OverDrive - Nash on Canada's power at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the United States' roster and the experience of playing in the league

Episode Date: February 12, 2025

Host of the Nash Cast on UtahHC+ and Former NHLer Tyson Nash joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the NHL, the difference of the generations in the league, playing hockey in Arizona, the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Canada's roster against the United States, the coaching experience with Wayne Gretzky and more.

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Yeah, he's tanned, he's got the hair, he's got everything. Let's bring him in here, Tyson Nash, the host of the Nashcast. Nashor, how you doing, pal? Hi, I'm doing fantastic, boys. Little rough, I gotta admit. The waist management opened. It did me in. I think I need a liver transplant here. You don't suck me to the dark side, so I'm trying to recover a little bit. But thanks for having me on, guys. I love how I get blamed for that. I was on the show yesterday i had vodka voice we called it but uh... but i was part of our you guys too old for that garbage like you're fifty years

old never know but we don't recall we don't recover quite like we used to i don't i don't tell you about but hold on only anyone had more more fun and we did at that time. We didn't see one shot I didn't see one shot Nasher what were your vacations like obvious with all due respect I don't think you played on any Olympic teams or anything like that back in the day

What were your trips like did you just say and I know you got a family Did you just say I'm gonna take a couple days and then get back to business, or how did you treat it? You know what, that's a safe bet. That's a safe bet, oh dog. Yeah, no, I always had the trips planned. That's any chance. I mean, we were like, all right, where are we going now,

boys? I don't know, I used to go out with a couple couples like Dylsadour, I don't know how Mike McDonough always ended up with us, but he was on a few of our trips and we'd always go to Cabo. Cabo's my favorite place in the world. Just the food, the booze, the service, the weather, and obviously some golf, but yeah,

that was kind of my place of choice. And it was always kind of easy to get to, right, especially being in Phoenix, it would take an hour and ten minute flight, you're up and down, you're speedo and poolside before noon. Nash, before you came on we were talking about guys who go on trips or whatever and the all-star break, Christmas break and there are a few know, could put on a few pounds. Did you play over your career with a guy you were concerned about, you were like, if you give that guy five days off, he might not make it back here or he's coming back with an extra 10 pounds, 10 to 12 pounds?

Oh my God, I mean, I hate to rip on these guys and I got no business ripping on these guys and it wasn't all 15 days. You don't name names, just you can talk about the player just don't name his name there was a legend who retired fairly early I think we all saw him at the NHLPA meetings one year I don't think he ever played after that they had a cut him out with the jaws of life out of his black turtle neck I think he showed up and I play with obviously a big his black turtle neck. I think he showed up in. I play with obviously Big Walt, Keith Kachakis. I think he can toss the food back, there's no question. And my

good buddy Holly, those guys could pack them on, but they could get it off in a hurry too and need be. I think I heard you guys say, I think they were tossing the checkbook around to the trainers going, hey, it ain't this number, trust me, it's this one of you want to see a chip at the end of the year. Do you think it's a little bit different now though, Nasher? Guys get paid, not even necessarily about the money, but just about how competitive things are. You look at the standings and the white teams.

Frankie, what about us just being as simple as they don't live like we used to live back in that day? That's that's a thought they straight-out don't it is different guys bring You know the the video game television set on the road and all that kind of stuff like I don't know how different would guys Be handling it this time around compared to when you guys were playing Nasher Yeah, that's dead on. I don't know who said it but that that's actually that on i mean we are absolute savages right i mean that's not the only flu commercial i mean here here here over after every i only had a couple years of of commercial flights middle rose

but i mean after every game you're you're getting beat up you got a black you're going to write it out to the rocks you want to write up to the bar nice steak dinner i mean it could it could pile on quick, right? These kids now, and it has to be that way just because I think just the internal pressure also, right? I mean, and the money they make for sure, but these kids and the cameras now, the phones, just kill these guys. I think it's just the worst thing for the game because I still feel like the best teams and the teams that win every year are the tightest teams, right?

I remember when St. Louis, when they won a few years back, I mean, you look at Florida, I mean, all of it. Those teams are the tightest groups because they stick together. I mean, I flew, I worked with Gretz as our head coach and an owner for a long time and Gretz and you knew why the Evantero others won for so long obviously they had a pretty damn good team but I mean it was mandatory as our coach he was like all right everybody you throw your bag in the room and you come down for one drink one drink and you can leave after and he would pay for everything but it was story time with Wayne Gretzky and he would sit there and tell stories in the hotel bar and it was nothing crazy. There was just team bonding and building, you know, camaraderie and I was just the broadcaster,

but we were invited and we got to be a part of it and boy do we ever feel like, you know, we wanted to do a better job at our job, right? We wanted to go the extra mile because I mean, the coach loved us and I think that's just a testament to why the Oilers and everywhere Wayne Gretzky and I'm sure Mark Nessie had the same thing, why it always worked because they were great leaders. Nasher, I wanted to ask you, obviously everybody knows that the Coyotes moved to Utah. Do you think of that market out in Arizona, in Phoenix, do you think the NHL is a slam dunk to return there? Because you see it all the time in sports.

Teams leave and then they show up again. Do you think that happens in Arizona? If it's gonna happen anywhere in the world, it's gonna happen here. I mean, you guys know. Noodles, you were just here. I mean, it's honestly the best thing in America. It legitimately is.

The sun shines, you know, they have just never, ever had a rink in the right place, right? And until that happens, no, it's not going to come back here, but my feeling is right now and the rumors around here that they're trying to put something together. I know the mayor is pushing it big time. He's embarrassed that we lost the team in Arizona. I think everybody should be embarrassed that we lost the team in Arizona. So it will be back eventually when that happens,

four or five years. I would imagine it will be the earliest, but I mean, every player in the world, you guys coming down here for Olympic break, all-star break, I mean, you know, it's your carpool basically. And you can see why, but you just need a facility and you need an ownership group like they have in Utah now that would make the forks here.

So Nasher, the Four Nations face-off starts tomorrow. You look at a lot of these countries, they're just loaded up with talent, especially the Team USA, Team Canada. You watched Austin Matthews pretty much grow up, correct? He was around you, around the Phoenix area for years and had a buzz. What do you make of the tournament? What do you make of a guy like Matthews being the captain of it and all of it? Well, yeah, this kid is certainly something special.

I used to train for the back of the day. I think he had a picture of that one still making fun of me in my swim shorts. I got to make sure I put the sock in the front next time, not in the back. We used to train together a little bit. This guy is just an absolute savage. I mean, at 17 years old, he's clean and jerk and 225 for eight reps. I mean, I was a man, an old man at the time and I couldn't even, I'd look at that weight and get hurt.

But this guy was a savage and it's just carried over. He's turned into a man just watching him develop. He's an unreal kid, unreal human. You guys know that very well being in Toronto, but the time he takes around the community here, he still spends the summers in Arizona, always skating over the ice, which is about five minutes away from me.

And lots of pressure on the guy, right? I mean, there's gonna be a ton of pressure because he knew that I say, I gotta, you know, chose me to say it but looking at the Rossers I mean you would think that they're probably the favor to to win this with this deal right and they're stacked I love their decor my goodness I mean it's by far the best in the tournament and they got the best goaltender on the planet right now and in Connor Hellebuck. So I am Canadian So I'll be cheering for the boys

They're forwards probably by far the best forward group of the bunch, but man their goaltending certainly scares me What do you think it's gonna be like for teams to have to play against not one but two? Kachucks, you know like you have Matthew coming over the boards and then potentially the next shift Brady's coming over the boards And so if you just got ran and you're stuck on the ice now Brady's going to run you over they're going to be in your face like I don't know like what does that dynamic do for the American team? You know what that's a great point because that was the one intangible for me that I think is really going to be a difference maker You look at Florida, right? You look at their team when they won the cup.

I mean Sam Bennett, I mean Kichuck, they just have so much grit which you have to have, right? You gotta have those stay at home, grinding heavy defense then, right? You can't have a whole team of, you know, Quinn Hughes. I mean, you just can't, but I think Team USA, they scare me, those two guys in particular I watched a few of Matthew's Kachuk's interviews today and man has he fired up

I mean he's got looking his eye already that we I think we all saw In the playoffs when they won the cup, so You know wouldn't be fun to play against Matthew or Brady Certainly, you know, they got big shoes to fill. They want to, you know, obviously that runs very deep in their family with their dad and all the silver medals he won over the years. So I don't know how we categorize this, but I always bust everyone's chops down here in Arizona, but just in the U.S. in general.

I'm like, I am so sick of the miracle finally have a few quotes like it's been forty-one forty three years since you once my god i i can't take it anymore what a story that let's let's hopefully win again so i don't know if this counts in that i know it's not olympic gold medal but hey stop chirping the miracle they had mike your is the only a buddy of mine they had a meeting with the team yesterday They had Mike Irizioni, a buddy of mine. They had a meeting with the team yesterday.

Those guys were not even born yet. Jim Craig and Mike Irizioni, you know, those guys. You're right. What is that, 25 years ago or more? No, it's more. 45 years. 45. 45 years, 1980.

Yeah. Nierdlven's got his studio off right now. He's trying to count. It's been too long. It has been too long. Nasher, so you mentioned Wayne Gretzky, and I mean you have a long history with Wayne, you're good friends with him. You know, take us back to him coaching you in Phoenix. I mean, this is the greatest hockey player of all time, and he becomes a head coach, and he's looking down the bench and he's got to look at you and go,

I need you to go out. What do you think was going through Gretzky's mind, and how was it, what was it like playing for the greatest player of all time? Well, first of all, I got to tell you, it was the, it was draft day. I was in Kelowna, and I was cleaning out one of my rental houses and I get a phone call and it's this guy on the phone going, Hey, this is, uh, this is Wayne Gretzky. Uh, we just made a trade for you. And I was like, yeah, good one. I thought I was one of my idiot buddies, right?

Just playing a joke on me. He's like, no, serious, serious. I'm like, yeah, whatever. It sounded like my buddy Bob. So I hung up on him. He called me back He's like, no, serious, serious. I'm like, yeah, whatever. It sounded like my buddy Bob. So I hung up on him. He called me back. He goes Tyson Tyson. Seriously, we just made a trade to you. And I'm like, well, Larry, what hasn't called me? So I don't even know if this is real or not. Anyway,

we got talking and sure enough, it ended up being grass. I was like, holy cow, I can't believe this. Like I grew up with Wayne Gretzky wallpaper and bed sheets. And now this guy's on the horn telling me how excited he is to have me on his team. Well, the excitement didn't last all that long, I can tell you, because I don't think he ever really understood what I did as a player, what my job was.

I got beat up a lot that year. He was like, you haven't won a fight, you haven't scored a goal, what is it exactly that you do it and i'm like i drop penalties because we have the worst power play in the league but i don't know uh... you know what i must be difficult for like anybody that's considers themselves to make an error attempt an offensive play being scrutinized by wane gratzky it must be just horrifying, Nasher.

Yeah and you know what it was when you watched him work I mean he wanted to be great at it it's just I think to be like to be super fair with Gretz like like he it's a full-time job being Wayne Gretzky like everywhere this guy goes there's so much demanded from him and he had that autograph company and he just had so much stuff going on That I don't know how you could focus the way you need to focus As head coach right and then that understand it on you know on our level Which is way below his just had to been really frustrating But I'll tell you what one of the best human beings you're you will ever meet and that's the coolest thing about Gretz and any

I'll tell you what, one of the best human beings you will ever meet. And that's the coolest thing about Gretz and any star or hero that you meet, right? When they're even better than you imagined, that's what makes it super, super cool. And that's always been Gretz to me. Nasher, when the NHL fires up again, have you put your eyes on a team out west or anywhere, whether it be in person or on the tube that you think like maybe these guys get it done this year Whether it's Florida again or Colorado in the West have you have any thoughts on who could do some damage? Well, I always got thoughts. I always get me in trouble. I get a big mouth too. So I think just you know When you look at Winnipeg, I mean anyone who has the best goalie on the planet aren't they always dangerous

I mean and then that last you to and they didn't they didn't get by the fair i don't know i know what they're all under a moment and now there's a there's something special going on i think i think we all feel it all year uh... evans and uh... i think it was a really good opportunity i feel like you know lose uh... you know lose bad right Which they obviously did last year. It's gotta hurt, it's gotta sting in order to win.

I think that's how it has to play out. And then Florida, I don't know, they just have it, right? They're a scary team. Once you know and learn how to win and once you have success, I think it just becomes that much easier for guys like Kachak and Bardorf who is just an un… I had no clue that guy was as good as he was.

I mean, I just didn't watch Florida play at all, but man was he an absolute beast. Nash, you bring up Winnipeg and they've been so good, such a great story. It's still Conor Halibut that plays so much in comparison to the other goaltenders around the league. Maybe there's a thought that at some point they try and scale things back because once he gets to the playoffs, it's like the guy that was in the regular season, he doesn't necessarily steal one for you. He hasn't in a long time, right? Is that any kind of concern with the Jets to peel

back the workload for Hellebuck a little bit so when it comes April, it's like this guy is ready and he's fresh and he can steal one for you? Well, let me, I mean this is interesting because you got noodles on the show and I'm sure you guys talk about this a lot but I, it is my number one pet peeve and frustration with coaches and goalie coaches. I'm like can you imagine telling Patrick Wall and Martin Boudreau and Dominic Kasich and Curtis Joseph who I played with. Oh, you know, you had a shout out tonight You're not playing tomorrow because you're gonna be tired. I would be like I can't even imagine what those guys would do I mean being a go-tenner. I gotta think if there's so much momentum and rhythm involved as well

Just like a player like imagine Oh dog. You have a three point night and they're like, oh we're gonna, you know monitor your workload We're gonna sit you outside. You'd be like Hell you are This is when I get my cookies, right? I mean goalies are no different like I don't get it I don't know how they can't play two two three four five games in a row I think you want to get into that rhythm Obviously, you don't want to be exhausted by the time playoffs comes so you got a man It's maybe your practice time rather than your

game time. I mean I just I don't get it these boys are a different breed we know we know that you guys know that all too well with noodles there but I don't know what they're gonna I don't know what they're gonna do to be honest but it drives me crazy. I agree I mean it, it is a different position, but we all, and we talk about it on our show all the time, is that there's gut feeling and then there's the analytics. And to me, sometimes you've got to throw it out the window and just go, you've got to go with your gut or you've got to go with the player and what the player wants too. And a lot of times there are players that are gamers that just say, I need to play,

I need to be in there. I need to be a difference maker. And then you get into sports science and they're saying, okay, you know, you're only going to be at 90% tomorrow because of your sleep patterns and everything like that. Like that stuff is frustrating. I get over a season. But if you're in a short tournament or if you're in a groove, to me, you want to be chomping right at the bit.

So now should we got two, I want to get two things or one question and then one comment on the way out. But we talked about it, I mean, on our show. It's weird. You've never been on the show. He told me that over the weekend. Oh, have we not had this guy on our show ever? I swear it, Nassar has been on our show. Yes, yes, several times.

See? There you go, Nassar. Long time ago maybe. No, it's been a while. Dude, stop drinking the vodka. We've had you on at least three or four times. How much booze did you drink on the weekend? Hey, hey, oh, I know you lost a lot of weight, but you keep telling lies like that. Your nose is going to look like mine too, so be careful.

You know, there's not enough lies in the world to grow my nose as big as yours, and I know I'm telling the truth. I have a nose full of nickels for a contract. You made $2 million a year. We talk about it all the time. Take us through the call. Take us through the Marion Hossa situation. We talked about it, wasn't it, oh, like, was it last week we were talking about it? Yeah, we were talking about it last week.

Yeah. Like, how much did people in Chicago hate you after you made that call? And honestly, I mean, so you guys got to let me off the hook a little bit. This is when the rules, like, really kind of changed, like, almost overnight I play a certain way I mean I lived for those hits especially in the playoffs right I mean we're frosting at the mouth to run over the Chicago Blackhawks best player with an open-ice hit because he's got his head up his butt and he's looking down at the puck you deserve to get crushed I mean Jonas has got to be some on on host on this play but

Again, it's Rafi Torres, right? So I should have took notice I'd been But I still stand behind my call that it wasn't a dirty. I mean a dirty dirty hit I don't think he jumped. I think maybe if there's anything he's a little bit late, but I basically said oh my god That's one of the best one of the cleanest hits I've ever. And then all of a sudden the host that doesn't get up and he's literally not breathing. And then all of a sudden there's like a fog, he's masked fogs up and now he's breathing again and they're carrying him off in a stretcher. And I'm like, Oh my God, I guess I should have pulled back on that comment a little bit. So needless to say, I had Chicago fans calling the Ritz-Carlton and I had about 25 messages on my phone. The red light was like crazy.

And the messages, you guys, I had like Twitter stuff going crazy. Like, I hope you get cancer and die. I hope like, you know, I'm going to find you on Michigan Avenue and run you over you piece of garbage like their budget bannister so i'd totally respect that but i was a little aggressive on on both sides my side and obviously the fans yeah actually when i when you watch the hit nashir it seemed like you made the right call like it back in our day it looked like the right body check

we got a flight powerly appreciate you taking time after a weekend with noodles for doing this buddy we'll do it again soon all right boys yeah great job first time hosting well done oh dog yeah it's not that hard to say hi and bye to people man it's really not thanks Dacher we'll talk again all right guys take care boys that guy's a beauty man you can just tell by his voice that he would be a great teammate great storyteller great drinking buddy