OverDrive - Staal on his best-on-best experience, his medal victory and the experience with Canada

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

Stanley Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Staal joined OverDrive to discuss his international best-on-best experiences, winning a gold medal in the Olympics, the experience playing alongside Sidney Crosby, the brand of USA Hockey and more.

Welcome back to Kids Played, where we break down school stuff, kid style, so everyone gets it. Today's topic, class sizes. Let's go to a call. Emily, what's on your mind? Hi, I love learning, but I need more one-on-one time with my teachers. My classes are just so overcrowded. Oh, I know that feeling, Emily. It's like being lost in the crowd. What we need are smaller class sizes. Want to help support students? Visit nomore.ca. That's K-N-O-W-M-O-R-E.ca.

A message from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. Were you tuned in last night to see your old line mate, Sid, do his thing in Montreal? So I tuned in for the opening power play goal. Actually, my middle son, he's 13, and they had a game at 7.30. So I left a little gathering I was at right before their game started. And so I watched actually just the first power play goal and then I immediately left and got to his game in time. And then I watched the third period when I got home.

So I watched what I needed to see right off the bat. I figured PP1 would be pretty good and it looked pretty solid in the first 12 seconds, scored a goal. So it was fun to see and just great to see that kind of best on best hockey again. And just the guys that are the top, top players in the league to get to see them play together is fun for fans and fun for me even watching last night So, you know good start but they they you know got a few more left Stolly we've been praising Sid rightfully. So he had three assists last night and he's Informed everybody about how much this tournament meant to him

You got to play on his line in the Olympics like what he like just What is the one thing that you saw that makes it go and kind of separates himself from everyone else? Well, I mean I think it's obviously Extreme high IQ and smart but then to go along with it. It's just his his tenacity his Intensity on the puck, you know, he's actually I found, pretty easy to play with. He's a give and go kind of guy, but he's a guy that is really, really good down low in the gritty, dirty areas and around that net. Obviously puck skills, skate skills, and he's got all the

other tools, but that tight, gritty game, when it's a high competitive environment, he just thrives. And I mean, that was 15 years ago I played on his line, and he's still out there with the best right now in their prime, so super fun, super cool to watch and see, but also not surprised. The guy puts in so much time and effort into his craft, and to be who he's been for the last 20 years and to see it still on display is super impressive

and fun, fun to watch. So credit to him and the time he's put in and the effort that he puts forth every single day to be at his best, but it's fun to watch as a fan for sure. So Eric, coming into these short tournaments, how tough was it for you and other players to develop chemistry right away with your line mates, guys that you certainly know and have played against and respect but to drop the puck and get going and develop that chemistry, how tough is that to do?

Yeah, not easy. Not as easy as you'd think. Obviously, you want as much time as you can, but no short tournaments. You really have to make sure your best game is in the game that you need it to be the best game in. Whether that's the semifinal, quarterfinal, or gold medal, you want to be peaking, obviously,

in those elimination moments. And fortunate, at the Olympics and some of the world championships, those tournaments are a little longer, medal. I mean you want to be peaking obviously in those elimination moments and you know fortunate at the Olympics and some of the world championships those tournaments are a little longer where you can kind of get a little bit of a feel-out process. I think a lot more of the the onus is going to be on the staff. I mean the coaches they you know if it's not working and if you don't feel it you either got to communicate with the guys as far as hey, we need to like change this up what are you thinking or just make those moves and You know make those changes because it is so quick and it is short tournament and there's so many Great players that at the end of the day whoever you're putting out on the ice

It's gonna be a great player and it's there's guys that are gonna play less than than normal No less than they're used to, but they got to obviously perform when they're out there and you got to try and find that balance. But it's not easy to do. It takes a lot of ego aside type guys to commit to just winning the game and winning what you need to have done. And that's kind of another part that's fun to watch when you're watching from the outside is seeing how that develops and whether it comes to

fruition and I think over the years I mean obviously it's been a while since there's been one of these tournaments but that's that's I think the biggest thing that Canada's done so well is having guys that are willing to commit to overall team play and that's what you know what achieved success for sure. Eric Stahl our guest here on overdrive you hear some of the younger players for Team Canada talk about Crosby and watching him in the room and watching his preparation before games and you would already won a Stanley Cup by the time you suited up

for Team Canada back in 2010 so you accomplished the ultimate goal but when you leave a tournament like the Olympics playing with some of the world's best you recall perhaps being able to take anything away from that tournament that you learned from some of your teammates older or even younger I think just I mean everyone prepares differently everybody you know prepares differently away from the rink even I think it was just fun even as a younger guy then just watching how everyone took care of themselves away from the rink, how they approached every day, whether it was in the village or at practice or just at meals.

And then just watching the pace and the intensity in practice. I mean, there's a ton of phenomenal hockey players, but there's little details and parts of everybody's game that they're always trying to get better at, even the best in the world. They're doing extra, they're doing extra shots after, they're doing little drills to get better in a certain area. And when you're at an event like that,

to be able to see other guys do things, you kind of learn to, hey, I see an event like that, to be able to see other guys do things, you kind of learn to, hey, I see this guy doing that, and you're kind of picking up things as you go, and you try to add them to your own repertoire because you're thinking the same thoughts. I think with Sid and with guys that have been through these things, the biggest thing is just the preparation. The biggest thing is just the continual work on their craft. I mean, I think that's the biggest thing,

especially to stay as long as he has and being at the level he's been at is he's continually working to get better, whether it's nutrition, off ice, training, but even just puck stuff on the ice. i'm sure he's one of the guys that spilling around after practice issued next to park now doing all those little things but not overly taxing but all details that matter in the game and

uh... when you go to a bank that it's really fun to see those other guys because they're all this they're all the same kind of that came thought and mentality that you know i'd like to think i had over my career and that's what makes it great. Stoller, you have young kids playing in the States. I would imagine you're living in the States right now. Is that not correct? Yeah, we're in Edina, Minnesota right now. So it's nice and cold. We got the outdoor rink going and all that fun stuff. But yeah, that's where we're at.

So the USA Hockey program, I mean, it's been praised over the last several years as being a factory. What have you noticed about it where they're producing teams and young talent that is second to none? I mean, it's right there with Canada. What have you seen from your view? Yeah, I mean, obviously in Minnesota where I'm at, it's about as close to, I feel like it's being in Canada.

I'm not that far removed from Thunder Bay, Ontario, it's a six hour drive. For me, ending up here, obviously it was later in my career we were here and my kids started school here. They started planting roots and buddies in school and so we kind of ended up staying here but the reasons we did are one because of them and their school and sports but we just enjoyed getting to know people. A lot of similar mindsets as far as approach to you know kids hockey, youth sports and from what I've seen it's just there's just a lot of kids that play. A lot of kids that play, a lot of people that enjoy the game and are passionate about it

and are always trying to get their kids involved. Obviously, you run into, I'm sure it is in many other areas, you run into the people that maybe do a little too much in my opinion as far as youth hockey goes. I like to have some time off. We like to go back to our summer home up in Thunder Bay for most of July and a little bit of August. There are other people that are grinding away all summer, but I think it's important to take that time away, especially for the kids.

If your kid doesn't have a passion or a love or desire for the game, they're not going to make it. I think that's the number one thing that I've noticed here. There's definitely a passion and love for the game. And I think that has continued to grow. And then they've got stars to look up to. There's so many great American players. These kids that are ahead of them, you know, Matthews, obviously Kane are still going.

But they've got these stars that are not just great players. They are absolute stars in the league. And that's fun for these American kids to watch because they can dream to be the same and there's definitely trending in that direction. There's a lot of great players that are moving up the ranks. So is that when the coach sends you an email and says, Mr. Stahl, make sure your son's at tryouts in July and you write back and say, take a lap you pigeon, we're not going and we'll still be on the team. Is that how that transaction goes?

Yeah, it's kind of similar to that. Go find a hole to throw a line in the water and do some fishing. That's kind of where my thoughts at. I got to ask you, I got to ask you as well, Stally. I got to ask you, you know they can play hockey down in Florida, right? Like why didn't you retire down in Florida? Did I not teach you anything or know they can play hockey down in Florida, right? Like why didn't you retire down in Florida? Did I not teach you anything? Or what are we talking about here? You are very correct.

I hate to say, we didn't leave it up to the kids, but I actually said to my wife, I said I'll go wherever. You've been kind of following me over 20 years. I'm like I've been different spots and I'm like if you want to go wherever, I'm like over 20 years. I've been in different spots. If you want to go wherever, I'm good. I'll figure it out. I'll find a couple of buddies, a golf course and sports and I'll be fine. She really loved it in Minnesota when we came here. We ended up with a ton of great friends outside the game. Obviously, to drive back to Thunder Bay, where we're both from, it it's only six hours her mom's still up there my mom

and dad are there in the summer they're actually in Florida in the winter so they do that well but we ended up here and it's just been a great fit for us to raise our kids and you know have that balance so it's been it's been good but I bet you're right they do know how to play hockey in Florida We experienced that as well for a year and it was a blast I don't want to congratulate you stalli by the way on your jersey retirement I don't know. I must have got blocked from the email list, but I wanted to congratulate you. It looked like an awesome night Thanks, buddy, it was it was it was a special special night and a lot of close family and friends that we got to celebrate with but

uh... there was uh... it was kind of uh... surreal kind of all that but i was uh... it was pretty cool for sure thank you for doing this air we appreciate your time tonight i got to be good thank you i'm a serious all who joined us on the maple to yoda hotline count on maple to yoda for the right winter tire package for your toyota good thank you.