Shaun Newman Podcast - #28 - Linden Springer & Kenney Morrison

Episode Date: August 7, 2019

On today’s episode I sat down with two pros Linden Springer & Kenney Morisson who both currently play overseas in Europe. We discussed: - Lloydminster minor hockey  - Lloydminster Junior ‘A’ Bobcats - The AJHL & BCHL - College Hockey - Life as a Pro - Calgary Flames training camp 

Welcome to the podcast. So as we've been doing for the last several weeks here, we helped announce the Boundary Battle of Alberta coming to Lloyd, September 28th. We found out here over the last couple weeks that do the first game selling out. They're going to turn it into a double header. They've got a noon and a 3 o'clock game. So the noon game still has tickets. They're $25 a piece.

And A, that's super affordable. But two, all the profits are going to Project Sunrise. So 100% of the proceeds. So make sure you guys grab yourself a ticket if you haven't. The way to do that is to either go to Boundary Ford, or you can go to LRHF.ca, backslash events, backslash BBOA. And you can purchase tickets online from there as well. This week, they announced the next two players who are going to be playing in that game.

The Amminton Oilers have went to goaltending because, It looks like they're going to need it. They got Jeff Deloree. I remember Jeff Deloree. I remember thinking Jeff DeLoree is going to be the next stug goal tender for the Oilers. They had him and Devin Dubnick. And Deloree was, man, he reminded me of almost like Mark Andre Fleury. His flexibility, his ability to just bounce across a crease and the splits and, like,

He was cat like reflies. He was unbelievable. And then the flames have combated that with, they're going to go with another guy who hit 1,000 games in NHL, Matt Stage, and he played over a thousand games in NHL. He was selected 57th overall in 2002. Actually, that's the same year that Deloria was selected.

He was selected 31st overall in 2002. So two guys coming out of the O2 draft are the next up for the Oilers Flames. They joined on the Oilers. They met Mark Fistrick and Louis DeBrusk and the Flames, Jamie McCown, Mike Commodore. So it looks like it's going to be a fun-filled event there on September 28th. Like I say, $25 tickets. They still got some left for that noon game. So make sure you go ahead and get some guys.

It's going to a great cause. Next, I want to give a shout out to Calvin Bast. I thought this was a cool one. I somehow missed this. He sent me a message back in June, said, just listen to your first two podcasts episodes. It's pretty awesome. And I responded to him, and then I was just asked me.

He was still listening, and he said, you bet I'm up to episode 11 now. I actually played most of the podcast with Larry Wintoniac, particularly for my kids to listen to and hopefully motivate them. and I was like, oh, that's cool. Like, Larry really changed my life. You know, I met him at a pivotal moment, and he responded back saying,

uh, sounds like it. After hearing him, the kids started making their beds. Uh, so I thought that was really cool. I shared that with Larry and he was pretty moved by that. It's,

uh, glad you guys are listening. I'm glad you guys are reaching out. So that's, that's really cool. I appreciate the feedback, Kelvin. Um,

if you guys want to get in touch with me, like I always, uh, say, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are the big ones. Just search the Sean Newman podcast and let me know what you're thinking or if there's anybody you want to hear. I've been having amazing feedback on guests you guys want to hear. And so I'm trying to get all to all the people you guys keep suggesting A to get a hold of them first,

but then to try and line up a time and that's where the challenge comes. So just because you haven't seen your guest announced coming up right away, doesn't mean they haven't been contacted. I've been trying to contact them all. And hopefully over the next few months we'll start to see a few of them pop up here as their schedule is aligned with mine. So this week on the podcast, I have Lyndon Springer and Kenny Morrison, two guys currently playing hockey, a pro over in Europe. And we had a blast. And I hope you guys really enjoy this one. These two characters got a lot to talk about. They got a lot of cool stories. and so without further ado

Hey welcome to the Sean Newman podcast So tonight I'm joined by Kenny Morrison And Lyndon Springer Thanks for hopping on fellas Thanks for having us Yeah good beer So I thought the way that

Normally when I don't just have one person on I get guys to tell something about themselves That way they can get used to your voice So I thought tonight You can introduce yourself by your name Current team you guys are both playing for You both signed right now? In between jobs right now.

In between jobs? That's Kenny Morrison. Well, okay, then just name, and I thought maybe the coolest person you've met through hockey. That's a good question. So we'll start with you, Kenny. Yeah, I'm Kenny Morrison. I'm currently between looking for a contract, I guess,

playing Slovakia last year. Hockey have met a lot of interesting people, A lot of people who have done good for me and a lot of who have done the opposite, I guess, but a lot of people have been interesting, I guess. There's NHLers, there's guys who are in the background, there's, I don't know if you could just pinpoint one. That's a tough question. Geez, I thought when I was asking it, I wasn't going that deep, I thought, I ran into share once. I don't know. I don't know. Same thing. I don't know if I've met a whole lot of, like, crazy, famous people or anything like that. I mean, you see him around Manchester, a lot of the footballers and stuff like that. But, yeah, like Kenny said, you get some lifelong friends at a hockey. We all have a close group that we've stayed close with for how many years, like 10 years now since we played our midget 15 year.

that was probably the best year of hockey I could have. And Creech's wedding last summer, we had all the guys out there, and it was a reunion and almost everybody showed up. I think there's three guys missing. Yeah, and that says a lot from 10 years ago. And we're all still close. We all hang out still. But there's situations like that.

Obviously, guys come and go from each team, but it's the guys you keep in contact with years done. on the line that you're always close with. And we have a few of them, for sure. That's one of the cool things about hockey, isn't it? You get a tight-knit group like that, and I'm going to a wedding in Buffalo next week. Yeah.

With a guy I played college with. Oh, geez. It's going on eight, nine years ago. Yeah, it makes the world a small place. Yeah. A hockey world is small. Everybody says it, but you don't realize it. Like, my head coach over in Manchester,

this year, his family, billeted my cousin for four years in Lethbridge, my assistant coach, his sister is married to my dad's helper that he worked with for years. It's just stuff like that. I mean, it's just the hockey world's small. It's the only way you can put it. That's cool. Well, how did you both get your start? That's where I always start this podcast off with everyone, is you're both now playing over in Europe. You both, in my opinion, had very successful careers. I didn't get to watch you Kenny, but I got to watch Lyndon play and by all accounts he's a fantastic player.

I'm assuming you must be pretty damn good yourself. But I'm always curious how you got your start. Now, what I mean by start are we talking I'm talking like maybe age was it you lived on a farm, you rode on the pond,

siblings, pulled you out, friends, parents, outdoor rink. Yeah, for you, Kenny. I think the outdoor rink's probably the start for every kid in Canada or just you're either on the outdoor rink in the winter or playing street hockey in the summer but uh that's where I kind of started I grew up well not grew up I was on a farm until I was two years old then moved into town yeah and then just would yeah whoever wanted to play and whoever had a stick I would just kind of gravitate

towards them and throughout the years just play hockey for fun and uh didn't take it really too seriously until high school or probably my grade 12 year. So it was a, it's always been a fun pastime and I guess job now for me. And were you always, did you always just play hockey or did you play multiple sports? Yeah, always every sport, every, every season had a new sport. My parents didn't want me to be in the rank 12 months a year, so it wasn't allowed to play lacrosse. But other than that, and my mom probably thought it was too rough, but. Yeah, baseball, soccer, golf, water sports, yeah, anything I kind of tried to do it at least once.

But hockey was always the one that... Yeah, always had a passion for hockey. Oh, what you later? I couldn't picture you as a farm boy. No, that's why I moved off in us too. Oh, yeah, like same thing as Kenny. It's pretty much like any kid in Canada. you either play hockey or you don't really.

Most kids that I knew, growing up, we all played hockey. That's kind of what our friend group was, was who you played hockey with and who you played sports with. So, yeah, just played out on the pond. Dad had some rinks for us out across the way it's a school now. Yeah, it was always, number one, it always felt like there was two seasons, hockey and summer. don't really go by

the calendar year. It seems like that's what it always is. It kind of still is. But, yeah, played baseball, played lacrosse. I liked lacrosse quite a bit. It was a little bit rougher. Got to get away with some stuff.

But I love baseball. Yeah. Two different players. I loved baseball. To be honest, if I could had my career being one sport, it'd be baseball. I love the game.

baseball but yeah it's just I think it's it wasn't big enough in Canada or I guess here and we didn't really have the the means to get noticed or anything not that I was good enough to get noticed or anything but it just wasn't that that option for for a career with that and hockey I think is a lot easier route to pursue and it was still fun I mean a lot of a lot of my friends all my friends really were hockey players and as life goes on that's who you still are friends with now so baseball is grown in town yeah with that it's amazing to see it yeah like the ability to play now and train all year long I know you can always go into the gyms and stuff but to have

a facility dedicated to it really does a lot of get I mean because well look at where we live right like we just don't get yeah you just can't do it you get you get July where it feels like it's going to snow, let alone May or April, where you're supposed to be out throwing the ball around, right? Yeah, yeah. Were you guys ever then, or I guess you were never the theory that you were in one sport athletes play all year around? Because, I mean, there's a lot of, discuss that with a lot of different guys

on the theory of just playing hockey around being in spring hockey, summer hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey. Yeah. Yeah. I know myself personally and my parents, I'm sure Kenny's the same way, but I really don't like that. I mean, I don't have anything against it. If you're 100% hockey and you're going forward and you're trying to make a job out of it, go for it. But I think the most beneficial part of my hockey career is that I get away from it. I mean, the best part about summer is the month where you don't have to think about hockey, you don't have to worry about going and staying in shape or skating or going to the rink every day,

just getting away because it's the point now it's a job. And it's the same thing as every other job. It's great to have vacation and get away from it. But I think that's the reason why I still enjoy the game now is because it wasn't my life. It wasn't the epitome of who I was growing up. I played hockey. I wouldn't necessarily say I was a hockey player, if that makes sense. Did a lot of other stuff, had a lot of other hobbies, always had a job on the side.

But, yeah, I just, I find it hard to see now where guys are 365 hockey and they never get away from it. And, I mean, you got to go out and have some fun and get in trouble a little bit and enjoy your childhood. Like, I mean, make some stories or something. But, I mean, it's great. I can see both ways for that. As long as, I mean, the parents are, you have some fucking crazy hockey parents out there who kind of, I mean, we saw it growing up with a few kids that they just ruined their kids. Like, their kids were talented and I'm not going to say, like, names, but.

Yeah, and we don't need to say names. Everybody, it doesn't matter if you played 20 years ago, 30 years ago, five years ago, right now. There's always those parents. And then they end up ruining it for their kids. But as long as you're, if you have a passion for the game, if you want to play hockey 12 months a year and you loved it, go for it. But if you are taking your kid to the rink and kind of like he's not excited and running in there with a smile, like maybe put him in baseball,

maybe keep him out of trouble in different ways. Yeah, I think that's one thing I'm most grateful for with my parents with hockey was, they were involved, but they never got in the way of it. I can still remember the one time my dad gave me, gave me shit in the truck, and I'll always remember it. I try to do some fancy

shootout thing, and he said, if I ever see you pull that again, I'm pulling you out of hockey. It's okay, I'll never lift to my leg again. But no, like, it's, even now, they know, like, I don't mind to text after games and stuff, but I don't want to hear what I did wrong or

this and that. Like, there's just, nobody likes to hear those critiques from from everybody. I mean, you hear it from your coach enough. You don't need to hear it from your parents too. But yeah, it's great to have them supportive, but they also know it. I mean, they've been around it. Your parents have been around it for how many years, now 20 years where they understand it to this extent. So that's really nice to have.

Yeah. How about the Bannum draft? Neither you guys were taking No, no. I didn't even really know what it was, to be honest. Hey, don't feel bad. Don't feel bad. A, you're not the first person to say that on here. No. And two, I'm, by the time it came around my age group,

I hope I tell this story the same way every time, but I just remember thinking, yeah, I'm not going in that. No. That's. You secretly hope you do, just to, I mean, your inner pride, but you, like, I knew I wasn't going to get drafted. I knew who is my buddies in that draft I knew was getting drafted. Jettlin, Houcher, I knew was getting drafted.

He had a high draft. I think he went in the third round, Jaden Hart, and Colton. I think Colton was... Oh, Anderson. Yeah, he went to Prince George. But I think the best thing for me was I never got drafted. I'll still say that was kind of the turning point in my hockey. It kind of lit a fire under my ass.

I was just this little kid. I think it was like 5, 7, 130 pounds, and that came around, and then I decided that, I don't know if it was that summer or the next summer that I was really going to make a big push. Went to Kujo and trained and did all the everything you kind of thought you had to do. Yeah. But, yeah, I thought that was awesome. And I still think even in the NHL draft and stuff like that,

when guys don't get drafted and they go and have a great year the next year, they just have more teams to have an option with. I mean, you're not tied down to one team, and sometimes it's not the right fit. And you see a lot of guys these days where they get drafted to a team, and it doesn't fit, and it's not a great spot for them. Yeah, exactly.

And it's tough to see that way. So it's not the end of the world if you don't get drafted. I mean, it's not saying you don't go there and play. I mean, it happens every single year on every team a guy's undrafted in plays. So I don't like, seeing what's happened now, like, I think they got, like, a central scouting now for the Bannum draft or something like that.

I was here, like, it's getting crazy. Like, the pressure that's on these kids now where it should just be fun to go play, it's kind of tough to watch, to be honest. Like, it's, those are the funnest times of my playing time, and now these kids are worried about where they're at in their ranks in January. So. Yeah. I mean, Lennon was at a little different spot when he was young.

in his baton like he was you're playing triple A weren't you up both years and so he's a little more higher end at his age than I would have been like I was just playing to have friends and have fun like that wasn't even a thought or Linden would be more of a guy who was watching to dub or like more involved in it than I would be but you were still playing double A right yeah that's just you're playing with my brother yeah I was playing with Anthony yeah my I'm boys I'm far removed from this, obviously. So there's AAA and then there's double A. Yeah.

But double A ain't house, right? No, no, double A's, like, still good hockey. I, I honest, my first year, I didn't even try out for the Pantam triple A's. I was, and I was probably five foot, 100 pounds. And I was, I was scared of my own shadow back then. So, like, I didn't want to play it. Like, honestly, I was, you can ask anyone who saw me playing Bantam. I was a big pussy.

but yeah they I didn't want to play with the big boy so I just went and played Bantam double A and in my second year I think could have played on the fourth line there for a there's a coach there I didn't really get along with so I think he's a golf pro but now I don't I just didn't want to play for him and so I went and had fun and played Bantam double A and it was probably one of the better players on the Bantam double A team, but I was just playing hockey to have fun. I wasn't trying to make the WHL or make a name for myself. I just wanted to have fun and play with my friends.

That can work wonders of it too. You just said instead of being a fourth line, hating your time, hating hockey, you went and played top line, loved your time, probably helped you mentally then is what you kind of getting that. I think for sure guys who you see are having longer careers or who enjoy playing longer, they've either had situations like that where they've had adversity or where they've not been the guy their whole life or in every situation on every team. It's guys who kind of had to earn it to get there that I find that enjoy the game a lot more

or play a lot more. I think it's the guys who have had not necessarily everything handed to. to them, but I've always just been the top guy that gets sick of it because the pressure on them is crazy. Yeah. And it gets on a guy. Like, I see it all the time happen to guys who are expected to score two goals a night, and obviously they don't do it.

And it's draining for guys, for sure. Yeah. And you can't do that until you're 30 from 15 years old. There's certain guys you can. Yeah. Yeah, they're making 13 million. They're making 13. That's why. Exactly.

Right. But there's a lot of guys that are, I can get behind that. Where, when my last year of midget, I always laughed. I quit. I was done hockey. I was tired by my last year of midget. We didn't have Bannum Tripplay. We didn't have Midget AAA.

So all we had was Midget Double A and Bannum Double A, which was the top tier hockey in Lloyd at the time. And I was not the top player on either one of those teams by a far cry. My funnest year, by far was Bannum when I got coached by J.P. Kelly out of town, and he was, and Merv Man, for that matter, and they were by far the best coaches I've ever had, but we were a good team, too. And it was just before everybody kind of, I don't know, I don't know what's about that Bantamage group when you were talking that.

I feel like that's the big shift. Like, that's where you kind of have to decide whether you're going for it or you're not. I think that's just kind of the age where guys, kids are coming into their bodies. and it's kind of that time where you figure out if it's a game you really want to go for, if it's just for fun or if it's not for you. I feel like it might be right before that age. You think so? Because you're just there having fun with your buddies and you want to win

and you get a competitive group. It doesn't get so serious at that point. Like you're right on the verge. Like Lynn said, there's guys who are about to be the stud and leaving to go play at the WHL and are 15. but they're with their buddies they grew up with and like you're so close for the most part you play PBBWA you're going to play with the guys

in Bantam. So you have longer lasting relationships and I think that's the point where hockey kind of is competitive but it's a lot of fun and then that's when guys kind of leave and there's very few groups I think it's before the ego is coming to play there

there's very few groups like that what is it, the 99 group in Lloyd here? Yeah, yeah, that's... That's like unheard of because normally by the time you're at that age, you've all, if you're that good, you've all disappeared. Mm-hmm. Yeah, we were pretty lucky with our 94 group. We had a group that was together, I think, since Pee-wee all the way through Midget.

Not all the way through Midget, but for the majority of Midget, and we all stayed together, and we're all still friends and close, but there was five or six. of us who were highly competitive and were pretty strong hockey players. Yeah. And, I mean, you look back now, and we all had different guys pegged on where they were going to go and who is going to have these great hockey careers and doesn't always pan out the way it is. So, I mean, that's why I think the ban of draft and everything like that is a bit of a hoax

because you don't know what a 14-year-old kid's going to do at 18. I mean, it's pretty... They don't know what an 18-year-old kid's going to do at 21. I mean, I scouted for a summer. I helped Brooks out, and I've sat in those rooms. And, I mean, you know the for sure guys, but the guys who are those guys who are on the bubble, I mean, there's no way you can know what a guy's going to do.

It's all like, well, we'll see what he does next year. Yeah. So... A couple of the boys mentioned about... I forget who that was. It was a couple episodes ago. had mentioned that Quebec has a 16-year-old draft instead of a 14-year-old draft. It should be.

And I always thought that was intriguing because at 14, I mean, you're hitting a nail on the head. I mean, don't get me wrong, at 16, they're still going to keep growing. But, I mean, it gives you a couple more years to... Well, at 14, there are some kids, well, 14, I was 5 foot, nothing, 90 pounds, soaking wet. And then there was guys who were six, like, I guess they, they, felt like they're 6-4, they're probably 5-8, and they've already got their growth of growing. I've heard stories of guys who didn't go high in the draft

because scouts looked and his dad was small. It's like, well, yeah, he's 5-10 now, but his dad's small, he's not going to grow anymore. Like that stuff happens. And, I mean, it's obviously on a higher scale at the NHL draft, but half the time they just draft for size. They see a kid who's 6-2. at 14 and like,

whoa, this guy's going to be good here in a few years if he can grow into his body. We got a stud on her hands. That's half the time what they draft for us. They just draft size and hopefully they can teach skill. Yeah. So, I mean, not everybody's 6-2 at 14. So don't beat yourself up over it.

Well, most of us are five-foot. You don't grow any higher than that. Yeah, we've all got a few buddies for a little short. I was curious I mean What was you guys Maybe not your Well it could be your first training camp you went to

But do you remember Like both of you played for a lot of different teams So you've been through a lot of different training camps Is there any fun memories that stick out Or funny memories or both And where you were at? Yeah I got one I don't even know if you'll remember it

It was that midget team, the one we had the reunion for. So that year, we were such a good team, but we didn't really have anybody that was like your number one guy you're picking up. We had Ty Carey, who was a stud. Like, he was a man amongst boys. He was huge, and he ran the league. And he had every offer from every team.

But other than that, like, we all still kind of got a few. Spring camp, January. Spring camp. Yeah. And, like, we'd come in after practice, and our whole team would have a letter to White Cardoff. option with Bonneville or Shored Park or something like that. Like it was pretty funny.

But most of us ended up going to Bonneville. Are you talking to Spring Camp? Spring Camp. So the whole time I'd never been in a fight and I wanted to get into a fight. And... You haven't found a midget yet? Nope. No.

A guy like you... Oh, no. Oh, no. There was... There was... After fight video on. It hadn't been in a fight yet. No, I hadn't been in a fight yet.

Interesting. And I found a guy and we talked about... about it and I remember I told my mom was like I'm gonna get in a fight she says no you're not yeah I am she goes Lennon you're not getting in a fight I said mom there's literally nothing you can do to stop me to get into a fight out here she's like well if you get into a fight you can find your own way home I'm 15 obviously not driving head I'm there there's a few of the buddies right there and so I get into this fight and I win it whatever and

I remember I have my exit meeting and talk to the coach and he said, well, maybe not this year, but next year, if you're looking for something, we got a spot for you. Okay, yeah, cool. Go back, bigger, stronger, faster, same spiel. Everybody's heard. And I leave the room. Where's my mom?

She'd went home. So this was the first game, and there was six games, and that was at 1 o'clock, and Kenny's game was at, at 8 o'clock and he was my only ride home, so I'd just sit and be a rink rat for the rest of the day and watch all the games to get a ride home from Kenny. Broke my thumb. Broke my thumb in the fight, and my mom was so mad at me she didn't take me to the hospital. I'd define my own way.

Yeah, she doesn't quite like fighting, nor should she. Bless her soul. She must just turn the television off now. She must not watch many games of you. No, dad says she throws the blankets over her head when she, She's watching. If listeners want a treat and they're into, if they like seeing the knuckles chucked every once in a while,

they should look you up on YouTube, you got some good ones? Yeah, I don't know. It won't fight me, though. Yeah, I don't get a text from mom for about two days after I end up fighting, so she's not too happy, and that's her way of expressing her displeasure. Good for her. She'll be listening to this and I'll get a text.

That's all right. My mother texts me all the time. It's not a big deal. Yeah. That's what mothers do. Yeah. Nothing. Stories?

You play for a lot of different teams, man. Yeah. And I mean that as a compliment. I don't mean that as a suitcase kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah, I've been to a few NHL camps, went to a few in Calgary, and Bob Hartley for the one camp. camp. He was a screaming French man. He liked to scream. One of the drills, we were, when you go to

camp, it's three days. They have you there for, I think it's mandated. You only allowed to be at the rink for three hours or three and a half hours. It's kind of like the NHLPA has a thing. Written agreement. So they don't get stuck at the ring for eight hours and bagged. And so it's a pretty good little thing they have there. So what they'll do is that three and a half hours, like on the ice, off the ice in 10 minutes, get on your gear, you're going to work out, then you're back on a different sheet of ice after whatever your schedule is kind of like. But one of the, my first NHL camp went up and they did drill, Demon had to gap up to the red line and kind of foot race the guy backwards, see if you can skate backwards and angle and whatnot. And I had, uh, went

And Bob Hartley fucking blew down the whole practice. And I was like, what the hell? All right, that's kind of weird. And he gives me, like, the French, like, can you fucking rookie? Like, you didn't touch the red line? And I was like, and I made sure, like, I was touching the red line. Like, I knew that he's going to be watching for a young guy. And he goes, you think you're so fucking sick, blah, blah, blah.

Like, and I was, like, bite my tongue. And he goes, do it again. so everyone goes back and kind of embarrassed me. So this time I go two feet past the red line on the opposite side. Smart ass. Yeah, kind of probably as a, not the smartest thing, but I touched the red line that time. Beat the guy back and he kind of gave me a look.

And I was off to Stockton in a week. So it wasn't the smartest thing. But yeah. Then had a Vegas camp, that was more fun. off the ice than it was on ice. How did you get to Vegas? I hate to jump all the way there, but I had no idea you went to Vegas. Yeah, I signed American League deal with Chicago, and that was their affiliate.

So what they'll do with, they'll bring their American League guys up for NHL camp is pretty much spot fillers. Like, I'm not going there to make the Golden Knights. I'm there to fill a spot and take up some ice time in case they don't have enough guys kind of thing. so I knew I was there just to fill a spot and you you show up and they put you up in hotel they give you a per diem and so we get there I think they gave us 800 US you get 100 bucks a day or something and we were staying above the casino so that was gone within two hours I was a

quick per diem trying to double it up you're gonna eat good yeah I was eating out of my own own wallet the rest of the trip but tried to double it. So you go from playing in Loy, fellas. How do you get out to, I'm talking to Kenny now, how do you get out to Albany Valley? That's Vancouver Island, right? Yeah.

I'm thinking the right spot. Yeah, it's about 45 minutes west of the Nimo there. Yeah. We actually, Jim Crosson was, used to be, I think he was a manager or general manager. for the Bobcats back when we were in Midget. Okay. Now he's a scout with the Oilers.

Okay. So he had a connection to Alburny Valley and asked if I was wanting to go out there and I went out there. No, actually I went out for a spring camp to Salmon Arm and made the team out of spring camp, but then their coach left midsummer. So Jim Crosson kind of made a phone call for me to Albany saying, hey, this kid made salmon arm out of spring camp do you guys want them so knew someone someone knew him and then uh yeah ended up going uh alberney valley and uh that's how i kind of ended up there i was living on the

island i loved it is alberny's a smaller place probably 10 15 000 people but we had a nice rink travel on the island like what two hours to victoria uh there's nanaimo couch and Powell River was an hour ferry ride and then everything else was a ferry to the Vancouver area but I had a lot of fun in the first year in the BCHL. You were only there one year, right? Yep. Went from BCHL, then I went to the USHL. And why did you make the switch?

I didn't even know what the USHL was, to be honest. Could you go to, where, Omaha? Omaha, yeah, they saw me playing and invited me to come down to a spring camp there. And I was like, well, I'm already playing Junior A. I'm not going to go play Junior A in like the States. But then the coach said, well, are you trying to get a scholarship to go play college? And I was like, well, yeah, like I went to junior thinking go play junior for a couple years, come back home and work.

Like I wasn't planning on getting a. scholarship and so on. Like that was never part of the big plan, I guess, for me. I just went there to prolong the real world, I guess, and ended up doing well and then got some attention from the USHL and they said, well, if you want a scholarship, we had 20 guys on our team last year of D1 scholarships. And I was like, it's a little bit better than four on our team. So I think that has to do with the league there, and just it's a lot easier for a scout and NCAA to go drive four hours or drive two hours of the airport, get on a plane for six, travel around BC or Alberta.

It's a little bit easier to scout the states than it is the U.S. A lot of times guys don't even play a game and they sign their D1 scholarship. this is because who they're playing with in the USHL is who their coach knows. It's pretty well known that if you go there, you're going to be getting a scholarship unless you... I think when I walked in the room, there was four other guys without a D1 scholarship in the USHL. I think we had a preseason tournament and I had four offers after two games there. So it's like a little... I had a good showing, I guess.

I'm not, I wasn't chipping pucks off the glass and what's wrong with that? I was just going to say what's from chipping the puck off the glass. Made a living or not? I, I, yeah, I guess. Shit talker. No, like, yeah, it was a little easier road to get there. It's still impressive, right? Like, I mean, you go from Lloyd to Burning Valley to Omaha to play, to play.

playing the next year for Western Michigan. Yep. How old are you at this time? I was, it had been my 20-year-old. I went into college as a 20-year-old. No, yeah, 20-year-old, because I turned 21 and I was in the dorms, so we could bring beer in the dorms. That's how you remember it.

And we'd get shit from the RAs there. They'd be like, you guys can't have beer. 21. So, yeah, that's, I played. My last year, junior, I guess, would have been my first year of college. So how old when you left home then? Were you still in high school? No, I played all three years midgette.

All three years of midget. Yeah, because I, my second year midget, I was a forward. I didn't score a goal. I was playing AAA, and I was fourth line, just riding the pine. I almost quit that year. I was just going to quit hockey and do something else, but ended up playing midgett AAA my last year, and that's when I played with Lyndon as when he was a 15-year-old,

because I'm two years older than London. And I got the experience of that, which was good. How would you, Mr. Springer? How do you get out? Because you can go to Prince George, don't you? Yeah, that was a wild. You were undrafted and ban them. Then you go on to play Midget AAA.

Maybe we should talk about Midget, trip line for a second here because you guys keep bringing up how good yeah that's a good that's a good story sure actually yeah we had a we went pretty far we thought we should have our moderate goal was to win nationals that year and to be honest we had the team to do it we were undefeated for until end of november we had a great team tap i think that was tap's first year head coaching yeah and he came in and just changed everything. He said, everything you guys have learned, system-wise, we're not doing it.

We're doing something different. I remember it's the first time we've ever seen this forecheck, and we went up to this pre-season tournament in St. Albert, and we played CAC, and we were in their zone for 12 minutes straight. And from then on, everybody was kind of like, oh, okay. This is going to work. This is, like, I'll go on on record. I'm friends with all the guys on the team.

We did not have anybody individual that was, like, head above foot, way, way, way better than anyone else in the league. Like, that's not why we were number one. We didn't have, like, the All-Star team. We just all bought in. We had two great goalies. We had good decor. And we had a bunch of forwards who just worked hard.

And that, I'll still say, hands down, that's the hardest I've ever worked in a year of hockey in my life. Because we were winning, and Tapp had nothing to punish us for. I think we didn't skate Mondays. Every single Tuesday skate, we bag skated for 30 minutes. And we would sweep weekends, and we would bag skate, and we would bag skate, and we'd bag skate. And he'd find excuses. Furkus didn't have his mouth guard in this weekend. We're skating.

Like, stuff like that. Like, ridiculous. But then, I guess I don't know how much I should say, but we should have won it all. And then we had a little too much fun at a birthday party during the finals weekend. but yeah I mean it's still the best time of all our lives I think we all talk about it all the time still

like we all talk about 10 years ago instead of what we did this past winter it's just kind of great memories when you say the finals week you mean like the league finals yeah we played red deer they were a good team but yeah we we only won one game in the finals I guess it was best of five

but yeah we lost out in the finals there and I don't think they're was anyone in the room who wasn't fucking crying. Oh, man. I can still tell you what songs are playing in the room. Yeah, we had a pretty close team. Yeah, we had three of my best friends are from that team. Yeah.

So it's, I've never been on team like that since. But that's minor hockey, though, right? I mean, junior, you don't all grow up together. Pro, you're doing it for a job, and you're still close, but it's a job. But that's probably the last time where, You're playing for fun and you're close. Those teams are always special, I think, and they always will be for us. It's interesting because my second year junior out in Dryden was the best team for closeness and, like, camaraderie,

and still very good friends with lots of those guys. Yeah. And I have fond memories of that team. Part of that's winning. We went far enough. Part of that's coaching. best coach you ever had that year. We guys talk about TAP is the way I talk about Lerwin-O-Toniac.

Yeah. Tap is unbelievable. I mean, you look what he's doing for the city now. Like, I don't know if there's a more impactful guy in the hockey scene in Lloyd. I mean, you talk about the 99 group. Those guys were always going to be good, but I don't know that any of them were going to be what they're going to be without TAP. I mean, he's had those kids since, what, Pee-wee?

And they've been under his wing, and they still, every single one of those guys. comes to his skates in the summer and they're loyal. And because it works. I mean, you look at how many kids were drafted in that Bannum draft in that first round. It's how good of a team they had that Clayton coached. Those are all Tapp's kids. He was their mentor. And I mean, I think if Tapp came earlier in some of our careers,

no saying what could happen or whatever. No, I'm kidding. But, no, I mean, he's a great. coach and he he took a lot of flack for what he did and I give him credit for hanging in there a lot of parents didn't like the way he coached they didn't like how hard we were being pushed they didn't like their kids getting yelled at after games because we're winning and they're scoring goals he doesn't care which is great I mean just because you score a goal doesn't mean you're not doing something wrong or this or that or you're not accountable for

your mistakes and Kyle really open the door or open our eyes to what the hockey world really is like and I'll always give them credit for grooming me and giving us probably the best year hockey that I'll probably ever have. Yeah, that's pretty well said. I mean, I wouldn't be where I am today without Tap. No. Tapp's going to take this last three minutes, clip that, and use that for his next hockey game. Yeah, he told us to say that.

He gave us some cash in the way out. Oh, yeah, well, Mr. Tapp, you know, he was, uh, I'm too old. When I came back from playing in Finland, I came back and skated with the I HD as a, like, just like, I don't even know what to call it. It was just helping on ice pushing pucks. Some of the things he was doing back then, I couldn't do, right? Like, I just, my body didn't know how to do it. Yes, I still can't do what he's doing.

I mean, if he's a lot of credit for the shit he puts up with parents, I think that's the worst thing with hockey. his parents but he does a good job on ice and good job kind of keeping parents away I guess and well he's been doing it for how many years now

yeah I think when he first came to Lloyd's his first year he kind of had a a group full where with us his first year he had some parents to deal with and he was still producing us on ice so yeah kind of good for him that's one thing I'd love to coach and I love to coach in town,

but I don't know if I could put up with that. And, I mean, we're close with Kujo, and I know he took a lot of heat from parents. And, I mean, I'd have trouble holding my tongue a lot of times. And, I mean, I give them credit for, nope, this is the way I'm doing my business, and this is how it's going to be if you don't like it. Fine.

So give those guys credit. Minor hockey's been that way. And I don't know, I'm just going to, I'm just going to, Lloyd, but I mean in general, like back since I played Bannam, which is a long time ago now, I still remember being the best team in the league, winning league that year, and parents still not being happy about players ice time. Yeah, no, I know. And you go, but you're winning.

Which is crazy at that age that that's an issue, but it always will be and it definitely always has, and we all saw it growing up, so it doesn't change. I mean, it just changes from from parents saying that to agents to players themselves. How to change topics a little bit? How on earth do you get out to Prince George? Do you get, because you don't go in the Bannum draft, you play midget, you guys have this amazing year.

So you get picked up while you're having the amazing year then? Yep. Yeah, I know exactly what game it was too. It was, well, I started getting some interest. just basically from our team, right? Team success, which I think is a great lesson that I learned. Yeah, we were in Lethbridge, and they were number two team. And this was, we ended up losing this game, but we had three defensemen to start the game. We played the Buffalo's night before, and one guy was already hurt or suspended, and we had two guys get hurt that night, so we had three

defensemen, and Tapp asked us if we were good to go, and I think it was me, you, and Mike McKay. and we played the whole game. Three defensemen. Yeah. We played 3D the whole game, and we held them to a goal the whole game. And, like, how we did it, I don't know. Oh, Conner Creach is between the pipes.

Connor Creach, yeah. But, yeah, I think we lost, I think we lost 1-0 or 2-1, something like that. And it was after that game, we had our team banquet, whatever it was, Team Meal. Dean Moizen came up to me and he said Vancouver Giants are going to list you

I was ecstatic That was always the team when I was growing up Like they were They were the top dogs So when I heard that I was fired up I was really excited And so I Okay I didn't know

I was just along for the ride I didn't know what was happening And it was Two weeks later I asked Dean I said So what's going on Like I had nobody's talked to me He goes

Prince George hasn't talked to you said no he said well they said they they listed you and they talked to you 10 days ago certainly haven't I haven't talked to anybody I didn't know what's going on

because well check your email check your text checked everything not on it go my Facebook messenger and their head of scouting message me on there hi Lyndon so and so from the Prince George Cougars we've listed you that was it

really that was it it was the weirdest situation so yeah that was that and prince george has itself was probably the biggest circus i've ever been a part of we were last place in the CHL and i was the worst player on the team like i was a defenseman i played forward the entire year and had he was a good coach he was a good good coach dean clark but he's very 1970s like i had a rule i couldn't come off the ice until I hit two guys like just stuff like that like I had one role and it was off the glass and hit people like and that's I was just just piece of meat and I hated it so I think it was a mutual agreement that I would leave the next year I didn't want to do it he wanted me to fight 30 times the next year both of our fighters were gone and I mean I was a kid still I was I would

have been 18 and maybe six foot maybe 170 pounds and he wanted me to fight everybody and I I think that was probably for the best that I left there and came back to Lloyd and, yeah, started the whole Lloyd deal, which was fun. Well, that is the year I, the year I'm back, but that's the year I do the color commentating with Harris. Yeah, yeah. And I got to watch you guys first hand. That year, you guys were fantastic. Would that have been, well. That would have been my second year then.

I think. It would have been your last year, junior. My last year junior, yeah. So I played three in Lloyd in my first year, same thing. You played all three years in Lloyd? Yeah. I didn't know that. Yeah, I played three years in Lloyd.

My first year, brutal again. We were last place. Didn't win a game until something like December. It was tough, tough year again. Next year we were really good. another one of those teams that were all still close. Yeah, I think we lost out kind of first, second round, playoffs type of thing.

Third year was awesome. That was the same group of guys that have been together with since my 18-year, three years there. We had a group of six or seven of us, I think, that had been along for the whole ride. And we had big expectations going in, got a new coach, Gord Tibado. He was awesome.

It was a great playing for him. He was junior A legend, so I learned a lot from Gord, and we were doing real well. We were just a point or two behind Spruce Grove. And I think it was in the summer that they announced that they had got the RBC Cup, and we were all excited. But then we realized, oh, shit, like... That's next year.

That's year after us, so, like, if we do anything good, like, we're gone. So there's always kind of that dark. cloud over us no matter how good we did that we were always going to be gone and as a group of five we had countless meetings probably two a week expressing how much we wanted to stay in lloyd and make a run for it we we beat spruce at least every game but one that year and we handled them and we did we were great we had a great team but the whole thing was next year next year like they didn't They didn't have a huge priority on winning it that year, which was kind of frustrating. But, yeah, near the deadline, Gord came in and talked to all of us.

I think he had five of us in the office, and he goes, right, you're all getting traded. I'm going to give you a list of teams that's interested. And you guys tell me where you want to go, which, I mean, give him credit. Not a lot of guys do that, which is great. he could have sent us to some pretty crappy places and got a lot better players, but he knew that we were all kind of career guys in Lloyd, and we did a lot for the community and did a lot for the team. So he gave us a choice, and he gave me a choice between Fort Mac,

which I laughed at him. I said I would never go there because that was our biggest rival. And Fort Mac Camrose, Nanaimo, or Brooks, and I said Brooks, hands down. Like that would, that'd be awesome. I'd love to go to Brooks. And, yeah, then morning skate. We were playing Spruce Grove that night.

And he called me into the office, Springs. Come on in. He goes, all right, you're traded. I said, okay, where to? He said, I don't know. What do you mean? You don't know. I don't know.

Go talk to Gary. He knows that he's got the deal done, okay. So get undressed and go. Yeah, on your way to Brooks. that was that. Do you ever just look back? I'm always curious because I watched you guys that year, and I remember telling Harris time and time again,

like, you guys got a real shot at winning this. Yeah. Like a real shot. And I haven't watched enough of the Bobcats over the years to know if they had a real shot most years. But that year you guys had a shot. I watched you play Spurs. I watched you play cameras.

I watched you just handle team after team after team, and you're just built really well. Yeah, I think we had a really good group of forwards. Everybody was consistent all the way through, and we had good decor, and we had the best goal in the league, and Gord had been to the finals and won at how many countless times. I will always say that I was super disappointed that we didn't try and make that work. I think we were a trade in an addition away from winning it that year,

and I know all of us are still really bitter about it, about how it ended, and kind of left a sour taste in our mouth for, for what it was and what it could have been, but at the same time it's a business, and the only thing that I really regret about the whole thing is that out of all of the guys that were traded for, out of the five of us, there was only one player playing in the RBC Cup final when they played

that was a part of those trades. So they, whether they didn't do them well or what happened or guys didn't show up, It was just... So you're saying all the guys they brought in through the trades they made for you guys, only one of that guys made the Royal Bank Cup final. One of the actual players,

so there was obviously futures and everything like that, there was only one guy who played. So that was tough to see the next year. I mean, I wouldn't have cared if they traded and they had all these guys come in and they'd do great things for them. But to see that was kind of tough, it was tough for me, but it was tough watching my buddies who were still on the team, too.

So, I mean, there was a group of five or six of us that were super close and still are, and the only guy that didn't get traded was the goalie, who was our best buddy, Devin Green. And he was basically left for the wolves, left with this skeleton team. And he was facing 50, 60 shots a night and still took him somehow into game six or seven of the second round. Yeah. So, yeah, that was an interesting ordeal because we thought. Here's my question. You go to Brooks.

This is a question for both you. Because I hear from both you the business, it's a business, it's a business, it's just a job, it's a business, blah, blah. What separates Brooks specifically then? And this can go for any team you've played for a Kenny, because there's teams out there that make it, not feel like that, especially at the junior A level. I'm surprised that that is the take that, well, I shouldn't say I'm surprised, but that's what I get from both years, that it's a business, even at the junior A level, was surprised me because I never ever thought.

I might have been insulated at that age. I'm not sure. My first two years out in Dryden night, I was insulated with Larry B in there. He was best coach who ever had. He treated us like pros, and I'm sure he thought of it as a business, but I never felt like that. I never had to experience what you guys have gone through. But you go to Brooks.

Brooks in the last 15 years, 12 years of the AJ, is probably, well, them or spruce, right? Yeah, it's always been them two in the finals. So what do they do differently? I think it's simple. I think it's just organization and reputation. they've had great fundamentals of an organization. They knew what they wanted to do from day one when Papuano took over.

He's built himself a culture, I think, which is the biggest thing. Guys know when they get traded there, when they go there to camp, they know what they're going to get. And I also, a big believer in the later stages now since I've been gone, is they've been known for turning teams over for Div, div one scholarships, which is a huge, huge incentive for kids to want to go and play there. They know that basically, if they go to Brooks, they're a farm team to any Div one school they want, because first and foremost, they're going to go more than likely to the RBC Cup.

They're going to get all these looks from all these teams. They're going to be playing with great players or playing under this great coach who has all of these connections, and it's an easy decision. Do you go there? Do you go to Canmore? Do you go wherever? It's pretty black and white if you're serious about hockey and you want to make something to yourself, that's where you go.

But to be honest, when I got traded there, I was pretty pissed off for about a day, and that turned into excitement as soon as I was on the road. I got there and it was rolled out the red mat for me, had a three-hour conversation with Papalian. and he asked me what I wanted out of it and I asked him what he wanted out of it and we had a great relationship for the whole three four months I was there and it's just how they run their team I mean it's it was ran better than most Western league teams I've ever seen or gone to camps for they

they've got everything you need there his his biggest thing he says is we'll give you everything you need to win games all we ask for a turn is 100% effort and that's honestly two hours a day, it's not that hard. And that's this vague thing. And guys there who have played there, they hold all the new guys coming into a higher standard. This is how we do things. This is how we win. This is who we are.

If you don't like it, get lost. And that's who they are, and that's why they're so successful. And there's not a lot of teams like that. Like Spruce Grove is the same way. They're an institution. You ever played for anything like that, Ken? I mean, in junior, I never really experienced the business parts that you're talking about until I got to the pros. Junior, it kind of felt like I was playing junior.

Kind of like you was kind of maybe oblivious to the business side. The business to it, I guess. But yeah, if you get a group, I guess when I was at Western, Andy Murray is our coach there, and he kind of ran it like Lennon was saying how Brooks would. he gave you everything you needed and they just expected the best from you and they'd give everything for you to succeed there so if you get a culture and you get the right group of guys and that that culture in the room it makes it pretty easy for you on and off ice here's a hypothetical question for both you if tomorrow we got to take over we'll call

it we'll talk we'll say it's the bobcats and What would be the first things you'd do to change To turn it into a Brooks, to an institution, To whatever you want, where you're, you just got, Because I always hear from, well, actually, you know what? I shouldn't even say I'm always hearing. I'm starting to see it, right? There's a lot of talented players from Lloyd

That go elsewhere, or have a pipeline elsewhere. I don't even mean it as, as like, the coach overlooks them. The scouting staff overlooks them. There's times where they're just, they got guys hounding them from different towns. I've heard it. Now, a bunch of times, right? And there's times you get overlooked, right?

I mean, but as we just talked about for a while, if you're a 14-year-old kid, that's going to happen. But at the same token, Lloyd rate now is the same as how many teams are in the A.J. I don't know. There's only two that come to mind, and Camrose used to be number three. And maybe Camrose has come back a little bit, but my day Camrose was the team. Back when Camrose was that, it was for McMurray, I think, too. Yeah, Ford McMurray is in there too.

And Okotokes is now kind of in that conversation a little bit. I think in Lloyd, though, I mean, for me, I was 18 when I had a chance to play junior. Okay. I wanted to get out of Lloyd. I was graduating. Yeah. I wanted to leave Lloyd. It wasn't just for hockey.

It was like, I want to get out of my parents' basement and go see the world. Yeah, experience living on the own, learn how to do my own laundry. Like, I was pretty baby living at my house. he asked any of my friends I had it pretty easy so I think getting away from home and kind of learning what it's like to live

I guess away from your parents or was kind of a priority for me where if you if you scout the kids in Lloyd early enough I think they're the Bobcats it with the Leslie kid

yeah Jansen's little brother he's 16 now yeah I think he's signed with Bobcats that's what they need to do if they want to keep the talent in the city. Because else you get a guy like me who's 18,

I don't care if you're going to win the championship this year. You want to get away. I want to go chase girls on Vancouver Island and see something different, you know? Like, just get out and experience that and meet new friends and not just be in my hometown, I guess. Yeah, I think that's. That's a good way to put it.

I know my year coming out when we had that 94 group where we all could have played basically anywhere we wanted in junior A. And I was the only one who picked Lloyd, strictly because I knew if I worked, if I played in Lloyd, I could work. So I wanted to make money on the side when I was working, and I knew that our schedule was 2 o'clock practices, so I knew that I could fit in six hours before practice. What the heck were you doing for six hours before practice every day? I worked out of oil field job.

Doing what? I was like pipe fitting, yeah. Really? Yeah. Who'd you do that for? It was AMP then, then it was AMP, and then they switched to Clearstream, and now it's Linko. Oh, wow.

But yeah, did that. You were a very unique individual to play Junior A hockey. Yeah. want to work for six hours before you go to practice. And then I... I was thinking the same thing. Then I worked for Kiva, concrete. Oh, yeah.

And then I poured concrete for, I don't know, four or five years. Boy, boy. Yeah, oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Then I'd do that in the mornings, too. After that year, when I was 1920, I'd work and pour concrete and go to practice. It was awesome.

Like, I didn't feel like I was sacrificing because, After my 18-year-old year, I didn't have the greatest taste for hockey. I didn't have a good coach. Our team wasn't good and just wasn't good atmosphere. I was going to quit and just work. I was going to start my journeyman pipe fitter or everything. But I knew that if I was going to play my 19-year-old year, I had a long talk with my dad about it.

He said, well, you don't have to give up work to go play as you can do that. So I hated the feeling of not being broke, but not being able to do what I wanted to do, I guess, with have some extra stuff. And so that helped a lot with being at home and being able to work. So that was my big decision. But I know a lot of guys, they'd played in Lloyd forever,

and they were, I don't know how many of even went to Spruce, like six or seven guys I played with. And they had their dynasty there of Lloyd guys. in spruce and they were an institution forever based off Lloyd guys. They just had TJ Lloyd get defensemen of all of Canadian Junior A hockey. Yeah, exactly. So why do guys go there? Because a few guys started going there.

Yeah. Then their buddies are there. Then their buddies are there. Then their buddies are there. And it'll stay like that probably for a while. And that's just how it goes. And I know exactly why it started is because that, coach when I was 18

cut Cole Nicholson, Connor James every single Lloyd prospect the first round of cuts cut them whether they were going to make that team or not that year which more than likely had a shot at it

cut them sour taste in their mouth they all go to spruce and they made spruce? I don't know if they all made it that year but they definitely signed with them and played up with them, and then the next year they were their studs. And we were absolutely licking our wounds. Big whoops.

That group from Irma, they have the, when Jane McKee was there, he's from Irma too, so they had that connection. Oh, yeah, yeah,

which helped out a lot. But they give them credit, they did want to come to Lloyd. They tried out in Lloyd first. Yep. So that's how that happened. Well, boys, we're going to take a quick break,

because I have to pee. Okay. Perfect. All right. So we're back. We're talking about the Clippers and Lakers and Quineard and whatever. And I was just saying that on sports betting, they already got them ranked number one for winning the championship,

the L.A. Clippers, because they got Quai Leonard, and now they got whatever, Paul or whoever going there. Paul George. Yeah, Paul George, thank you. You can tell I watch a lot of basketball. You got me fired up now. Because they got them ranked number one. They haven't played a game together.

You have no bloody idea if they're going to self-explode or self-implode, right? And I guess we'd always bug me about where we're going back with the Junior A and everything, right? Was you were in your third year playing with that core group of guys, and when you get a core group, and you get them all pulling the same direction, you don't know when that's going to come around again. Exactly.

We all just talked about, well, for you guys, it was midget. Right? Like, you guys played a crap ton of hockey. For it not to happen again is something, right? Yeah. But I think we've all kind of realized that it probably won't. I mean, you'll have your great groups, but as close as, I mean, everybody has that one team. Everybody has that one team where they look back on them, like, that was the close.

Yeah, that was special. And, I mean, everyone's going to have great years still, but I don't know that we'll ever come across a year like that. Sometimes I think you just got to get out of the way of a team and just let him go play hockey. Mm-hmm. That damn RBC Cup, man. Like, now that I'm not on the radio talking about, you know, they had to make moves for next year, right? Like, that's something I had to regurgitate because, you know,

it makes sense from a business standpoint. I'm putting that in quotes. Watching guys play that year, having a shot to actually have a shot. Guys who built the foundation for it, yeah. Right? And watching them for three years go? It's like, why not give them a chance of going? Why not bring him one piece?

you're hosting the Royal Bank Cup next year. You should be able to go around anywhere you want and be like, hey, you should come play for us. Why? Well, we're going to host the Royal Bank Cup this year. And when we do, you can play and you're going to get great looks. Like, who wouldn't want to come play for that? Yeah, and that was the year too.

I think I still don't know that they've had attendance. Like, they've had that. We were selling out games there in the Civic. And just the whole buzz around town, it was great. Like, we were big in the community as well. Like, we did a lot of school visits. did a lot of different stuff around the community. We had that real team vibe, and it just kind of had that feeling that got swept from under us and kind of sold out.

And I don't mean to bring it back all the way there, and I'm not trying to rag on the bobcats. I'm really not. No. I'm trying to rag on the process. The process of hockey. Like, sometimes you just got a, like, if you got the special group, you got the special group. Yeah. and not everybody you know in order to build the brooks they had to have had at some point

somebody come in and grab a group and let them kind of build and then once you get there then you can start bringing people in under them yeah exactly because you don't have six 18 year olds come in and go hey this is how we do it and right that comes from being mature and older and top down not bottom up yeah and that's like like you said like that conversation i had with papuana and when I first got traded when I came in there, I asked him what he wanted to me when I was there. And he said, honestly, the biggest thing that we need in our room right now

is to someone to bring our younger and our older guys together. He said, if you add anything onto the ice, which we know you will, that's a plus. But right now that's what our issue is. They were in second place, I think, when I got traded there, and Camrose was in first, and they were a better team than Brooks was. and that's what he said

and so the first thing I went in there to do is went and hung out with all the young kids and I was a 20-year-old kid and all the 20-year-old older guys saw that and I still remember the exit meeting and I was the last one to have my meeting and he said, Linden just want you to know and I still think this is probably

one of my favorite things in my hockey career is that he said, I just want you to know that half the guys asked, when asked what the biggest change of this year was was when we brought you in, not because you won us games on the ice or scored goals, but you kind of showed us that we had to be a team and that you hung out with the young guys, brought the young guys in, even if they weren't playing.

But that was always really cool to hear. And I think that was a big testament to the group that we had in Lloyd. And it wasn't like I was going out of my way, really, to do it. It's just kind of how we'd always done things in Lloyd. Like we were always that close-knit, fun team to be on. and so that was kind of what they what they what they what they do and they bring guys in i hate to dwell on it right but like just to hear it over and over again right like like dang and witness your guys team you know that you talk about you're you had a good group

of forwards on that bobcat team you had a good group of forwards you had you know strong defense and best goalie the thing that sticks out in my mind about that entire team is how good your defense was. It was deep. And a team would come in and you guys would just pass the puck, bang back out the other way. It just happened over and over and over and teams get frustrated. Man, it was impressive watch. It was fun to talk about

on there because I'm like, I'm there. I didn't realize Junior A could be this good. Like, I didn't think Deeb could be that good. Now I'm pumping his tires and he started to. Hey? You're sitting there sleeping over there. It's okay to relive the glory days every once in a long can.

sucks this afternoon. You didn't come watch our skate today. Hey boys, I forgot to mention or about to bring up, both you guys would have had billets at some point, yes? Yeah, yeah. I always like to bring up billets, and if you just want to give them a shout-out,

if you want to talk about them a bit, because, I mean, for me, my billets became my second family. I moved away from home for three straight years, had the same family that were unreal. So shout out to the Lane family. family if they continue to listen and continue to get I pump their tires every time. But that's how good they were to me. Yeah, they were fantastic.

So we've been leaving Kenny quiet for a while. How about you, Kenny? Yeah, I had a good Billet family in Albany Valley, the Messicks. They were an older couple. I had a daughter who was 30 and I guess that's what age. You can put them in the bracket. I guess they're 67 years old. They were really good.

She kind of let us come late for curfee a few times, which is nice. Then I had a roommate there from Calgary, Conrad Lidke, and I've never seen a guy shotgun beer so fast. And I went to college, so shout out to him, I guess. Not for his hockey, but for his ability to shotgun. Yeah, he was a good guy. Then Omaha, I had a family. I moved in Omaha and had a military family.

I called them, hey, I'm going to be late. I'm at dinner with another billet family. The food's late, blah, blah. I'll be there, like, I'll be there 11, 10. Curfee's 11 is after a game. And I got there, and they called the billet, called on me, and said I was late, and the whole team got bags to get the next day. And so I moved out of there the next week.

And moved to a different family in Omaha, and I had a really good experience at the next house. it was a pretty good it's a good family the leonards in omaha were really good they had four labs so i was happy yeah yeah i only had one year of

being a in a billet family i don't know if i should tell these stories or not um yeah well we we billeted um our house we billeted

so when i was young i remember we had we had some guys in there that's like when chris web was playing blazers that's when it was blazers still we were billeting so we had billets and throughout midget we took kids in and but i i had only billeted for one year that was my hearing prince george and i had a lot of fun out there and uh yeah i probably could have been part of the mutual agreement for me to go home but i got i got the boot for my one billet um We called it our last place party.

We were second last in our league, and Everett was last place. And the last place team in our league was the last place in CHL. So we got swept by Everett at home, like pumped bad, both games. So we decided we were going to throw a party as teams too. and um so i yeah i don't know so when i was 15 they took me out and we had a good time and they took me to a party and got me all drunk and had a great time right just bring the new kid out so i figured that i should do that which i was only 17 i don't know why i thought i should do that but we had the young kid staying with us and he was 15 so we took him out to a party and yeah we we got back

very late and my billet was a cop and The wife was very strict, and they had two young kids, but I texted the dad and said, we're having a party. I'm going to be late. I'll talk to you in the morning. Yep, that's fine. Okay. Apparently his wife didn't get the message, and she was sitting there waiting for us when we came home at 5 in the morning,

and I got chewed out pretty good, as one does. And 7 o'clock, I get a knock on my door, and Lyndon, your head coach is on the phone. I was like, yeah, yeah, whatever. It just went back to bed. Bang, bang, bang. Lennon, your coach is on the phone. I was like, okay, whatever. I pick up the phone.

Lennon? Yeah, Clarkie? You got half an hour to get the whole team at the rink. If you're late, you're going home. Oh, okay. And, like, if you know Prince George, like, it's spread out. Like, the farthest drives about 25 minutes from the rink. So I called my captain.

I said, Jesse, we got to get everybody at the rink. My billets found out about the party. We got to get everybody there. somehow remarkably everybody got there like this is seven in the morning after a 5 a.m. Bedtime, so we got everybody there and we sat in the dressing room for three hours in complete silence until we all got called into the room individually and we went in their numerical order. And my best friend of the team was number three and I was number four. And he comes out there laughing.

He was like in there for two minutes and he goes, you are screwed man. That's what do you mean. He said, there's a board of everything you've done wrong this year. There's a board on there. I mean, it was pretty minor stuff, but, yeah. I got the two hours talking to and left the billets and went to another billet. That one wasn't my fault, but that one was a little weird. So I had three billets that year.

The last one was pretty good. They were great, but yeah, my billet experience. I think there was a common denominator. My billet experience wasn't too good. Oh, I was a shithead for sure. I mean, a 17-year-old kid, first time moving away from home. I'm pretty sure there's some common stories out there, but, yeah, I was pretty immature, but at the same time, I think it all happened for a reason, so, yeah.

How about volunteering, fellas? I always like to talk about volunteering as well. I always had really good experiences out in Dry, and we were always part of the community. We always went to the schools. did a lot in the community. And I think personally, a general level, I'm not sure if it should be younger, higher, whatever, but should be involved in the community

and support the community that were part of. Did you guys have a similar experience where you played, or was there special things that you guys did as teams in the community? Yeah, I mean, when I was in Albany, we would go to the, we'd go to the, school twice a week. And if we weren't at the elementary school reading or helping kids with their, or trying to help them with their math, it'd be at the rink just to get out of bed so we weren't sleeping until noon and going to the rink at two. So I think that was

kind of to keep us out of trouble from staying up past midnight, but also be in the community to get the Albany Valley Bulldog name out there that we're trying to do well and you're showing the community support, hoping they'll support you as well. Yeah. And then Omaha, we'd have some events for sponsors we'd have to go to. Not as much involvement in the schools because Omaha is such a big place. Yeah. But, yeah, Albany was definitely good for community involvement.

How about when you're playing for Michigan? Western, we, what did we? I don't think we had very much volunteering. involvement with schools. They had hockey schools throughout the summer. Oh, yeah, yeah. And then, it's like the booster club.

We'd have events, like skates, and that's where you'd go out with the kids and hold their hands and skate for an hour and kind of do that on a Sunday as a thank you and to be involved with the fans. So those little kids' hands were holding. not college girls. You'd get in trouble for that.

Yeah, we did a lot of school visits, stuff like that, like different, we'd always go hand out season ticket holders. We'd personally go hand them out, which is cool. Yeah, just stuff to make... Sure, that was in Lloyd? Yeah. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, so I knew a lot of the people just from growing up here,

which was always cool. Take the ones where you know and take some buddies along with you. But we'd always do that, and that would take us about a day. We'd all split up into different trucks and go. But we did a lot of school visits and stuff, which was always pretty fun because I knew a lot of the teachers and stuff like that. So it's always kind of a weird situation. Like, it's, I don't know how you feel about it.

Like, I don't like the whole... I understand it because I was a kid, and I still remember when the Blazers came into our school, like it was a big deal, right? But I don't like being looked at like that, but I understand it. So I understand it's very important and it's good to come out and I enjoy doing it,

but I just don't like being that guy. So I think it took a while to get over that part of it and know that it was just a part of it and it's not like, not you in the spotlight per se, but it's obviously for the kids. So, yeah, we did a lot, and the last few years definitely done a lot more than we ever have because hockey, as you know,

isn't really prominent in England. What do you do over in England? My first year, I did like three school visits a week. Really? Yeah, two to three a week and go, we'd go all over. we go anywhere from an hour and a half away we'd drive everywhere and we'd go and teach kids about hockey and teach them about different aspects of sports healthy eating you name it like we had a whole

hour-long spiel that we would we would do and ask questions and yeah it was always pretty cool i mean none of these kids knew what hockey was so that was pretty cool what's the what's the funniest question you've been asked by a kid oh man like there's so many but It's always, the most common question is, have you ever broken a bone or something? Yeah, they've been asked quite a bit. Yeah, they always get pretty freaked out when you tell them all your injuries and stuff like that. But, no, they always ask you, over there, they always ask you what team you support for football, like soccer.

So, yeah, it's kind of just a part of the territory now, I think. So it's fun to do. what's been the biggest jump fellas from going from junior level to the pro level I had it kind of a little bit easier than I would say Linden because I went from junior to college and then college to pro wasn't that big of a step up on ice there's more talent wise you're talking yeah it was more of a step up

I think the college game was a little faster to be honest than the American League was Because college guys would run around with their heads cut off with Cajian. Sorry. And I got, I had a really good coach in college who would prepare you for the pro level. He coached in the NHL for almost 20 years. So he knew what it took to be a pro and kind of helped me that way, to help have me ready for when I was ready to leave college.

That was an easy transition. So the game and pro for me, my first couple years, was not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm not saying I went in there. I didn't go in there and light it up by any means, but it was easier than I thought it was, I guess. An open way to say it, I guess. Yeah. Did you only go to college for two years? Three years.

Three years? Yeah. So I went, I guess, freshman, sophomore, junior, and then, uh, Yeah, I left after my junior year there. Why did you leave after your junior year? I think it was the right timing. In college, if you play your senior year and you don't light it up and aren't a stud, you don't have the, I guess, the extra year to fall back on.

When you're in negotiations with teams, you can say, well, if you're not going to offer them this money or this opportunity, then he's going to go back to a senior year. But if you're a senior and you graduate and say you had a really good year, they know that you have to leave to play pro. You can't go and play another year of college.

So when I left, it was the right timing and I went to school to play hockey and I wanted to play an NHL as my next goal and had the right opportunity and things seem to be kind of lining up for me, and you're not going to say no to an HL deal. You can always finish your schooling, but you can't always get a contract.

Have you finished your schooling? No, I have not. You always can, but I haven't. I'm working on that. I'm signing up for online, if I can get that done over the next couple of years. How excited were you when you signed your NHL deal? Yeah, it was pretty,

Pretty good. I was in my, I was actually by myself in my apartment room and everyone, I think it was like a Friday night or something, everyone was already at the bars party. And then I went in and had a conversation with my college coach that, hey, I'm signing with Calgary. Thanks for everything. Then I had to run around to the FedEx store to fax in my contract. My contract getting signed and a lot of these places were closed. So I was freaking out a bit. And agents, like, just get it done when you can. I was like, no, I'm getting this done right now. So we got that sign, and it was kind of...

Thinking it might not be there in the morning. So sign there, and it didn't really hit me, I guess. It was kind of a... The phone blew up. It was phone calls from everyone, and phone calls from the... Press and Calgary phone calls from people back home, text messages, kind of just didn't really sit in until the next day, I think,

when I kind of relaxed a bit and kind of got off that, I guess, that high of being one step closer. Getting signed by the Calgary flames? I mean, we can say it. Like, I mean, that's no. Yeah. I can say it. We were pretty excited.

Yeah. We had a couple drinks. I think my buddy, Scotty, there, brought a bottle. I love whiskey over to my dad's house and had some booze. Yeah, it was an exciting time, but I don't really get too excited about much, but I was excited with that. We were a little more excited. I don't know if we were a little more excited, but it was a lot more fun. I mean, obviously your first contract was huge, and it'll always be kind of king.

But I remember when you signed with Chicago, we had a pretty fun. Pretty fun celebration. Yeah, I was away from college, I was away from here. So I didn't really, it was kind of a text message or a phone call. It's fun when you get to celebrate with your buddies. Yeah. So when I signed my American League deal a couple years ago, in Chicago, we had a fun night that night.

Yeah. Just for, and then when Lenin signed, we had a fun night too. I don't know if we did. No, we did. Yeah. Fun night just around Lloyd? yeah yeah yeah we shut a few places down i think was that the night we went out to creaches yeah that was a oh yeah that uh we signed we think we shut down oj's which is like midnight yeah but

shut that place down and then uh linden went out for uh for a ride on a horse at the creech uh kwan talk hill 70 ranch yeah shut out hill he uh he uh he was we strapped up the horse pretty didn't say we. The Creech boys strapped up the horse pretty tight and Lennon got on and had to get a couple of stitches in his head at the end of the night. It's all for good fun and it's Kenny's signing party, so it's

fun. All right. Well, I got a few questions, I guess. One of the ones I'd written that I liked hearing you guys' answers on was was it talent or hard work that got you to where you were? Yeah.

I mean, obviously there's always has to be a base of talent and you can work on talent, but I know my career for sure is hard work. Hard work and persistence, I think, physically. And the last, for sure physically for like all of minor hockey and junior, but definitely it was always a combination of physically and mentally. Um, the last couple years I've had to really work on mental toughness because it's not like it was easy in junior or in university, but I think it wasn't as many road bumps along the way. And there's definitely some road bumps in the last few years. So had to really work hard at, um, you know, just being mentally healthy and everything like that. I mean, the hard work physically is always going to be there. I mean, that's there until your last game. I mean, if you're not physically in shape, you're just not going to play.

So that's always hard work. Yeah, I've never been a guy who's, I guess, had everything given or anything like that. So I just like that story from when I was 14 to 15. I knew I had to bust my ass if I wanted to go make the Midget AAA team. So I did, and I made it, and then you look and you set your neck goal, and you bust your ass until you get that, and you set your next school. And all of a sudden you're doing things that you didn't think you'd be doing, but you can't really rest on it until you're done.

My goal, the whole time I knew I never wanted to play in the, I shouldn't say never wanted to play in the NHL, but I knew that realistically my goal was to play in Europe. I had family members play over in Sweden and Germany, and I always thought that was the coolest thing because I love to travel. So I knew if I wanted to get there, certain goals and stuff that I had to do and I had different accomplishments

that I knew that I had to have by certain years and it all didn't work out the way it was supposed to, for sure. But yeah, I knew what I had to do to get there and just kind of had go do it, so it definitely wasn't

talent, I'll tell you that. But, yeah. Oh, you kidding? All talent? I think it's a bit of both. talent only gets you so far if you're not going to if you're not willing to work you're only going to go as far as your talent's going to take you

there are some guys out there who have a lot of talent but they just don't have the the shits to give I guess you see it a lot well every hockey team you see a guy who could be a lot better a lot more dominant

if he just had that drive or that passion to use his talent in the right way rather than using it in a negative way. What's the best barn you've played in? That can be nicest, that can be best fans, best atmosphere. You can take that wherever you want to go. Nicest barn I played in was, well, the new Eminton Arena.

Had an exhibition game there when I was with the flames. How was the Battle of Alberta? Well, it was exhibition. It doesn't really mean much. Still got to put on a Calgary flame jersey against them. It's an oil. Yeah. Yeah.

I had some family in town for that one. That was pretty cool experience. Nice rink. The loudest, they're not loudest, I guess, but my college barn was barely nothing like that. We had student section goal line to goal line on the one side across from the benches. And it was, yeah. I wish I could go. I'd give everything that I signed for.

to go back, play there. For sure. Yeah, I think any barn that's sold out is... A fun barn? A fun barn. So, yeah, like, a few come to mind, but... I don't know, like, Brooks, when it was sold out in playoffs, like, that was... That was mind-blowing.

Like, that was amazing. It's a town of, like, I don't know how many, maybe 9, 10,000 or something like that. And they sell out this arena with 3,200. So, I mean, that just goes to show how good to support they have. That barn is amazing. There's some pretty crazy ones over in the UK. That's for sure. There's some...

You'll love the chance. Yeah. Yeah, there's definitely some chance. I mean, I have my own song over there, which is... Oh, yeah? Can you sing it for us? No, everybody asks me that. No, I can't.

But, yeah, like, you go up to some of the places in Scotland, and like, like, Fife, like, it's an absolute, like, I can say it's a dump. I hate it. But it is the loudest, and they're the most faithful fans to their team. Like, it's amazing. But it's literally a barn. It's short roof. Like, you can't raise the puck too high when you're clearing it, nothing like that.

But, like, I've had beer spilt on me spit on, swear at, like, there's no glass between the benches. Like, it's just this hostile environment. you're always up for the game, that's for sure, when you go there, but it's not fun, for say. But as far as, like, great arenas, I don't know, there's, I mean, there's some ones in the Western, in the Western League, like Portland and Spokane was pretty cool, but, yeah, nothing. That, I don't really get up for those. I mean, they're exciting, but I think the ones that are old barns that they fill, and they're kind of like, they're like these old monarchs.

I like those ones a lot better, like the ones where hockey are kind of meant to be played. I may have asked this once before, so I apologize if I had, but to get paid, signing your first contract, like the day you physically got money, did it change the game for you? Did it change hockey in general? Did life just go on and nothing? I always think of my experience. I was when I got paid, and it was a very small number.

But my goal, you talked about your goal earlier, Springer, is you always wanted to make the year. My biggest goal was I didn't care how much I got paid. I just wanted to get paid to play at once. That's all I wanted, which I got to do that. You did it. And as soon as I started getting paid, it was $150 a month, living accommodations or whatever else, right? But as soon as I started getting paid then, the same status quo didn't go for me anymore. I always tell the story.

I was like a plus defenseman. That's what I made my name off. It was first pass plus D man. And I started getting paid as little amount as that is. And now I had to be a point producer. I had to go out and score. And it was a very big shock to me that now I was supposed to be putting up a goal game. I wasn't never that guy.

In Finland, I got put on forward on the power play. Played D all game long, and on the power play, they put me on forward and put me in front of the net. You're both staring at me. I'm a small guy. That makes no sense. But yet, I still scored there. Yeah.

Did. Well, you're shooting from the ladies' teas in front of that. That's right. I think I'd have a few more goals if they put me there, too. You're not shooting in the tips. A few more I might have one. Can't get kidding to say much all night long, but I mentioned I'm in front of net and I'm also in the ladies' teas.

It's nice to see me come out of a show. Yeah, I mean, I don't think. getting paid really changed the first time I got paid was it was nice a little different pay there than what it is in Europe now but now it's more yeah you kind of want to set yourself up and put some money in the bank for life after hockey so you don't have the the mortgage and all that to come work for when you're 30 but But I don't think it's really, the first time I got paid didn't change much. But now it's the point where you're going to places based on money in the country, I guess, for myself.

Yeah. Which, if I wasn't getting paid to play, I would probably go and play in a secondary league in Italy or Switzerland just to go play in those countries because they're beautiful. Yeah. But right now I kind of need, I wouldn't mind putting some money in the bank and playing in a Slovakia or playing in Norway, which Norway is a beautiful country. But I guess that's the only thing that would have changed for me. Yeah, I don't know if it really changed for me right off the hop because I was making peanuts at the start. It was known between, like, my coach and myself that I was given a shot. Because, I mean, it sounds weird to say it.

Like, I mean, I had successful junior career and did pretty well in university, but going into that league at 22, yeah, 22 or 23, I was a wild card. Like, he was taking a big gamble on me, or he likes to say. He was taking a gamble on me for sure. But he said, like, I'll get you over here, and you're not going to make much, but you'll play.

This will be your foot in the door. So I said, okay. And he told me later that he fully expected to have me cut by October and send me packing. Like, it was more of a favor for a buddy that he had here. And I think it was by October, he gave me a three-year deal. So that was pretty cool. Can I ask what you were making when you first went over?

Yeah, I'd made, so he had me on a contingency that was basically, it was technically a tryout deal. And he said for the first, for the first, what was it, until Christmas, I'd make 300 a week. And after that, we would renegotiate. And that renegotiation started October. so but I mean I knew I went in there and had something to prove so I kind of came out like wildfire like I knew that I wasn't going to go score goals so the way I made a name for myself I knew if I became a fan favorite or like just made a name for myself right that's how I was gonna make myself stick there so I think the time that I realized it changing not making money

but when I saw the first guy get fired over there was I mean, guys get traded and stuff over here, which is big, but you get fired over there and you're overseas and you have your girlfriend or whatever. I mean, this guy had to completely uproot and go home. He had spent money on a visa, didn't get that reimbursed, like just different stuff like that, right? There's a lot of things you don't realize until it happens.

Like, oh, okay. So now next time the coach comes in and goes, I don't say this and you can ask a guy's, who played here before, but something doesn't happen this second period, guys, jobs are on the line. Okay. Okay. Okay.

So, yeah, that's, I mean, that's when you start to realize it's a bit of a business. And that's the scary part, but I was always kind of comfortable with that because I knew that I could always adapt and relate to things or bring something from myself to the game that would make me valuable. So I knew that if we were getting pushed around, I could go step up for guys. If we need a big block shot or a hit, I could go do that, which if I was a goal score, I'd be a little more nervous because it's a lot tougher to go and score a goal than it is to go get a big hit, right? I mean, one's a lot easier than the other.

One takes a little bit of balls, but I've always found that like the skill guys, it's not necessarily physically tougher, but they have a tougher job. because if they're not producing, it's scary. And you're over there. Like, I see some teams over there that roll through 35 guys in a year. If you're not producing, you're gone. Go find another place to live. Go find another place to play.

You guys play with the gold helmets? Yeah. You did. You did. We won a gold helmet. Yeah. What? Yeah, we won the league in Norway, went on over.

And the whole team got gold buckets. No kidding. Yeah. Where the hell is your gold bucket tonight? I should have wore it. It's downstairs on my... dad's fireplace. Oh, you got to see when you picked it.

With, uh, with, uh, I used to wear it when I drove my moped. Yeah, I had a moped from college I brought back. So I think Lance Ward kid has it now, but, uh, yeah, would drive to workouts and wear my gold helmet. Looked like an idiot, but. That's all right. Yeah, we, uh, we partied for a few days and everyone wore their gold helmets everywhere. And it was fun.

Didn't one guys get stolen or something or gave it to a family? strap that thing on right to your neck. You'd have a mark under your chin because you didn't want anyone taking it. He said the trophy was like size like a beer can or something, right? Like it wasn't even anything.

Yeah, a trophy was the size of your water there. Yeah. It was, you look like an idiot because it was like you want to hold it with two hands, but literally you can palm it. You can palm it and drink beer. It could fit probably one beer in it.

And then the MVP trophy was the size of the Stanley Cup. Well, yeah, that's a big deal for them. It's Europe. A little more selfish over there. Well, not a bad. It is what it is. Scoring race is a big deal over there.

Absolutely. Love the gold helmets when you go on, well, when you get the leading Finland. I don't know how it is in all the other leagues. I think it's a few, but it's not all of them that do it. Like, your league didn't do it this year, the gold helmets, right? We had a gold helmet in Slovakia for the guy. Leading scorer on your team?

No, for the guy who got voted by the fans as the nicest goal of the month. Oh. You have to wear it during the game? Yeah. So there was one gold helmet for the whole league. And if your goal was a toe drag through the guy's leg, top shelf, kind of highlight real goal, you wore the gold helmet for the month. Did you ever have to wear it? I did not.

but there's guys on our team who had to wear it and like it was it's kind of a joke well in Finland in elite league every leading score off every team had to wear a gold helmet yeah same in Norway talk about easy to figure out who you got to shut down I don't know if Germany does that the Austrian league does that yeah it's a little different over there I'm looking at the time and I see we've been going, I believe that's saying, close to two hours. So I don't want to hold you guys here all night. And I feel bad because we kind of skipped over you playing Div 1 and you played Lakehead, didn't you? Yeah. And we didn't really talk about any of that. And like I said, I'd like to keep you here for four hours, but at the same time, um,

I don't want to hold you here hostage either. So Lakehead wasn't that much of a hot topic anyway. I played two years and I quit. Thursday. Well, I guess my first, I got a few questions before we go. Lots of them are just quick hitters, but the one I guess I'm curious about is what's next for you guys? So you're going back to Europe, I assume both of you, but maybe you can just shed a little light on that.

We'll start with you, Springer. Yeah, I had the option to leave my contract after my, after my second year and I chose to do it. I got a few buddies playing in Glasgow in Scotland. So talk to them and figured out a contract there. So I signed a one-year deal to playing Glasgow for this upcoming season. Pretty excited for it? Yeah, I'm so fired up.

I was excited the last two years, but yeah, I think this will be a really good year. We've got a really good team shaping up. and I know the coach well. Yeah, it's a fun city. It's a great barn. It's sold out every night, and they're crazy. Like up in Scotland, they're a whole different breed of fan. Like, they're fun to play for, so it's really exciting.

Have you ever thought of going anywhere else in Europe? Yeah, I have. I'd like to. I think by the time I'm done, I'll probably play in another country or two. Or maybe not. like UK is such a good fit, I think, for my style of game. And English speaking is a huge plus. Yeah.

So that's a big bonus. Yeah, once you're there, I think you establish yourself in the league, and it's, I don't know if it's tough to prove your worth in other leagues, but it's comfortable, I guess, once you're in that league. So, yeah, I don't know. We'll see after this season what happens. Hopefully everything goes well and can sign back. there again so we'll see cool well you kidding I'm still waiting for a few answers

from a few teams so yeah nothing right now probably gonna be going back to Europe just not sure what country what team yeah pretty much so it's kind of up in there right now it's kind of exciting a little bit yeah I mean it's I mean you want a deal done it'd be nice to yeah have your deal and have be picking where you're going but it's just how hockey is. You can't really dictate where you are and when you're there for the most part unless you're a stud, I guess, and I'm not.

So there's that. All right. I'll give you a few questions. I'll let you get out of here. If you had a time machine, you could go anywhere you want. Anytime. To any event, where do you go?

Like just for a day. or where are you talking here? I think I'd go to Woodstock. I do. You want more rules that I just give you. Are you stuck there for a while? Or like... Oh, my God.

You're flucking way you do into this. I would say, no, you get to go and witness a big event happening and then you come back. It would be the way I'd look at him. Or you're stuck there forever again. You make the rules. I think I would go watch Tiger in his prime and follow him around when he was doing things on and off the course.

When he was going to drive. Oh, my God. I think I'd want to be... Hey, it's your time machine. I'd go watch Tiger play like in 97 when he was... At peak, Tiger. Yeah, Peak Tiger. That's a good choice, Kenny.

It might be a little better in Woodstock. You're sticking with Woodstock? I don't know. It's the first thing I've never thought about that. But yeah, I like these quick pop-up questions. I ask my buddy to work one every day. If you could pick your line mate, anyone you want, can be a superstar, current, past, live, dad, doesn't matter. Who would you want to play with?

Sure, we'll start with Kenny this time. Did I clear the rules there? Yes, I actually wouldn't mind play with Lyndon. I was going to see you. No, I probably Lyndon or... That'd be fun. Yeah. That is so much fun.

Do you think that could ever happen? You two being over on that side of the world? Yeah. That gets an option for sure. I think Kenny would have to come a step down and I have to go to step up, but yeah. No, I think that's one of the cool things about it is that situation happened this year. I had a buddy, Chance Braid playing in the check. And his team didn't work out and asked me if he could figure it out in Manchester.

and I asked my coach. And yeah, we got them over there in November. So, I mean, you get to play with your buddies one way or another. So, yeah, it's an option. That would be fun. I think we've joked about it, like, we got to play with each other before we're done. It could happen, but, yeah, we'll see. It would be fun.

I don't know if Kenny would be produced as many points as he would be. He'd have some room to skate on the ice. He'd have some room to skate on the ice. Who is the best player you played with and against? With, I mean, I played with, best defenseman I think I played with regularly, I guess, not just that camps would probably be DeKaiser on Red Wings. On the Red Wings? Yeah. He was in college, he was first team All-American, and he's obviously done fairly well in the NHL and signed.

very long-term contract, but he was probably the best player I played with on and off the ice. He knew how to be a pro and how to approach a game. That's cool. Yeah, I don't know. Best is, we were like most skill, I think. With would be Brett Connolly and then against probably Emerson Edom. Who's Emerson and Edom? Why can't I place that name?

I don't know where he was. played for Anaheim for a long time. He was in Med Hat when I played him, and he was, I think he scored 60 that year or something. He scored 62. Name sounds really familiar, and just can't. I had a very strict rule that I wasn't allowed to be on the ice when Emerson was on the ice. At one time, I remember very clearly,

um, our coach was really bad for calling lines that were already on the ice or, like, he wasn't great for calling lines. And nobody was hopping the bench, and I hadn't played in, like, 10, 12 minutes. Screw it, I'm going. I knew he was out there, and I was out there for maybe 12 seconds, and I was on a highlight reel. And I wasn't allowed on the ice the rest of that game.

No, Emerson was awesome. He was really good. But, yeah. Do you say play against, or do you say play with? Play with. I played against, I don't know. There's a lot of... There's not one guy who sticks out when you got against him and went,

that guy was good there's a lot of guys I don't know I think anyone who's bigger than me and as a four who's strong on his skates is hard for me to handle I don't know

I went to camp I guess and got to shoot puck's on Flurry for a weekend and that was Flurry ridiculous it's crazy how good he is and yeah he showed up late actually

for one of the days and didn't skate because he wasn't there early enough to warm up and the coach just said oh whatever like well yeah what happens when you have three Stanley Cup rings and a thousand games or whatever he has but yeah forwards are do you i don't know against uh kind of question i'm not a flames guy but since you were for a time there and you said you got to skate with johnny hockey oh yeah was he was he was he is he that good i mean obviously he's that good i mean obviously he's that good i mean It's kind of a dumb question, but, I mean, being on the same ice surface as him,

where you're like, this guy's got it? Yeah, I mean, you're my, the one main camp there, we were watching the scrimmage between the red and white team. We were the black team, so there's three teams, and we were watching him, and it was, he had the puck, and you'd think, oh, he's five, six, I'll just go push him off the puck, but he's just slippery and just so skilled, and he's, he's been doing. that for a while. Yeah. So obviously pretty good at it. I mean, it's a dumb question. But I'm just curious. Because, you know, when I think of, like, guys, you step on the ice with and you go, like,

yeah, he was that good, right? Yeah, he was skill-wise, talent. I mean, you see what he does in the NHL. You don't really have to say much more about it. No, that's right. That's right. Well, like, I know when we skate with Braden in the summer, when, if we do, like, you know he's good, obviously. he's a vizna goalie. So you know he's the best in the world,

but some of the stuff he does, like you don't even know that it's possible. Some goalies are thinking about stopping the puck. He's thinking about where he's putting his rebound, like for a break-out pass. We're standing in a corner for three-line shooting, and I'm standing there. He goes, watch out springs.

This is where the puck's going. I'm standing there. Every single time a shot came on his blocker, he put it at that spot in the glass within like a two-foot radius. It's unbelievable. Like stuff like that, and you're just like, okay, I'm not that good.

I've got a long way to go. If you could party with one celebrity, who would it be? Oh, that's a great question. I think, oh, man. I think Shaila Buff would be a fun time. He goes into, he has some crazy stories. I like him a lot. Yeah.

I don't got all day to think about it. That's the first one that came to my head. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm giving you time. Yeah, I was thinking more of like a Will Ferrell or something. Some of the guy can kind of make you laugh the whole time.

Or maybe, I don't know, I think it could be, like, I've said Tiger Woods before, but I think Tiger when he was, when he was partying, I got, I don't know. Or Gronk, maybe. I don't know, he seems like kind of. A drunk would be fun. I think I'd get too tired for groundc though. Who am I kidding? I'm more laughing at Springer at this point, the shot of a little buff.

He's a great pick. He's definitely off the board. He's off the board for sure. It would be a fun night to party with him. I don't know if he'd hop on a horse, but... Final one, I love to end with this one. We do a little game on here. Sign, trade, buy one out.

So I'm going to give you three names. you get to sign one, you get a trade one, you got to buy one out. Okay. All right. Now, we're going to start with Kenny because he mentioned that he was a Mighty Ducks fan. And being from this area, we get a lot of Eminton Oilers fans. And I've done the Amitton Oilers thing, and I'm tired of the Oiler thing. So I was a Mighty Ducan fan when I was like six.

That's good. Like when they had Paul Korea. Okay. So we're going to give you Paul Korea, Tim Usalani, Scott Niedema. Three franchise players. Do I get the same ones? Should I start thinking? Hell no.

Okay, good. I'm going to give you somebody completely different. I'm going to give you a different team from 93, the other expansion team from 93, when they both came in, the Florida Panthers. I think you got to sign. Sign one? Signed Nina Meier. Okay.

So he's like you're, I mean, you can only get so many D-Man, you know? It's hard to come by. It's a D-Man. Sure. What was the other? Buy one out? Trade one. Yeah, Korea and Salani.

Who are you traded? you would buyout Salani just because, like, I think he would have more fun with it. You know, I think he's the kind of guy that would maybe enjoy retirement, I guess, a little early and signed. No, I don't know. I think I would keep Salani and buyout Korea. No, you're going to trade Salani. Trade Salani.

Two of them are negatives. Two of them, you know. Okay. I'll trade Salani because you'll get more for them. And then buyout. And then buyout. Okay. I'm talking

Okay, so for Florida Okay Florida Panthers You got Pavlbury Trade You got a Yarmory auger Yeah And you got an Oliocanin

Oh three euros, okay Where can you see difference of the two Franchise? Trade him off At the same time Um I hate Pavel Burray Trade them

Buy them out whatever Just get rid of them Um yeah from his Vancouver days I hate him and he has the dirtiest hit of all time I'm glad I brought up Burry yeah you really struck a cord there I would have signed him

who's he Yokin and Yager Sign Yager jersey sales would be through the roof Yokinin What did I say for it? Trade. We'll trade yoke no trade Burry You'll get more for him and buy out the all-time leading score of the Florida Panthers. Holy Yocan.

Like, Jay Bowmeister was also a stud in Florida. He's like the longest okay hockey player of all time. With a cup on his ring. With a cup on his ring. I'm jealous. Cup ring now. Yeah. Yeah.

A cup on his ring, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm jealous of guys like that who can make a career of just being steady and eight minutes. That's the dream. Never in the limelight. But you're always winning them games.

That's awesome. I wish Jay Bowmeister was in the three. Do you want Jay Wilmester be in the three? Well, no, it's your question. I can't change your question. Oh, that's true. Well, boys, thanks for coming in. Really enjoyed this.

Really enjoyed having you both. Hope you enjoyed it. Absolutely. Hopefully in the future, as your career is progress, if you want to hop back on next summer or summers to come, you're more than welcome to. That'd be awesome. Thanks for having us.

Yeah, thanks, guys. It was good. That's all. See you later. Hey, guys. I hope you enjoyed Kenny Morrison and Lyndon Springer. It was a lot of fun having those guys in the studio. I look forward to the next time we get to sit and chat.

Next week on the podcast, I have. Corey Cross, former NHeller, who was the first overall pick in the supplemental draft of the NHL back when they still had that. They haven't had it now in years. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning and then went on to play 12 years in the

NHL and we dig into his career and how he got there playing for the UVA, Golden Bears, that kind of thing. And it was a lot of fun. Really look forward to release in this one. And we're going to try something new here. I got a little clip of it.

So I'll see you guys next week. Enjoy this preview. Francis. Yager. Yager. Stevens. Rob Brown. Larry Murphy.

Holy crap. It was their stand. Tommy Brasso on that? He might have been playing, yeah. It was their Stanley Cup team, right? And I remember Wayne Cashman. It was our de-coach. And I was playing with the guy named Sean Chambers.

Another, I think he was drafted in the Sondlandlander draft. And he said, you guys are playing Yager Francis and Joey Mullen. That's who you're playing against tonight. I was like, holy shit. So I remember stretching, stretching, I was just staring at them.

I'm like, wow. Are you kidding me? I am here. And my very first shift, I crushed Joey Mullen with one of the best body checks I threw my whole career. He was coming down my right side, and I just stepped into him

and just crushed them, just labeled them. and then my second shift I got scored on. So I went from having a great first shift to say, it wasn't my guy, but I always say that wasn't my guy. And I have video evidence it wasn't my guy, but they tend tick-tac-toe. There was like three behind the back passes and in the net, and I was minus one after two shifts, and then they show.