Shaun Newman Podcast - #27 - Lukas Biensch & Austin McDonald

Episode Date: July 31, 2019

In studio with me are two small town Sask boys who ended up playing for the Lloydminster Junior ‘A’ Bobcats. We discuss:  - Trade Deadline  - Travel - Midget AAA in small town Saskatchewan  - Playing for your hometown

Welcome to the podcast. So some cool things coming down the pipeline here this week. The Boundary Battle of Alberta that sees the Emmington Islands alumni versus Calgary Flames alumni in September, September 28th to be exact, has been sold out now. And the 10 playing spots have all been filled. So what they've done is they've added a second game. So now they're playing a doubleheader. So they've got a noon game going on now. Tickets are available.

They got released on Tuesday, July 30th. So I believe there's still some tickets left. They're $25 a person. If that interests you, go to LRHF.C.A backslash events, backslash BBOA, as in Border Battle of Alberta. And you can buy them right online there. Or if you're in town, go to Boundary Ford in Lloyd Minster. You can go in person and buy them right from Boundary Ford,

where all this money is going to Project Sunrise. So it's going to a great cause, guys, 100% of the proceeds, which is made possible by Boundary Ford. The second thing that we started last week by announcing who some of the alumni that were coming to town to play in this game, and this week they announced two more. So the Edmonton Oilers alumni continue to beef up.

They added Mark Fistrick. Fistrick. Can't even say. it right, Mark Fistrick, drafted 28th overall in 2004 by Dallas. He, we remember anything about him when he played for Emmington. He was a big, rugged defenseman. I just remember him when he played for Dallas and fight with a Calgary Flames guy where he ripped his helmet off and hit him over the head with his helmet. Look that up. I'm not kidding you. He fights a guy from flames, pulls his helmet off, and swats him across the head. I believe he got fine for that as well.

He played with some, he would have played with some cool guys, though, like Medana would have still been with Dallas while he was there, Brad Richards, I believe James Neal, Jamie Ben, and then the year he played with the Oilers would have been the year Nail Yakupoff suited up for the Oilers for the first year, just to give everybody some reference. And the Calgary Flames along alumni continue to solidify their defense. They're adding Mike Commodore. He was drafted 42nd overall in 1999 by the New Jersey Devils. What's cool about him is he's got a tie on both sides.

So he played for Calgary when they made their run in 2004 and lost to Tampa Bay. He was a part of that run. And then the next year he gets, well, they have the lockout, but he gets dealt to Carolina. And all Oilers fans will remember what happens that. The Oilers go to the finals and lose to the Carolina Hurricanes, which had Mike Commodore on it. So he's got a Stanley Cup ring on his finger.

I'm sure that would be one heck of a guy to sit in a dressing room and talk to. And if you don't follow him on Twitter, I highly suggest that he is quite the colorful guy. So those are the two new guys added to the alumni Oilers v. Flames border or boundary Battle of Alberta. So if you're looking to get tickets, $25 a piece, if you're looking to get in the game, that second game they added 10 new spots, so you can still get in for $1,000 a piece on the game. So, you know, some pretty cool stuff coming there,

adding in some pretty cool guys. It would be fun to sit in the dressing room and BS with, that's for sure. A couple of shoutouts this week go to Darcy Matman. He sent a message and said, just get on your bike every day. Love it. He was talking about last week's episode of biking across Canada in 69 days. Evan Priest also commented on that episode saying another great listen.

Thanks for my weekly road trip audio. So thanks, boys, for comment. And if you want to get a shout out on here, just hit me up on social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, search the Sean Newman podcast. I am all over that. So love hearing from you guys and getting your thoughts. feedback, that kind of thing. This week on the podcast, I got two local guys, Lucas Bench and Austin McDonald,

both of them played for the Lloyd Bobcats here. We talk a lot about their experiences with playing with the Bobcats and then what came after that, where they headed. And obviously, Austin being from the Turtleford country and Lucas being from Marsden. and so I look forward to talking to these boys. I think we had a lot of fun doing it.

So, without further ado. All right, welcome to Sean Newman podcast. I'm joined by Lucas Bench and Austin McDonald. A couple of junior boys who used to play for the Lloyd Mr. Bobcats. Although, that's not where Mr. Lucas won his championship with. As I recall, I was doing color commentating that year, and you got traded out to the Spirish Grove Saints and then went on to win an AJHL championship with me.

those guys. So there was that. Yeah, obviously. To put you right on the spot. Very, very fortunate. We kind of knew heading into the season, like all us 20-year-olds were going to get shipped away. So I was fortunate enough that it wasn't somewhere else. So I kind of got my pick of the litter. They're really good about it, and they traded me to a place I wanted to go to.

And we were fortunate enough to win a championship out there with a couple other Lloyd boys. So it was a good time. I shouldn't have thrown you rate on the spot. It's good to have you boys on the podcast. Glad you came out. Glad you reached out. Yeah, no. Yeah, thanks for you having this on.

That's good. Yeah, absolutely. I'd like to point out that year you got traded, I still attest that the Bobcats, that was the most games have ever watched the Bobcats in a season. I was doing the color commentating, so I might have been a little bit biased, but not much.

And I thought you guys had a real shot at winning that year. And I was really sad. At the time, I understood what they were doing, right? they're hosting the RBC the next year. So you go, yeah, they're trading off because they want to try and win the national tournament. But I always argue, and I don't know what your boys' thoughts are, any chance, anytime you have a chance at winning, it's hard to break up a team that has a shot at winning, no? Yeah, exactly.

That was a tough thing as a year before. You know, we had a pretty good run too in the playoffs and came up short to Fort Mac and kind of felt like we're building something in Lloyd, you know, with the Bobcats. And unfortunately, that was my last year, but I'm looking forward to Luke. because it was 20 year there. I thought, yeah. I thought they're in pretty good. I'm pretty good.

You guys were really freaking good. Yeah. Yeah, like Austin said, like those guys were such good leaders, and we created such a good culture there in Lloyd Minster, and we were such a tight-knit group that we really started to have some success there. And I think, yeah, if we would have been buyers at the trade deadline, I think we would really had a good shot,

you know, added one more D-Man or one more forward. I really would have to put over a topic. We had the goal-tending and the team. It was just kind of... And the talent. And the talent, yeah. We had it all, like, and we were, that was a, like, that was a really close-knit group. And it was just too bad the circumstances of us getting RBC.

Like, it was exciting. It was exciting for the city of Lloyd Minster, but it was kind of sad for us because we were sitting second in the north at the time. And we had just come off a win against Bruce Grove as well. So, I mean, we had the team. We had the town. We believed in each other. It was just kind of a tough circumstance. I hate to throw that right at the start of the moment.

podcast, right? I got them all worked up now. Now he doesn't know what's coming. See a couple tears falling down. Yeah, still a touchy subject, apparently. Well, boys, with hockey guys, I love to go to the start. I got a young kid, and so I'm always curious how everybody got their start, because maybe I can take some of your wisdom and imparted on my fathering. So did you guys start playing hockey right at a young age? Yeah, I probably started skating when I was three or so, and then, yeah, I started actually playing games on 5 I think so it's probably pretty common for a lot of you know a lot of people's small town like this but well you grew up in turtleford correct so did you uh was turtlehurst like

right in the town or on a farm old by turtle fruit um so i grew up yeah up until i guess middle school i was living right in town so it was nice i'm i was a stone throw away from the rink so we'd always be over there myself and my three brothers and be at the rink as much as we could and yeah we loved it and that was a unique a little twist on this. I didn't know until I started. You both sent your questionnaires back. You're both from families of four boys, correct?

Yeah. Yeah. It's pretty exciting, I'd say. Yeah. Pretty chaotic growing up. Yeah. For both of us. How close were your brother is Austin?

Like ages, sorry. Yeah. So Justin's the oldest. He's a year older and myself. I don't know if we can mention Justin's name on this part. Yeah. There's some bad blood there, but... Not really.

But no, yeah. I should point out, there's no. bad blood. He stood on his bloody head in the finals. He played very well. He played very well. Yeah, that's right. And he got the last laugh because in the regular season, we lit his world on fire, but he had only half a team in front of him, right? We all walked out, yeah.

And then in the finals, he went while Bennington, or Bennington on us. Yeah, yeah. No, I heard. Yeah, I was able to see him in those games. But yeah, I guess it's a hard-fought series, so that's all you're going to ask for, right? That's right. But yeah, I guess, like, Justin's the oldest. He's a year older and myself and then Kirsten, he's the youngest, and there's a six-year gap.

Between the four of you. Yeah, between the four of us. Yeah, that's tight. Yeah, it's pumping them out. Yeah, small army. How were you, Lucas? Yeah, we're pretty similar, like, pretty much identical, like I'm the oldest, and then just kind of two years apart from me, my brother, and then another year apart from my brother

and Caleb, and then the youngest is seven years younger than me, Jacob. He's, so he's just graduating this year, so. So seven year difference between all you? Yeah, yeah, seven years, yeah. Seven to six. And did you, you grew up in Marsden, Marsden Country, farming? Yeah, so we grew up, like, directly straight South Lloydminster. We live right on the border.

Marsden's obviously where we get our mail because our households on the Saskatchewan side. Okay, yeah. We live right on the border there. So my grandpa was a big Charley guy, so we were cattle guys growing up. Oh, yeah, cattle guys, yeah. And then we kind of... Your pops is a love. in this rain right now then yeah well we we kind of phased out of it and then now we're starting

to get a little bit back into it again so yeah yeah you betcha so i grew up with three older brothers and older sister and i know for a fact i was the youngest that was complete opposite you guys i know for a fact that helped me though with getting better at sports because i was always playing uh people who were way better i remember going out and playing shining with my brothers and my oldest brother's 10 years older me and he didn't ever he never took it easy on any of us, right? But that's, that's all right. As a young kid, you got to learn to compete with that. Having younger brothers, their brothers all very similar age, I'm assuming you guys played a lot of sports against each other, a lot of competitive sports.

Yeah, no, I get kind of started, yeah, like you said, like just competing against each other and, like, right from road hockey, you know, we'd always go out there, we had two nets, we'd drag onto the road, and we'd play for hours. And I think that's kind of where it started, where you'd get competitive that way, you know, go two-on-two, full-body contact, and And then that, then as soon as we come in or got too dark, we'd come inside and play mini-stick. So it was like, you know, always two-on-two that way. And, yeah, it was a blast, yeah, thinking back at it, it was fun. Was there any fights over the goalie equipment or Justin just always had it?

Yeah, I don't know. I think we switched a bit, but we always had two sets, so it kind of worked good that way. But we'd always switch it up, and especially like mini-sticks, you don't even use equipment. So it's, you know, you're just kind of playing with just the stick. and yeah, I know, it was fun. Those are good times. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, pretty much the exact same at my household.

Like, we had 2V2 and Jacob, Jacob being the youngest one, there was always one that had to go net if we only wanted one goalie. So he was a goalie. And he'd get peppered of shots. I remember him growing up as a little kid. He always wanted to be Mark Andre Fleury. That was his favorite player.

And one year he got yellow goalie pads. and I've never seen a kid more excited in my entire life. But, yeah, I always like to joke around that Jacob's, like, the most competitive and most talented hockey player, I would say. But that's just because we kind of just force it upon him as a young kid. Oh, yeah, like you said, you're always trying to be as good as your older brothers, too, you know. So I think that's kind of saying, yeah, my youngest brother, he's always had to chip on his shoulder, you know, because he's always had to play that much better, you know, or compete that much harder.

he was always the youngest and smallest but now he's the biggest one of all of us four so that's kind of the crazy thing but yeah we used to play mini sticks inside did either any you guys play in the house oh yeah and absolutely torture the walls we we wouldn't play minisick we played big six downstairs too so like our we just like mom just redid the basement now that all of us are moved out because like there are so many poplarks everywhere holes in the wall yeah holes in the wall it was hilarious hilarious until you have kids and you realize that's what's coming for you. Yeah.

And you got to do those repairs. I'm not looking forward to that. Where did you guys play your minor hockey then? Turtleford for you, Austin. And I assume Nielberg then. Yeah. Yeah, it kind of sucked for me just because I was all over the map because we lived right on the border. So I couldn't go to Alberta, which was really actually closer.

Do you know, have they changed that now for your younger brothers or no? No. No, well, no. No, my parents had to get around. it so they weren't going to do what we did for me and drive all over Saskatchewan so they actually like started renting a place in Lloydminster so my brother was able to to live in Lloydminster with my with my mom and then go to school and play hockey and it was kind of a whirlwind to do that but yeah so since you're you guys were Saskatchew

residents you weren't allowed to join the yeah we weren't allowed to join the lloydminster minor hockey sweet to go i played like unity battlefield uh and then obviously Nilberg and then And whence I got to like the higher levels, like major AAA, I went to Swift Current. So I was a bit all over Saskatchewan, which is, which is fine. Which is fine, but when you're, like, you're so close to the border. Well, I'm Hillman, right? I don't, Helmand is just as close as anywhere. And I don't, geez, I don't know how the heck all of us got to Lloyd.

I'm sure there was some inner workings there, maybe some fan dozzling, but I'm not, uh, I'm not exactly sure how we all got to Lloyd. But that's where I played my minor hockey. and I'm a sask resident, so I'm not 100% sure how that goes. I thought maybe they'd change the rules, but maybe they haven't. Flew under the radar, maybe. Well, because, I mean, for Midget, AAA, they got kids coming from as far as Cold Lake, I'm pretty sure. Oh, yeah. Right?

Yeah, the rules might be different now. And when you're 15 minutes from town, but you can't come that way. Yeah, right? I mean, I know everywhere's got to have an area. Everybody gets that, but for kids around this area, it's kind of interesting when you can be so close. but still not be able to play. Yeah, so far, yeah. No, exactly.

So you played, I love, neither of you went in the Bantam draft, right? We were talking about this. Do you remember even having an inkling? Did you play with guys that went in the Bantam draft? Yeah, I guess for myself, it was kind of tough for me because I, like, I didn't start playing, I guess I played, I played my minor hockey in Turtelford up until, that would have been Bantam first year. It was the first year I kind of went off and I went and played in Balthford.

So that's kind of the first year I could have, you know, kind of got on the radar. But unfortunately, because I was like I was pretty small when I was at age. Yeah. How big are you, Austin? How tall? No? Yeah. Five nine.

Yeah. But yeah. Still got me beat by a couple of years ago. No, I was a pretty, like, small, scrony kid. And, you know, I had, like, decent skill, but just the size was kind of the big thing that for me then. And come to my second year band. And so my draft year, I broke my collarbone, too. so I don't like that help me too much

but yeah it was kind of cool because like that I guess for that team like I was playing with Colby Cave for example he was probably one of our top guys as a first year that year and kind of cool to see where he's gone since then you know and it's just too bad that

yeah that I couldn't go in the draft because it was a goal of mine for sure as every kid is you know that age but no I guess yeah from from there I kind of progressed year by year from then and kind of got better. So I was pretty happy about that. Yeah, I was just going to mention I played with Colby as well

and Pee-WA in Battleford. And yeah, it was pretty cool to see how he's playing for my favorite team in the NHL now. So that's kind of cool that way. But yeah. If you look at Colby Cave's career too, he pretty much, like, was he drafted? Yeah. Was he? Yeah.

Or in the NHL job? Yeah. No, no, I don't think he was. I think he was undrafted, and then he plays out his last year of dub. Yeah, and then from there he goes to the A and goes up and down for like, it's quite a few years, isn't it? Four or five years? Yeah, three or four, probably, yeah, like, I guess, yeah, like, we follow each other in social media,

so you kind of see from there and stuff. But it just looked like every kind of step he went was, he just was a really consistent player. Yeah. And then he goes to Providence, and then I know what last, or I know in last year he was, he was a assistant captain i think so kind of goes to show i guess his character as a young guy you know in the in the hl so yeah it's pretty uh it's pretty awesome for him to get that opportunity yeah absolutely um so where do you guys play your mid you both play midget triplea correct yeah but not on the alberta side you both go sass side obviously yeah you betcha so we're

talking about the software austin goes to the beardies yeah which is in Duck Lake, Saskatchew. Yeah, you got you. Once again, I, Hillamon, but when I was trying out for Major AAA, Bannam AAA, I think I was Bannam. We went to, like, Fort Saskatchewan and Strathcona. I always went the opposite way than you guys.

So what, was it letters, or was it just, maybe it's just no one. Maybe I'll get there with kids when they get older, but like was Beardies or PA or you talk about Swift, current Luke like why beardies um for me it was it was kind of a i guess interesting row because like i i started out we got uh my brother and i older brother we got invites to the um p a minto's camp so um so i guess we went to their spring camp they're interested got invited to the fall camp so we went there both went there and we competed made it for round made it past

the first couple rounds of cuts and then um So, yeah, like, we're like, okay, like we're going to make it. That'd be pretty cool. Living PA together, you know, playing AAA together. And then we basically made it to the last round of cuts, and then we didn't end up making it. And so this was, you know, well into September at the time. And so we enrolled in school and PA at the time. So we were there for two, three weeks and kind of got all settled in.

And then found out that it wasn't going to work out. So we were kind of like, oh, crap. And so we had to pack her bags. And, yeah, especially with school. You know, you don't want to be down and out for too long. You're missing too much school. And so then luckily, we talked to the Beardy's coach. And then I think we went to a camp, or it was actually from Justin the year before,

he went to their camp and had a really good camp. So he knew of Justin and heard of myself. And so he gave us a tryout with Beardies. So we go there and then so we kind of had to switch gears pretty quick. And luckily my auntie and uncle, they live in Delmany, which is just outside of Saskatoon. I've been to a wedding in Delmey as random as that. Yeah, no way.

So luckily, like, they live there and then sort of like, hey, like, if this Beardy's things work, works out, then we'll live with them, build with my auntine uncle and be nice and familiar with them. And, yeah, so we end up going through a couple more weeks of camp with Beardies and then made the team. So you make the team. Now you're going to live in Delmany. Yeah.

So where did you go to school? In Delmany. You went to school in Delmy And then how far away is Duck Lake from Delmy? So it's about a 40 minute drive, 44 minutes? It's closer and I thought. Yeah, you can take some back roads kind of and make it there

And then kind of go through Ross Stern And up through that way Yeah, the other guys from out of town Did they live in Duck Lake then? No, actually, like it was It was kind of cool playing with Beardis Because like half the team was from PA And half from Saskatoon area

Okay, so everybody drove? Yeah, yeah So then how the heck does Duck Lake get a AAA midget team. I don't know. That's a good question. They've had one for years. And they've,

yeah, they've sued some good teams too, which is impressive. And just the community support they get is unbelievable, you know, and the support from the band. And yeah, and it was a really cool place to play.

And it was funny, too, because our dressing was actually just, like an RTM trailer attached to the side of the ring. And then so they built like a little walkway, like from the rink to the trailer. And then our dressing room in showers and the coach's office was in a in a trailer so was it was it was the rake nice it was all right like for uh midget triple a like in saskatchez you know it was kind of

middle of the fact but uh except for the one time when we were playing against them and they the link lights went out and like one guy broke his collarbone it was like laid on the ground and like no one knew what happened because the lights were out for like 10 minutes yeah like we i really enjoyed my experience there and yeah i was just interesting and Like the fans are awesome They're loud And just to support We have there

Is yeah Coaching staff Is that awesome How many fans do you get to a game How many fans could that rink seat I don't even know what the Duck Lake rink looks like Yeah They're just like seating on one side

Kind of like a small town of Saskatchewan Well probably They could probably Yeah Or 800 A thousand people maybe And we probably had like Five 800

Would you pack that rink in the playoffs? Yeah No yeah It was fun yeah Yeah And it was a good time. It was especially a good way to play AAA hockey. And that was my first taste and got all I had for AAA.

So that's all I really know. But that was awesome. Cool. How about you, Lucas? You left home and went to Swift Current. Yeah. Yeah. So my reason for going there, like Austin, like I tried it a couple different places,

went to a couple different camps and wasn't fortunate to make one like earlier on. But later on, like Swift Current showed a lot of interest. And at the time, like one of my best friends, Cody McKinnon, he's just from, he lives like 20 minutes from me. He's from Macklin, Saskatchewan. And he had made the team the year before. So he kind of like was putting in a good word for me. And then, yeah, I just got fortunate enough to make the team and play with him out there. And it was actually like one of the best years ever.

Like Swift Current, obviously is a big hockey town. And you saw the success they had with the WHL program. But they treat the AAA program. like a WHL, like we have a beautiful dressing room in the rink and... Yeah, we're playing in the Dubbrant too, so it's just big for the AAA team, right? Yeah, no, exactly. So, and then, like, going to high school is probably the biggest adjustment from, like, small town, like big, kind of like a big high school, so that was a bit of adjustment.

But, yeah, the community of Swift Current was phenomenal down there, and we all got to bill it, and it was, like, the first taste of living away from home, and it was a really fun experience. Well, I wouldn't mind talking about that long, but you were both pretty young. In a sense, well, not in a sense. Like, you were young moving away from home. You're still in high school. Was there an adjustment period? Like, you live with your aunt knuckles,

so I assume that was relatively smooth, right? Yeah, no, it made it a lot easier for sure. And especially being in Delmany, too, is that it was like, it's only a population of like a thousand people. Yeah, relatively small. Yeah, like Trilford's pretty small to begin with. But going there, it wasn't much of an adjustment for high school. You know, it was, yeah, it wasn't crazy.

But you're still going there Not knowing anyone though, right? And for sure. Yeah, and actually like the cool thing was that like So that was my one set of Auntie Eauklin But we had cousins that actually lived in Dalmany as well. So like Presley was my cousin. She's a year younger than me.

Yeah. So like she went to Dalmany high school. So I kind of made it easier. And then she had a couple friends that I knew. And like so like it was yeah, it was kind of like a perfect situation. And then which worked out even better too is one of my teammates.

He just made Beardies that year. His first year was a Jamin Yakubowski. And then so he lived in Dalmatie as well or just outside. So then as soon as we made the team, then we started to arrange a carpool with him to go to practice every day and go to games and stuff since he was, well, he had been 14 or 15 at the time. And then I was his second year midget,

so I didn't have my license yet either. So then Justin was the only one with his license. So he would drive us to the practices and games. And, yeah, so that made it a, I guess it made it nice. in that way. So you were living then with your brother? Yeah, both of us at my auntie knuckles I must have missed that. So you had the two of you. Yeah. Oh man, that'd be killer. Yeah, so I can't really complain about, you know, moving away. That's pretty fortunate to move away with a brother and another guy, you know, and then to essentially carpool at every...

Yeah. How many times do you guys skate in a day? A day, a week. Like, was it every day? Yeah, we had a practice every day. Yeah, every day. We skated, yeah. And had the dryland caught up to, was it as intensive as it is now for kids? For us it wasn't too bad. Like they definitely, we definitely had to be in shape and we skated on the ice-hardened beardies, but like with the situation that we're in

with like, you know, players living in PA and Saskatoon, it was a little tougher to schedule that stuff, like the dry line and stuff. So like anytime we would have it, it would kind of be like, you know, after a practice or they'd mix in with that. Like we'd bulk them in together.

Yeah. But it wasn't crazy dry line. but it was kind of enough that, you know, you needed to stay in shape. Oh, with Swift? Yeah, Swift, we were all, like, either from around there or living or billet in Swift. And, like, obviously it was easy for me having one of my best friends that was playing on the team, so that made the adjustment period.

But my billet family was really awesome, too. Like, they had two younger boys, so being the oldest and my family, I kind of knew how to, like, deal with two younger boys. So it was just kind of like having two. brothers again so that was nice that way but yeah swift we had like uh like awesome say we had like the w hl ring so we had a really nice facility to work out in and stuff like that so it was uh it was pretty easy for us but we were like we didn't go too too hard like we were skating every single day and we had full-time classes so you'd go to class in the morning go to the rink and

then go back to class so it's kind of a busy schedule that way either of you guys get homesick no not really well you're a tough case yeah yeah yeah yeah he was bad he was easy a couple hours from homes he's i don't think he's like this might be his first time ever not living with his brother next year because you guys have played university together yeah no yeah but uh no i never got home sick my mom and dad were uh my mom and dad are great parents and they they'll drive all over the country just to come see you so it's not like i wasn't going months and months without seeing them they would always make the road trip down and they'd carpool with the McKinnon family as well

so I got to see them like once every two weeks or if not more if not less but like yeah I never got to much one though yeah yeah almost too much well I tell this story people who listen this podcast

probably get annoyed by this story but what the heck I'll tell it another time nobody can top how much my mother drove when I played in Dryden my mother drove so much my first year what are you playing Junior A like 50 some games right now they're playing like 60 games and she missed out of a 50 game schedule she missed like seven games oh my god yeah right and dryden is on the edge of that league meaning yeah all the games are

further in you're flying to thunder bay she's driving to thunder bay right like yeah she didn't miss many games that's awesome i tell the story she flew into thunder bay and you guys are looking at me i'm not a big guy and i'm not a big fighter but she flew into thunder bay to catch two games against, I don't know, the Bulldogs or the North Stars or somebody. And in the first five minutes of the first game I fought, I got booted. And the first eight to ten minutes of the second game I fought and got booted. We had one fight early, so you can only fight once in your tossed. And so out the door I went, and she flew down to see me play like, I don't know, like five shifts maybe, right?

Like, I mean. You might just want to spend some time with her in the stands or something. I guess so. I get a better visit him. But parents are the best. Mums are the best. Mums do so many cool things for us, right? Just listen to you guys, how much you drive, like, to all your minor hockey,

whether it was unity. I mean, North Battleford isn't, but from Turtleford, it's far enough. It's an hour, yeah. It's a decent hike, though. Hour one way, man, that's, that adds up in a hurry. Yeah, well, yeah, it was crazy, too, that, like, you brought up, I have three brothers. And since, yeah, like, we're so close together. But, like, the one year in minor hockey, there was all four of us in hockey,

on four different teams in Turtleford. So it was insane where we had my mom going, my dad in a different vehicle. I'm pretty sure my grandparents were helping us out too. So it was just crazy. Like, yeah, like the support they had when we're younger up until now, it's just unbelievable. Like, you can't think them enough.

It's hard to imagine doing that. Yeah. Right? I come from a family of five, for five kids. And my sister was the only one who didn't play hockey, but she skated competitively, meaning she was traveling just as much as the hockey.

So I always joke like, I couldn't have played anything but hockey because my entire life was on rink burgers and watching my older brothers play. I remember playing novice and hitting a kick because I wanted to hit because that's all I got to watch the bigger kids do and we weren't allowed to do that for how many years, right?

Now it's crazy. Like hitting is slowly leaving minor hockey. Yeah, I don't know about that. Hopefully that doesn't continue. in that direction but uh what do you boys think about it i yeah i don't agree with it at all it's just uh i agree like you can't start him too young but like what did we at was it was it was it novice or was it no no so it was pee we when we for me i got to play uh peewee was all hitting but adam you got to rub out like they let you just to get a feel for it but my first time ever getting hit was

I got called up to Pee Wee House from Tier 1 Adam or whatever. I got called up to go play a game and I was like, absolutely. And I got my bell rung so hard. And I was like, okay, don't do that again. Like that hurt. Yeah. But I don't know. You get 100 different people on this podcast and most of the old guys don't want to see it go.

But there are some guys that say it's going to be better for the game. It's going to keep more kids in the game. Yeah. And, yeah, there's obviously the best of both worlds. It's like you're going to, no matter what, like no matter what there's going to be hitting in hockey and no matter what there's going to be concussions, like that's just a part of the game

and you're going to have to deal with it. What if the outlawed hitting in the hockey? No more hitting. It's pawned hockey. I don't know. It's just part of the game, you know. It always has been, and that's what I think makes it so fun, you know.

I bet you if you would ask 25 years ago, 20, 25 years ago about fighting, they would have said, ah, hockey, fighting is just part of the game. Never going to take it out. And now, like, dang, man, we're close to getting fighting completely out of the hockey.

I mean, I don't think it'll ever fully leave. Yeah. But at the same token, like, I mean, if you go back 10 years to now, it's pretty crazy how little fighting there is in the NHL. Yeah, that is true. I think it's just a testament to the speed and the pace of the game. But, like, even with the pace and the speed, like, when you get to the D zone, a D zone battle,

like you're going to have to rub guys out, you're going to have to make a check. And, like, that's just such momentum swing. If you can get a big hit in, like, look at Tori Coogan, the playoffs this year when you flew across nice put out of his helmet. And that was awesome. Yeah. That was awesome. And, uh, I mean, like, yeah, exactly.

Like, those are memories you're going to always remember as a fan. So it's big momentum change, too, you know? Like, make a big hit and, like, clean hit, just like that one where it's, like, get the boys fired up on the bench. And, yeah, especially in playoffs, like, maybe that's the momentum swing you need, you know? And, like, going back. act like minor hockey i think it's just like i don't think yeah they can really get rid of hit or sorry like at such a young age i guess get rid of it because like i think it's important to to learn how to

keep your head up you know and and learn how to take those hits while playing because like if you don't learn that when you're younger and then you get into like let's say like you get into bantam if they don't have hitting till bansansans kids are so big yeah kids are getting so much bigger now that like if they do a hit on you and you're not ready or you don't know how to take it then it could hurt you even more you know. Hey, you're preaching the choir. I agree. I don't think you can get rid of hitting. I had Murray McDonnell on. He's a guy who helped build the Lashburn Rugby program. Yeah, I played for Lashburn Rugby. It was unbelievable. Did you? Yeah. Was Murray coaching or just the program? No, he had just started the program at the time. It was Craig Hall that was kind of heading the program. And

it was like, yeah, one of the best experiences in my life. Like, we were able to go over to Scotland, Ireland for 10 days and playing a rugby tour over there. And that's still like to this day, like one of my one of my top trips I've ever been on my life. And yeah, it was just really awesome to play a new sport and it's getting an appreciation for a new sport like that. So it was awesome. Yeah. They talk about rugby. I keep bumping. Ever since I had them on, I bump into rugby guys all the time now. And I can safely say, of course I know what rugby was, but I didn't really give it much thought. but what they all say is they teach how to hit in rugby properly and how to take a hit properly in rugby.

And what he was saying is that's what they need to do in hockey. He doesn't understand why they don't do that in hockey. Like create a safe place to do it and then teach hitting. Yeah. Simple. I think we probably both grew up like doing like hitting hockey caps or whatever. And they go to the gauntlet. Oh, the gauntlet.

Everybody is funny. That is the one name that has never changed on a drill. Yeah, and everyone went through it, but like you learned how to take a kit. You're going to how to keep your head up. Yeah, and hit with your shoulder, right? Yeah, I agree with you shower. It's like if you learn the fundamentals and like how to take a hit and how to receive one, it's there shouldn't be much of an injury, you know?

Yeah, I guess like things, however stuff happens to where, you know, someone falls over. You fall weird into the words and that's going to happen. That's a high speed sport. You know, I mean. You think of any high-speed sport, there's chance for injury. I mean, you play basketball and you stop and go the other way. You can blow a knee just as quick as anything else. But I mean, in hockey, like, you get going that fast and throw a little bit of contact in.

Everybody, all the old boys always point to our equipment now, how it's so hard. And it doesn't take much of a little clip. And, I mean, you can really injure a guy that way. Yeah. Skip Craig, who was on here probably a month and a half. said they should one of the biggest downfalls of hockey was introducing the helmet gives a false sense of security and so he said from a young age and now instead of when you hit a guy and he falls in head first instead of him being hurt and you understanding that you can't do that he pops back

up skates away and you go oh it's not that big of a deal and that i don't know if guys you know as we get older we know we're not supposed to hit from behind but i mean it still does happen yeah yeah exactly we're becoming that situation where you know sometimes maybe you're you're going too fast and you can't stop and it doesn't happen very often but like yeah it could happen but here's a here's an interesting fun little question for you boys if you could go back to your younger self and hockey wasn't an option what sport would you want to know what what sport would have you played uh probably for me i'd say baseball um i guess like that like i've played baseball my life that's always been my my second favorite you know or my my summer sport and it was

nice for yeah I'd play hockey in the winter and then just take a break from it and play baseball and we always had some pretty good teams back in Turtleford with minor ball and I loved it and yeah do you play on the the Turtle floor ball diamonds or out at Mervin? Mervin now

our midget team and then the senior team is Mervin play on the diamond out there I drive by it all the time oh yeah oh we did a lot of work to it actually I saw that yeah I saw that we did the green monster out there and put some signs up But yeah, this year we were having a tough year

But no, I've always had a passion for baseball And yeah, I just imagine making it pro in that Would be unreown Yeah, so that'd be my choice What position do you play? I play shortstop and third base And I used to pitch as well Yeah, I know

All trades Yeah How are you, Lucas? That's a tough one Like growing up I played every single sport You possibly think of like I just, I loved all sports Pingpon Oh yeah, ping pong

I'm a kid. I challenge some of the ping pong match. But even like that's how I first. That's what I need to get in the studio as a ping pong. Yeah. Stable and good. There we go. But yeah, like that's even how I got introduced to Austin here.

We in like middle school, we are both cross-country runners. So I was always looking up to Austin because he was a year older than me. And he was like the speed demon. And my mom's like, Luke, just he's got to try to keep up to Austin. The one race I tried to do it. And I think I almost threw up halfway through. So that's not possible, but maybe in another time. But no, I think probably rugby or baseball as well.

Like my dad was a really big baseball guy, and he has a lot of good stories and good memories from back in the day when he used to play fast pitch and baseball and all that. So, yeah, probably those two sports. Why did you only play? Did you only play one year rugby, or did you play several years? I only played for, I played for like a year and a half. I joined late the one new time, but yeah, it was kind of just tough because I was starting to start playing competitive hockey and like rugby.

Rugby there's no equipment right, so there's, you're pretty susceptible to injury and it was a tough, tough choice. Like that was me with all sports. Like I loved playing all sports, but at one point you just kind of got to dial it back and kind of focus on one sport. And obviously hockey was my number one passion. So I wanted to really take that serious and do what it takes to make it to the next level. That's what happens to everybody, right? At some age, usually, I would say right around Bantam, you either decide you're going to go full-fledged into hockey

or you're going to try something else, right? And when you go full-fledged into hockey, you get time for nothing. I always wanted to play for the comp, the barons, the football team. Oh, yeah. I just had, like, I don't know. Look at me. I don't know what the heck I would have been in football. Probably it was a good thing.

I probably would have been the water boy for that. But for some reason it was like really interesting me to try and play football But like it went square into the hockey season Yeah There's just no opportunity to play that Yeah What do you guys think about Brought it up with a lot of guys on here

Single sport athletes versus dual sport A big thing now Especially that ice stays in year round and that kind of thing Is you can play hockey all year round You can train for hockey all your round. You can train for hockey all your round. round. You got all these different programs now that are designed to keep athletes

continually moving to the top levels. For me that was never ever I mean we could have played spring hockey in either Saskatoon or Emmington but even that didn't take you all summer right? There was just never an opportunity to skate let alone do all the dry land and everything else so we always

played I played fastball grew up playing windmill and we were very very talented we went on and won Western several times my oldest brother was won National or my oldest brother won nationals. So that was always, I always enjoyed the break from hockey. But how about you guys? Lucas?

Yeah, no, exactly. I agree with you on that. Like, I did, I end up playing spring and spring hockey and for about three seasons in a row there. And by the end of that third season, like I didn't even know if I wanted to go back and play hockey. Like it was just such a toll. Like we were driving to Eminton, three, four days a week.

And it was just coming tacked. And hockey wasn't becoming fun anymore. And I think that's where you're seeing a lot of decline in a lot of kids. Just because they're getting pushed, they have to work out for hockey. They have to play hockey. They have to go play ball hockey. They have to play in line or whatever it is. And it's like, yeah, and all the parents are pushing that because that's what everyone else is doing to try and get their kid to the next level.

But I firmly believe that I think like summers, yeah, you should be working out and building muscle and growing that way. but you should also take your time and play other sports. I mean, Wayne Greskes said that being a multi-sport athlete is one of the best things to do. So you can't listen to him. They argue now that the argument that goes against that is that when a kid plays all through the summer and your kid just starts up, August, that you're seven-st-staffir. steps behind them. And if you're seven steps behind them, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know how the story goes, right? And I hear what you're saying, Luke, because I don't know, like, there was times

by the, we all played a lot of hockey. You're still playing a lot of hockey. There's times where in junior specifically, it's game like 42 and you're like, man, are we at playoffs yet? Like, I can't have met, like, you know, don't give me wrong. Like, we always joke about the NHL and, man, it would have been fun to play it. And it would have been. I'm not going to knock the NHLers. But can you imagine. Imagine every year the grind it be to play 82 games and to stay healthy and stay in tip-top shape and then on top of it produce. And if you're not producing to just get the harassment they do and everything else, no wonder half the guys want to go to Florida and go under the radar.

Yeah. Right? Like that would be tough. Yeah. No, yeah. Like, I think that's the most impressive thing about NHL. Like the pro athletes is like that consistency, you know, like being able to play your best for 82 games or that amount of games and to be healthy that whole time. That is impressive.

But like going to, I guess, your question there, it's like I think I firmly believe that you should try all sports. It try as many sports as you can, you know, because I think it's how you develop more skills too. Like hockey especially, like it demands a lot of different skill sets, you know. And I think that's what helped me kind of develop in hockey is that like I played a bunch of sports. Like like Lucas said too, like in high school I played, you know, like badminton. Like as much as I can. Love badminton. Yeah, like volleyball, like cross-country running and track, which helped, you know, with the stamina and all that too.

And then just to kind of get away for it, too, I think it's good to give your head a break, you know, and because, like you said, like, they're demanding seasons, and, yeah, I could kind of take a toll on you, and it's good to kind of switch things up, and that's why, like, I enjoyed baseball so much, because it's, like, it's, like, very opposite of hockey, you know. Man, it's a change of pace. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So I really enjoy that, and I'm glad I did it that way. Yeah, I'm a firm believer that, like, a kid. A kid is not going to develop and it's not going to get seven steps ahead of any other kid at such a young age. I agree maybe once you're 16, 17, 18 and you're starting to get bigger and growing stronger, then yeah, like, it's a right to specialize a bit more in hockey and focus your summers on working out and doing skill sessions and stuff like that. Like, that's where I think you'll really see the growth. But as like a 12, 10, like whenever those young kids, like those kids need to be doing other things. like the passion is just not going to be there.

And I think you kind of see that, like you see a lot of high-end skill. Kids in Canada just kind of fade away, like, later on in their careers just because they've just had too much of it, you know, the passion's gone. And if you don't have the passion, like you said, to play 82 hockey games, like you got to love the sport, right? You got to still have that passion and stuff. So I'm just worried that the youth doesn't have that when they're just focusing on, like, one sport. Plus, when will they ever get to enjoy it?

a sport like badminton going to like maidstone for mega mega birdie or mega birdie man those are yeah yeah on a side note madestone puts on the ring puts on some just fantastic events oh yeah we played volleyball mega baller ballie ballie ball yeah believe it or not this guy sat on the bench for mega volleyball and I realized that was never going to be a volleyball star uh did you ever hit to play in the the floor hockey tournaments they used to do in maitstone yeah no i never did either no i don't think even i didn't were they even going at our age no i think they must have faded out yeah i don't i don't blast at the rink there yeah yeah yeah i was uh what was it i used to like felt like draft day like i was getting drafted in the show but we used to have tryouts and helmon and it was four grades

must have been three four five and six because we split two teams there was a young team or there was an a and a b squad oh yeah no four five six and we created an a and b and squad. I remember that and we went there and won it as, well, look at me, I'm toot my horn as we wanted in the home one, but that was like, I don't know, mega floor hockey or whatever the heck they call it. It was unreal. I wish they still had that.

So much hockey going on. But Mega Birdie was fun too. Yeah. Like Maidstone. Oh, they got it going on, yeah. And it's the biggest, like, social aspect of it too, you know? Yeah, you've seen every town. Yeah, you know, the best, yeah.

Check out the new, the new girls. Yeah. See what's going on? Those are awesome. So you guys play your midget triple-A's. Then you go on to junior. Now, kinder's leave for you, Austin.

And you go to Wainwright, don't you? Yeah. So, like, Austin's first year in Lloyd Minster, they had a coach by the name of Ryan Parent. I don't know if he's loved much around Lloyd Minster, but obviously I wasn't lost. on. Obviously, I wasn't a big fan of him.

Like, Kyle Tap was the assistant coach at the time, and he really believed in me and had faith in me, but unfortunately, Ryan Parent had other plans for me at the time. So I made it, played all exhibition games, and then right for the season, I kind of got the, kind of got the axe. And that was when they had the import rule, too, which is kind of weird. So, like, he was bringing in BC guys, and because I was a Saskatchewan resident, that's why I wasn't allowed to play in Lloyd. So, yeah, I ended up...

Were you considered an import then for the Blazers? Yeah. Yeah. Which was really tough because that's my hometown. I grew up playing for them. Did that rule change for you after? Yeah, it changed right away, right out. I think it was the year after my 20-year-old year that they changed that rule.

No. That it was not they didn't have the import rule anymore. But as soon as you turn 18, you can go anywhere you want. I think they changed it too, which would have been nice. But yeah. They used to have the import rule for me. in Dryden, but I mean, if I lived in Canora, I wouldn't think they playing in Dryden would be an import. I think the way they did in the essay was provinces.

If you were from Ontario, you weren't considered an import, but if you weren't from Ontario, but Lloyd has a real, well, they're border cities. Yeah, exactly. How do you have, it's going to be an asterisk by it? Yeah, you'd think you'd be able to write a letter and say, I live right here. Well, that's right. This is the border city. But, I mean, at the end of the day, like, that turned out to be kind of a blessing in disguise.

Like, I was talking with Austin earlier about this. And I was like, that was, like, musical chairs going on in that dressing room that year. Like, he kind of, it was his first gig as a head coach, and I think he kind of was struggling and maybe put in a panic mode on a bit. And he had, like, because I practiced with him every single day, but I'd play all my games with Wayne Wright. So I was practicing with the Bobcats. And it was just musical chairs going on with new guys coming into the room every single day for practice. And so then you played with the with the byzons and then were affiliated by the bobcats? Yeah, you betcha.

So were you billeting in Lloyd? Or were you living at home? Living in home? No, I was living with a family friend of mine in Lloyd. I wasn't building. I was just living with a family friend. And then, yeah, I was driving to Wainwright and playing games with out there. And that actually really helped me with my confidence.

Like I was able to be like that top top six guy up there and playing lots of minutes and getting a lot of points and getting my confidence back that way. Yeah. And then obviously after Ryan Parent got, got canned at Christmas time there, tap took over his intern head coach. And we kind of like sat down and had discussion and we just kind of talked about it. And he was just like,

like I would call you up for the rest of the season, but like we're not making playoffs. Like stay down in Wayne. We were hosting, I think Western's at that time. So I was going to be able to play hockey until like May. So he's just like, stay down like I'll affiliate you to the max games and then so I think I played my max games up with the cat Bobcats and then finish the year out but you know it was it ended up

a really good year I don't have too many guys on that played junior B to be completely honest so far how did you guys do did you win league that year no that was the year that uh cold lake had a phenomenal team and and Wainer it was just starting to build their brand right before they took off yeah yeah you betcha so I was part of like the I guess the building blocks to that dynasty that they have down there now. Yeah, they've won that league now a ton. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Seems like they're always winning.

Yeah. Yeah, and kind of go full circle there. My youngest brother, Jacob, actually ended up affiliating with them and playing a couple games this year. So it's kind of funny how it works out in the end. And then, Austin, how did you get to Kenyersley first then? So actually my, I guess,

going to my last year of AAA and Beardie, um had a couple um s j i guess spring camps i went to and so i went to those and uh no one really bit yet and then uh what did i i don't if i went to kindercy spring camp or not but uh i think it was in um in my i guess sorry my second year midget um yeah that would have been in uh kindersely um i guess got my rights or i figure what do you even call that i don't know i don't even yeah but Yeah, so like, I guess they had my rights to like for SJ. So, um, uh, so yeah. So then my going to my finally year at AAA, I went to their fall camp and then had a really good camp and then they actually offered me a spot going into my last year of, uh, midges triple.

That should stop you for a second. Let the audience. No, we all have the Rough Ritter game going in the back. Yeah. And they just made it. Big T.D. Oh, we're just. Oh, they need the two point conversion. We still need to get a little outside kick here.

Yeah. They need a little bit of luck. It's miracle. The way the Ruff Rider season's been going on. I apologize. Carry on, carry on. But yeah, well, basically, Kendersley offered me a spot my last year,

mid to AAA, and kind of made the decision that I wanted to play out my AAA, because I felt like it was going to be a big, you know, kind of building year for me. And, yeah, so I did that, and then played out my last year in Beardies, and then went back to Kindersley, I guess the following year,

went and tried out again. Yeah, I made the team then. Was that in the old barn? Or was, did they have the new bar? This was a new one, yeah. Yeah, it would almost been brand new, eh? Yeah, I think it was, I think, yeah, my year was the, well, no, actually, sorry, we, the new one wasn't built yet, but the year before I was there, they're doing all the rentals.

So they had to make their main rink, I guess, they had to make it playable. Yeah. So then the year I came is when they had Rannos to their dressing room and the workout room. And, yeah, it was looking really good. So, yeah, committed there. And we had a pretty tough year team-wise. We had a rookie coach as well, unfortunately, and then I went to that in Lloyd the year after.

But, yeah, in Henderson, we had a rookie coach. And we had a good team, too, but it just didn't work out. And the coaching wasn't there. And we ended up 15 wins that season or something. So it was a long season. I hate to pick on rookie coaches. But you guys have talked about it now several times. The guy who comes into Coach Lloyd after Tapp is just interim.

Who did they hire that year? So that was going in my 20 year and that was Gary Van Haraway. And my first year, Gary Van Haraway. And he was, by all accounts, a veteran coach, correct? Yeah. Yeah, he was, like I like to compare him to kind of like Pat Quinn maybe. Like he was kind of at the tail end of his career. And he knew it too, but he had a passion for hockey.

so he came in. Lots of experience. What was the difference for you guys then as players, having rookie coaches, and then having a guy come in who'd been around the game that much? I think the big thing with that was that, like Ryan Parenthood the year before,

like obviously the first year coaching, it's kind of tough to establish yourself, but with Gary, like he kind of came in and everyone just respected him, you know, and he earned that respect right away. And he had, like, he'd come in with a good, like, kid like an RBC Cup championship underneath his belt so yeah everyone automatically had a respect for him that way so yeah and yeah and yeah um yeah i think that was kind of the biggest

thing is that like he earned that respect for everyone and everyone wanted to play for him you know and and it was kind of right off the bat it was that way and and yeah like i think that's what started us off to such a good season and i think it was it really helped too where like gary had that experience but kyle like um kyle top like he's one of my favorite coaches in that way where he was, like, so technically sound, you know, like his play. Tapper. Tapper gets a lot of play on the airwaves here. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Tapper knows some things. I'll give him that, right? No, for sure. And that was kind of a dynamic duel with, like, Gary, with his experience and Tapp with, he basically drew up all of our systems, you know, and, like, he, and he's really good in that aspect. So, I think that's what was so good for us as players, you know. Well, and I hate to rag on newbie coaches, right?

I mean, I was just curious with a veteran, you know, take the NHL, for instance, right? Like we got to see with the others when they had the guy who's coached in Anaheim now, I'm spacing on his name. Oh, Bruce Brueger? No, no, no, Dallas. Dallas, Eakin, right? And maybe, maybe I remember thinking, oh, man, a rookie head coach that'll be good, right? And there's always the rookie head coach that does really well.

But Eakins came in and just, it's just typical of Eminton that just explodes in our her face, right? Like, nothing can go right. And I was just curious from a player's aspect if when Gary comes in, an older guy, he's been around a lot. If he just walked in, set some boundaries, said this is how we're going to do things, new drills. There was never any, like, I don't know, you set the culture right or anything like that. And he just, and just right away, you knew you could just feel the difference. Or if it wasn't that way, and maybe, maybe the the rookie coach just had a couple of bad breaks go his way and that was it. Nike was kind of the combination of the two.

You know, like, yeah, it was tough on that Ryan parent because, yeah, I think it's kind of in over his head. You know, he's never had that high of a coaching position, you know, and especially at the junior A level. And he just kind of bit off when they could chew, it seemed like. And, yeah, it was too bad for him, but it was too bad for us, too, you know, where we want to, we come, we want to compete, you know, and make playoffs. you know, and have a big playoff running, that just wasn't possible, I guess, with the situation we're in.

I was always fortunate. I had Larry Wintoniac who was in. No way. Yeah. Well, like, I actually, well, like, that's why I had the rookie coach my Kinderslie year, because Larry was a head coach year before in Kindersley. No kidding. Yeah. Yeah, Larry was phenomenal.

Oh, yeah. That's right. He's a, he's really good coach. There's guys that don't like him because he holds you accountable for everything. Yeah. Like, Gort, Gort, Tibado, my 20-year-old year. But what's nice with those guys is they draw a line in the sand and you know which side you're standing on. Yeah, exactly.

It's pretty hard not to. And if you can't figure it out, you're probably on the wrong side, right? Like, I mean, it's pretty simple. But what he taught me about the game and how to play it and everything else, it just was comfortable. He brought in, like, an air about him. He just knew what to do, knew what to say. There was never any times he got caught off guard. He was for the team.

He was the team guy, right? Like, in the gym, he worked out harder than you ever would. Yeah. And I were walking to the gym and being like, you're a coach, holy crap, right? Like, he's an animal. Animal, right? That's the word that gets associated with Larry Wintoniac the most. He is an animal.

Yeah. Right? And so, I don't know, it's just curious because, I mean, you guys get to see different aspects. Let's, so do you get traded then from Kinderzley? Is that what happens there? So, yeah, like I said, it was really tough year. And, yeah, like, we, you know, we had a good team and they traded away all over 20s at the start of the year. and it was like, oh, crap, come on.

And, and, uh, so like, yeah. So personally, like, I had a decent year. Like, I can put it, like, 25, 30 points, like, first year. And, um, this head coaches got signed for another year, another two years. So I, you know, I just felt like I had, you know, I could have went to a better place or I was, you know, didn't really want to be under that authority. So, uh, so, uh, so yeah, I asked for a trade. And then, uh, he actually traded me, um, kind of waited all summer, you know, it was kind of a dick

move on his side. But I guess then again, I'm the one who asked for trade. But he pretty much waited all the summer. I kind of said, like, I'd appreciate, you know, going to, you know, anywhere in the SJ or West. You know, it's kind of a preference. Then so he trades me to Manitoba to Swan Valley. Did you report?

No, like, I don't know. I was, like, I was pretty sad on, you know, like coming up West here somewhere. So I didn't report and then kind of waited out of trade again. And then that's what happened? Sorry, what happens when you don't report as a player? Anything? I just basically sadder, and it was the first time in years that I was able to help with harvest a bit.

So I was sitting at home, kind of waiting for a trade. And so this is when we had... Are all the neighbors just like... What's going on? Hey, what's going on? I'm just, you know, sitting waiting. Did you get traded the swat? Yeah, I'm not going.

Yeah, I kind of felt bad. But then again, like, I was pretty sad on what I wanted to do. And I had that option, right? so yeah I guess I used it and uh and that's when Ryan parent was in Lloyd and I guess ended up getting traded there like I missed five games in the season so wasn't there for training camping unfortunately ragging on poor old parent a whole bunch but he did manage to bring you in yeah no exactly that's what I'm fortunate about but it was funny because I guess he he he ended up I heard that he took the trade that was offered to him like a month ago and like but like he's like

he basically could have got me there like a month before in Lloyd Yeah, but like you tried like, I don't know what happened there, but one of my buddies in the team told me that, yeah. So like, but yeah, but like what brought me to Lloyd and I got to be fortunate about that because those are my, my best years in my junior career. Absolutely. Yeah.

What was it like living or playing, playing junior for your hometown? Was it tough? For me, I, like, obviously there's a lot of pressure. My uncle actually had a really good. quote he just passed away this past summer but it was uh don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff so i kind of had that mentality my whole life just uh not to get too upset about anything not doing anything really get to you and don't want to waver you like just stay focused on your goal

so i mean every game like i'm sure austin probably had five to ten people coming to a game and i had all my family and all my friends always coming to game so it was cool that way that they were able to come watch you but but obviously there's a little bit of extra pressure, and especially when that hockey night in Canada was that year as well. So that was added pressure. Like we were going to be televised and like there's a pretty big deal. So, but I think we were able to handle it.

And obviously, Gary instilled a really awesome culture. And he really, he brought together our team. And I can say to this day, like that team that year was like they're still my best friends. Like they're the guys I go for beer. with all the time or like they'll be my wedding party like for sure like they're for sure like the closest knit team I've ever been a part of so yeah no doubt yeah you said it but even what else guys say not leaving your speech no no no I agree but yeah like I guess like having that you like based my hometown junior A team you know or being that close to short

I was kind of more excited more than anything especially I was waiting that long for a trade and then finally happened I was like oh crap that's pretty cool and so I've always known like the Bobcats and the Blazers. And, yeah, I just come here, just like Bench said that, like, you know, we always had our parents come in. We're that close and grandparents and, you know, local people in Trouffer around that come to watch. And especially during that playoff run, it was pretty cool.

And, you know, having that support and playing in front of, you know, your friends and family and local people you know here is, yeah, it was awesome. That was the time of my life. Yeah, and Lloyd's just such a good city for it. Like, I think we probably had 1,500 people in the rink, like, every night. Like, well, we had, we were winning, but we weren't, like, unbelievable, but we had the support of community. Yeah, it was a good vibe around town that year for sure. Was there a bunch of local guys playing that year?

Like, we had, like, Springer and Austin was close and, like, Andy, Colton Anderson. Well, he's the year before. Yeah. But. Played with Colton this year out in Hillmont. Oh, yeah? Yeah, great guy. Yeah, really good guy.

And I'm not sure who else, like, I think. Oh, Woodward? Brice Woodward. Yeah, Bryce Woodward was Wayne, right? So, like, all, like, the surrounding areas. And then obviously Springer was from Lloyd, so we kind of had, like, a good, Brock Weston was made stone. So, like, we had a lot of guys that were.

A lot from the surrounding area. I mean, I consider that area Lloyd. Yeah, I don't know how better to say it. That's. Which made it that much better. You know, I guess even, like, fan support wise, you know, like, you want to go out to see the, you know, your local kids playing. Absolutely.

And, yeah, like, that's, yeah, it made it that much better to play for it, you know, like, knowing this. team kind of means something to you, you know. Heck, I can safely say if tomorrow the Bobcats signed Mr. Hillmont, whoever that is at this age right now, you'd have Hillmont in watching a ton of the games, right? Oh, exactly, yeah. I think that's important to kind of, you know, take advantage of that local talent as much as you can. Yeah, well, and that's good.

I would agree. And that's one thing I think that maybe we could all be a little bit critical of the Bobcats. So they kind of like, you look at all the talent that goes untouched in Lloyd. Like, when I went to Spruce Grove, we had more guys from Lloyd and surrounding areas than we did in Lloyd Minster. Yeah, no, no. Like, it's just like, there's so much talent in Lloyd. Like, we've got to be able to find a way to, like, make the kids either want to stay or. You know, the funny thing is, I don't know if it's want.

I didn't play. I can only speak for myself. And I'm going to have Nigel Dubet, a new head coach on here. here hopefully in the next couple months. Me and him been chatting. And so I'm always interested when a new coach come in because maybe he'll be the guy to do it, right? And maybe he'll be the guy to really turn the ship around.

I mean, and there's been years like your guys's years where you guys were actually pretty freaking good, man. But me specifically, I can just only tell my account, right? I wanted to play for the Blazers, which now are the Bobcats. That's obviously if people don't understand why I keep saying the Blazers, they were the what the team was called beforehand. But I wanted to play for the Blazers. I went to all their cats.

And, you know, maybe I just didn't fit their plans for those years. I am a small guy. Everybody can see that. I'm only 5'7. So, but the toughest thing was when they told me just, you know, maybe you should go look elsewhere. Anytime a team tells you that, you're not coming back. Yeah. Right?

If that's your dream, you know, and you've always wanted to play for that team, it's, yeah. Well, I mean, it's the local team, right? Yeah. Like, I, well, that's the thing. Like, like, all, you see. all these local kids, like they're not like they're not trying out. Like, I think T.J. Lloyd tried out for the Bobcats. Like Cole Nicholson, like Tyler Bush, Austin Hunter, like Parker McCai.

Like, all those guys were in the Lloyd system. They all had, like, come and then they just kind of, they brush him off. And then, yeah. What a story T.J. Lloyd is, right? Yeah, I don't. He was on the podcast two weeks ago. I think he was two episodes ago. Like, he walks in.

He's not a big guy. Yeah, like he's, he's my size, a little, a little trimmer though, right? Yeah, he's a skilled player, though. Oh, he dances on the ice. Yeah, crazy to see what he's done and, you know, his young career so far. But hopefully he keeps it out. Yeah, he's going to Bowling Green next. Oh, is it?

Yeah, I didn't hear it. Yeah, D-1. That'll be exciting to watch him there. But, I mean, getting back to the point, I mean, who knows, that was the year they were hosting the RBC he tries out, right? So you can imagine the talent that they amass that year, right? It kind of, yeah, like, depends on the opportunity or, like, you know, what the team has are ready or if they've committed to someone that's the same skill set as you, you know, and it just doesn't work out.

And I betcha there's a lot of situations like that where it doesn't work out for guys. And, yeah. What, I don't know if either you billeted a ton, but normally I like to get the guys to talk about their billets because I had phenomenal billets, the Lane family out and dried. Did you guys have billet families, or did you drive from home? You're not in your heads, yes, Luke? Yeah, we, yeah, like Lloyd was really good for that. Like, if you, because my, my farm's still 40 minutes south of town.

So we either in the mornings, we went to Lakeland College there and stuff like that. So I built it with the PulseFit family. And yeah, like I'm still very close to that family. Like they, they moved to Black Falls and I still try and go out and see them once or twice a year. Like, I was still very close. So obviously, they are very important people. And Austin can attest to the Spence family too. Yeah.

phenomenal for all of us. Oh, yeah. I was, yeah, like me, like Luke said, is that I had Bill and Lisa Spence. Oh, yeah. Bill Spence. Yeah, oh, yeah, they're awesome, and they took me in with, you know, open arms. And it actually worked out good because the year before they had Casey Knight as the bill. And he was also a small-town kid from St. Walberg.

And so when I played, I guess, my first year, I was always over at their place, hanging, like me and Casey are good buddies. So I was always over there and stuff and getting an old Bill and Lisa. and kind of formed a good relationship. And then so my 20-year-old year, they, yeah, they took me in. And as a 20-year-old billet, and, yeah, it was amazing. Yeah, it was so much fun. And, you know, they had two kids, and Dalton and Alex.

And they were really fun to hang out with, you know. And, yeah, it's a relationship I'll have for the rest of my life. And we still talk all the time. And, yeah, hopefully get to see him this summer here. I had to go to Lucas here for a few minutes. to know what it was like getting traded and i know i know that you expected it right like we talked about it right at the beginning you expected that you're going to get traded but the team you guys had that year was pretty frigging good guys yeah so to hear yeah you've been traded and then end up in

spruce and maybe a little bit about spruce yeah no exactly and the like it doesn't matter how much you expect it like you your heart just drops like my best friend eric and uh tyler coons they were traded about 10 days earlier uh both to the bc and then so we kind of lent and then gourd pulled uh linden and i in because they hadn't got a deal done and the trade deadline was the next day and this was january 9th and he pulls us in and we have a good hour long conversation about like okay well we trade away two guys but like it's not too late like if we don't get a good deal that we want for you guys like we're going to make a run for it and so we got our i got our hopes up again and then obviously the next day linden went to brooks and i went to spruce grove so it was like it was tough

and there's a lot of tears and because we like we are still close with all those guys and the worst part for me um was january 10th spruce grove came to lloyd minster to play lloyd minster so i didn't even leave my house i just went home like the coach called me he's like do you want want to play and I said absolutely not I did not want to play like I was wasn't wasn't really emotionally ready to be going to the way dressing and playing my team the very next day after I got traded and he was like well we're really short so you have to so I was actually so I just I had the night to try and just mentally get ready for that and so I yeah I woke up like did what I usually do on a game day with my billet family he like made pasta and then just went to the rank and went to

the rank and just walked right by our dressing room right to the to the visitors dressing room and like i that game was a whole blur like i don't i don't remember much of it at all like it was just like them just bombarding me with their systems because spruce grove like you can't say enough like that that that that organization and the coaching and the culture and everything like they like i really learned a lot there about hockey and uh and what it takes to win so they they bombarding me of systems and all this kind of stuff. And the only thing I remember from the game is getting like a wide open backdoor pass and Devin like one of my other good friends, the only one that didn't get traded as a 20 year old,

just robbing me backdoor. So he still still does the day. Doesn't let me live that one down. But we got him back later on in the season. But we, yeah, we end up weighing the game and then packed up my stuff. And a guy on the team drove with me back to Spruce Grove. And then, yeah, started my time out there. but it was one of the weirdest experiences I've ever had

just not even leaving and just playing in Lloyd the next night. Like, yeah. Yeah. But then you walk on to the Spruce Grove Saints. If you didn't get traded to any one or two teams in the AJ right now, it would be Spruce Grove or the Brooks Bandas, right? Like, I mean, at least they didn't trade you to, I don't know, insert here. I don't want to put a team in the bottom of the barrel, right?

Yeah, the Cleveland Browns. Exactly, yeah. They trade you to Spruce Grove who, is one of the favorites to win it that year. And, oh, wait, you guys go on and win it. Yeah, well, when I got there, I think they were on like a six or seven game winning streak, and we ended up going on like a 22-game winning streak

when I was there. So I was like, oh, like, this is pretty easy. And then we ended up, like, just doing really well in playoffs and going on and then. Who did you face in the finals that year? Brooks. So, yeah. So that's another thing that was really weird.

like Lennon's one of my best friends and so we we were talking and game one was in Spruce Grove so we went for they came up the night before so we went for supper and we're like we're just talking and we're just like and we're just like and and we know like Linden Linen's a really competitive guy and I am too so we're like well like Penn best of luck but like if we're not texting or texting each other like during the series like like no hard feelings like everything goes and we battled hard We had some hard battles, hard competition. And obviously he played phenomenal. And we were fortunate enough to pull it out in Game 6 and Brooks.

And then, yeah, it was a pretty emotional handshake with him and I there in the end. Like, obviously it's tough because you want to see your buddy win and be successful. But obviously. Not when you're playing on the other side. But not when you're on the other side, you know. So, yeah, no, it was a pretty amazing experience. and then we were just pretty, our team was really banged up after that. Because that was still the, that wasn't the Doyle Cup then.

That was the world. Yeah, Western. Western Canada. So we went. Western Canada Cup. I can never spit that out. Yes, we had to go to that a week later in Fort McMurray. So like the celebration was short and quick and then we had to kind of refocus.

But we kind of just came down with like we had a flu bug go through our team right when we got there. And then we had a couple of our key injuries. So we were really banged up going into Western Canada Cup. cup and we kind of struggled there and it was too bad we couldn't couldn't be more successful but uh overall like yeah you can't can't ask for a better situation for me like getting traded like it was tough but um going to spruce grove and learning a lot under jason mckee and uh mike ringrose so yeah it was amazing what is it what sets them apart i'm curious from you played for lloyd and then you you play for spruce grove like what is the biggest difference is it just

talent is it coaching is it like as an organization they just have something yeah i say probably just a combination of all like they're they're scouting like they they're able to like when like i said like when lloyd would pass on young kids that from lloyd minster that would try out like spruce grove wouldn't be afraid to take those 16 17 year olds and under his team didn't you have like three or four yeah yeah we did and then we had we had a we had a couple 16 year like jordan byro and Matt Murray, like both of them very successful in the NCAA right now. Yeah.

And like, yeah, we weren't afraid. Like, Matt Murray was a 16-year-old goalie. He backstopped us to winning the H.J.H.L. championship. Like, Spruce Grove wasn't afraid, take those young kids and develop them. But I think coaching, coaching was the biggest factor. Like, I've never, never had a coach, like, had such, so many systems in place. And, like, our practices were NHL style. Like, they were never longer than an hour.

they were such high pace and quick, and he just demanded the most. I honestly think that that was my best hockey, even though I wasn't maybe putting up the same amount of points I wasn't Lloyd or getting the same ice time. It was, you kind of just were all talking at the same or open. You learned a lot about what it takes to win a championship, and it didn't matter if you're on the first line or the fourth line, the PKK or PowerPlay, everyone just was sacrificing and doing whatever it took to win,

and that was pretty much a big difference. That's a fun thing to be a part of. Yeah. Right. Why do you go to Augustana? So for the listeners I don't know. Lucas has been with Augustana. This will be your fifth year coming up, correct?

Yeah, you betcha. And then Austin, you went to Lakehead out in Thunder Bay, and you just finished. This was your fifth year. Yeah, just finished out. With so many junior guys, they go south, they go NCAA, whether it's Division III or Division. Division 1. You guys stuck around. Well, I mean, you still, you travel a little bit, but I mean, you went halfway across the country.

And by you, I mean, Austin. Like, why was there options there or was it just like this was the only team that was interested? I mean, by winning the AJ, Lucas, I assume you had a couple different offers to go a couple different ways. What was your guys' mindset when you chose your selective route? Well, that awesome goal is probably getting sick of his my voice. at least you said it

no yeah for me yeah I got a pretty successful 20 year old year and team wise and personally in Lloyd there and yeah come to the off season I was talking a few teams and I had a handful of Division 3 offers

and you know I was kind of always my goal to go D1 and especially at a junior A so I had my sight set on that. And I had a couple offers, not too good. And then I was in serious talks with Alabama Huntsville. And, well, I guess for Division I. I remember that.

You want to know why I remember that? Because at this time, we were playing ball-hound. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, we were talking with it, yeah. And our heart-crushing defeat at Western. That's not bringing that up, yeah. We're going to talk about that before this night's over. But no, so kind of at the time,

or I was kind of down to either Alabama Huntsville or Lakehead because I was in serious talks to them. And then actually my older brother, than I mentioned before, he just finished his first year out there playing goalie. So I thought that would be a cool experience again, you know, meeting up again after we separated ways in midget of AAA. And so I thought that was a cool option.

And then there was also talking to Alabama Huntsville, who is the coach seemed really interested in me and through him and Gary talking, you know, it sounded like there's a lot of interest there. but at the time there wasn't uh i guess the situation just kind of wasn't right where um not all the scholarship money was there with uh alabama and it uh kind of came down crunch time and uh i figured lake had to be the best bet kind of the old pros and cons list and thought that be a cool experience and so i committed to them and uh um yeah i guess haven't looked back since so kidding yeah well and thunder

bay is beautiful city oh it's great yeah and that was my first time really being anywhere east of probably Winnipeg. So I just thought that'd be cool. You know, like in the States would be cool too, you know, traveling around. But even this way,

you get to see your own country even more. Absolutely. Our country is beautiful. Oh, yeah, unbelievable. Alabama Huntsville would have been interesting. Yeah,

that would have been cool, you know, going to the rinkin shorts every day. No kidding. Yeah, but yeah, so I guess kind of just made my decision there. And I get worked out for the best, too,

because I was, I kind of had, always had my plan was to take engineering in school. and which I did at Lakehead, and since the Canadian universities allows for the five-year span instead of only the four. Yeah, we were talking about that. So if you're NCAA, you get to play your college hockey, you can play it in a five-year span, but you only get four years of eligibility, whereas in Canada, you can play five years. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, like, with that option, you know, I thought that was really cool with what my, you know, academic goals were and going into engineering.

and I found that it paid off that way. What, I don't know enough about the CIS. Like, where did you guys all play? Like, were you flying or were you busing? Yeah, so we were in the OUA, which is just the Ontario University. But we were split into the West and the East Division. Okay.

So we were part of the West, but Thunder Bay being where they are. Yeah. In middle and nowhere, yeah. So we, it was also a cool thing about being there is that we flew to all of our way games. So since the driving, I guess like an 18-hour bus to Toronto normally. So we'd fly into the nearest center and then we'd bust from there to the teams and local teams, I guess.

And so that was really cool part of it, which sometimes, you know, with the plane delays, it kind of sucked that way. But, you know, you kind of felt a little high rolling in that way and flying all those games. And then it was cool, because I just kind of seeing a part like the whole Eastern Canada. You know, we didn't make it out to the coast at all, but because they were there in the U.S. But, yeah, I got played in Montreal and, you know, in Quebec and all the big centers in Ontario, which I'm pretty fortunate of, you know, it's like it's competitive hockey. So you actually played in Quebec then, too. Yeah.

You played Montreal, Quebec City. Quebec City wasn't a part of it, but they had, I think there's three teams. There's in Montreal. There's McGill. McGill. There's Concordia. Yeah. And then there's Tuarevier.

Oh, okay, yeah. Man, that'd be cool. Yeah. I love hearing about the different leagues and the different teams you get to play. Because, I mean, being out west here, you never even think about it, right? Yeah, exactly. And since we're in the West Division of that, like, they're all in the East. So, like, since our league's so big, like, it's a 20-league, or 20-team leagues, sorry, or division, so that, like, we don't always play the teams in the East.

So we're pretty lucky if we make those trips, and I was able to make a couple of those in my time. So I was talking to Kyler Hope. I think it was last week. And he was talking, he's playing Division 1 for Fairbanks. Yeah. And they're road trips and they leave for a week at a time. Yeah, yeah. Is it anything like that or you guys just fly out on a Friday

and you're back by Sunday night? Yeah, no, for us, it's exactly what you said. So we just started two years ago, we just implemented, we have a couple three-game road trips to, you know, to minimize travel costs. Travel, yeah, you're going to fly over there. You might as a place as many games as you can. Which, yeah, you need a day off of school. You know, we leave that Thursday and then, or yeah, leave Thursday morning,

play Thursday, Friday, Saturday. But if we don't do those, yeah, it's just a Friday, Saturday, weekend, come back, travel day, Sunday. And, yeah. But no, yeah, it was a really cool experience, and I'm glad I did it. And you, Lucas? Yeah, obviously, in my 20-year-old year, we were pretty successful. So I was in talks with a couple different teams.

I like the ACAC cameras was really interested in me and then obviously Grant McEwen was another team and Nate as well and then I was always hoping to go division one but I just didn't really work out like Alabama Huntsville was I was chatting with them for a little bit but it just didn't seem like it was going to be a good fit and and then a couple division threes as well and one of my best friends Eric Terry and he ended up going to Concordia University down in the States, Division III. And him and I, him and I were living together in the summer. We were fencing together for my dad as a summer gig.

So we were kind of talking back and forth. Like we both kind of wanted to go to the same spot. And at the time, I was, at the time I wasn't really sure if I wanted to go to Concordia. Like there was a lot more money and it was a lot farther away from home. And cameras just as I, as I prolonged and couldn't make a decision. summer went on. Like cameras kept throwing more and more money and then eventually came, came forward that pretty much, like, I, like,

there was a lot of money that, like, my parents wouldn't have to worry about school for me that much. So I was really fortunate enough to, like, take that opportunity. And Jeff Lorenz, another guy from Westminster, was really big and influencing me to come out to cameras and well and said I would love it and being from a small town. And it was only a close trip with my parents. Is a nice little spot. Yeah.

And I guess my parents have always been big supporters and love coming to watch hockey games and stuff like that. So it was really big that they were able to come watch a lot of my hockey games with the past four years and stuff like that. Obviously it would have been a really cool experience to go to go south and see the states. But, yeah, cameras just made the most sense. I tried to go to Lakehead, but. Yeah, that year, I guess. Yeah, you're 20, yeah, we committed Springer, Greener, and Coonsie. Yeah, so, yeah, all three, all three of my other best friends.

And then Awesome was already out there. And I was like, well, like, what? Springer's played four years out there, too, or five? He played two years. Two years. Yeah, he, um, so that's when he decided to head over. Overseas. Yeah.

Yeah. So, yeah, I was, I was trying really hard, but they were kind of done all their recruiting at the time. But I was like, let's just re, let's just relive the bobcat days out in, out in Lakehead. There's one more guy. It just, yeah, it didn't really come to fruition. So cameras it was. And I have no regrets. Cameras is a beautiful place.

And it's a small town. And it was awesome. What's the most memorable lesson you boys have learned thus far? Is that a tough enough question for you? Yeah, I don't know, kind of tough. Like, I'm pretty simple one, I guess for me. It would be like just never give up, you know. It's kind of a thing my parents been preaching.

since day one, you know, with anything with school, with hockey or any sports or, you know, uh, yeah, don't give up. Just try your hardest and, you know, it'll all work out eventually if, you know, you put in the time and the effort. And if you want it bad enough, you know, nothing's, nothing's that hard. So I think that's one thing I've been, yeah, one lesson I've really taken to heart. Yeah. Yeah. Like my parents have always preached the exact same thing. Like, obviously growing up with four boys, you're, you become very competitive as a, young kid and you kind of take that into adulthood and stuff like that but i think i touched on it earlier just a quote my uncle had was uh don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff so like in the

grand scheme of things uh like life's going to life's going to throw curveballs at you or you're not going to make that junior team or something like that but you just got to you just got to keep moving forward and and be true to yourself and and uh believe in yourself and if you believe on yourself then i think you can achieve pretty much anything you want. Curious, what's the next for you fellas? Now that you're done at Lakehead, are you going to play for the mighty Turtleford fire him back up? Yeah, well, actually.

He's going to Wahlberg to play against you. No, yeah. Well, as that team can attest, I may be a little bit of a grumpy old man. I'm trying on the fox got to play against. No, I had a couple offers, I guess, yeah, for senior-wise. But, yeah, I'm actually, heading back out to Thunder Bay for some work,

and I'll play some hockey out there. So, yeah, university hockey is probably the highest I'll play. Have you ever had thoughts? You've gone overseas? Yeah, I've thought about it. It'd be really cool, but just the situation on now, I don't think it'd work out all that good, you know, but yeah, it's always kind of been a dream or an interest of mine,

but, you know, maybe not right now, but I guess maybe keep in shape with the senior hockey and see what happens in it. Maybe hang on to it, but no, yeah. And how are you, Lucas? You still got a year left, right? Yeah, I got one more year left. How was the team looking that?

We're looking, we're looking not bad. Who's the powerhouse now? Well, that's the thing that I probably, hindsight 20-20, Grant McKeowns won three championships in a row. In a row. And I could have went there to school. So, I mean, maybe like that would have been a wiser choice. But you know what?

Like, you got to live with what you, the choices you make. I ended up in Northland College, and I had the opportunity to go to St. Scalasco, where my roommate Jordan Chong had went the year before. And I'm a procrastinator. And I procrastinated my way out of getting to go there. And they went on to be nationally ranked, like, top 10 team in the United States. Oh, I've heard even now they're still competitive, right? They're good.

But, you know, in saying that, I shouldn't say too many bad. Like, Northlands come a long way now. Like, the guys they're running that program have really turned it around. But, I mean, you can't argue with Saints Glasgow. They were freaking good. I remember the first game I played on, I'm just like, ah. God damn. Right?

Like, what did I do? Yeah. I mean, we all have. Only get to tell the future. But in saying that, you know what? There's going to be guys from Northland and my buddies are listening this. And I made so many good friends.

It was such a good bit for me going to Northland, right? Like, I still always, I tell the story, actually, and I should tell it now. is when I went on a recruiting trip and I went to St. Glasgow first then Northland. And when I went to St. Glasgow, you could tell they were a very good program. Like, very good program.

But it felt uncomfortable for me. Like, it didn't get along, like got along with my roommate, Jordan Chong, who I went and sat with. But the rest of the guys, it just kind of felt cold. It felt a little... And then I went to Northland. And, well, one of the guys I met the first night

both drawers like I stood up in his wedding. That was on my recruiting trip that I met him. No way. Right? And it just I was supposed to leave. I hopped in my vehicle to leave and I was getting fuel. I was in a Mustang with probably summer tires on, you can imagine. And a huge snowstorm

rolled in like happens on Lake Superior. And as I'm sitting there, I'm getting ready to leave and the coach is like, you sure you want to drive? I'm like, no, I'll drive them. I'm good, right? I've had my recruiting trip. I'm supposed to go back to Glasgow that night, right? So I leave the campus, drive into the gas station. I'm sitting there and starts snowing like, it's snowing pretty bad.

And I'm going, this may be a dumb idea. It's about an hour and a half drive. An hour and 20 minute drive to get back. And as I'm sitting there contemplating, an ambulance goes screaming by. I'm like, is that a sign? And then a fire truck goes screaming by. I'm like, eh, maybe I'll just turn around. So I turned around, called the coach.

He's like, yeah, for sure. And proceed to go get drunk with Posturzic and Adam Grecky. The boys. Oh. Like such good, like, that would be a lot of fun to go play there. Yeah. I know they're not as national, or as good as the team that I'm, you know, I went first, but the group of guys was, from all.

Now I stay in touch with all them guys. So maybe it happened for a reason, just like you go into Augustana, right? Like, I mean, you never know. Yeah. And at the end of the day, you know, maybe sometimes it's not all about hockey. You know, like you said, you felt more comfortable there. Wow. And you form those relationships.

The first, the first girl I bump into at Northland becomes my wife. No. And I gave her a cold shoulder shoulder. She was a volleyball player on campus, and I was, it's funny how things work, but I was supposed to, I don't know, let's call it two months before that, right? And I had a, that's what I mean by procrastinating. I procrastinated until the last minute. By the time I got my paperwork and it's glass to, yeah.

Like, no, you can't come here. We're already full. You're like, oh, crap, that sucks. All right, well, I'll call Northland If I can't go, what do you do, right? So I call them, oh yeah, we'll get you in, right? And so I do my paperwork, and they had lower classmen, upper classmen, dorm rooms, right?

So I'm supposed to be in a lower, I'm a freshman coming in. Yeah. I'm an overage freshman. I'm still a freshman, but all the lower class dorm rooms were full. So I got put in the upper class dorm room, co-ed, and I walk in and, and, and, and, and, and, and, And essentially two doors down from where my room was, was little than I know, but my future wife, right? We've been together now, sorry, hon, 12 years.

I think it's 12 years of this Christmas. I've been married now five years in August, and we are expecting our third kid in. It's funny how the world works, right? That's awesome, yeah. Yeah, you think of that if that didn't happen, you know. No, that's awesome. So we've been going now for a while. Yeah, people are probably not even listening.

People are listening. People love hearing that. You know the funny thing is about it is I try and cut it. In the beginning, I tried cutting it off. Like, okay, we're going to do 45 minutes. Yeah. People got mad about that. So keep letting them talk.

If you want to talk for, okay, so then we went to an hour. People got mad when I cut it off an hour. I went for two hours. People got mad that I cut it off for two hours. I went for two hours and 45 minutes with Dwayne Perel at the one time. And we didn't even get to him being on the Border Kings playing for the Allen cop. I was just tired. I was like, you know what, I'm just, I'm done.

And what people said was, well, you got to have them back on so you can finish. Yeah, that's right. And I'm like, oh, okay, I thought I was tired of everybody out. But people, you know, I'm no different. I love listening to Joe Rogan. I'm not saying I'm Joe Rogan by any means. Yeah. But when Joe Rogan gets a guy on it, I see it's three hours, I'm like, you know that's a good conversation.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Just sit there and because if it's boring, he shuts it down, right? Yeah. It's got to be good things to talk about, right? That's right. Yeah. So, I guess.

I got one, two, three, four, five little questions. They're nice and simple. Right. Nothing to two tax. Pop quiz? Yeah, that's right. If tomorrow you could hit the easy button and you could go anywhere on the planet Earth, vacation, sea a site, whatever you want, where would you go tomorrow?

Oh, God. Your first, buddy. Yeah, sure. We'll fire up with Lucas. That's a tough one. I obviously would like to go all over Europe and stuff like that. But I think if I had to pick one spot in Europe, I think I could go to Italy for quite some time. I mean, they pretty much have it all there.

Like, they have phenomenal food and, like, the great, like, right along the ocean there. And then, or if you want to go inland, like, they have some beautiful hikes and stuff like that and there. And I just like the culture there, I think, would be really sweet. And hopefully I'll make it over there one day. So, awesome. Okay. Italy? For me, yep.

Yeah, there's a lot of places they got on my list. but I've a big one would be in New Zealand. Yeah. It would be pretty... Man of my own heart. Yeah. No, it's... Oh, yeah.

I've always thought that'd be pretty cool and had a couple friends go there too and made me even more jealous. So, yeah, just kind of the extreme sports you can do over there and, like the bungee jumping. Like, I want to do all that. And then just, yeah, just the beaches and, yeah. And no poisonous reptile. Yeah, exactly. You got everything Australia has, but no poisonous. Yeah, exactly.

Stakes, petrify me. I am terrified. I hate them, yeah. Yeah, not a fan. No, fan. But, hey, that's what you got to do. You just got to go take a year off, go back to Thunder Bay of work, and then go play for the New Zealand team and the Australian League down there.

Yeah. We'll go together, man. There you go. Get a plan, yeah. Next summer. Chalk us in. Best player you played with and against? I guess I can go first here

probably the best like most skilled player I played with is Andrew Hammond is his name so he was a senior my first year of Lakehead and yeah he was just so skilled like he he played in the BCHL before I guess Lakehead

and um but yeah just like the things he could do with Apockely it was just crazy like he'd be just going like just skating down the middle of the ice just put it through guys' legs just like nothing and like he's the type of player that like if you needed something to turn it up you know if we're down by a goal with a minute left he would he would take an end to end just no problem and put it in so he was yeah he's probably the best player i played with and then against was also in my university career um his name is alex basil so he played major junior out and i think he was in the o but he was a defenseman for ryerson and uh he was just like a really smart defenseman like skilled smart move the puck and like he's just really deceptive like especially as a four like coming at him on the

four check or in the neutral zone like you'd try to take a swipe at him or he'd give you a head fake and just go right around gin and i've seen him unfortunately on our team score a goal like he just went end to end took a to a clap or like top of circles and yeah it went right in so it's just yeah he was he was probably the toughest player actually or the best player i played again so um that's yeah that's a that's a real tough one like i like i'm sure we both played with some phenomenal players. Like I mentioned, like, Jordan Byro and, like, Parker McCai, like, Kail McCar, I played against. I played against.

Cal McCar is, he was fun to watch. Yeah, he was a good player, yeah. And, like, yeah, there's just so many guys that, like, even Kale Clegg, I think, played a couple games with the Bobcats when he was younger. Did he? He was AP'd. Yeah, he played a couple games. My last year, yeah? Yeah.

When he was young. Young. Well, like we've been fortunate enough. And like Austin and I said, like we both played with Colby Cave for a bit. And you could tell from a young age that kind, like it had like what it took, like mentally, not just fit, not just talent, but like mentally. Like I remember going to like our little wind up and like it was at a lake. We were like 14, 15 years old and all the guys are getting hammered drunk and Colby just like sitting there like, yeah, no. Like that's not for me.

Like he's got like bigger things in mind and stuff like that. So yeah, obviously I don't even know if I can pick one. but like yeah all those guys phenomenal hockey players and uh fortunate enough to play with with and against a lot of them so if you guys you're both forwards if you could pick any two linemates to play with doesn't matter if they're active or not who would they be oh like like in past times it can be it can be crosbie for all i care right like i'm i'm a to bring it back to the good old bobcat's here we're going to it'll give a little little bump here over to austin um because i'd have been 19 and and austin macdonald and tanner and uncle they were

kind of like our our horses up front and they're they're producing a lot of the offense and uh i don't know what happened i just kind of got fortunate enough to there's an injury or something i got kind of bumped up to that line and was able to play with that line for for a bit of the season and uh like played with them for the Hockey Day in Canada game. And I think I got like two secondary assists. I just give the puck to them and they just do go to work and play. So it was a lot of fun playing with those two. And like obviously Austin and I are still really good friends and me and dunks as well.

So it was just good to be able to play with your friends and play on a such a tight knit team and just play with them. And we had a lot of fun together. Oh yeah. Some chemistry short-handed too, maybe a bit. Yeah. Here and there. Wow.

That's, yeah. That's high honors, man. Yeah. Yeah, there you know, I was to say Sydney Crosby and Connor MacDavid. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, we did have some good times. Yeah, that's a, I guess it's a pretty easy question if you ask for anybody in the NHL, but like, yeah, I don't, McDavid's hard not to say, you know, or his speed is just insane. I'd say maybe like Patrick Kane and Connor McDavid.

Mm-hmm. That's not, yeah. I forgot about this. Now that I'm hearing you guys talk, you guys got to play on Hockey Day in Canada when it was in Lloydminster. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What was that experience like? Oh, it was cool. Like, it was too bad.

Like, the day was awesome and stuff. Like, it was kind of like a week-long, like, festivities and stuff. But, like, we had games amongst that. So, like, we were on the road for a couple, remember? Yeah, we kind of, like, we kind of, like, we didn't really get a catch much, you know? Yeah, our schedule kind of didn't. Like, we played, like, seven games and, like, that was, like, our seventh game in, like, ten days or something. like that.

We were on the end of a road trip. But like, but yeah, it was awesome. Like the day was, it was really cool, you know, with everything going on.

And, and then having Ron McLean there and Don Cherry. And, you know, we had to meet all, we got to meet both of them. Was that before? Was that before or after?

After the game, we got our jersey signed. And like, yeah, we had those custom Don Cherry jersey. Yeah, yeah, because of the picture I posted.

Yeah, you had some, uh, sick flow going. Oh, yeah, we all love the flow. That was greasy.

Yeah. But, um, No, it was really cool to be a part of that. And, you know, just to talk to those guys and, you know, see the ex-NHL, you know, NHL stars that were in attendance to you. Like, Darcy Tucker was there and Marty McSorily. And it was just kind of cool.

And with everything going on, the camera's there. And we won that night, too, which made it even more special. So, yeah, that was definitely a highlight of my junior career. That was junior, yeah. Yeah, it was probably the most packed I've ever seen the rink there. It was so loud. You couldn't even see, like, people were standing, like, three or four layers back. Yeah, there was no standing room.

They had the whole ring packed, and it was so loud, and yeah, it was a great atmosphere. It was cool. One of the coolest experiences for sure, yeah. We play a game one here called Sign one, trade one, buy one out. And I'm excited. I was saying earlier, get a lot of Euler fans, as you can imagine. So I got to get creative. We got to Colorado Avalanche.

fan in. So, I love this. Three new players that none of the listeners have heard yet. You got McKinnon, Ranting in the Landiske. Oh. I mean, I think we all know who you're keeping, but maybe not. Maybe it'll surprise me. Okay.

So, yeah, so you said keep one, trade one, buy. You got to sign one? Yeah. Trade one, buy one out. Okay, I'm signing McKinnon. Yeah. You know, I was, you were talking about guys to play with. Yeah.

I thought for sure the first name guy coming on your mom's getting. He was unbelievable in the playoffs. He was so fun to watch. It's so dynamic. It's ridiculous. Like how quickly he can just turn it on. Yeah. Yeah,

I was fortunate to go over that game where he scored the O.T. winner in Calgary. Oh, really? Really? And yeah, it was. Where's my ticket? Yeah. Sorry, bud.

Yeah, you can be on the line with me, but you can't have a ticket. Yeah, what's that with that? I went to the game with another one of my good friends. That's a big Colorado fan. And we were kind of in enemy territory. and after McKinnon scored the goal, he got shoved down like three levels from like a fan from behind

and all the Flames fan. Like we got escorted out of the arena and all it. I was sitting playing poker that night at the Deerfoot Casino in Calgary. Oh, no way. Yeah, it went pretty quick. Yeah, it wasn't very good vibe. Yeah, we went out after on the Red Mile.

It was a ghost town. Like Calgary Flames fans are pretty sour on a Saturday night, I guess. Anyway, so you signed him. Yeah, yeah. Signed McKinnon. Now, are you trade in Rantanin or Landisg? Oh, I would say trade Rantanin. Yeah, you're going to get a lot of a lot of shit.

Yeah, you're going to get a boatload for him or something. Yeah, yeah, you're going to really good area. And then, yeah, I guess buyout Landisog. That's a tough one because he's a good leader. But, you know, yeah, that's probably my pick. With the Emmington, we're going to have a little fun with you. Koskinen, Dubnick, Talbot. Oh, I like that one, actually.

Oh, I like that one, actually. Who is your number one goalie? That's what I want to know out of history names. I always believed kind of that Dubnick just had all the talents and the tools to be successful. But it just wasn't his time. It just wasn't his time. So I mean. You're about to sign Devin Dubnick?

Is that what I'm hearing? No. You know what? Like he just never panned out with the noilers. And that's just sometimes the way it goes with players. So I probably would have traded him. Probably would have bought out Talbot and I've got to stick with Cosman. You're going to keep Kosken?

We have no one else to go with him. That is not what I saw coming. I believe in the oilers. You were the first surprise I think I've had on this. Hang on fans. We're going to keep Koskin. I'm a true fan here. I'm leaving the team.

Watch, watch Koskin. get Vesna this year. Yeah. You heard it here first. Koskinen gets the Vesna this year? I'm taking you for beers. That's what we're doing. At least.

At least, yeah. Well, cool, boys. Thanks for hopping on and join me for an episode on the podcast. Yeah, thanks a lot for having us. It's a good time. Yeah, thanks a lot. It's pretty awesome what you're doing here and getting some local Lloyd people out and stuff like that

and just hearing some cool stories. I mean, everyone's starting to get into podcasts, so just keep it up. You'll be famous soon one day. If we get famous, I'll take you for beers. Yeah, that's a deal. All right, sounds good. Thanks. Hey, guys.

I hope you enjoyed that. I want to say thanks to Austin and Lucas for joining me for a couple hours. Had a lot of fun with those two boys. Next week, I have two current pro players, actually. Two guys over from playing in Europe, Lyndon Springer, and Kenny Morrison are both currently playing over in Europe. And Kenny actually signed with Calgary Flames for a little bit. We talk about that, and Lyndon Springer played his junior A here in Lloyd Minster,

got traded out to Brooks in his last season, and has been over in the British Elite League now. And so we discuss all that next week. So until then.