OverDrive - Cassidy on Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off win, the coaching experience and the leadership across the roster

Episode Date: February 22, 2025

Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach and Canada's 4 Nations Face-Off Assistant Coach Bruce Cassidy joined OverDrive to discuss winning at the tournament, the style of hockey in the games, the leadership around the team, the mentality of the roster in the Championship Game against the USA, returning to the NHL and more.

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K-N-O-W-M-O-R-E.ca. A message from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. Here he is, the head coach of the Vegas School Knights, big part of the coaching staff. Team candidate at Four Nations. Here's Bruce Cassidy. Where's your head at right now? Bruce, do you have any idea where you are in the world or what? We just landed in Vegas, so heading home. We were on the road for eight days before and we went right from Austin to Montreal. That's where we spent the week. My son's 14, he probably has a mustache now. Bruce, what did you make of last night? what did you make of the overall pace of play like everybody and it's tough

To compare errors, but everyone was talking about the incredible pace of it And it's the best hockey they've ever seen like what did you just make of the overall hockey itself that you just witnessed throughout the ten days Well, it was It's what happens when elite You know talented players check check right? There's just no room out there. You barely had time to get your head up, receive a pass, make a play. So when guys did make a play, really appreciate it, right? At such a, you know, high rate of speed when guys are trying to close on them. So that was the first thing you notice, just not much room out there.

Last night, the ice looked a little, than maybe Montreal, I don't know if it was what was going on. So the puck was bouncing a little more, so that even added to the difficulties of it. And the physicality, and it's funny, before the tournament, you weren't sure, right? Probably everyone's wondering, well, how hard are they going to play? And I think the players knew that this was going to be game on, and that's certainly how it was. So it was great.

Bruce, what was it like having all these great leaders in one dressing room? You always hear the term lead by example and sometimes with your club team it's a couple, you know, one or two guys that do it. These are all the best of those guys, Crosby, McDavid, McKinnon, all in the same dressing room. What was it like to see that up close and personal? I'll tell you, they're relatively quiet guys in terms of you know, I've had Brad Marsham, right, he never stops, he talks the whole time but a lot of those other guys you've mentioned are quiet and they do

certainly will speak up but they're more interactive with each other if they're on the same line talking about face-off plays or power play breakouts, whatever it is. So you learn a little bit about the personality, even the Tampa guys, they've, they've all won Sorelle, uh, uh, points, but even in Hegel, but they're quiet as well. So it was a little more quiet of a dressing room. Our guy, Mark Stone's very quiet, uh, than maybe I expected, which is fine. It worked out. They had quiet confidence.

That's one thing I noticed right away. They did more other interacting, kind of just going over things with each other in that manner. Well, with that in mind, when you consider what happened on Saturday, those three fights in nine seconds, Hagel, you said quiet.

Sam Bennett is notoriously quiet. Like he scares people. Yeah. You know? And he's out there fighting. I don't know about Yeah, but like I guess I don't have you ever seen anything like that I don't think anyone ever had like was there an understanding that was coming like what were you thinking with those fights? Well, I was I was shocked myself. So I don't I think our guys just responded in the moment. You might you know

As far as I know, um, I mean, Hagel, Kachuk, Tampa, Florida, right? They've had playoff series. And so I don't know if there's something there, a previous history, no idea. Uh, and then I think, you know, Brady was kind of looking around and all right, here we go. And then the last one, I think, you know, Miller kind of went to the net. That's the way it's going to, I think it was just hockey and I didn't see it coming and it sure set the tone for the game and maybe the whole tournament after that. This

was for real. I thought it was great. No one hurt in those tilts so everyone came out of it right off and went and hockey after that was pretty good hockey russ 82 game season you're you know constantly looking to tinker and get guys going and you gotta be hard on some guys and you gotta look at line combinations how much did the coaching staff as a group kinda after every game chat or is it just about little things with the amount of talent that was there for canada game chat or was it just about little things with the amount of talent that was there for Canada?

No, no, I think Coop, he was always looking for input on the lines. And I think a deep pair stayed a little more consistent because Taze Makara played together so long and then kind of had every game seemed like one guy was was in or out. So you're just subbing in or out because Kale got sick and the deal got hurt and then mole got sick at the end. But the forward lines, there's more discussion on chemistry because let's face it, you don't have a lot of time to build it. Well, and you talk about the D pairs. Oh, sorry, Bruce. I thought your phone may have cut out there.

No. Well, I'm sorry if it did. I'm in the car but no the forward group talked about more and I think it was sometimes to do with right sticks. Had a lot of right sticks so someone's gonna have to play the left wing that's typically like up in the lineup like a Mark Stone. Braden Point gets moved up from center to wing so there's a little bit of that who fits with who. Mitch ended up on left wing. We saw second half of the game last night with McDavid. So there was a little bit of

that we discussed. And Koop has to make that call on the bench. And obviously he made a lot of right ones. Did you go into this tournament thinking that things would run a little more smoothly? And what I mean by that is, you know, you have a game where McCarr is sick so now you have to make some adjustment adjustments Josh Morris he doesn't play last night you're making adjustments did you kind of think it would just be you know a little more set in stone and how did you guys handle these obstacles that came your way yeah well yes I assumed it would be and there's even a travel day with the weather. We had to get out early before the, it was the African-American game, but I got thrown

out of wax. You get in at 5.30 in the morning. So there was a little more than I thought. Theodore, fortunately for us in the nights, I think it was right away in game one. So you're juggling five defensemen. Kale's not at his best because, yeah, there was a lot of that going on for us. We figured we'd have discussions on maybe should, I think Bennett set out the first game, would he go in the second?

Things like that we anticipated, but no, not kind of some curveball. So you guys did a good job handling it with Bruce Cassidy of Team Canada and head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights we'll get you out of here with a question we've been kind of collectively wondering and asking like the transition we've wondered about from a player's perspective because it's go time tomorrow night you guys are at home against Vancouver and we're into late Feb like the playoffs are right around the corner so as a coach you're flying back you just got home but is it how do you handle the next twenty four hours preparing to get back into

and a gel action yellow we we we had our practices this week john stevens ran so the guys should have their legs are here uh... that the top part is what do you know jack i go play a lot of minutes no hand-off and mark stone uh... get a break at some point you know, Jack Eichel played a lot of minutes, Noah Hanifin, Mark Stone. Give them a break at some point, just as much mentally as anything.

Maybe look at our schedule in the next week. I think we're Saturday, Monday, Thursday. So maybe after the Monday game. So that's something we have to discuss. And I think teams that had multiple players like Colorado might have to look at that, too. But I don't have a great answer for that. The players are going to have to give us some feedback. And then also with roster limitations, right? You can't just, you know, park four or five guys and ice a lineup at today's salary cap. So that's something else you got to think about. But

at some point they need a break. That's for sure. So when, when are we going to get it to those players? I don't know yet. that's something we have to go through with them and and Do what's best for the team but also allow them to sort of step away. I think for a little bit So that's how we're gonna handle it. Absolutely Great catching up with you Bruce whirlwind 24 hours really appreciate you doing this. Best of luck tomorrow night down the stretch Okay, thanks for having me fellas. Take care. You got it. Bruce Cassidy of Team Canada, head coach of the Golden Knights. Lights, camera, action. The 2025 Juno Awards are hitting Vancouver on March 30th. And I Heart Radio is your ticket to the stars. The Juno goes to... Hosted and performance by Michael Publé. Good evening Vancouver. Plus a final performance by Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees, some 41, and more.

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