Shaun Newman Podcast - #847 - Larry Wintoneak

Episode Date: May 13, 2025

Larry Wintoneak has coached for over 30 years. His career began in the late 1980s, with notable stints with the Thunder Bay Flyers, Dryden Ice Dogs, Flin Flon Bombers, and Kindersley Klippers. He is the current head coach of the Kam River Fighting Walleye and is one of ten teams vying for the Centennial Cup in Calgary. Get your voice heard: Text Shaun 587-217-8500Substack:https://open.substack.com/pub/shaunnewmanpodcastSilver Gold Bull Links:Website: https://silvergoldbull.ca/Email: [e-mail] Grahame: [phone]Bow Valley Credit UnionWebsite: www.BowValleycu.comEmail: [e-mail] Use the code “SNP” on all ordersProphet River Links:Website: store.prophetriver.com/Email: [e-mail]

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This is Tammy Peterson. This is Danielle Smith. This is James Lindsay. Hey, this is Brett Kessel, and you're listening to the Sean Newman podcast. Welcome to the podcast, folks. Happy Tuesday. Just a quick update on the Cornerstone Forum. I talked to Jericho today and they're hard at work on getting everything ready for this Monday.

So if you're interested in seeing the full Cornerstone Forum, become a member on Substack, part of it I'll release for free. And then we're going to put part of it behind the paywall so that if you want to see the rest, there's ways to do it in a sense for cheap. But we'll have the full recording going up on Substack. That's where you can look for it. So if you're not a member yet, look out for that coming up. Today's episode is real special. I'll get to that in a second before we get there. Let's talk some sponsors, shall we?

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They didn't have a booth, but Carl was there. They sat at the table with Matt Erritt, and it sounded like Matt had a great time, sounded like Carl had a great time. And when you're growing, you're busy running, your growing business, trying to stay on top of the ever-changing world of information technology. Well, it can be overwhelming to say the least, I can attest to that. And that's what they're going to take care of you, take care for you, leaving you to do your thing. while they do theirs. They've been doing it for 22 years. PlanetCom has been there to boost your productivity by proactively managing every aspect of your IT infrastructure. You want to see their work. Look no further than the Sean Newman Podcast.com.

We lost the Sean Newman podcast, everybody knows. It became a Chinese gambling site. Believe me, I've jumped through hoops to try and get it back. It's not happening. And so PlanetCom stepped in and they've built me a new website. I'd be curious what you think. and it's the shonnumannpodcast.com and you can find planetcom at planetcom. dot CA to find out more about them. Okay, substack, I've brought it up, which brings me to today's interview. You know, you're going to hear me probably talk too much. I just respect this man so much.

He was very influential. He was a podcast guest way back when on the podcast. You've got to go way, way, way, way back to the beginning of the podcast. I'm talking about Coach Larry Wintoniak. He's here at the Centennial Cup in Calgary. That's the National Championship for Junior A, which I played. And you're going to get to hear him here in a sec, but I appreciate him giving me some time

and got to come in and give a little, I don't know, speech, pep talk. I don't know what it was. They were having video session, and he let me come in and talk to the kids and the men and really impressed with the, Larry and his group as always. And I just, it was a treat to sit with him.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you listen to Larry Wintoniac. So please feel free to shoot me a text. I would love to get your feedback. Now, if you're listening or watching on Spotify, Apple, YouTube Rumble X, make sure to subscribe, make sure to leave a review, make sure to retweet this out. If you know Larry and you got a player that played for him and you think, hey, he should probably listen this. Well, feel free to share it with him, all right?

All right, let's get on to that tale of the tape. He's been coaching Junior A Hockey for over 30 years. He's now the head coach of the Cam River Fighting Walleye. My friend, Larry Wintoniac. So buckle up. Here we go. All right, I'm sitting with Larry Wintoniak, coach of the Cam River fighting walleyes.

And for the audience, we're sitting in Calgary at the Centennial Cup. And, you know, when I was doing my event, the Cornerstone Forum, which we just finished, and I found out you were here. I was like, I got to find a way to at least go watch a game. I wish I could spend the entire week, to be honest. I think it's just awesome you found your way back to junior hockey. You know, last time we talked was a few years ago.

And to be back coaching and then to be on the national level, you know, one of ten teams here. I don't know. I think you're one in one right now, correct? Correct, yeah. I got to speak to your team before. Thank you very much. That was an honor. And it's almost like coming full circle because I remember you doing it for me back when I was these kids' age.

I don't know. I'm just curious your thoughts on your team and, you know, a national, a chance at a national title. Yeah, just, geez. Well, I mean, I'm fortunate enough to be here again. Like I've always said, you know, it's a privilege to coach. And when you do coach, you have an obligation. to your team, to your players. And, you know, a couple of people asked me the other day, like, you know, 24 years later,

you know, you're coming back to the national championship or whatever the year was, I guess. And this is my third time here, so, you know, just like it's surreal, I guess. You just take it one day at a time, and that's how I've always coached, just one day at a time. I can't get too far ahead. But to be here and to get the opportunity and how I'd happened because I was in Calgary coaching, helping with the AAA Buffaloes,

the U-18, AAA team, and got the call from Kevin that they were going to make a change and asked me if I wanted to jump back in junior hockey. And I thought about it. I said, gee, that sounds good, but, you know, when it's going to happen, you know, we'll talk when it's more serious.

And then two weeks later he called me again. and then probably took all the four days to get everything signed up. And I was on my way, and I got the practice in October there on that Monday and went to a day and kind of set the standard there. And then from here, it's just from that point on it. I knew we had a pretty good group of kids that just needed some direction and, you know, discipline. I think it's important.

Not, you know, not discipline, discipline, but discipline in your lifestyle and structure and, you know, like have an itinerary. You're going to be here at this time. You're going to be here at that time. So, you know, that routine as a hockey player, we thrive for that, you know. If anything, you know, I think that's one thing when you retire from the game. That's what you lack. You're looking for that routine.

Everybody says the same thing. Like, you know, what do I do now? So, I don't know, just to be back in junior hockey and to get to this point here, and I don't even know for some, You know, some people in my world and probably didn't think I'd ever get here and told me I wasn't a very good coach. But I don't look at it that way. I know what I can bring. The game has changed, but I'll tell you what hasn't changed is the core values.

It doesn't matter. Back when I coached you, it's the same core value. The game's changed. But, you know, the hard work, the perseverance. Maybe the talent. and some of the mindsets of kids coming in, but I tell you what, you get hit in the corner and still feels the same.

It is. You know? It means faster, no doubt about it. I mean, the technology nowadays, everything's definitely changed. I think you have to, you know, the communication is very important, and we have a lot of meetings.

And I think it was Kevin, too, he was my, he's the GM, so then I didn't have to worry about that so I could just coach it. That was kind of exactly, and that's why I jumped at it because I thought, oh, Jesus is going to be really good. I can just coach and go to the rink

and enjoy myself and try to make it enjoyable for these kids and to, you know, get them to work hard and to understand the value of work ethic and there was a reward with it. You know, to all the, I'm going to make sure I send this out. I was saying before we started, you know, I was talking to Chong, you know, just about a month ago and I keep in touch with Dale Logal and a few other. Sean Zatchery reached out to me a little while ago and there's a group of guys that played with you in Dryden and I got a chuckle when the kids booed me this morning just lightly, you know, because obviously that's the enemy now, but, you know, to have the opportunity to have it back on

because I should have looked at it before I came in. I want to see your episode like 15 or something on the podcast. It was one of the, you know, when I was laying out the list and for the audience, because, you know, if they've gone back and listened to them all or been from the start, they know exactly who you are. But for me, I was telling the kids this morning that, you know, I just ran an event and at the event everything's I have an itinerary it is down to almost the second and I really pride myself on running an efficient event so that when it's done people watching along can be like oh and they come up to me after all the time and they go I don't know how you do that like it's just I go to conferences all the time they can never stay on time they start late they do

all these things and um you know uh my comment to you and to the team is like Larry Winoniac drilled that into me and it's never left me. The lessons you teach kids to all those people who think you're a poor coach or anything, I got a few choice words for them because you've really left your impression on me. And, you know, where the podcast has got to, it hasn't been by chance. It's been a lot of hard work, consistency, discipline, and a lot of things that you really instilled in me. And I know there's a lot of other athletes, a lot of other players who really appreciated that. And I, as I said this morning at 18 and 19, I really needed it. Like I craved the way you coached and the way you asked more out of your players.

And, you know, I don't know if a kid I enjoyed the penalty kill, but you made it seem like the penalty kill was better than the power play. And that blocking a shot was better than scoring the goal. And I try and instill that in my son now, or sons, as they get older and they're playing hockey. It's just not all about the nice goal. There's so many things, you know, as we were watching your video, you know, your video clips, there's just so much to go as into a goal

and for kids to understand that and experience that. It's cool to, I was very thankful you let me sit in and watch it because, you know, as I said, it's been 20 years since I got to sit in a video room with Larry Wentoniak. And it's just a real pleasure, Larry, to see you back at the national level, knowing how much you've given to me, and I hope to be giving to the audience and everybody else.

But, you know, I wanted to say it again. Because I don't know, you know, I was telling the kids this morning. I don't know when you get back here. Maybe never. Maybe you never have a moment like this again. So you got to breathe it in. And for me, sitting across from you again, you know, I thought it was going to happen two years after. And then, you know, it's been about five years. And I'm like, you know, maybe it's a year from now or maybe it's another five.

But you've meant a lot to me. My parents think extremely highly of you. They both said hello. Dad chuckled what he's like. You go see Larry. Give him a big hug for me, right? And you do, whether you know it or not, you're just. just such a valuable human being.

And as a coach, you have given me life lessons that transcend hockey. Yeah, well, thank you very much for the kind words. We've teared up here earlier today, you know. And I think it's important to give back. I think that, you know, my passion, my drive, sometimes my passion gets in the way of my, you know, just got a little too much maybe, you know, and some of the, like our society nowadays, you know,

that don't understand that. and how I was brought up and how I was coached. But it's changed so much too. And I just think that you have to make people feel good about themselves. You have to, you know, whether it be penalty killing, block that shot. We reward work. I'll always show a hardworking clip and make sure that, you know, because that's our standard, that's, we don't waver from that.

I'm just talking to the Trenton coach, who's the OJ, and we beat him to one in overtime there. You know, he just came up to me this morning. They said they really like how our team plays. And it makes you proud because, you know, it wasn't like, oh, man, you're flashing dance and all the skilly. You know, first thing you said, structure, work ethic, relentless, you know, good goal-tending.

It's just it makes you as a human being that you know you're doing the right things for these kids. And, you know, this is my third kick at it. You know, 95. It was a good story here. And, you know, I've shared this with the media prior. April 29th, 1995, I was with the Thunder Bay Flyers. Fortune enough to, you know, to coach there. We won the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Thunder Bay at the Fort.

William Gardens we played the afternoon game and in the evening the pro team played and they won the colonial cup so the story is fast forward 30 years April 29th Cammer River we win the SIJ shell championship in overtime to get to the centennial cup I was going to call it World Bank Cup, but Centennial Cup. But the story is that Vern Ray, who we met earlier, Vern played on that team at night.

And I coached Vern, and we were teammates at one particular time as well. So to do that with him on the same day, and it was his birthday, by the way, and that's his third championship on his birthday, he won, April 29th. So April 29th, 2000,

25, we won a championship together, and that story is pretty amazing how the stars kind of line up and how I even got to the, how I even got here and sitting here with you talking now in Calgary. And it's pretty amazing. And I, like I said to you before, I'm grateful, I appreciate everything that these kids,

you know, they do work hard. They do work very hard for me. And I do push them out of the comfort zone. I'm not afraid to say that. I like to get them riled up a little bit. and I think it's a positive. It's not negative. We're not belittling kids or it's about the game.

We're talking about hockey. We're talking about, hey, you got to get the puck deep. Hey, let's effing go here. So it's not about, you know, like that kind of sort of thing. It's just that nowadays, like we just, we can't do that. Like it's just, whew. But I don't think I can change in that aspect of it. I have a lot of respect, and these kids have a lot of respect for me,

and I have a lot of respect for them. And sometimes my passion just gets in a way a little bit, but it's nothing personal. I've never had anything personal with any of my players ever. And if I ever did, they wouldn't last long anyway. They wouldn't be around. And so there's a lot of players that I've coached that, like you say, that have reached out to me and wished me good luck and all that stuff

and happy that I was here. And I'm sure there's other guys that feel the same way and maybe some other guys don't, but that's okay. That's okay. I know that I, of all the years I've coached, Sean, I've never cheated anybody. I've never cheated a team. and to me that's important.

That's my, that's who I am. That's Larry Wintoniak. And I think that's from my dad and my mother, how they brought me up, and how they instilled those values into me. And, you know, it's just part of it. And going back to Thunderby was pretty cool, too, because Devin's there now, the youngest boy,

just got married last year to his beautiful wife. Congrats. Yeah, thanks. And they're just great people. she's a great human being and they're both teachers but it's funny how things work you know like you go back to coach but I think there's another messenger you got to go back

to reconnect you know with your son and his wife and you know because sometimes when you know not everything always is rosy you know the smooth road all the time

there's a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs and when you get divorced and you and you know sometimes you lose that connection with your kids, you know, and you don't want that to ever happen. And so this was kind of a blessing this guy's too, so I can get back to get back there. And he was on the ice, you know, with his wife.

And it was awesome. Like, it was awesome. He took pictures and it, again, something that you'll always remember. And he'll remember that for the rest of his life too. So, you know, it's funny how things work. Well, one of the things that I miss, because, you know, when I first started this out, We were saying it this morning. I got to grow up and experience hockey and what, you know, it's just a game.

But within the team atmosphere, especially when you get a mentor, coach, someone who thinks larger than just, you know, the X's and O's on the ice, there's so many great lessons. It's partially why, you know, I love radio. I got to go back to the Dryden days, you know, I'm getting ebbling and I'm forgetting the other. guy's name. Sean? Is it Sean? Yeah. Mike Ebling and forgive me, folks, that's terrible.

But they used to bring us on. One of the things we had to do is, you know, player connect on the radio to kind of connect with the community. And I fell in love with it. And one of the things I tried doing, you know, I got all the time in the world for spit and chicklets. But I wanted people to understand, like there's, you know, the stories are funny and fun and everything else,

but there's such great lessons for kids. And if they want to get to the next level, and anything. It doesn't matter if it's hockey. You have to bring that to your personal life, to your work, to how you treat people. You know, maybe I was that same kid when I walked into Dryden and that Husky truck stop. I remember that like it was yesterday. But, you know, like when I was at the hotel, I try and get to where I know all the staff's names. I just try and, you know, I try and go the extra mile. And the extra mile was, you know, for folks watching, you know, I remember, you know, as a kid coming from Lloyd, that workout?

Yeah, a little bit. And Larry had a, you know, like this cheat. You got to do these workouts. Okay. So you walk in and there's Larry already pumping iron in the gym. You're like, oh, okay, this is something completely different. And going the extra mile, the consistency, doing things that people don't want to do. I mean, Joe Rogan talks about it all the time, right?

There's days I don't want to work out. That's the day you have to go. And it's things like that you've really instilled in me. and I'm sure other players. And I equate a lot of my success to my years in Dryden because I don't know if another coach, you know, I think God works in really fun ways. I had a lot of rough days before I went to Dryden

and hockey particular. Lots of great days too. But I needed to go to that team. And the way it happened, I'm like, you know, it's just almost you can romanticize it. It's just poetic of how I end up in Dryden. And I think it's poetic, you know, the 30-year story, you back here,

I can't speak for every player, but I know I can speak for a lot. We're very happy for you. And we hope the Cam River fighting walleye, greatest. I mean, that's a great hockey name. I'm going to have to ask Kevin, you know, how about that came about. But, you know, that's just such a wonderful story. And I can't explain to you how happy I am for you. And I get to go folks and watch a game in the rink tonight.

And if I'd thought it through, I don't know if I could have pulled it off, but I would have loved for my kids to have come and seen you coach and everything else, but I'm happy to be in the ring tonight. And, you know, I just, you know, it just, I don't have enough words in my vocabulary to explain to the audience and to you, how impactful you've been on my life to this point. And, you know, to all the naysayers that ever give you a down day, I hope you remember that because there's lots of dark days on the podcast and the audience has been phenomenal. And they showed up in droves to the last event, and they said the same thing.

And it feeds me and it energizes me. You know, there's a quote in Proverbs. It says something like this, to those who refresh people, you will be refreshed. And certainly I know you're one of those men who goes out and really pushes kids and gives them more than they could ever give back. and I just hope I can just be one tiny slice of that pie of trying to give back to you because you've just been instrumental and there you go. Yeah, I just, no, I'm, you know, like I'm, it makes me happy to know that I had a small part in your life.

And I think that's all a coach wants. It's just, you know, if you have a, if you can influence somebody somehow, some way in a positive way, and I mean, I think you're doing your job. That's part of it. And it's not about the wins and loss. It's not about the X's and knowledge. It's about the memories you create with each other, the goofy things that you do, the things that you remember all the time, that the storyteller, that the, you know, you get together in a reunion or whatever. And it's, they'll remember that forever. And it's, you won't remember, you know, that three, two laws.

but you will remember popping the champagne or me diving on the floor with no clothes on or what you know what I mean whatever you know whatever the story is but it's when you win a championship like that like I always remember it was in the dressing room of the flin flan bombers and I think it was Freddie Sherrill that wrote it on a Philadelphia Flyers room and you know it says you know win today walk together forever and obviously Bobby Clark's from flinflon and when when in those days there was a roof that you could sign and only the guys that deserved to sign that roof or one of the guys that deserved

could sign that roof and very you know that's something special when you can sign something like that at that historic franchise like that and that's how it all started it started in Flynn Flan so who you know you know 1996 I left and I haven't looked back since

and you know like I said It's been there's been some really good times for sure and I don't really think about the negative, Sean. I really don't. I like to tell the stories, the boys of stories about the experience of my own life and how there's always another message.

It's not always a message. And I remember that very first you were asking me about my mom and dad or whatever and I remember you telling you that I had to kneel on rice. I don't know if you remember that story. I do. I do. But that was one of the punishment

we had to kneel on rice, or I had the kneel on rice, because, you know, I screwed up, I pulled my sister's hair, I did something goofy, and so that was the consequence. There was, you know, there's, you know, you knew what was right and was wrong. There was no gray area there. So when you kneeled on rice, that was part of it, right? So you knew what was right and wrong. But the other message that I thought it sent me was how to tolerate pain. Like how to deal with that, you know, mentally. And I thought all those things that, how they brought me up, and it was the school away for sure you know but but those are the areas that made me who I am today because of that mental toughness and I may bend but I won't break and I

remember I'm a bike I love biking now like I'm on the road it's just myself and the road bike and I always try to go you know 50 kilometers 60 kilometers I know you know I'm gonna go 100 I'm gonna go 100 and I I remember, you know, feeling so good, I'm 50 in, I'm feeling good, and then it starts to rain, and then the wind picks up and you just want to quit, but I just could not quit. I just kept, you know, just yelling and screaming and just keep going, keep going, keep pushing. And the funny thing was that I got to 90 kilometers, I had a flat tire. Oh, man.

But went home, fixed it two days later, back on the bike. won't 100 again. I'm going to do it. And, you know, and at my age, I don't know, I don't know, I'm sure there are other fellows or people that can do that too. But I think I have a special gift that is from the higher being, obviously, that I think that I can pass that on to somebody else, how to how to persevere. So, you know, how to respond after a loss, this is what you do. And I'd like to pass those experiences on, you know, to our players. And there's so many experiences that I've created over the years is that it just, it builds that character and that thick skin that you just, nothing bothers you. Nothing, nothing's going to, that's okay. I'm okay.

Like, you know, I know in my heart that I'm a good person. and if I sometimes do something that, you know, I know in my heart, then I do know. Like, I understand that. But I do know that, like I said to you before, I won't, I've never cheated this team. And I've given everything I've had from day one. And I'm proud of it. And that's what is it? That's what it's about.

It's not about the wins and losses. I gave my best of these kids. and if I can influence two, five, ten, whatever. Even if it's one. Yeah, exactly. I mean, you know, once again, going back to the Bible,

there's a story of the mustard seed. And I just, I don't, I don't fully comprehend at times how big the podcast at times becomes. But, you know, like you just, it's unintended consequences of what you did, you know, and it sent me off in a different direction. Certainly, I wish, I'd say it all the time,

I wish I was talking more hockey. Yeah. And certainly I get to do the Brothers Roundtables through the NHL playoffs. But yeah, I hear you. Awesome. With the Centena Cup, just a couple minutes on it. Sure.

Because, you know, it's a different format from when I played. Ten teams are here from all across the country. Just your thoughts on the tournament and anything you want, the audience to know. If they're in Calgary, you know, it's going all week. Yeah. It's at the max. spell, play in the two rinks there.

And one's the practiced rink, and the Ken Brocko is the other, the other rink that we play out of the bowl. That's where the host team plays at Calgary Canucks. So, yeah, it's a great tournament where, you know, there's two divisions. And five teams, each division and three teams make it through. First team, first place team gets to buy, then two. Crosses over and plays three and three against two. And then you go into your, your, you know.

going to your next round. So, you know, quarter semis finals are on Sunday next Sunday. So it's a lot of hockey. It's, you know, you're on the big stage. And I'm so happy for you guys to get, for them to have the opportunity to be on a big stage. Come on. Like, you know, you just don't know when you ever get back. Like you see, like we've talked about this before many times, you just don't know when.

And so you cherish every moment. And one of the things, too, that, you know, what we did was, we flew. out or so we drove our bus to to Winnipeg flew out and then our bus continued all the way through because we wanted our driver Roger with us and he's an amazing man amazing driver and just part of the team part of the team and so we have our own bus here now and we can do things and you know we we went to the launch pad you know the boys had some fun there on their day off tomorrow we're going to go to Canmore and Prague have a little skate and then just kind of roam around roam around there for a bit have a nice meal and you know and that's

that's part of it we've we've like we're kind of the darlings of the tournament because how we act only team that came in with I call a pro suit jacket called you know no you didn't have to wear a tie but it was just a nice nice shirt You know, no running shoes, nice shoes, pants, everybody just compliment. We're the only team. Only team out of 10. So again, you know, when they hear that, the kids hear that, then they go, you know, like, ah, do I better do that? They go ahead, dress up. But nobody complains. And so here you can see all our meals were called semi-pro, golf shirt, slacks, nice shoes.

When you go out, it's always dress code in effect. On the plane, dress going in effect. and it's good and they feel good about themselves and that's what I'm trying to get through to them you know you feel good

you look good you know and you're impressionable like you know you go to the scout and you shake his hand you look him in the eye you know so

well I'll say every kid here shook my hand all good handshakes I might add and thank me for coming to speak it's just

it's I remind myself this all the time it's just the little things the little things really equate to big things And the game of hockey, the more I watch, the more I just see, it's just little things that win.

It's the little trip in, the little trip out. It's not the, you know, like I can harp on the oilers. But I mean, at times, it's the little things that make them win, too. When they're playing their best, it's the little things. And as kids, even as adults, we can overlook some of the little things. But the little things really add up to big things. And once again, I always, you know, where I'm at in life, those are hockey lessons I learned. And they translate to life so beautifully.

you know, it's just wonderful. And I wish you the best of luck. Who are you playing tonight? Manitoba, correct? Yep. Yep, northern Manitoba. So they used to be, you know, it used to be called the Paw, right?

Yeah, the Paw. Now they moved to their, you know, to the Manitoba, the Paw side. And so yeah, they're going to be good. And another, there's another fellow there that was, that coach is there, that I was, he was our video coach

for Team Canada West. So again, there's another connection. I seen them down here that day and we hugged. And, yeah, it was pretty awesome to reconnect. Because, like you said, you just don't know. And you meet new people all the time and through the different worlds of the coaching and what they do and what you do, you know. And next door, you know, yeah, there are archival, but you still.

There's respect. Yeah, it's hockey, man. Like, you're going to compete on the ice, right? I do military roundtables now with two men specifically. Yeah, Jamie. Jamie St. Clair? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. I love that guy. I always hear in the background, it's crack. I always bring up hockey and then I always apologize and they're like, don't. It resembles what we, you know, the camaraderie and the lessons and how you treat one another. And you're going to, you know, we always, you know, I was quite on ice to war, which is probably, you know, that's why I always apologize because these guys have actually seen active duty.

But, you know, there's a camaraderie that's there that I see with military. I got to go to Jamie's retirement after 34 years and meet all the people he served with. And it just, as they're joking around with each other, I'm like, you guys remind me so much of hockey. Like, it's just so welcome. And you can tell because you walk in the room and I've been in rooms.

It's what drove me to Northland to that group. There was just a group there was so welcoming. They just walked out. I'm like, these are my people. Like, I don't know why, but I can just feel it. And I've been, and I'm sure you've been in other rooms where it's a little bit cold. And Larry Wintoniak Room is very well.

coming. I felt that immediately when I walked in, and I know that stems from leadership. That isn't just, you know, the group of kids. All groups of kids are wonderful. It comes from leadership and how you treat others, and you can see that in, I don't know, in aces and spades. You can just see that glowing from your team. And so I'm glad they're getting a little bit of a tip of the cap from the hotel staff to notice how they walked in and presented themselves. I think that that'll serve them well in life. Absolutely. Absolutely. And the, you know, the fellows that have fought for our country

and sacrifice for our country, it's a team. So you got each other's back and it's kind of the same thing as hockey. But the difference is with those fellows, that's her life, life and death. We don't have life and death. And these kids don't, you know, sometimes take that for granted. We're in the military, one small air, not a lot. detailed could end someone's life and and it's tragic you know it's it's it's something that that I try to you know the analogy with with that to our to our team and we talk about that lots whether

it be remembrance day or you know had a mother day had a mother's day little tribute there the other day was on the video you know and you know we we have parent weekend and i brought the mothers in and um all the players sat down on the floor and the mom sat in the stalls. I don't know if you heard about this story, but it was awesome. And each mom talked about her son. And they kind of was kind of,

why are we here, Larry? So then I hand them all boxes, the Kleenexes, and I goes, well, you'll know it about 15 minutes. And it was one of the most amazing things that I've done. It's one of those aces that I called. It's an ace. You have four aces. And it's one of those aces I used to gallows.

galvanized the team and you can tell that day on that that this team just galvanized because of it. Well, I remember the deadly hillock cup and you brought her dads in and that was a special moment. Those are special moments and I appreciate you doing this, you know, on short dogs. You know, I called my wife this morning. I think, you know, I was supposed to be on my way home to see my wife and kids again and I was like, I got to find a way to stay one more day because, you know, I wanted to be there last night. and then just things with, you know, life and work and guests coming to the show. I had another commitment come up and I looked at the schedule and I'm like, I think I can make this work.

And I talked to Mel this morning and she's like, yeah, absolutely. Like don't stress about this. So, you know, good people. That always says good people. Surround yourself with good people and you're one of those. Yeah, good, you know, good things happen to good people, Sean, and you're a good person and what you've done with this podcast and all your followers. I hardly miss an episode, to be honest,

you and you know I try even if even if there's some quotes or something like that if there's a take I'll take it out you know I'll just you know screen record it and I'll send it to the team or I'll just keep it for just for my own listening again I'd really like that you know with whoever you had on you know like it's you know I've learned a lot about politics since since you went to that to that area because I I really was dumbfounded too kind of like you you know just happy go lucky didn't really give two shits, but now I do care, and I do care about our country. So I think that's the message. And I know many of your guests have said that keep doing what you're doing, because you

do have an influence on our communities and our society. So you've done a fantastic job, and I'm proud to call you, my friend, and I wish you nothing but the best. And again, I'm honored to be here with the Sean Newman podcast, like, you know, like how many episodes later because you have a lot. Yeah, well, this will be 847, and like I say, that's where well over, you add and everything else. It's probably a thousand episodes ago I had you on. And once again, I won't hold it.

I know you got things to do. I know the Larry Wood-Toniac way on game day. That's right. So just thanks again for sitting down with me and best of luck tonight. Yep, right on, my friend. Thank you.