and then the eighth Calgary, Vancouver, St. Louis, like, whoever gets in there is probably going to get in with like a slightly minus gold diff and whatever. In the east, Panthers, Leaf Senators, Capps, Cains, Devils, all plus.

And then right now it's Detroit, Columbus, Detroit minus nine, Columbus. And I just said someone in the West is probably going to get with a minus. So it's not insane. Yeah. Detroit minus nine, Columbus plus one. Tampa currently out, two games in hand, and they are only one point back of both. Tampa plus 34. I know.

Which is better than the devil's. better than the canes, better than the Sends, better than the Leifs, better than the Panthers. They have the second best goldiff in the east and are currently out of the playoffs. The games they're losing are strange. You're like, what? How did you lose that one? Yeah, it's crazy. And I am so confident they're getting in, but just that is

outrageous. Yeah, yeah. No, it's, it is a very, very interesting looking at the current playoff picture and seeing that the Tampa Bay Lightning after what they looked like for the first half of the season are not in the playoffs. The fourth best goldiff in the league. All right, now we're going to kick it two. Two-time Stanley Cup winner.

Current BCHL coach. Absolute beauty. Scott Gomez joins the podcast. And get ready to laugh because this is a gas. It is a gas. We were told by some of the Alaska boys, Sway, Tommer, told by other people, if you put a quarter in him, he'll go. Yeah.

And he did. We put a dollar in. Don't expect to hear from me or CP much in the next hour, because Gomer can just entertain you for days. Deals the show. We said he's going to come back on because he's such a blast, but won't waste any more time. We are joined today, finally,

by an Anchorage-Alaska native, third Alaska boy in Netters Pod history, I believe, I have my facts correct. Yes. We've almost got a starting five. It's amazing. The 27th overall pick of the 1998 draft of the New Jersey Devils, Calder Trophy winner for a rookie of the year, who also played for the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, the San Jose sharks, the Florida Panthers, the St. Louis Blues, and the

Ottawa Senators, an Olympic athlete, a two-time NHL All-Star, and of course a two-time Stanley Cup champion, Scotty Gomez. Welcome to the Engine Editors podcast. Let's go. Well, since I found out on the third Alaska, I can see you guys later. There's a pecking over in our state, boys. That's actually true. But he's the godfought. No, there's not. No, there's not. What's funny is it's it, the amount of times it took us to get this, all the tech to work here is how we had the two other Alaskans on. Yeah, yeah. It's crazy. Well, it's an absolute blast. Dude, you know what? It's rare that we have a guest who has a cooler YouTube page than us. So that you are the first to have that, which is fantastic. No, to explain that, it was, you know, there was a guy, T.J. Webb, he's from Alaska, and we kind of had the same ideas. We were going to do documentaries.

on other Alaskan athletes, like Olympians football. I mean, there's tons, and usually the hockey guys, we always get the credit. So that was the plan, and, you know, the pandemic hit. He flew in for Florida. He was stuck with me, all this camera stuff. You know, like all of us didn't know what to do. And I used to really mess around with my teammates about, you know, what it was like to live in Alaska.

Like, we'd be on the bus and, you know, a guy would be, they'd be coming, they're going to come this summer. And we passed by like a best. Best Buy and I'd be like, hey, that's how big my house is. And they think, and so they'd be like, wow. And then I'd say, you know, there's a river and a lake behind my house and there's a mountain line that comes every morning and wicks up the valley. I just make him, you know, so I lived in the house.

I grew up and finally we did it. But so you should have saw some of the guys' faces when we pulled up to the house and like, you know, I remember like Steve Aliquette was like, you know, thought I was picking a pot or something like that at this house. some dealers house put it that so you know they all have the same question like hey where's the lake in the valley i'm coming you know i'm on the east side kind of by downtown i was just uh so that's how it happened it was just like hey let's just start messing around see if uh you know something to do and people just started really enjoying them and we started you know doing that and then we went

on the road and it was it was a blast uh and then you know ESPN picked it up for the playoffs and but by the end i mean i don't know if me and tj could have been we're great friends, but I don't know if we could spend another week together. I mean, it was a little, you know how that goes, but, um, oh, yeah, it's a bride. I hear you. Yeah, so. We're living proof of it here. Right here. I'll tell you what, it's terrible. You made the right decision, not going through with it. Yeah. So funny. Dude, one of your earliest ones going around us Dynax, we were watching a bunch of them is you're, because you're right, you're always hamming up the Alaska thing. You're like, I'm going to survive out here. I'm training my survival

instincts. And you're, you do, you're building a fire. And you're like, you dump gas on it. And you're like you need to get eight steps away or whatever and you can't get the match to light and you're like sometimes you can get four steps away. So that just shows you how Alaskan I am like I am from the city like through and on you know, by anchor and and that's literally how I started a fire but I was that guy that was so scared that, you know, I'm throwing matches where most Alaskans just stand there with the lighter and just light it out. Yeah.

But that and then I mean it was just amazing how people actually like my buddies, and stuff thought that I could make a fire with two pieces of logs and just literally like, I'm like, are you not watched a movie? Have you never watched Discovery? I mean, we'd be there for, I don't even know how many days I'd be there, but... Yeah, we freeze it. Yeah, but it is true. Hey, that's the way to start it.

Put some gas on it. Yeah, right. Gas works every time, every time. I mean, come on. God, I've had way too many close calls with gas and fire. People forget. It trickles up the stream if you don't get it off too fast. Yeah, it's also funny because like my, like you said, trickle up the stream depending on how you do it

but some people I mean you know you got to put it in a cup or whatever because there's some people I think they can just put the you know that's where the trouble starts and you know so we we were in Montana once and we were at our buddy's ranch and I had a big tank like the red tanks of gasoline and we were trying to get this pizza oven started outside

and I was just like sloshing gas in and I slosh some gas in put it down and I watched the flame go right up to the nozzle and they lit on the edge of the nozzle and I was you know I had a few beers in me and I leaned in and I blew it out and like imagine dude I'm leaning in trying to blow out that flame it goes right into the tank and explodes I'm not here anymore yeah right well with that story you shouldn't be here anymore correct it's like I actually I think about that story like once a month I almost bit it right

then and there um dude getting into the hockey days obviously as we've said you grew up in Alaska, but you started playing in the WHL. And it was interesting looking into your days of, you know, you're playing in the WHL, you're playing for the Tri-City Americans. And you had said that you wanted to go to college and play college hockey. And you even signed a letter of intent with Colorado College, right? So what was that like, you know, like that year, your draft year, you end up getting hurt, you kind of drop in the rankings from top five.

That last year in the WHL, were you pissed the whole time, where you just kind of head down trying to stay focused, knowing that you had to get in the league, wanted to to go in that first round, or what was that whole experience like? Well, I mean, take it back a little bit. Where I'm coaching now, this is where I play junior. So, Surrey, I was in the BCHL. I was, you know, my dream was to go to the USHL and play for Omaha. That's where, like, Brian Swanson and my idols, all the older guys, they went there.

And what happened was when I was 14 years old, the Susie City coach came. He found the house and came in, and he said, when Scott turned 16, we're going to have his rights. And my dad was like, you know, he's got his heart set on Omaha. And the guy goes, if by 16, if he wants to go to Omaha, I'll trade him and shook my dad's hand. And it was like, okay. And they wind and dime me.

Don't get me wrong. Seriously, I mean. But at the end, I wanted to go to Omaha. He kind of, you know, went back on it. And the league got involved. And I don't think people realize when you're that age. you know, the phone's off the hook. Every junior place is calling.

It gets to the point where, like, your friends have to let the phone ring twice and hang up. And then you know it's someone that, you know, it's just, it's, you know, it's pretty stressful on a kid. Yeah, that's crazy. And so what happened was is that they said that I couldn't go to Omaha. The guy ended up getting fired. I could go to Lincoln, which was an expansion team. And I didn't, you know, I didn't know anything about it. And then my dad, you know, kind of gave the old, hey, when a guy gives, you know, shakes your hands.

and give your word. This is, well, the BC League, I wanted to go to Penticton then because of Paul Crea. That's all I knew. I knew nothing about the BC League. But because of schooling in college, I had to, the only reason I went to Surrey is because it's five minutes from the border. And so, you know, it always sounds because me being Latin, you know, I crossed the border every day to go to high school.

And so this was pre-year-old 9-11, so it was a little easier. but and I ended up playing for a powerhouse it was and my coaches Rick Lance played 16 years in the HL actually it's his thing I think either coffee went seventh or he went either one of them went six or seventh so he this shows you how good so he could have been in oil area you know it never don's on it but it's pretty cool my billet John Short I rest of soul they kind of sabotaged college so bullied you yeah so they what I was calculated moves by them The draft was different. I was draft eligible, and the year, you know, I was 16 playing here.

The draft ratings came out. I was rated in the top five. And it was like Spokane had my rights. One of my best friends, Ty Jones. He was 13th overall the year before me to the Blackhawks. You know, they got the, this is shows we knew nothing about it. And my billets were really good friends with Mr. Toygo that owned Tri-Cities. And, you know, they sabotage because I'd want to go on recruiting trips.

I had five schools picked out, and it seemed like every time I wanted to go on a recruiting trip, I don't know if I should say this now, but that was years ago, there'd be a little sweet in the pot a little bit if I stayed for the weekend and, all right, you know. But my dad came down. They took my dad down to Seattle. They went to a major junior game, the Thunderbirds versus someone else. And they were like, that kid right there on the ice is going to make a million dollars next year. And Scott's like way better.

All right. So that kind of got it like. It was my decision at the end. and we just like Spokane, dropped my rights, try cities, picked them up, and it was like,

okay, let's go. You know, just because if we're going to, like I said, college was the goal. It was never going to go. Did you, did you,

how easy was if you to give that up? Like, were you like, you know what? This is the move 100% for fuck college or were you still, plus part of you like,

damn it, I really did want to play college hockey. I think I was 25 when Scott Niedemeyer finally kind of had to sit me down and say, get over the fact you didn't go to college. Wow. So it did linger.

Yeah. I mean, we grew up college. I mean, you know, especially when you, you know, Mike Motto is my assistant here. And, you know, you go to the world juniors and you're hearing all the college stories and, you know, we're stuck with billets. Like, you know, it's kind of. But so in saying that I, okay, we're going to do it. I'm going to go. Ty Jones was like, you're going to the worst team in the league.

This is your draft here. And I'm like, I knew nothing about it. And that summer, I got a job, which I never had one. working at a moving company. And of course, Mr. Jolly, he didn't let me move, but I just stayed, I worked in the warehouse, and I just shot a nail gun all day long, and there was a basketball hoop in there,

and I just shot hoops all day. And I never forget, I sitting down with, and they're friends now, like a bunch of these, you know, workers, and they're coming in, they're like, they didn't really know where I was. Yeah, kind of the hockey kid in Alaska, but everyone was like, you know, you could get an education. Don't do what we do.

And I'm just sitting there like, oh, I just gave up. my education. Then four games into the league, uh, four games in, I, um, four games in, I tore my, my, uh, blew my, broke my collarbone. Yeah, I was out. So our team, I think we won. I was just with the team at the other day. I think we won like 17 games.

The drafts is not what you think. My stock just kept going down, down, down. So what happened was with the devils take me. I just wanted to go on the first round. It's all I cared about because it's like you guys, I don't know how old you are, but, you know, I just wanted to get on TV and put the jersey on. put my arms around them that's that's it so that year the nchl decided to have a time out during the during the picks so every team took a time out the first round lasted three hours okay nightmare yeah and

especially when you're not getting picked and you're not even so and so it's a lot of time to shoot a nail gun and you know and you just got your family and and all i cared about was getting on tv i didn't care where i was going yeah and so finally the the last picked the New Jersey Devils. I thought Dallas was going to take me for sure. They traded their pick. The Dallas people kind of looked at me and the doctor, I spent a lot of time with these people and they kind of looked at me like, gave me a wink.

I didn't know what that meant. New Jersey Devils take Scott Gomez, get up there, hair was flowing. You know, some cheap suit. Our suit I had, I'm ready. Arms with this, we're in Buffalo. So afterwards, you have to go do all the stuff downstairs and I just can't wait to call everyone back home, my buddies and everything.

And there's a pay phone. I have these kids don't even know what that is. There's a pay phone in the Buffalo Arena and I called home because a bunch of friends were watching and they're all like, where'd you get picked? And I'm like, what do you mean? I'm like, they're like, where'd you go? I'm like, I went to the devil's 27th. They're like, yeah, after the 26th pick, ESPN cut it for buck hunting.

So that was, now to answer the question, okay, so now I'm to the devil's training camp, no one knows who I am. they, like I said, I'm the last pick. And usually with the devils and all of them being a powerhouse, usually the kid that got picked that pick, they're not really, you know, they're always low. They're not really going to do something. Well, I was the last cut.

I missed, I think I missed like three weeks into the season because they didn't know what to do with me. Like, do we keep them? Because you burn it, right? Yes. Yeah, 10 games. If I played 10 games and it was like, and I mean, it was to the point, like my dad, that was the only advice my dad ever, you know, gave me, like, make them keep you.

Just make them keep you. and they didn't know, like the players didn't know the steel they were getting like, hey, I was rated pretty high. They thought I was, and, you know, plus they were like, who the hell is this Mexican-Colombian kid, like from Alaska? Like, it was just so I get sent down. Last day I remember I go back to Tri-Cities. I'm a little excited because I knew we were going to be better.

I get to see my buddies, but for the first couple weeks, I'm just, yeah, I'm pissed. I'm like, this is, you know, I'm playing with guys that, wow, this past was doing something two weeks ago. now you could define you know i got a little attitude and i give the devil's credit i don't know how many organizations would do this but lou lamarillo uh he flew down they flew down to kind of you know give me a little slap like hey let's go like wake up we we want to see what you can do and then you know it was on after that and back then like i said i went straight to camp and then the next year they uh i had to i had to go to jersey in july so i had to

had to go nine weeks early, and that's when I met Vladimir Burrey. They started out with 11 of us, working out with Vladdy, and only four of us lasted. And me, Sergey Breland, Colin White, and Pierre Dagenet, and you look at the careers, I mean, like, it was because of Vladdy. And, you know, same thing. With the devils, when you got there, you had to start in the minors. That was the rule. That's the only two that never did was Brendan Chanahan. and Scott Needhamer.

And I got, till this day, I got lucky because John Madden was next in line. And that's how the Devils used to work. It was like, Brendan Morrison went first, and then Madden was next. I come into camp, and I was like, no way. And they ruined us together. And we, I mean, he hated me. And I was like, all right, I'm great friends now. But, but, and I got lucky.

I don't know if I got lucky, but Brendan Morrison and Patrick Eliosch held out. So there was a spot open and I started out in the fourth line for about, I don't know, a week. And then, you know, the rest is history. But yeah, I made it to the point like my dad. Hey, they have to keep you. It is funny because the year before that I got drafted, you know, the Alaskans and the Boston punks used to always get along. We just for some reason like. I love that.

So we were at a New York Ranger devil's game and they were going to introduce us in between, you know, and Gretzky was playing. And like all you guys from the States, I mean, you guys grew up watching NHL games. We never really got to. So we wanted to watch half the guys are messing around. I do remember that I faked my age and I got to signed up for a visa and I got a Devils T-shirt that I wore forever. This is way before I got drafted. And then the team leader, he asked us if we'd want to go downstairs and see the Stanley Cup rings in Lou Lamarillo's office. And yeah, of course.

And we were connected with the Devils because of Mike Paluso. He was the first major star in Alaska. He played college there. So we go downstairs, go in his room, and he's speaking, and we don't have no idea who this guy is. I mean, he looks scary. This is, you know, who is this guy, whatever? And there was a, he has all around the room.

Back then, it was all just boards and just names of every team in the NHL, every team in the HL, everyone, East Coast, whatever it was. And they had a list of, like, who was next. if who was going to be in there was Brennan Morrison's name John Madden and Patrick Eliasch those guys' names was on that list like I and uh Mike Motto and Ty Jones and me

you know five bucks or whatever it was that's a lot and they go yeah they said I dare you to you won't write your name on that and I said how much and I think it got to like I think it got to like $20 and I was like so I went over there everyone was listening to Lou and I wrote Gomez

like the list and then they at the end they were like, does anyone have a question? And I was like, yeah. And they said, why. And like, everyone, the team leader looked at like, after Lou talks, like, no one, you know, better be a question. And I was like, hey, I got one question. Why is my name so low there?

I'm better than all those guys. And I mean, everyone that knew Lou in that room, because we were only four of us. And we just thought, hey, you know, and I mean, the room just froze. The team leader was like, and, yeah. The day I got trapped, and Lou, like to tell that story, like, at least I knew this kid had some cahones right there. because if I would have known, if I would have known what I know now, I wouldn't, I mean, you know, your hands would have been like this coming in the room. But, yeah, so it's kind of the devil's history how it would kind of happen.

That's fucking fantastic. I mean, it's, I love to hear you the story about wanting to be on TV, those little benchers. Like you said, it's cool to hear that you got the little slap on the wrist, and it clearly worked because after that last man cut, you go back, you had 108 points in 58 games with Tri-City. Then you go in, was there a moment where you, when you get back, you make the team where you were able to sit back and be like, I'm about to be the first Alaska and NHL player.

No, I guess to answer, like, I'm actually, this is weird. So this is kind of another lose story that you know the devils are different. And I don't know what to expect. So we lose in the Western finals against Camloops, and we all dyed our hair blonde, you know, one of those junior things. We're out. So it must have been a really good party because I ended up, you know someone's house and a guy in a team and anyone my billets are calling and they're freaking out

you got to get home you got to get home or when i'm like what the season's over and they're like you have a hair appointment at 10 o'clock in the morning to dye your hair black back to black because your flight leaves at three you're going to new jersey and i was like now i think about why didn't it just buzz my head but yeah yeah yeah so i have really i used to have you know really curly curly hair. And I mean, to die, I mean, I just had straight, like, and I got there. And, you know, I don't even know why I was there. I thought I was going to play in Albany.

I was kind of pumped. Like, they were in playoffs. And I'm staying across the practice arena at the Turtle Brook Inn, the worst hotel. It's probably illegal. Our players stay there. But Lou got away with everything. And we stayed there. They tell me to come over.

There's an optional skate. I'm like, here I come in with the bag. I walk in and I'm like you know it's playoffs no one wants to deal what's this you know

what's this kid doing here like barely anyone remembers you like so I go on the ice and I'm just you know I don't know what I'm doing there and you don't realize Dave Anarchuk you know Hall of Famer

500 goals he was a healthy scratch that day for the first time in his career and here this little punk's on the ice I have to be on a line with him on a red like this guy and you look back now like oh I couldn't even imagine what you know

that must have added more fuel of the fire. But I didn't do anything. I don't even know why I was there for two weeks. After with Vladdy, that summer, yeah, I knew I was going to, there's just, there's no way. There's no way. I'm not, sorry, you know, especially the conference last year. And people don't realize when they ask, especially like a player like me, like, was it hard?

The NHL was actually easier just to the fact I was a passer. I used, where now I'm throwing the puck to guys that are like, know how to get open, know how to control, no, and it was just, and yeah, like, just make them keep you, make you keep you. And it was never, I'm the first Alaskan, no, because Jonesy already had a game. At this point, we're all, one thing about it, me and Ty were kind of the first, and we were just, everyone wanted each other to succeed. That was, you know, that's awesome. We didn't have any, maybe, you know, people at the outside made in words that we were all jealous,

but that was the main thing we, we especially had when the younger guys came up with Nate and Brandon, and all was like, hey, no, we, we're going to be those group of guys that we, we're friends. Like that's, there's no, there's no, there's no hatred to there's anyone. But I do remember, first road trip, we're in Atlanta. Well, it bowed down to me and me and this other guy that was going to make it, Eric Bertron. And it was a game on Friday night. We had a Friday, Saturday game, preseason, the last two games. We both play Friday night.

They don't tell us who's playing Saturday. Yeah, right. Because it's just blue. So this is unbelievable. So Bertrand, we got along. It was great. And he goes, total French guy. I have some friends that's, I'm probably not doing an excellent route, but he goes,

I have some friends, you want to go to dinner after the game in the city? And the city was like, yeah, sure. So we go in the city. We end up having a little too much fun. And now this is before GPS and everything. We don't know how to get back to the hotel. So the continental is right across the river. And I don't know what time.

it is, but we're like, let's just stay in the car. We just basically slept in the car. Oh, my God. Went into the pregame, and we're like, you know, you got to have a story. You always got to say that we thought you still had to wear your suit in the morning. What case someone asked, when we got there early. But, I mean, you look back now, like, I mean, Lou knows everything. Like, the fact we didn't get caught, anyway, we go playing really well.

We're playing in the game. Do you both were playing? Yeah, we're both playing. And Bertron, so it's down between both of us. And it's like, who's, just flash people, who's going to, whatever. And he got hit pretty hard. And the trainer came over and he's like, to the coach, he's like, hey, Bertron can't see. So they took him out, like, can't see.

So they took him out. And I'm like, you know, wow, this might be a good thing on. A moment. So I forget what it was. We had a game right away. It was the last exhibition game. The final team is there. So I was wearing number 48 and I'm still there.

And I'm still there. And I walked in the room. And I mean, the story's been told a bunch, but I walked in the room and there's 23 Gomez. And I'm like, and I mean, most kids should be pretty happy. And I'm like, fuck. Like 23, gross. Like, wow, man. And Larry Robinson's behind me.

And he's thinking I'm like, like, wow, I just made the NHL. And I'm like, and he turns around Larry Robinson is the best human being ever. And he's like, what's wrong, GOM? He goes like, what's wrong? And I said, I said, well, 23rd. And he goes, well, what number do you want? I was like, well, I'm 11. I want number 11, but Madden has it.

And he's like, well, you know, there's some great hockey players that were 23. And I'm like, who? And he's like, well, Bob Ganey. And I was like, well, yeah, but he was more defense. I'm flow, man. I'm, you know, and he goes, okay. And the trainer was right behind there. And he goes, hey, Richie, or whoever it was there, Dana.

He goes, hey, is number 11 available in Albany? And the guy goes, yeah. is. He goes, you still want number 11? I was like, 23. 23. So, yeah, I mean, but we go to Atlanta first game, and I just remember calling my parents. I get into the room. I've never been into Ritz Carlton. I'm in this room. I'm like, wow, picked up the phone, called home, left a message. I'm like, you know, whatever happens, I don't know what's going to happen, but this is the nicest room ever. I'm thinking about getting out a robe or something. Like, you know, but I don't know how long I'm going to last, but if this is it, man, this is pretty cool. And, yeah.

all time dude all time what a dream dude like you said man the the team was stacked already right like legends legends legends in the locker I mean you just touched about you know the first gate what it was like being out there with those boys and being a rookie on that squad you've told a bunch of fucking hilarious stories about

Claude Lemieux and and Lou and everybody as a rookie but any any else other ones come to mind about like Artie or Stevens or like some of those like what was it like being with those big dogs as a young kid you joined an all-star squad essentially Oh, he's unbelievable. Or joined a team that lost the last first round in a row, right? Yeah.

You know, and so I joined. I hung out with during camp because I sat next to Randy McKay. He didn't say one word to me. And I thought, and this guy's scary. And I'm like, so I make the team. I started hanging out with him in a lot of the line. Like, I'd go to lunch. Jay, anyone want to go to lunch?

The more I figured I'd hang out with those guys, the more they'd get to know my person on. the more they'd help me on the ice. So anyway, I make the team, Randy sits next to me, and he's the best. They still one of my closest friends ever, and I'm like, hey, man, you're kind of a, I thought you were like a jerk. Like, you didn't even talk to me all camp or whatever it was, and he goes, kid, he goes, I'm so bad with names, make the team and I'll know your name.

And I was like, okay, that makes sense. So now we're doing a, it's the team, and we have a team stretch in the morning, free game skate and lao oldoline and raina macaa kind of next to each other i'm right there and we're in this pigeon pigeon pose i'll never forget that and yeah and they're talking about like they're joking around you don't know that humor yet and they're like yeah this is scotty's last year scottie steven's dad is called his nickham's dad like this is dad's last year and and and i just said joking around i go well it can't be his last year and they go you know what do you like or they looked at me and i said i'm not ready to be there

captain yet and they said it to the whole room and i'm just like and i don't know dad at all or scotty at all i'm just like and you know so kind of about humor um there was another time when when i really got comfortable and that's like yeah i don't know i'm leaving the team and scoring i don't know two weeks into it or whatever but yeah so but the guys when there's a 10 minute mark before you're going to go like the music cuts off i had serious serious business i didn't have that i never was in the room on it and we're now everyone's lined up getting ready to go i don't maybe it's before warmups or no before the game now it's game time everyone's you know and i said this is early on i mean but smart enough to know about three seconds before they had to go on i was like hey hey i got

an announcement i got an announcement and everyone just turned like the hell is this rookie talking and i held my stick up and i'm like hey whoever wants to whoever wants a second assist it goes right here and i mean now but they got to walk out i mean my everyone's I'm smart enough to know that guy and guide, but hey, if you back it up, it's, but it's kind of what they needed, like, meaning you talk to the guys now and it was what the room needed. I mean, once, one cool thing about the devils was, and I think Bobby O'Leak would be the best, because I shot after him to him too, like, he was dead serious this completely, and he got to see my personality where I didn't, you know, I was in the room with the doctors until like,

whatever, and then I came in. and but when we stepped on the ice i'll stab you in the throat just as much as he would yeah and that's the thing where the devils were like you were allowed to be you were allowed to be and i mean you know and the first day you walk in uh i remember scott needemire grabbed me and he's like and bobby holley grabbed me and they're like watch number four he leads the practice meaning when it is true when the best player and the hardest working guy is your captain you fall on line man and our practices were, our practices were, and we still all like to talk about it. Like, I mean, our practices were nasty compared to games.

Like, it just, there was so much competition, so much, and you had to be. I mean, it was, so as far as going down in the draft and all that, it was a blessing in disguise just for the fact that I came into, I came into a room where, where it was go time. Like, we're here to win the cup. You ain't late for meetings. You ain't, you know, it's the best thing for a kid. And these guys, I mean, like I said, there's some of them are still, I mean, they're still all my vets that if I ever needed some. Yeah. Yeah. And that. And I think one of the funniest stories, too, was, so I make the team, a couple guys also made it, and they were going to move into a house.

It was right by the practice facility. And Lou said, no, I had to live with the billet. And I'm like a billet. I've been, you know, back to the college days, all my friends have been living on their own for, you know. And not only it's where Scott Niedemeyer lived and Dano lived, Ken Danico, this shows you how far back. His rookie year was like 82. And Judge Conti, the Conti family, best ever. But I don't know if you guys are familiar with Jersey. They lived over in like Wehawking towards the George Washington Bridge. Yep.

South Mountain is 45 minute in traffic. I've never been in highways. I mean, this is before GPS. Mrs. Conti's got to write me a map to get on 17. go, you know, to 280. So I'm leaving at like at 6 in the morning. I'm there. And finally, I, so anyway, we have a first trip.

And besides Atlanta, maybe it was a day trip or, no, no, it might have been the Atlanta trip. It was one of the trips, the first trip. And it was only a night trip. And I was like, I don't have a bag. I just have a huge suitcase. And I asked the Contis, I'm like, hey, can I, do you have a bag I can borrow? They're like, sure. So they give me this bag.

And I'm like, oh. roast. I'm like, oh, man. So anyway, I can't complain. Well, I walk on the plane and I sat in the back and I walk on the plane and I mean, every vet is like this like, and I'm just like, oh, man. You know, and I mean, everyone down the line is like, what did it look like? What is this back? I'll tell you right away. So I get down like, like, like every guy is like, and now I can see them snickering like, like, who fuck this? So. plane takes off the guys in the middle marty uh randy dano the big boys are all playing cards arny and all them and i walk up to randy and i'm like hey uh like i'm sorry about the bag i thought maybe there's a rule you can't have an ugly bag and he's like that's not your bag i'm like no i's like it's like that's not your bag. I'm like, no. It's not my bag. I'm like, he's like, who's is it? I'm like, they gave it to me. I had a Louis Vuitton, $2,000 bag. Now the mature guys' reaction, that's what they're on, because now they just spreads. Like, it's not his bag. And they're

all designed. Yeah, nowadays. Pilot announces. Announce it. It's not as bad. I imagine just like a collection of Hall of Famers, see the rookie walk out of the fucking Louis Viton bag. They're like, who is this pricked? Jesus. And especially back down. I mean, now these kids all show up with the, you know, to me and all that. But, oh, no, I mean, it was like, what the hell? Yeah, but, yeah, so it was stuff like that.

Like, I was so naive. But yeah, they were like, that bag is $2,000. I was like, what? Hold on. Now, I'm thinking about it. Who is the name of the family that you lived with? The Contes. What were their name, first names?

Mr. and Mrs. Conti. The biggest, it wouldn't have been Dave. It wouldn't have been Dave. Because he was a scout then. No, no, no, no, dude. Dave Conti was the head of, uh, yeah. Yeah. Okay.

He was the head scout that. you know, he was Lou's right hand man. No, yeah, because we know Dave well and I was like, hold on. Did you live with Dave? No.

Because I would have given him shit then for giving you a Louie bag. No. So they were, but it was stuff like that. And then I remember we, we walked into a, so back then you'd land or whatever and you'd go to, uh,

if guys would get your stuff off, meet downstairs. And we played for the devil so we couldn't change. You had to wear a suit. You could put a collar shirt on. But that would be. was worked, it works good sometimes, but you know, you're the jerk in a college bar with a suit on. Right.

Yeah. But then people got to ask, why has he got a suit? And then that's, you know, that's. I play the devil. Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, you're not going to lie. But, yeah.

But, so we walked into, I'm locked in a bar in L.A. We're meeting before we go to dinner. And by this point, now I'm, you know, I'm always with the young guy, our Jay Pandolfo, Sheldon Surrey. I'm in that group now. Yeah. So I walk in and here I am. I'm just, you're in cloud and I, like, so we meet up at the, me and jean, like, so we meet up at the, day got dinner somewhere, forgot.

And so, you know, everyone met up. I was kind of cool back in the old days. You'd meet up and whether you had a beer or not, but everyone met up. So I come and kind of late and I walk by this table and I'm like, you know, fresh off the boat, man. I've never seen, I've never seen women look like that live, you know, and I'm like, wow. And obviously they're older.

And I was in the older ladies at that age. How old are you? So I'm 19. Yeah, you're 19. Yeah. And these grows up like 30, 35, whatever. You tell, and so I walked by and Randy McKay, or, you know, a couple of the Goulders guys are there. And they're like, like, and I just keep staring.

I'm like, wow. And he's like, like, go talk to them. And he talks like this. He's like, go talk to them. And I'm like, no. And he's like, go over there. Go talk to him. I'm like, no.

And he goes, he goes, who's better than Scott Gomez in this bar right now? And I was like, that guy, that guy. that guy probably is that guy you know i'm like he goes so now he's got to readjust and he's like okay when you step on the ice who's better than scott gomez and i'm like no one i'm like no one you know it like you know like you know that was that and he goes that's what i mean i go he goes if i meet the guy better than scott comas i want to shake that guy's

hand because that guy's the you know i just pump me up i'm like yeah it's the tire pump you need is an incredible wingman behavior so now i'm like yeah all right so i walk over there and now i got to think of my and i'm like I remember this and I said hey ladies I have to buy you a drink because no one will believe where I'm from that I bought the most beautiful women a drink and now they're like they're all over there. What a line, dude. Here's where the Alaskan part comes in

because now they're like they're looking at me now. It might not happen but someone's got to ask where are you from? I'm from Alaska and back then and whoa, you know, might as well be Australia or something like, what are you doing here? You know, we play the Kings tomorrow. Whatever, whatever. I said, well, here's what happens. I was like, hey, why don't you come join us?

They get up, they look over, and they see real men. Yeah. They jump up and go, so next you notice, it was like, everyone's talking, whatever there. And I kind of noticed I'm kind of out. And I'm like, and then it dawned to me, I look at Randy, I'm like, you asshole. Yeah. You guys didn't have the balls to go over there. You guys used me to go.

Yeah, and he was like, good job. You were great. Yeah. So, yeah, it was, but me and Jay were leaving anyway, so it was, but. Yeah, I didn't want to anyone. Yeah, Gomer, they literally put you on a hook, tossed you out into the ocean. Yeah, you're a fisherman, Gomer, you know how it works, yeah. But I was going to say, you really are from Alaska, dude.

You're a cougar hunter. It's unbelievable. It's not in wildlife out here. Unbelievable. That is so good. How long did it take for the guys to, like, just fully embrace your sense of humor and kind of be in that rookie who wasn't afraid to put your nose in there, make those jokes and just get in the mix with all the boys.

Well, it also helps. Like, I tell these kids, don't forget, I'm, I'm leading the team to score. Like, I'm up there. So that makes it a lot easier. But it's like Randy McKay said the best, you know, when people would ask, they'd still do, like, what was he like when he was younger just because of my personality? It was like, he was the most cockiest rookie ever, but the most respectful rookie to the vets ever. Like, I was, I mean, like I said, you know, if a guy,

I, anything they said or wanted, I, I would do. Like, if I noticed the guy's beer was empty, I'm getting him a beer. So, no, I mean, that's part of it. That was, that was the best part. Like, but, and, you know, they, it's what kind of the devil's needed was just the fact that it was so strict and regimenting, like, you know, with Lou and I'm, but they let me be. And I, and I didn't bug anyone. I mean, if I'm sitting next to Scotty and needs or some, like, different story, I probably can't talk. But my corner was, uh, John Madden, Randy McKay.

Jay Pandolfo, Bobby Holik, and then the second year, Turner Stevenson. So, I mean, the, and this is before the, I don't know if you guys remember that Bud Light commercial, like Leon, Leon, well, I don't. Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So I would only talk in third person to the corner. So I'd be like, hey man, Gomer's not feeling,

Gomer's this, Gomer's this today, Gomer's not. So it was the, and it got to the point where like, Randy, Randy and Turner, they were like, in Jim McKenzie, because when he came in, they were like, you got to do an interview like that. And I'm not, I don't have that big of balls because Lou would, you know, but it was almost at a point where I was going to do in the while, you know, Gomer didn't feel it tonight.

Gomer needed to like, so it lightened it up. But at the same time, once we stepped on the ice, hey, you know, I brought it. There was no. And, and, but I mean, they, they took care of you. And then I remember because I was hanging out with the older guys, like maybe some of the guys that liked their beers. But the younger guys,

I didn't, you know, I didn't really get invited. I was like, wow, do you really think I like going to a Jersey bar and play golden tea? No. But it was cool hearing the story. And then finally, Jay Pandolfo was like, it was, we landed. It was really on. And like, second trip, whatever. And he's like, hey, you're starting to maybe a rep that you like, whatever.

Maybe like you're, and I didn't. I was like, and Jay's like, you got to hang out with us now. and I remember like you just graduated and I remember because we go we getting out the bus for whatever and the older guys are like go over five minutes and I'm like never again bye yeah wow

like I'm gonna go hang out with God like and they were like giving me shit but they knew they knew then and that's when you got introduced to New York City and all that yeah properly but yeah but I remember I'll never forget that they were like going down in five I was like never again see you and then you know they gave me shit but they but so jpandoff was uh you know

It's like an older brother to me. He, I mean, I basically lived at how I, he, he, he completely, oh, because after I wind, after a month, I'm like, I can't do this anymore. Living with a billet, I loved them, but I was like, this is, and so the devil's found me an apartment. They got me at a place, and I don't even know if thing was bugged, because it was bugged. Certainly was. It certainly was. So then I basically lived at Jay's house, and, but, yeah, I mean, those guys like Jay and all them, they, you know, that's, that was a, that was a lot. also why I had some of success and had a career just because the way the guys took care of me

and the way the guys, they didn't let me stray. Like, I had vets. I had other friends that were on different teams and, you know, you just want to fit in. You'll do whatever the older guys would earn, you know, some of the kids. And they'll never blame anyone, but they got caught up in some other shit and, you know, may get addicted to some other. And but my group, no, it was, you got one job and that's, you know, you go to practice and it is, it is on. They don't care how much hours you get sleep they don't you know they don't it's just you when we get to practice that's when it's uh and that was the devil's way man because yeah loo was watching everything and and and so those habits uh there's no hiding once you step on the ice and then but uh and everyone thought we were

we always laugh when we get together because everyone thought we were just a nerd team because of loo how strict we were and and we look back it's like what are the worst kids are the ones that had the most strict parents that once they got away once dad wasn't working it was so we we were right up there uh We knew how to have a good time. There's no question about it. You mentioned, I mean, as Chris said, rookie of the year, you had 70 points and 82 games. And it was really awesome to hear you say that transition to the NHL

was almost easier for a player like you because you just had such talent around. You dish in the puck looking for that first pass. How much credit do you give to all those unbelievable guys you were playing with that first year to be able to win that award and also just translate so fast to the league? Well, I mean, if you go in a higher pick, you're probably going. excuse me, you're probably going to a team, no, just, I mean, I had buddies that, you know, what, you're a lot of doing this, you're, you know, whatever. And so right away, and I'll never forget, because I, it was crazy.

I think I only went, like, I don't know where it was, like three games without going, getting a point. Some, it was just, it was crazy. Like, but I'm, you know, I'm playing with Alexander McGillany. So Cloud of the Mew comes, Cloud of the Mew comes. When me, Brandon Morrison and Pepper were a great line, Cloud of Mew. And Cloud Lemieux comes, and I, and he's on me.

This guy was on me all the time. And I remember saying, you know, I'm just a rookie. Like, this is hard for me. And I thinking that he's going to give me, oh, my God, he grabbed, like, three older guys. And they were like, you've just passed the 20 game mark. You're here. You're here to win the cup now. And so there goes that excuse.

And I'm like, you know. But as far as, like, discipline, like, you know, you look back now. I mean, I was like, I should have 90 points. But, man, you're on a defensive team, man. You, you, when the puck needs to get. in, you get in, the system, you know, and you win. I mean, we just want to end it. And there's nothing better than winning. That's what it's all about. And, and, and, but those guys, you know, it just was installed in you, how to act, medians. I mean, we were joke, or goofed around in the

room, everything. But like I said, those practices were just, it was on. And then, you know, like, I mean, you could, with dad, I mean, he wanted it, he wanted it full on. Like, you know, yeah, you're not going to, I mean, but he wanted, if I'm going to go hit him, I got to hit him, which is not, I'm laying off, but I can't hit. But he wanted that. Like he wanted the competition. Everyone did. Like Bobby Holicke, I mean, you've never seen guys just, you know, we're swinging sticks

because, like you said, when it gets down to the other game time, this is almost easier. And it was always a competition between our lines. Like who, you know, who's better, who's going to do this? And then we had some of the greatest coaching with Larry Robinson and Slav Fatisov. I mean, you can't even with Slava Fatisov. It was, I remember getting yelled at. I'm coming in the zone. And I curled this way, let's say.

And I had a guy, but there was a guy. right there and I could backhand it but I'm like man if I turn that over I'm just thinking whatever Slava yeah Slava grabs me in practice and he's like stupid rookie what do this and he does it and the cool thing is when you can coach and and you can see it when a guy can do it and Larry and Slava and Slava comes in nonchalant he fakes he just backhands it blindly and goes through and he's like why didn't you do that and I'm like am I allowed to do that yeah so and then um but everyone yeah Everyone tried to be the best, and it was, it was, you really, I mean, like I said, the habits you learn from just that. It sets you a standard of that.

And it's funny because when you go to other organizations and places, I just thought that was normal. That's how the NHL works. That's all you knew. Yeah. And then I remember a couple of the guys laughing at me later on in my career where there was like, you don't realize how spoiled you were with all of us. And it was. I never take it for granted.

I never will. And that's why I always think those guys just still in, you know, they'll always be because they, you know, They really took care of me. Gomer, can you just quick, because some of our listeners probably haven't heard it, can you tell the story about when you tried to tell Pep to be more positive? Oh, so at the All-Star game, at the All-Star game, I'm skating around. It was probably the worst. I'm sitting next to Messier.

Scottie and Marty are somewhere else, and they went around. So, I mean, these are all my heroes around, you know, Roan Acellio. all these guys and I'm on the ice and the day it happened I was really close with Brian Ralston and his fiance his wife now Jen they were kind of taking me in I hung out with him a lot and it was after warm-ups I noticed everyone just keeps going in the room and I'm like what's going on and they're like roll he got traded and I'm like they can do that you know it's right there's roll right so I go and sit by the roller now the game starts anyway we're we're in forgot we were at but we're

We're in pregame. And it's like, everyone's just like, oh, boy, he's back. Oh, boy, he's back. And I'm like, what's, and I said to Randy, I'm like, hey, what's the deal? And they're like, wait to you get a hold of this guy. And you just don't want to be on his line. It's like, so, of course, I'm on his line. Immediately.

And me, Brandon Morrison with Cloud Lemieux. And I'm at the All-Star game, back to the All-Star game. And I'm skating around and Joe Sackett comes up to me. just like and Joe Sack was like hey Goner how is he and I'm just like I don't know him that well pep and he goes hey I'll give you one advice he's always open always open you know this is Joe Sackett telling me he's talking to me and I'm like oh my god so so now pep I've had some ass chunas with I've never instilled his day that's why I have no really sympathy when it comes to me get on my players on the ice because if I had to go through it you're going to go and it made better so

now we are we're Brendan's on a seven game point streak I'm on like a six and cloud lemieux is the guy on the line that's like and it happens he's like getting two or three games and then he goes without and meanwhile

these two young guys are just and you know and so we ended up getting caught in Chapel Hill and let's put it that way there's a snowstorm we didn't think we had pregame skate and uh good town too

Yeah, we were in, and we were staying in Raleigh, and we weren't in the best shape in the morning, and they have a pregame skate. So now, I'm sure guys know what, like, what are you trying to, whatever. Game starts, we're going to Nashville the next night, or after the game from Carolina. And I'm sitting in the room, and I'm just like, man, go over, don't feel it, man. Gomer don't feel it. Yeah, Gomer is. Gomer ain't having it. Me and Mo right there.

I'm like, well, I got a seven-point streak. I mean, all right, or six, whatever, maybe this isn't the game. Like, I'm hurting that bad. Cloud Lemieux comes around the corner, and it's just me and the moment's like two or three hours before the game, and he goes, hey, you two. And he takes us in Carolina, like, down there's a long hallway,

and there's, there's, there's, whatever, he takes us in this corner. And I mean, he goes, I tell you this, and I tell you this once, you don't play tonight. I know what you two fuckers did last night. And I know. And if you don't play, I go to Cloud, I go to Lou Lamarillo, and I tell him,

and you go tow the bus to Albany and you ride the bus bus like pepper's really just like and people don't realize he's a huge man like pep was big and yeah and me and moore just like and so it went from gomer don't have it where gomer is going to play the hardest he cares like so we go out there and i mean i mean you guys knew my game i mean i'm blocking shots i was scared i'm blocking shots i'm hitting guys i mean i'm giving me more just and it happens in the third period one to one the puck comes around the boards I skate as hard as I can. This guy tries to dump it out. I like hits me on my back. It ends up on Brendan's stick. He just shoots it on net. It goes off the goalie and peps right there and he scores. We end up winning the game two to one or three, whatever.

And after the game, I should you not, everyone's pumped because we're going to Nashville. Me and Brandon Morrison were like this in the stall. There's everything you had. Seriously, just gasped. And Colin Lemieux comes out of the shower and he's just rip. And he comes out. He's like, I proud of you too.

I do, you know, I, all right, and we're like, you asshole. You asshole. So then I don't know how much longer goes on. And he's hard. He was harder on Mo than me. But, you know, and it was like, and now we're kind of getting a little cockier. And we're same thing. It's just crazy.

I'll never forget this. Brendan's on like an eight game scoring streak. I'm on like a six. Pep's the guy on the line. It's like. Yet again. Yeah. So we're in the igloo in Pittsburgh.

And Pep, it's on optional skate. And Cloudlemy grabs me and Moe. He's like, Line meeting and let's go. Well, line meeting. What the fuck? Okay. So we skate over.

And now we're kind of like, enough of this guy's shit. And he goes, he goes, we need to do this. We need to do that. You know, blah, blah, blah.

And Brendan goes, hey, Pepp, we need you to be positive. Because when you're positive, it makes us go better. And where he just had the face like, and he's like,

get the fuck out of here. Get the fuck away from you. Me and Bro. And all, we're like, okay, we're skating down on the other end. and by the red line we're like,

fuck you suck on that. Like, yeah, yeah, you know, like two little kids. Like, yeah, we told him. And he goes down and we go down to the end. And I mean, you know, we're going to work on one timer. And I mean, we couldn't even get one one timer down where yells, get over here. We have to skate back, like actually skate and we're like, stop and like what? And he goes, same thing again.

I tell you this and I tell you this once. I play in the league 16 years. You fucking get me going. I don't get you going. Get the fuck off the ice. Me and all, we're like, that didn't work. Yeah, disaster. You had about two minutes of feeling like you finally got one to him.

The best one, though, ever. The saddest day of my life besides getting, Brendan Morrison gets traded to Vancouver for Alex McGillard, Dennis Peterson, and for Elmo. So I'm like, oh my God, there goes like, now I've become. Yeah, it's you now. Yeah, I got Brandon no more.

I'm like, anymore. I'm like, oh, my God, oh, my God. So we're in the room and Pep is just on me, on me, on me, on me. And then we got to do this to sad. It's between periods. And I'm thinking, like, how can I get this guy? Like, fuck him. I got to.

And it's like when your dad was just on you and you're like, all you got to do is get mom's attention. Like, dad's overdoing this. I'm going to get mom. So mom's going to be pissed at that. So in the room, I'm like, I've had an, and the guy's not. And the guys know that peps on me. Like they know,

and they know my personality. They're like, but then again, no one wants to deal with him. So it's kind of like, you know, so peps on me. And he just,

and I'm like, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? So I literally was like, all right, he's like this. And I'm sitting here like, like this.

And I went, uh, and I just got up, I got up and left. And I made it loud enough for I had, I kind of had a good walk where, you know, people could see me,

but I acted like I was crying. And I was like, and I get up and I walk out. when you hear PEP's side of it, it's even better. So I go to the bathroom stall, and I'm in there, and like, same thing, I'm like, yeah, yeah, like, because now he's, so, and Claudele of Mew tells his side of it. And he goes, now everyone turns to me, everyone's looking at me, like, like, you fuck you do to the kid. Yeah, like, yeah, like, you know, and he's like, so he has to get up. He goes to the, he goes to the bathroom stall, and he's like, kiddo.

And he always call me kiddo. He's like, kiddo. He's like, kiddo, are you okay, kiddo? He's like, he's not. And I'm like, yeah, I'm like, yeah, pet, yeah. And he goes, you okay, kiddo? I'm like, yeah, yeah. And I mean, boom, this door opens up.

He kicks the door. And I'm like, and he's like, you show me up? You show me up? You show me up? And I was like, no, I think I broke my arm. I'm hurt. I'm hurt. He's like, and he's like, he's not yelling because he can't,

he doesn't want the other guys you hear. And he's like, get the fuck in that fucking room right now. And I'm like, yeah. So I have to. walked back in the room and everyone's staring me. I'm like, yeah, that didn't work. You know, yeah. So, no, he was, he was awesome.

He was the best. But it's funny when we get together because you hear this side of it. And it's just, it was, but I'll tell you one thing, guys, when when push comes to shove and you're in playoffs, I mean, you're taking that guy. You're taking that guy. I fucking love that. He was nasty. He brought it.

He brought it. He made us all. He made that organization. He lifted that meaning like, if a guy wanted his stuff folded in between periods, I mean, I was a rookie so I called in a lot or whatever but if a guy wanted it this way you're in the NHL this is how it's done the trainers and everyone they'll be the first admit that like he came in because you know he's coming from Colorado with all those big boys and the devils maybe got a away away from that but when he came in it was a it was a it was a different ship for sure yeah hell

yeah dude you talked about larry robinson taking over um because because robbie photoric was the coach for for most of that year what was it like eight games left he got he got eight nine games when he got let go and um if dude fun fact actually robbie went to high school with our dad, played high school hockey with our dad. So when he got the Bruins job after that, he would bring us to games and bring us down to locker and meet the boys. We were little kids. But dude, what was that like?

As a young player, when you're like, my coach, because I know there was a little, like he's health bomb Danico before the thousand game. Like, I know there was a little contention already. So were you guys just like good? This is what we needed to get to the playoffs? Or was they're like, what the fuck is going on? I didn't, like, that's a, it's a great question,

but it's also, I don't know what's going on. Like, you really don't. Yeah, sure. Yeah. We're in first place. I don't know how many games are left, but we, uh, yeah, we started slipping. We started, it just wasn't, you know, everyone hits it, but we're, we're not whatever. Robbie was one of the best coaches, like, like, teaching wise, but he's also, everything was, like, a mental thing.

Like, you'd come in and be like, how many goals are going to score on Marty? And he'd lay five pucks or something. You're like, well, Marty's standing right there. I'm like, uh, I don't want to. you know, three. So then he just shoot two pucks away and be like, okay, then score three. And it's like, why wouldn't you just say five? And it was so that kind of stuff.

Every time I walked on the plane, Robbie would go, Robbie would be like, he'd show me something on video because I'd get on the plane and he'd be like, hey, you want to see why you're not playing tomorrow. And I'd be like, and then show it. And then I'd go on the back of the bus. And of course, I'd go to Randy and be like, on the plane. And I'd go to Randy and I'd be like, I'm not in the lineup tomorrow. And he's like playing cards.

He's like, shut up. And I'm like, the coach just told me, you're leading the team in scoring. shut up. Like, you know, so there was always mind games I got. I didn't, you know, Robbie was great practice. I mean, fundamentally this guy drills and everything. He was, and you could just tell we were slipping, slipping. And I think it was in, uh, long, we were in Long Island waiting for, no, we're waiting

for a plane, I believe, and we're all in the bus. And Larry Luz in a car out there, and Larry has to get off. And the older guys know something's going on. Yeah. The older guys know. Then me, I'm just like, what are we doing? okay. And Larry, you hear you say, Larry didn't want it. Like Lou had to legit talk Larry into doing that because, you know, it didn't want. And yeah, come on the bus. Lou announces that, you know,

Robbie's been let go and Larry Robinson's a new coach. Larry comes in and it's just like, and, you know, I don't remember how it was, but it was literally like, it showed, wow, this is serious. Like, we, we, I mean, we probably got a chance to really win the car. We got to make a run. I guess the same, this isn't, this isn't working this way. And I, like, wow, this can happen. And Larry comes in and everyone thought we just took off. I mean, it was still two weeks. We were still the same team.

Yeah, right before the playoffs, it just, it was on. We got probably lucky we played Florida. I mean, they weren't, you know, and we just clicked. But that was, that was one you never forget. Like, man, there's only, you know, how many games. And then you got to remember, you got to answer it. You got to answer the media. You got to answer to all your friends, family.

Like, what happened? Was he that bad? You're just like, you know, but then you look as you get older and stuff, you probably realize that, yeah, I mean, there's one thing Lou always had was a pulse of the locker room. And he probably felt that, that, you know, it wasn't going to work. And I mean, that's a huge gamble he did. And he wasn't scared because we ended up winning.

Especially after two straight first round losses. Yeah. To do that right before playoffs. I'm like, oh, my God. No, it was, it was, it was. yeah I mean you look back and you feel I mean you feel bad and then you realize this there's a lot of stuff you realize that this is a business like because you come in and you think like oh this family all they're going to take care if you ever and I remember because when I had the cup in my hands literally you know I don't know what list I was probably one of the last ones but I got it and when I put it down Randy McCain like Bobby Holicke were like okay you got that out of the way because back then it was older right now I'm stretching young league where guys were playing where guys were playing the whole career without getting a cup so I remember it would and they give the guys credit for that I never took that for granted it actually it actually was a curse because that's all you wanted

and I think all the rest of my credit yeah we talked to cellios about that like the same feelings you win so early and then you're like fuck me like every season where it doesn't end that way it must feel like a failure you know it's crazy well I was on the ice and that's when they said uh you know gave the cup away and they go okay you got that out of the way for the rest of your career, it's this. Yeah, fuck, dude. It's this. I mean, I'm sure nervous like,

dude, that's crazy. Can I enjoy this for a little bit? And then you realize, hell yeah, it's a business, man. It's about how much money, how much green you're going to get out of this. Because we don't, you know, you don't know how long you're going to play.

You don't know what could happen. Teams, you know, they tell you to go buy a house, do whatever. Next, you know, as the guy's traded the next day. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that the outside world doesn't know that, like, oh, that spoiled, spoiled athlete, but they're, you know, know, this is a business.

And the guys taught me in New Luloo. It was the same thing. Like, when I had to leave, I was like, hey, this is business. And, but, uh, but they were really great about letting me, uh, they didn't let me take it for granted Larry and all. I mean, to win the Stanley Cup, uh, you know, the respect and everything, it was, that was installed in me that like, hey, I didn't, I still didn't, when we went down to three to one against Philly, I was like, eh, this sucks, but, wow, it's going to be a fun

summer. But then, you know, the quality of you, Larry, Flary snap calling it. And it was like, oh, and then next scene, you know, we're holding the cup, but it was, and it's true what they say, like, you know, because all these kids, everyone asked, like, how is, how was the party? How is how, and guys, the game six or game five was triple overtime. Game six was double. And after the game, yeah, we celebrated in the locker room, but we got back to the hotel.

It was, you know, the families and everyone were the ones that were going crazy. The players were just like, I mean, it was just straight. It was just a relief to get it done with. And then the next day, the shenanigans. really happened. Yeah, yeah. We do. We joked about that this year with Florida.

Like they won, you know, we're in Florida. They win in their barn and then they all just go back to Chuckie's house because they were too gassed as they sat in the locker room until three in the morning. It's so real. But dude, you just mentioned it. I mean, you get into the playoffs in 2000. Immediate goal in your first game. You go on to have 10 points in that run.

And then you play that awesome Flyers team in Eastern Conference finals, win a game, lose three. And then unbelievable. Come back, beat them. that was funny to hear you say like oh, gonna be a cool summer. How intense was that? Like, you know, you lose three

and you're like, well, fuck, did that one feel tougher than Dallas? Yeah, yeah. Well, probably just because of the rivalry more

with Philly and us, and Dallas was going back to back. But I do remember that, so playoffs end, our regular season ends, you know, this ain't that hard, right?

No. And the guys were like, now it's going to, Now it's going to rev, rev up. Like, you don't even run it. And I'm like, okay, the worst thing that could have happened is we played Florida because, you know, we matched. We were a matching team. Yeah.

And Palo Bury is going to play 24 minutes. Scottie, Bobby, and those guys are going to play. And like, we're so, all right, I think it was a game one. I think I scored whatever. And I'm thinking, okay. And then I don't play the rest of the, you know, I'm kind of like, oh, is this how it is? So we sweep. And now my game, you know, I'm like.

Now we go to Toronto. Now those were the best series when we played those guys. It was straight out war, you know, no and the time like that. But they now, all right, I'm the guy that's maybe not carrying his weight. Maybe this is too much for the rookie. Maybe this is, you know. And Larry grabs me before game three in Toronto. I think the series is one to one, whatever.

And Larry goes, hey, go on, and he's just the best. I mean, this guy is, and Larry grabs me, he's like, wants to sit with me. and he's like, hey, maybe you want to sit out, sit in the stands and watch just to see. And that scared me so bad because I'm like, I think that maybe they wanted me to say, okay. But if I say okay and a guy comes in and he does well, I'm not seeing again. And I was like, no. I was like, no. And I kind of probably.

And I got lucky because, you know, when you're a, when you're got to get, all you need is a point to get going where. And I think in game three, I think I had like three points. And that was it. But that right there scared me, like, whatever I'm doing, it ain't working. Like, maybe this finesse stuff, maybe I got out. But, and then so now we get the Philly. And it's crazy because if you do talk to the guys, we should have swept Philly. I know.

Right? So you guys remember that. It was game one, bang, smack them. Game two. Beat them. Did we start? No, no, they were home. So game three, we're beating them like three, three zero.

I forgot what it was. Tocott, Rick Tocke, and Scottie Stevens getting a fight. And I think Scotty kind of knocks Tocke, kind of whatever. And these are two, he doesn't go down. Rick Tocke doesn't go down. But he got him. He was a little, whatever. Tucket plays one more shift, that game.

But he comes out. He basically skates by the bench, like their bench. And then he's done. And I remember all the older guys were like, that's old school. Like, that's what you do. Like, you know, we didn't. And they came back. beat us.

All right. They got one. Whatever. We just came for one. And then Tocke comes back and his line, Ricky, Taki, those guys just, before you know it, yeah, we're down three. Yeah, we were down three one. Sorry.

Yeah. But we dominated the first four games and that's, oh, yeah. That's what the hard part was. And like I said, I was like, damn, what? You know, next year. Well, hey, we'll get it next year. Because you don't know. And Larry Robinson after game, what was a game four?

Larry Robinson absolutely ripped us that none of us have ever seen. Like, I don't even know he's crying. Like, it was, I mean, this is Larry Robinson. The guy would, this guy would do anything for any of us. And he absolutely tore. I mean, he, it was all hard. It was just coming. Like, he knew the opportunity we had.

And we're going to let this go. It doesn't have, like it. And right after he said what he had to say, Collinamew stood up. And, you know, we all heard it growing up playing. Like, if you're not ready tomorrow, you better. And he said something that, okay, we win the next game. I think PEP had the game winner.

and then when we win game six, but that's when Lindros came back. The Drogs came back, dude. He comes back game six. Fucking changes everything. He comes back. We're winning two zero and he's, he looks good.

Like, you know, he looks, he looks good. And probably the worst thing that can happen is we're winning two zero. And I think with like 20 seconds left for some Lindra scores. Yeah. And it was like, ooh, now this guy's going to feel it for game seven. Like there's a lot of, you know, goes into it. Like, oh, that's the last guy we need to have a goal. you know he's fresh obviously his time but and yeah that game seven you know scotty hits him

and people don't realize that like you know supposedly i think it's true that scotty was in the hallway like larry had to like talking back into like you know no one knows the guy was dead like oh fuck really yeah he wasn't like he was like gun hold about he was kind of needed like wow but and then with patty i mean that line the a line they were just they were unbelievable and then Patty scores that and then it's just crazy. I mean, we're going to the Stanley Cup, but the best part about playoffs, and I doubt these kids,

but after you win, especially if you win early, and you have time out, some of the best parties were after, after you win a series, because they need time, dude. Because you're supposed to, like, hey, we just accomplish something, like, enjoy this. Yes, definitely.

And that's one thing about our team was like, hey, afterwards, and Dano, can Danico own a restaurant? So after, I mean, those walls, I mean, it was just a blast. Like, and he wanted to, more. So then, you know, you got days off and come. But yeah, some of those, some of the best

parties were after you win a series. And because you know, and I, you talk to other teams and it was like, no, we didn't do that because, you know, the job's not done where us was like, hey, you know, it's supposed to be fun. Yeah. It's supposed to be fun. We're doing this for a reason. You know, so, yeah, there were a lot of great modes.

And then with Dallas, we beat him 6-0, and whatever it was game one. I'm like, man, we're going to win the cup. This is, you know, this is great. This is, this is too easy. And then that's when you realize, Like for me especially because I don't think, I don't know if we played him that year, but you realize like how good Brett Hall, like Madan, like you, especially Holly, you really saw like, wow.

Because he doesn't look fast or anything. But you, that was, I remember thinking like, whoa. And then they were, you know, they had the same kind of team we did. It was just, and then it was straight on war, like just going back and forth. And then now we're up 3-1. And then we have them game set, like ended at home and, you know, triple overtime. And it was just, it was a mind. It was a mind fuck for, I don't know how long.

Dude, I can't imagine, like you just said, game 5, triple O T, cup in the building, lost, game six, double OT, loss. Like at what point? No, we won the double. We won the double overtime. So in game six. Oh, that's right. That's right.

Yeah, yeah. That's right. But, like, was there a period where you were like, fuck, we're going to do what Philly just did against us and we're going to fold? I think that's when, uh, that's when you realize, like, what kind of vets we had, like, meaning, you know, there was no after the game, the game six or the game five, it was just like, it was almost like relief. guys like you guys played like it was almost like okay that's over like i mean because it was just

by the third overtime you just matter how much can your body take of this like yeah yeah just end this seriously and then so that was uh but it was never uh you know they never the older guys never let it creep uh creep in that uh like pep and all they never let it creep in then we have to go back to dallas right we're still up and there's always it's it's kind of funny because like jacques le maire larry robinson you know the devils were kind of based off lamare like he started he basically started the Montreal old system with the devil. So that's, and Jimmy Dowd and all those guys in 95 have the best story where they're like, they're, uh, they're having a pregame skate before game four.

And everyone's nervous. Like, well, they're one game away from winning the cup and everyone's nervous. The practice is horrible or the skate, whatever. And Jock Lamar blows the whistle, brings everyone in the corner and is like, like, like, basically like, hey, assholes, we're up three zero. Like, we're up three zeros. they didn't coming back. Like the way,

because they were just dominant that series. I mean, everyone thought to, and I remember always thinking that. It's kind of the attitude. I mean, obviously didn't work the next year, but that was kind of always cool to hear.

Like, these guys, they've gone through it. I mean, there was no, there was no panic. There was no anything. And then,

but, you know, it starts from you have that leadership, you know, we've got a job to do. Let's go do it. And it's not going to be easy, but there it is.

Yeah, yeah. And, and you, I need to hear the non-alcoholic beer story from the country. I'll give you a good one, too, about this is when you know, you know, so we all grew up, like, 94 was some of the, 93, 94 for us was like the great greatest, right?

When, my favorite player was Gilmore, so when Gilmore and L.A. played, and then the next year, you know, when Messier scores the, when he scores the hat trick. So we all grew up with Gary Thorne, you know, he guaranteed the victory. He has now picked up the hat trick, and, you know, he shoots from that area. So it's my first pregame skate, and, you know, we've done that as kids. outside. So here I am. There's only about four guys left on the ice. And I keep going. He is now picked up the hat trick. And I shot it. And I missed like five times. So I'm saying it over and over. Randy McKay grabs me. Brings me over basically slams me into the boards. And he's like, don't you ever fucking say that again. And I'm like, he's like, I was on. I was then. I was there. And I was like, I didn't even think of that. I was like doing it from all these guys. Like, like, so we've lived it. Yeah. So we win the cup. Go back to Alaska. I got fortunate they came.

It got their Thursday night. I was supposed to have a Friday morning. It got their Thursday night. The couple people called. And one thing about Alaska, I mean, it is strict. Like, if you're not 21, you make it into a bar. And everyone knows my age at that point. And so me and one of my old hockey coaches was a cop lieutenant, we go to this bar that you're just, that's your goal when you go to Alaska.

When you're 21 to go to Coots, True, Crook Charles. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So that's the goal. So now we grab the management. They go in there, grab the management. We're like, hey, the Stanley Cup's coming tomorrow night. Do you guys want to have it?

And they're like, of course. And they're like, you, you know, obviously I'm not 21. They're worried, whatever, whatever. I'm going to be with cops and everything. So what happens is the next night we get there. And I mean, I've never been in the coup. So I'm just like, and they have a chaperone with me. And it was this lady.

And I'm with my parents. My dad actually got sick, so he couldn't go. I'm with my mom. I'm like, I'm with cops, like, that are, you know. And this lady is right next to me, and she is like, and meanwhile, like my mom, everyone, I'm drinking a jacking coke just so, hey, I'm drinking a Coke, you know, whatever. And the lady's just on me and on me. And I'm like, what the hell? Like, this ain't.

This isn't fun. Who does she work for? She was working? I don't know, no, no, no. She was working for, like, the bar or something. The bar hired someone, so they, like, I had a chaperone. So, whatever. And it was just like, so now the lady's just, I mean, guys, she is like right next

me. It's just like, like, what you know? Like, yeah, like, yeah. Like, yeah, I mean, if I'm going with a bathroom, she's like, falling in. She's got a straw dipping into it. Yeah. And so my mom's, my mom's getting ready to whip her ass. Like people are starting to like, because I'm getting bug.

I should be having the time of life. So now it's like, hey, let's go. Let's get everyone to start, you know, drinking out of it. And the lady comes back with old duels, like two cases of old duels, which is not. And I'm, guys, I didn't care, like, maybe someone's got alcohol. I didn't care about that. At that moment right there, all I could think about was the locker room. And if guys find out that at my Stanley Cup thing, I had non-accom, I'm not going to hear

the end of it. That's how close unit. That's how much shit we talked in that room where I'm literally like, no way. So finally, I just said, hey, one, that's not going. It's not non-acogic, that's not going in the cup. And two, either with. taking the cup or she leaves she got to pick right now and they gassed her right away

and then it was on but it was just fucking pigeon toss the chaperone out of the bar but it wasn't and it was so packed in there but it was nothing to do with like the old dual it was just the fact all I thought about was the boys I'm like yeah they are gonna get and then I don't know people have done it after I didn't care because I know in our locker room I am not going to hear

the end of that if it's yeah so that's and it worked out I mean yeah it was a dude that is a business decision and you made the correct one frankly. Unbelievable. Yeah. Gomer, well, I want to talk to you about so much else in your career, but that's for next time. Right now, I want to ask, you're doing the coaching now, back where it all started, like you said at the top of this. Just tell us a little bit about what that transition has been like for you and where you see it long term.

Like, is this, are you loving this? You want to do it forever? Or what's it feel like? Well, I mean, I basically was, you know, I coached a couple years in the NHL assistant code. It basically pushed pucks for a couple of years. And I was never, one of those guys that, and I didn't even watch hockey. I don't even watch hockey. Like I was, when I, people have a hard time, but there are guys that played. I never watched other games. It was just my focus was on myself.

And so I was really doing nothing. I was living in New York, New York City. I was golfing every day and journeyed and not really bringing much back to society. And my business manager and kind of they were like, you have to do something. Like last year, I asked my old junior club, they kind of, And then I asked the Sir Egos, the head coach, I was like, hey, I'll come and help, whatever. And then they were like, oh, you come a week a month. And I was like, no, if I do this, I'll do this.

Yeah, yeah. And so I did it around the poplar last year. I actually billeted two kids. So then he was leaving. And, you know, I'm just thinking, God, I never, you know, hated every coach I ever had. Maybe it's me. I got to see if I can do this. Like, and my dad, he's like, hey, you know, you talk so much shit.

Let's see you watch. So I was like, I'll do it. I'll do it. And I got blessed. I don't even know how or what, where I grew up with Mike Mottel, where we're, World Junior's roommates, Hobie Baker winner. And he happened to call me, you know, he was going through some stuff. And I said, all right, talked.

You know, he's one of those people that we text every couple months. Once we get together, it's like brotherhood always will be. and about a week later I said how can I make myself feel good and I was like well I'll call Mike Motto

just to be like just to see how he's doing and I called Mots and I'm like hey what's going on and everything good and he's like yeah and he's like hey you need an assistant coach

and I was like fuck off don't mess around he's like no he's like seriously he had something who was going to go to Colorado and I was like Mots and he goes give me a week and gave him a week

and I was scared to get the call scared to call him and he goes yeah i'm in he's like let's do this that has been the greatest thing ever is having a guy that you not that you're true but we're so dialed in meaning this guy knows the d side i got the offensive side if you ask these kids who the head coach is they wouldn't know to answer and that's that's that's what it's been that's when it's been like there's no ego or we're not doing i didn't do this to do my resume like i'm not doing this to get back or whatever it was literally like and then i mean we find ourselves We're those guys that are up until three in the morning talking about the kids.

Like, how can we be better? And, like, in the beginning, and in the beginning we kind of were like, oh, dude, do we know how to do this? And now our team, yeah, they, hey, we're, you know, they're, you know, we're, you know, right there. But just giving back with these kids. And, like, the main thing is, is that, you know, there's no act. Like, once I get on the ice, I can't, you know, I can't, I can't stop it. Like, meaning it's, you know, I become Pat Burns, a little, little, you know, And I remember because one of my first lines was, you know,

this kid didn't do it right. This was last year as assistant coach, and during the PowerPoint, and I'm like, I'm like, you dumb fuck. You dumb fuck. And it's just kids that are all like this. And I'm like, how many dumb fuck pills did you take this morning? Because next time you take them, you pass them to the rest of us. So we go and then make him do it again.

He does it. And then the Pat Burns mock, we're, hey, when we get on the ice, it's on. Yeah. But as soon as this fucking foot comes up, off the ice. It is, it is, they can tell me to go off. I mean, you know, they better have something good, but because why juniors is supposed to be fun, hockey was fun. I didn't, I didn't get, I didn't have mommy and daddy yelling me. My dad yelled at baseball where child services should have probably showed up to those practices. But hockey, I don't know what it's like. I don't know

what it's like to get yelled at by my dad. Like, what, you know, what is that? Like, I didn't have pressure that. So these kids, and the main thing, the main thing about it is, it's like, you know, we've all had coaches that did not like you on the ice, and they did not like you off the ice, and there's nothing worse. Yeah, oh my God. This is, once we step off, I don't care what you, hey, we're family. You've got to have the time of your life. This is juniors.

It's got to be a good experience. And that's the thing you give these kids because we don't play. We don't do it anymore. We don't, everything we're showing you're doing. This is for you guys. But it is boils down to one thing. It's about winning. But in saying that, you know, guys, they're having the time of their life because of the fact that

And, hey, you're going to play this game? Like, I didn't grow up getting a participation trophy. So then the world one was, you know, don't have your mom and dad or advisors call me. Don't do it. You come in the room and I'll tell you why you're not playing. Like a kid asked the other day, he's like, oh, well, hey, you're not in the lineup. And he goes, oh, well, is there anything I can do better? Or what do I need to do?

Did I do something bad? Did I do? And I never forget Pat Burns line. And I told the kid, I was like, no, you're doing nothing. Like, you're not doing anything bad or good. You're just doing nothing. That's where you're not playing. And the kid just, but that kind of stuff.

Like, hey, I'm not going to lie to you. Like, I can sit here and do what we got, like, make up a bunch of lies. And it's like, this is why not? You got it. At this level, you got it, you got to produce. This isn't, and like when we had these camps and tell these kids, if you're asking what I need to do better at this age, maybe the game, maybe it's not for you. Like, you've got, it's not, you know, there's no, this.

And, but off the ice, hey, I'm not your friend, but later on in life, we'll become friends on your coat, but you have to come in the room feeling great, feeling good about yourself. We know we're going to get the work on. You know, you're not going to go off that ice. You know, yeah, I yell you, but you're getting a pat on the back.

Let's go. Yep. And then you're doing it. I'd say, because we've been there, done that. I'm not doing this to, oh, I'm going to, I want to move up. No, it's one by day by day, one year by year. But being with Mots, it's been unreal,

but it is funny with these kids because now, you know, they're, buck off, come off. But one of the kids asked, they were like, Latchel to like, Gomerha, seriously, how much, they're like, three of them? They're like, how much are you getting paid for this? And I was like, how much do you think? And they were like, and they're all these little punks all gamble.

And they're like, the number was like up to like 150 or one. And I'm like, really? And I was like, if I was making that, I would, this is how I would treat you guys. Like, good job, son. Good job, son. It's the best day ever. Yeah, like, get out of here. Like, yeah, I was making that.

Hey, great job, guys, great job. Yeah, so it's been great. It's been, it's been awesome to give back. It's been, and hey, like I said, we're winning. And that's, that's the bottom line. But, hell yeah. But the structure, I mean, it's funny because you do complain about when you're in it, about Lou and the rules and whatever, but we have the same thing here.

Hey, the room's clean. You don't walk by a piece of trash. You pick it up and you throw it in the garbage. And then we're like, like, hey, you want to, because they get treated great. But, you know, you also. because let's say it boils down to you two, right? And it's like you guys are the same players. You guys are exact same players.

This school is going to recruit you. Well, which kid are you exact same? Which kid are you going to take? Are they going to take the slob that doesn't handle his record? Or are they going to come from the program that, wow, this is, you know, and that's, that's with these kids. That's what we're trying to stall them. I'm like, hey, life's going to go on.

Life's going to go on, man. Please thank you. You can act like an asshole in here. This is our domain. This is our domain. But we get out in the public, it's almost an act. Like we get on the butt. We go to certain places.

That's, and now is that what you learned with the devils. But hey, when we're in the room, hey, it's, I mean, this is your guys as playhouse,

whatever you guys, you know, but the respect factor and all that, it's, you know, and you know, got to Lou on the wall right there, and the kids got to meet him and stuff.

And, and, you know, he, he, you know, I had to, uh,

I needed advice still can call the old man and, and, and yeah, he's always there for us. That's the best, man. Honestly, it's like,

those are you're right those are the life lessons that translate well beyond the playing day so it's how you treat the trainers how you treat the you know the people in the building that are the ones those are the ones that are going to take care of you when you all said and done I mean there's not one club I can't call and call the trainer aching simple wherever those are the people and that's what I learned from that's what I learned from from those vets like you know you tip everyone you you it goes a long way and it is I mean I have my relationships in hockey is just because of what those guys taught me like I never left the room and like I never left the room and like He was cheap. No, it was, and that's, like I said, the credit for those guys, those, those lessons that maybe all the guys my age didn't get. They learned later in life. But I was taught right away, hey, it's, you know, it's the people that are going to, those are the people you take care of. Absolutely. All right, Gomer, we're going to play a game with you that we do with all our guests to help close you out here. It's called pass shoot score.

Basically, it's a ranking system. We're going to give you three things that we know you like that you're into, and you got to rank them, pass, shoot to score. So pass, I know you're a passer, but that's our least favorite. Shooting's better. We like getting Pucks on net. Scoring is the ultimate. So that's going to be your number one. Scoring's the ultimate.

Yep. Your number one is dips. So your pass-chute score is your homemade holy moly guacamole, your green chili sauce, or your turn-again tartar sauce with the hump and halibut. Scoring, definitely the holy moly wakamoli. Wow. What was this said? Passing and what else?

Your green chili sauce and then the turn again tartar. Yeah, but it was shoot, what was it? Pass shoot score. Shoot would be the, shoot would definitely be the chili sauce. Okay. And the tartar, the beer batter halibut would probably be the pass. Okay, all right. So you're putting your guacamole up against anyone's, basically.

Anyone. So we own the restaurant. I'm Latin and it's, yeah, that's, no. I go into a party. I know it's cheap. I know it's, you know, there's something. if we had included Dahlia's salsa, would that have been the number one? Oh, that's scored, man.

That's, uh, it's, my mom's the type that such an asshole, like, she don't even get less to recipes. It's always off. So it's always off. It's like, mom, this is, I did exactly. Oh, you know, and that's, but when it comes to my mom, I mean, that is, uh, I grew, I grew up with legit. I mean, kids still come to the house and this.

And my mom, yeah, she's scoring every time because she, uh, I can't, I, as big of egos I got in certain things. No, uh, but I, I grew up. I go ahead and head with walkomoli and she would, you know, she'd still fight to the end. Our boy, our boy,

Brad is from Alaska and he told us that the salsa lights up the state fair. And he was like, you got to ask. Yeah, no, it's, it's legit. But like I said,

I've tried it a million times and there's still something missing. We have that kind of mommy, whether she wants them to be in a rat. Right. Okay, here's your next category, Go, this is gifts.

Okay, gifts to give. Pass shoot score, Christmas ornaments made out of moose turds, one of Uncle Scott's paintings of Alaska, or a bacon candle. Bacon candle and the painting are, and one's a tap and one's a one-timer,

so I'd go bacon candle would be shoot. The paintings definitely, or no, bacon candle would be score. The paintings would be shoot. And I, you know, I wasn't, am I all, I couldn't do anything artistic. The only thing was good was that bowl. I actually looked at it and I was like,

I actually, people, actually, I bought it like someone, I'm like, yeah, like someone would. So,

I mean, it was, I wasn't in my right mind when, when that was going on. I got into character, let's sort of say. Yeah. And,

uh, definitely pass would be the, the moose, uh, uh, those were pretty impressive, dude. I got to say,

that was actually T.J's, T.J's idea on that. Really? White people do that? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, fuck. We never had a piece of shit on our tree.

But all right. Jesus Christ. All right. Your next one's fantasy experiences. Pass your score. Here we go. Number one. Produce a movie and beyond location

starring Robert Downey Jr. Go on tour with the Rolling Stones. Or during the lockout year, you got to play one season in the MLB. Oh. Well, it's two are definitely, no, I'm scoring. I'm with the stones. I had a feeling.

It's not even a question. How to feeling? Yeah. Second, not even MLB. I mean, yeah. I mean, I like to say, if I wasn't from Alaska, I would have had a major league. I mean, I love baseball. So I don't like the game now because the home runs and all that.

Yeah. But strikeouts in the home run, it's awful. But MLB and then the third, I don't even know what the third was because I don't care because I'm on the Stones. Yeah, exactly. Stone's Stone's washed out, R.D.J. Producing, people don't realize it's like everyone, you know, our personality, certain guys are like, when you're done,

you know, movie acting and all that. But when I went to the, when I was on that one life to live, me and Roanick were the only two that had a speaking line or spoken. So I got my sad card because I had a line. There you go. And there was a bunch of other guys. Shelton was there. Eric Turner.

was there, Weeksy was there, like they're walking through the airport on the ticket guy. But I was there for 13 hours, and Ronick took all the lines. So I was the last shoot. I had one line, and they were like done. So you talk,

people don't realize, like, being on those movie sets, I mean, they're, it's boring. Like, there's a lot of standing around. Yeah,

and so, I mean, because people would automatically assume, like, producing women, but no, that, and you see all those,

like, wrestlers that, that, you know, I'm in the old school wrestling. You think all that, that, Not of those guys really, I mean, it's a lot of downtime.

And I, you know, so that would definitely be the, the pass for me. Yep. Yeah. Okay. Smart, smart, man. Smart man. Here's your last one, Gomer. Category is fishing.

Pass shoot score, deep sea fishing, spear fishing, dip net fishing. Well, see, I grew up where you guys know what combat fishing is. Dude, only because of our Alaska friends. Yes. So we, people don't realize, like, I'm like a weekend fisherman kind of thing. where I grew up where we didn't have a cabin to go to. So to go get your fish, you've got to go to the Russian River, and there are thousands of people.

And you're literally this close to someone. And your dad's usually, your dad's usually down there because he wants you to, you know, it's kind of like a manling thing. And by the time you're 11 or 12, so if I'm fishing in the middle of you guys right there, you guys are grown men where I keep tangling up with you.

Dude, I had a guy one time. I'm like 12 or whatever, and I keep tangling up with him. him and I'm, you know, and he finally tells me, he's like, hey, get the fuck out of the river. I was like, got it. Yeah, no problem. Turn around. I start walking out.

My dad's like five people down. He goes, where the fuck you think you're going? And I was like, like, got right back in there. Unless you're a good looking girl or other people give you spot. Like, so that's the kind of fishing I grew up with where I almost hated it. Like, this is not adorable, right? Now, if I would have had a cabin like we had now, like, and just out there by myself, I loved it. So I would say spearfish.

because I never done it. Yeah. It might be, but I'm scared of the water. And it's not like, you know, I get the Mexican joke because we don't want to swim. And I'm the best swimmer ever because I'm so scared of that water. I can be in a pool that I think there's a shark there. So I know, no, I know how to move. Yeah, he's the batman of swimming.

Yeah, I mean, conquered his fears. But dip netting, we go on a boat. That's all my dad does. I absolutely hate dip netting. Really? Straight work. You people thinking, especially you got, I mean, it is this huge net. You're putting it in.

I mean, it's awful. I mean, yeah, you get all the fish, but that is just, I don't, and I used to have to go with my dad, and we had the slowest boat. So by the time the fish are in there, it took us like three hours to get back. I just hate it. So I wouldn't even go on. So Dibnay would definitely be, would be pass. Pass.

And what was the sec? Deep sea, baby. Deep sea. Depends what kind of boat you're on. So let's go spear fishing because now we got, yeah, some of the boats are going on now with certain people. Definitely, uh, kind of nice. Yeah. Yeah.

Go over the one, the one objective we were given by sway before this was to get an invite for all of us, sway included to the Kani River cabin for some fishing. So that, that's going to be on the agenda now. Well, when you learn to say it right, you guys can come. It's the Kinae. Did I fuck it up? What is it? Yeah, he told, how do you say it?

Yeah, it's one of those words. I can't even spell. Yeah, the Kini. Keenei. The Kinae. Keeneye. Yeah, you guys, oh, hey, that's one thing about us, Alaskans, what we tell people, and especially you guys know, I mean, you can ask any of it. All you need is a plane ticket.

And once you get out there, people, done and done. People take care of it. I mean, it's just, it's the Alaskan thing. It's like, it's our turn to brag about our state. And, you know, we take it for granted because after stuff you guys would want to do, we're like, I never even done that. But, yeah, no, that's something, it is pretty cool about the way people, you know,

treat people when they come up. I'm sure it's like that everywhere, but that is one of our major things in Alaska. Yeah, it's special. Yeah. It's the best. We ask guys, we call it their career hat trick. So we ask them your three favorite goals you've ever scored any level. So it can be juniors.

It can be for any team, whatever. So you don't have to think about it for a second. And then when you think you have your three, we'll tee you up and you can say what they are. All right. Obviously, I mean, your first NHL goal. Yeah, a lot of people say that one. Yeah. And some people go like some sick dangles if they have them in their bag too.

Oh, I went to end and against a good friend, Jason Strudrick. I mean, and then, like, I mean, completely beating them. That's always up there.

But in high school, we didn't make this. In Alaska, you had to play with your regular team, and then you had to play high school hockey. So that'd be like us three. We're on the comp team. And then after I think first grades come out,

you'd have to play for your high school team. And now we're playing against each other. But it's the first time you're playing in front of fans. You're playing in front of the schools. There's cheerleaders. It's powerful. And I was so naive, I always thought that, God, people are just into this, like the students and all this. And it took me, I don't know how many years ago, or when I found out that everyone's getting drunk or high in the parking lot.

So by the time they got in the game, it was just rowdy. I was like, you guys were doing that? I thought, you know, yeah, the Hun doesn't even know what hockey were. So there was a goal where the year, my freshman year, we didn't make the state finals, or to make it in the state. So you basically got two weeks off. and so now the next year I'm a sophomore I'm really a freshman but I'm a sophomore

and we're playing in our school you know a good high school team is playing we got three lines and our team basically had like one and a half but it's time of your life and we were winning four to three and they were all over us and I remember grabbing it

and then and I took it and I forgot I mean, the goalie was on my team, a regular team, and I mean, I just beat the whole team, and I just acted like I was going to, you know, rip it. I just let it slide.

And so, even more, and after I scored, it kind of was like, we're going to win this. Like, I don't know how much time was left. Made it five to three. And as I turned, my student section, I mean, it's packed. Like, kids are running down. And I think it was the only time I really celebrated.

And I just, this was in, I think it was jump around or, you know, still hot. And I think I was just like, just really. I just never forget like that. Because that was a, in that, that school had like all the girls and everything and, and we beat them. But that was always a goal that, uh, that, uh, you know, and. Remember forever. Yeah, that's an all time.

Yeah. And then, uh, got her. Wait, who was your first goal against? Uh, Felix potman. Okay. Yeah. And my, uh, that's good. It was the worst because I hadn't scored in five.

I hadn't scored until my fifth game, but I had like, I think six assists or something. Like, so I was getting assist, but I'm like, man, this is getting to the point. and my first shift in Atlanta, my first NHL shift, you know, you're just, oh, my God, I hear it. And I'm at the goal line right next to the net and the puck just came. And I was like, guys, the net was, it was just me in the net. And I just like, whiffed and should have known right then and there. I'm not going to be a goal score. But I always think that, I always wonder what would have happened.

I'm like, what were having the life of like my first shift? My first time I touched, I scored. Like, and, but yeah, what was it? I, oh, this one's a good one because it's just the way it was, I was, we're playing Tampa. It's, it's two to two. I think it's the year we wanted. It's 2003 maybe. No, I'm not, because Luke Wedge was on the team, so it's after.

But we're in overtime. It's two to two. We're in Tampa and we're down, maybe down two to one. It's one of those. So it's overtime. And I was scared of the. puck. I was so good at blocking the puck where coaches would get mad at. I'm like, well, why don't I get in front of it where I can just take whatever. So now the play breaks down,

Corey Sarage got the puck at the blue line and it's enough where I'm away where shit, I got to go out there. So I'm going out there and I'm like, oh, fuck. And this guy could rip it. And he's like this guy could rip it. And he's like this. And I'm like, oh. And you know, the worst thing you could do in playoffs is Flamingo. And I lift a leg. And I'm like, oh. And, you know, and, you know, He goes up and I barely lift my right foot, but I'm in fire. It hits me right in the tongue. Oh, my God. Takes a bounce and it goes now.

I mean, yeah, it just hit me. I'm like, oh, but now he's, his momentum is gone. I'm gone. You've gone. You got a break. I'm gone. Two on one from the red line. And that, you know, it's not the 90s where that happened all the time.

I mean, two on one, it's me and Gio going in, Brian Gianta. And we both know, we've done this our whole life. It's like, I know where I'm getting the puck. I know where I get paid. And this is set up and we're going against the guy. and he's got to stick really out like this where I'm like, dude, you're done. And as I'm getting ready to pass it over to Geo,

it's time perfect, it rolls. So it rolls in kind of in tight. I'm like, oh, shit. Now I got to shoot because, and I go top shelf, ding. And it's in overtime and I'm just like, and Geo comes up to me right away. He's like, why didn't you pat? Like, because, hey, that's in.

And then all the guys are coming to me, and everyone's like, fuck off. you did not mean to block that. I'm like, what are you talking about? It was like, yeah. Instead of letting me enjoy my moment, everyone's just like, yeah. But yeah, so that was always a one of a cool one because it went top cheese and it was too and I don't have that in my game, but it was a, yeah, so, but I mean, they're all like,

my, believe it or not, like, the reason also why I got away with a lot of stuff and my personality and the way I could act. And me and, me and Joe Thornton, good, great friends. We always laugh, peeing, I'm great friends with Adam Motes. I mean, he's, when you're a passer, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, We like to say we weren't passers. We were set up, man. Like, I'm not passing me to the puck.

I'm setting you up. Like, I'm putting you in a spot. But I got away with a lot of other shit in the team talking shit doing her because at the end of the day, you get the credit. I'm the one getting, like, and there ain't no self-ishness in this game. Like, you get it. So, yeah, I'm allowed to say more stuff. I'm allowed because, oh, you want this? You want this?

And that's what people didn't realize. We're like, yeah, the pastors are the cockiest guys, because you can talk the most. shit because why? Probably the least selfish guys. My job. I want you. I want you. So like you talk about goals. I mean, to me and you talk to Adam Outs, you talked to Joe Thornton because we was, to me, I have like passes in my head that I'm like, like that's, I'd rather to me to just put it to someone where he just tapped it in where I just went to like three, you know, two legs. That to me was that's, you know.

Do you remember one, Gomer? Does one come to mind when you think about sick passes? One was there because there was just a pitcher someone sent and like the time. of my lives were playing in the World Cup and the Olympics because I got to play with like my idols like Shelley, uh, Holly, Billy Garon, Tony Amanti, uh, Dougie Waits, Brian Leach. I mean, guys, it was just, I was in head and, so we're on the power play and I'm close friends with Brian Siminski smoke and he's in, he's in the front and Dougie Waits coming down and I'm like on top of the circle and there's literally two guys. One guy's wide and I mean, I put a dime in between the first guy's legs and then underneath the second guys and dugie comes in and just

taps it top short and if you there's actually a picture that i should i'll send you guys like and you could see his face but and it was also kind of like yeah i mean i can do like you know i'm passing it to my idols but yeah but then in the summer just literally like like like you know you play with alexana and regone i don't even know like the bester when you're just like here i just i'll just lay it to you you take it i just lay it to you just lay it to you just i just lay it to you you you decide what you want to do i mean yeah so it's an art and that's that's the one thing uh you know these guys that's one of the fundamentals these kids don't understand it's uh you know backhand backhand is a it's it's uh it's another dimension like it's another you can open it and like

i'm really really close with adam most and just being coached by him like you know i was 35 i was a better hockey player 35 than i was all those years just being coached by this man and understand that's that's awesome yeah so i mean you know we always like to say they have all these stats in hockey and like me and Jumbo or imagine if there was a stat that how many times did you set up a guy? Yeah, right, dude. You know, it's there. They just missed an empty net where we always laughed.

Like that would be kind of cool. I mean, it could never have because then you'd realize like, wow, all right. And oh, geez. But then you just play with certain guys that, like the whole rule here is when I'm behind the net, you know, what are you looking at? Bang, one slot. Okay. Remember, this is going a million or not.

Like one slot. coming around. Now, okay, now what am I looking at? All I'm looking at is sticks and feet. I know exactly what color stick you are, what tape you are, whether you're right-hand and left-hand or what, all I need to know is the stick. I'm not looking at bodies anymore because at the end, now I got, now I got the D. So there's three layers where like, and then, like I tell these kids all the time, it's how you come up with drills. I remember asking out of the most. I was like, hey, you know, well, Mott handles that, but I'm like, hey, what about drills? And he's like, shut up. Like, what do you mean? He's like, he's like, dude, you just make them up, meaning

what happens? What are you in a game? What's in the corners? What's make a drop? And it's like, yeah. And then I tell these kids, especially because us here, all you really have to do is watch, you know, Gretzky and the Oilers and the king and the kings and just his body position in the way he's had, like, it's still amazing how like just hand position everything where he's at. It doesn't matter that. I mean, there's some that are like, okay, that's not going in or But there's some just body position. Because we all wish we were Lemieux. I mean, that's basically like, we all wish we were that smooth.

But that's what I tell these kids, hey, man, because that's what Adam Oates's his dad did. He made a tape of Wayne Gretzky for like three hours and just made Oatsy watch it, watch. And that's, yeah, I mean, it's still amazing how like even back then you can, you know, you can watch guys like that, like Gilmore. Like, that was my idol. Yeah, yeah. And I'll give you a Gilmore story just just so you guys. So Dougie Gellmore was by far like. we all idolized Gretzky Lemieux and the cool thing about growing up in Alaska,

you know, we had outdoor ice. So I would, I would go to the, I'd go to the rink and I'd just pick a player and I would play like him. So let's say I'm Lemieux. I'm just basically, just whatever.

Let's say I'm Dougie wait that day. Let's say I'm Brian Lee. So that was always my thing. Every day I go on the ice, I'm going to be another player, whatever, growing up. And then so, so Dougie Gilmore, that's by far,

I mean, I tucked the jersey in because, with Dougie Gilmore and everything. Yeah. So my first, my first, he's still on a team. It must have been after they lost.

I don't know, but he's working out. He's in the gym. Yeah. Okay, it was playoffs where I walk in. Dougie Gilmore's right there and I come in

and I think I'm with maybe some other, I forgot, but I walk in and he's, I mean, he's way over there. And I walk in, I'm like, holy shit,

that's Dougie Gilmore. Like, oh my God. And he, he comes up he the strength guy's doing something with him he's completely stops what he's doing walks over and goes hey i'm dug yelmore night and welcome what to him's like you've got to be shouldn't me actually i met him before um at the world juniors we were in uh newark we're waiting for our flight and he had just got traded to the devils and we had a kid that was from Toronto anyway so

he knows the maple leaves beyond and we look down there because we had like three hours before we We are playing. You know, you know, they schedule that. And we're just walking around. And Doug Gilmore is like, by the, by the baggage claim, waiting for his wife and kids have come in. And we were, I didn't get it. But the Toronto guy was like, do you understand that if we're in Toronto, like, he

couldn't even be standing there. Yeah. Yeah. So that's why those guys loved coming to Jersey. Like, you just got left alone. So now we're going to Chicago. And all these guys have heard, like, my game is Dougie Gilmore, you know, this, that, everything I do is Doug Gilmore.

And they're just sick of him. hearing you're like shut up and then you know they're all buddies with him because he played for the devils so we're on the plane and we're going to shytown and i was like oh this is first time i get to go to like guys are guys are planning stuff and we never had pregame skate in chicago because the rink was too far this is the practice ring so that's almost like not a hundred percent green light but it's you know pretty close yeah you know you're gonna have and um i forgot who came back oh yeah randy mckay and i would only come back in the plane they're like don't make plans and i'm like fuck like man i already got a hundred but i'm going jay and all i'm like really and he's like they're like don't make plans be down in the lobby

i don't know if you guys on the bus with the plane like don't make plans be uh be downstairs in 10 so i'm like scott needemeyer comes back and he goes don't make plans now these are two different individuals that like these guys likes beers needs I think had a sip of alcohol, one tire, whatever. And I'm just like, you know, and then the trainer was like, don't, so now I come in the room and I'm back to like, like, I'm pissed. And Jay's like, yeah, I'm like, now I knew they all knew, but Jay's like, uh, I'm like, man, I got to go with these guys.

Like, you know, fuck. And so he just, so we get in a cab. I don't know what the hell is going on. I'm like, what's going on here? Like, this is weird. This is a motley crew of people where we pull up to this. this beautiful, higher,

whatever, I forgot, over in Highland Park, whatever. We pull over somewhere, not Highland Park, but anyway, we pull up with this house

and they're like, a kid, go, you know, go knock on the door, whatever. I'm like, so I go knock on the door.

Doug Gilmore answers the door. And I'm like, what? And he's like, hey, welcome, kid, come on in. I'm like,

what? So they bring me in, and, you know, they're talking, I'm having a beer with Doug Gilmore. I'm beating him in points by like,

I think, like three. I can't be Doug Gilmore comes over to me and he's like hey slow down kid I'm trying to catch you kind of thing and I'm like so we talk now we go to dinner so we go to dinner we go to this oh man we go to this place and dog Gilmore you know he walks in they made me I think I got to sit next time I don't know but I tell Randy Randy knows something's going on because I learned you know don't say you're paying the bill just go so Randy sees me and I go I'm going to go grab the waitress because I'm going to buy Doug Gilmore dinner I don't even know if I can afford it but I'm like

Yeah, but I'm doing it. Yeah. And Randy comes, he can send something's going on because, and he goes and grabs me and he's like, do not even do that. And I'm like, why? I was like, dude, this is. And he's like, do not. Yeah. That will offend Doug Gilmore.

Like, like, yeah. And I was like, hey, nope. And so, yeah, then the, then I got sent home. I don't know what they did. But, man, that was one of the coolest things like. And then on the ice. All time. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was just meeting my, you know, yeah. And the way that guy was with me. Dude, that's like, chill. truly, just what an unbelievable moment. And then the rest of the years on the ice was just, uh, it was, you know, Dougie, like, yeah, I didn't, I didn't, I didn't touch him.

I didn't, yeah, it was just, it was God to me. Like, even in the way he treated me, he was just, he was unbelievable. Fucking, so sick. Dude, Gomer, I mean, I, I could do this for four hours. Yeah, he's going to come back now. Yeah, like I feel like you got to come back on soon. I hate this is truly nonstop. We can't thank you enough.

This has been so, so fun. Before we let you jump, is there anything you want to shut out? anything you want to plug or anything like that? No, I mean, Elevado 2, for the company. Yes? Yeah. No, you guys keep doing what you're doing.

And hey, whatever you need me, we're here. Absolutely, brother. Awesome, buddy. I can't, we will take you up on that more than you know. I'm telling you right now. No problem, guys. Enjoy all the best. Massive thank you to Gomer.

He's got to come back on. He literally, for the people listening. He has seven episodes more of content time. Dan and I have like a rundown, you know, stuff. And we're literally crossing stuff off. Can't even get to. real time that I was like, well, we'll just have to, he'll come back. I don't, we've got to, we didn't even pass his rookie year. Literally, we didn't even pass his rookie year. And those

stories, man, of all the legends, but the clothe abuse stories kill me. His impressions are so funny. Amazing. Insane. So, so good. And I loved his coaching mentality. That was a cool tidbit at the end. It was like, I didn't expect, you know, we were so focused on all the Stanley Cup stuff, but all of that stuff at the end, so cool. All right, let's jump into a beer league hotline. guy on our team who was our best player by a mile. We'd have to move down a division without him kind of guy. Recently, this guy was charged with a crime. Out of respect, I'm not going to say what the charges were on the internet, but they were not good. The whole team was shocked. Then after some legal back and forth that we obviously weren't privy to, the charges were dropped. Now he has

asked to come back on the team. My question is, where's the line on what he could have been charged with that you guys would invite him back? man these keep getting better and better but dad but dad charges dropped I know is there a line is there a line at all if charges dropped like if he go if they went like this no you killed the guy okay he gets could charge with murder yeah but then they go and he goes dude I didn't do that and then they go charge dropped we had the wrong guy and then he goes can I play beer league again I go yeah buddy I'm with you dude dude charge is dropped he's the best player on the team the best part on the team but also let's talk about this I think this is the key factor here.

To answer your question, there is no line. There is? It could be the most heinous charges I've ever seen in my life. Actually, now I'm free thinking that. No, like, I'm talking horrible stuff. I'm talking Charles Manson type stuff. I'm talking, you know, Joe Fritzel type stuff. Yeah. Who's Joe Fritzel?

Dude. Look up Joseph Fritzel. I don't know. Too scared. Just a devilish man. However, you need to, you need to, you know, You need to get your hands on the court transcripts. You need to heavily research what happened, why he.

Yeah. Let's say we got a mistrial situation. I can't think about that. Cannot let this man back on the team. Because charges drop could mean the lawyer handled it wrong. He definitely did do it. We could have an OJ situation here. Yeah, dude.

Like, you know, and like, no offense, juice, you ain't coming back on my team, dude. Well, actually, dude. So you need to have, look at me, heavily research this court case. Because if it's clear that they got the wrong guy, back in. Not only does he get back to, not only does he get to come back on the team, it is your responsibility to invite him back on the team. He needs some stability in his life. How often do we say, dude, one of the great fears of mankind is being falsely accused of something?

It's my biggest fear. It's my biggest fear. If your teammate is falsely accused and you don't welcome back with open arms, it's your responsibility to get this guy back to the life that he had. Don't be another person who's like, oh, well, you got accused of this. If it is clear that they got the wrong guy, you bring him back immediately and you crack a beer for him. Why was he being accused? That's what we got to figure out, brother.

See, now, because, dude, what if there was some, this has been a heavy corn episode. But what if there was like, don't even. I'm just saying it. No, I know. What if there was a situation where he's been accused of some bad. Of some, he says not good. Yeah. I want the people to be clear.

in the transcript of this message, not good is in all caps. So it feels like this was a bad thing. And he goes, hey, dude, wasn't my computer. It was someone else's computer. And I go, I have no idea where those files came from.

I've never seen those files. You can't let him back on that team. I go, you can't sit down. I go, hold on. Those files were on your computer. And he goes, yeah, I don't know how they got there. I go like this. You got to find another team, brother.

You can't be playing with us anymore. I can't play with a guy like that. No, no, no, no, no, no. I can't pass a guy like that to puck. No, no, no, no. He could be wide open. I don't, I don't want to be on a stat sheet with that guy. But like I said, the other teams go, they go, you're playing with this guy?

You're playing with that guy? He pumps in his another hatty and they go, oh, congrats, glad you guys beat us on the back of that guy. Yeah. No, this is no fly zone for me. So now there is a line? No, no, there is no line. As long as it's clear, he is innocent. Yes, we need to do our.

I need, you know what it is? I need that, I need to know that this man is innocent, not, not guilty. Yes. You know what I'm saying? Like, truly. That's why I said, heavy research. God, those headlines are forever though. It doesn't matter.

This is what I'm saying. It is your responsibility. Heavy research. If he didn't do it, you bring him back. Yeah. You got to figure that out. We become PI. You got to lock in.

We can become private investigators. Or hire one. Or hire one. You got to figure it out. This guy's life is on the line here. He's a free man, but his life is online because his life is beer league. So if the glove don't fit, that might not be enough. He can sit on the bench and play with us.

If the glove don't fit, he can sit. Boom. But maybe do a little more. Dig it, dig in, dig it. We are going to match these five states or provinces with their odds to have a Stanley Cup winning team. Alberta, California, New York, Ontario, and Pennsylvania. All right, so we've got flames and oilers. Yep.

We've got ducks, kings, sharks. Yep. Islanders, rangers, sabers, leaps and sands, flyers, penguins. Yes. Okay. Okay, give us the oddswags. Out of order. We've got plus 1,000, plus

2,500, plus 8,000, plus 2,000, and plus 600. Ooh. Okay. So, Dan, to me, this is a lock. Alberta's the best odds. Really? Yeah, like, leaps. But leaps are the one seed also.

I know, but it's also the leaps, brother. Hey, hey, look at me. It's the leaps. No, I think Ontario, dude. Absolutely not. To me, the flames and the Sends are like in the same situation. Like, they're both kind of like a bubble playoff team. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And the orders are better than the Leafs, that's what you're saying. I just think their odds are better. Like, Vegas is being like, we just watched Connor drag this team to game seven of the final. Okay, so you would want to go the... I'm going to go 600 them, and then I'm with you. I think a thousand is Ontario. And then... What are the kings, though?

Like, or I guess they're kind of falling off now. I think it's, but still, I mean, Penn's Flyers has to be the worst. 8,000, right? Yeah, I would agree. However, though, the sharks and ducks are bad. Yes, I'm going to go, New York is 2000. 25, or 2000. 2,500 is Cali.

Is Cali? And then you'd still, you still think. Penn is 8,000. Literally neither of those teams are in the playoffs. What are you talking about? They are terrible. You're right. You're right.

You're right. I think we just nailed this. I think for the first time, I think we're going straight hits. So Wags, we're doing Alberta, 600, Ontario 1,000, New York, 2000, California, 2500, Pennsylvania, 8,000. Tell me we got them all. You got all but too right. Come on, dude.

Pretty good, though. That's pretty good, dude. All right. What was right? So you got Alberta. Ontario and Pennsylvania. Okay. So, wow.

Hell yeah, I love that. Fuck you, New York. Fuck you, New York. Come on, dude. So it's New York, 2,500, Callie 2000. Come on, dude. Really good, Dan. Vegas like in the Kings.

I like that. I like that, too, dude. I like that, too. That does not bode well for Rangers fans. I'm surprised that the Leafs essentially have better odds than the Kings. because of what you said I think that also the factor in there

Christopher is the oil is the oilers Yeah they got to go through Edmond Yeah that makes sense Okay really good really good boys God that is good stuff That is the best we've ever done And maybe we'll ever do All right now we're going to close out this episode

We're doing a blind ranking Awful hockey feelings Wags hit us Missing a breakaway Oh It sucks too Especially, I honestly think it might suck more in beer league. Is that crazy?

Yes. Stakes are much higher in anything other than beer. I know. I just, it's like people are trying harder in a real game. Like it's hot, like in a real game, I'm like, yeah, it's, you don't always score. I see, you. I see your logic. I disagree with you.

Yeah, but you see what I'm saying, right? But I see your logic. All the boys, like, everyone's just like, oh, here we go. Man, this is tough because how, how bad are we going to get here? I don't know. Is there going to be, you know. breaking your leg well no I hope it's not physical

awful feeling but I mean are we gonna get stakes involved here like a championship game fucking something up that would be tough maybe then this is low but I think this is one or two it's the worst feeling missing a breakaway stinks okay let's go two maybe two

two two going offside on an on man rush I wouldn't say that's awful this might be five for me Oh my God, dude, you're out a two-on-one and you go offside. Oh, yeah, Odd Man Rush. That is a nightmare. No, that's bad. Everybody on the bench is like, that is bad.

It's awful, dude. Not worse than a breakaway, though. Really? A break-away. You have a break-away. Yeah, like, what if you went offside on a breakaway? That's essentially what you're doing. If you went offside on a two-on-oh.

But that's even-man-rush. Think about hanging them up. Yeah. How is that even? The two of you. Odd Man Rush v. an odd number of people. Well, I'm counting the goalie.

An odd man rush means two on one. There's a defenseman who could break up the play. Yeah, yeah. A two on O going off sides is infinitely worse than that. Oh, yes, for sure. So I'm fine with three here. You don't have a guarantee.

You have a better chance of scoring on a breakaway than an odd man rush. Yeah, but you just missed. You gave it a good bid. This, you shot yourself in the face before you even got a shot off. Bad. This is, this is what... Dude, we fucked ourselves because this is worse,

but we have to go three. No, let's go one. You're right, this is bad. It's really bad. Let's go one. Let's go one. Taking a lazy penalty. Not that.

I mean, not good. Not good. Four? Do you want to go five? I don't know. It does suck. But it's like, the team is like, bro, why did you fucking hook him? Taking a lazy penalty.

Yeah, it's shit. But it's like, you know, trust your PK. Yeah. Yeah, maybe you're winning. Maybe you're winning. It's a shit feeling. Yeah.

I could go five. I don't hate four, though. Maybe five. Let's go five. Five. We're taking shots here. Yeah. Five.

Losing your man in front for a goal. That is a shit feeling. Yeah. It happens. And dude, I do hate that. Like when I go like this and I think I have a guy. Dude, it sucks.

And the past goes this way and I'm like, what? You turn around and he's nude. And I'm like, that's bad. That it's actually terrible. Three. Three. That it's actually fucking horrible. Fucking sucks.

Dude, like, this, I have like my, like, the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up right now because it is. And like, or worse, like when you're, you know, it's, you know, maybe a change of possession counter. Yeah. And you're breaking back and you're like, I've got my guy right here. And then like, like, somehow the past goes in and you don't get, you don't got your guy. And they score and I'm like this. I'm a fucking loser. I'm an idiot.

Three. It has to be three. Yeah. Flamingoing a block shot for a goal. That's. Not good. It's honestly like funnier. Yeah.

You could live with that. That's one's kind of like, oh. You're like, I'm a pussy dude. Sorry. But like, say the puck. Tendi? Dude, do your job. I'm fine with four there.

Me too. I'll live with it. We got to live with it. Not bad. Yeah. I feel pretty good about this. I feel pretty good about this. All right.

That is it for us today at the Empty Natives podcast. Hope you enjoyed that Logan Thompson interview. We've got tons more super exciting guests coming on soon. next week we are headed to four nations but you know what the best news is this isn't going to be the last time you hear from us this week yeah because we're on this new schedule baby guys subscribe to the youtube if you're not already all you need is a gmail account or an email you have and sign up get subscribe to our youtube it helps us it helps you make sure you tune in for these two episodes per week and we will see you next time and until that skate hard