Shaun Newman Podcast - Ep. #182 - DJ King & Morgan Mann

Episode Date: June 16, 2021

Part 1 DJ King former St.Louis Blue/Washington Capital hopped on to discuss a fire in his hometown which burnt down the Meadow Lake rink. We also discuss winning a memorial cup with the Kelowna Rockets & heading to Blues camp as a 19 year old with coach Q at the helm. Part 2: (41:00) Morgan Mann Allan Cup champ & CIS national champ hopped on to discuss the new Female Lakeland Rustlers hockey program that is set to have its first season this fall. Morgan will be at the helm & we discuss the upcoming season & what fans can expect.  Let me know what you think Text me 587-217-8500

This is Glenn Healing. Hi, this is Braden Holby. This is Daryl Sutterin. Hi, this is Brian Burke. This is Jordan Tutu. This is Keith Morrison. This is Kelly Rudy. Hi, this is Scott Hartnell.

Hey, everybody. My name is Steele-Fer. This is Tim McAuliffe of Sportsnet, and you're listening to the Sean Newman podcast. Hey, folks, welcome to the podcast. Happy Hump Day, Wednesday, great day. Hope everybody's having a great week. We got a double tap on store for you today. We start with DJ King.

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t bar one tale of the tape originally from metal lake Saskatchewan he won a memorial cup with the cloner rockets was drafted in the sixth round by the st. Louis blues in the 2002 NHL entry draft he played 118 games in the NHL with 33 tillies against some of the heaviest of the heavies now you can find him driving in the CPCA I'm talking about DJ King. So buckle up because here we go. This is DJ King. Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast.

Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. Today I'm joined by Mr. DJ King. So it's thanks for hopping on. Yeah, no problem. Thanks for having me. This is a little different than having you chase me around the rink. That's for sure. But I mean, geez, none of us have been on the ice now

and what feels like a lifetime. Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's, I don't know. My gear was, got burned in that fire that happened here in Meadow Lake. So who knows, maybe that'll be a sign to hang her up with their arrest for good now. Well, that'll be sad news because I know people came out in droves to watch you play in the Saskelt. I'm sure it was, I don't know, I feel like every kid that leaves their hometown to come back and suit up for the hometown is pretty cool in later stages, especially here in Saskatchewan.

Yeah, I mean, we were pumped for their season this year, too. just my brother retired now too so he was he's he's going to be home also so I thought I might have played another year with so play with my bro so that would have been pretty cool just to play play some senior hockey with him so just like you said just to hang out with the boys and kind of to give back the community for sure how many you like how far away is Dwight from you and age he's five years younger yeah so he's he's 31 32 yeah so in other words uh the reason I ask is I got three older brothers. We got to suit up a couple times in senior hockey. Growing up then, you didn't probably play much with Dwight. No, not at all. We just,

we were far enough apart that we never did play each other or play with each other, but we did play against each other when he turned pro there. He had an exhibition game there when he was 18 and we played against when I was in St. Louis. And then later on, we played a few games against each other in the pro, pro leagues. Did you give him the business or did you get him? any shifts against them. No, we had a couple shifts against each other there. I know he had, you know, one there, once in the wall there on that first game there in St. Louis there, he, he had a little crack at me that was kind of good. And then, and then just little plays that you remember just one time during, you just, you just bat checked hard on me and stole the puck on me once.

And he kind of chirped me as he stole the puck. Yeah. No, but like you said, like I said, you get in the game and you kind of, you don't really realize what's going on. But there, there was the instance where we definitely were face to face and this kind of chit chat during the game. Now, you mentioned the fire in Meadow Lake. I'm sure by now most people have heard that the arena burnt down. I know from my senior hockey days coming and playing in that building, I don't know, it was electric. It was fun to come and play in Meadow Lake. But what exactly happened, DJ? Could you fill us in? Yeah, I think they're still learning. I think what they're thinking is it might have been arson is what they're thinking. but they're still, they never feel finalized that for sure yet.

But like I said, it was, it was a blow to the community where there was a fire that started in the back corner of the rink there and it kind of just, and then it just took the whole rink down there. So it'll be a, it'll be 100% lost there for sure. So just, I was out of town that weekend and then just, just all the, all the cell phone pictures and all that as it was burning down. It wasn't a good one to watch, that's for sure. did any chance like any of the jerseys made it out any of the memorabilia or was that all gone i i think they

were just redoing the like the the process of the our lobby there in metal lake they're just redoing a bunch of stuff there they're putting up some new jerseys and all that um i don't think they got the ones that were like over the rink itself like those ones but they were just putting like myself my brother and comos jerseys all the other other ones up in the in the lobby we were just doing a facelift there And I do think they got a bunch of those ones saved that they were just putting up in the lobby there. So I'm not 100% sure how many, but I know that they did say they saved a few. That's tough. The history of that rink, like I don't know, coming from small town, Saskatchewan,

the stories of the Meadow Lake boys are pretty, I don't know, legendary, so to speak. There's a lot of great hockey players that have come out of your area, a lot of tough hockey players that have come out of your area. I don't know what it is in the water. Yeah, that's what that's what that's. That's what everyone says. It's something in the water this way for sure. Grows them big over here, that's for sure.

But like I said, for this community in Meta Lake, it did produce a lot of pro hockey players, which was pretty cool. And like I said, it's good that all of us get back to community and that it's something for these young kids growing up to kind of look up to and say, well, we could be the next one at the Meta Lake for sure. Now, I'm pretty sure I've heard you say,

or maybe I've read it somewhere, that minor hockey, all their stuff was in the rank. It got burnt. you guys are doing a fun run this weekend coming up. Is that correct for raising some money? Yeah, our CPCA season will start next week. So we do have a week here before we start. And we're going to run a little fun run there at the track and Meadow Lake.

Like I said, there was so much in that rink just besides the building itself that got lost. So minor hockey loses all their equipment from right from the little guys right up to midget there. They were all stored in the rink there. So it's just something to start off. And I'm sure we'll be doing a lot more fun using it for what we can. Yeah, that's, that's, I'll say it one last time. That really sucks. That was a highlight last two years I played in Hillman.

We got to come up for your dance at Christmas time, have the building packed. We played you guys in playoffs back-to-back years, had the stands pack. Neither of us could seem to score many goals because we always went to like triple overtime. And in that building, you guys were hard to beat. I believe you took us pretty much every time we were there, especially in overtime. But it'll be, I don't know, I say it 10 times over, that was a lot of fun playing in that building, a lot. And I'm sure for the local kids, that'll be a sad thing missed. I mean, the gear and the memorabilia is one thing. I mean, lots of that can be replaced.

Jerseys can be replaced. It's the building itself, you know, walking in there. And I don't know, feeling that mojo, man, there was a lot of fun had there. and that's just me speaking in the last couple years I played there. Yeah, and I mean, and there's a lot of guys just like yourself that they, like, senior hockey and all that kind of stuff, they don't, they just, whatever, we're going to play another hockey game. And then all of a sudden, they get the metal leg, got crowd there. And they're like, well, this is what people talk about.

And like you said, it, it pumps them up pretty good even as a visiting team. Visiting teams, like in provincials, right, with that three game series there, they actually prefer doing the, the, how when I was with the home ice advantage there, just so they could play in front of that full crowd there at the ring for sure. Oh, that's, I don't know. How does a senior crowd in Meta Lake compare, I mean, you've played in some pretty big stages. How does it compare to walking into St. Louis and having the fans go nuts in that building compared to, you know, it's like a partial, like a tiny little piece of the crowd.

But Meadowlake, man, they were, well, they were hanging over the glass on us. Yeah, I mean, and that's, and the biggest thing is it's, it's, uh, you could have 10,000 people in a $20,000 or $20,000 stadium, right? And it doesn't seem like that many. But anytime you play in a stadium that's right full, like even the Middle Lake Rink, like where it's standing room only, it don't matter if it was 500 people in a standing room or 4,000 people standing room.

It's always cool when you're playing in a standing room only, and you can feel that energy from everyone in the stands for sure. So that's the good feeling there was like you could feel it just because it was so just because it was so. jam packed in there all the time, right? So, like, it's just always so fun to play in front of a jam-packed arena, that's for sure. Now, I did the thing that I never, I never watch the fight tapes, the YouTube videos when I'm playing you, right? I even sat beside you in Kinderslie for when you came back from watching. I didn't do it then. But today I did it. And I went, thank God, I didn't watch this before I

played you because I watched you fight like all the heavies and I'm like, and here I am nipping at DJ's kneecaps telling him what's what. And I'm like, if he got a hold of me, I'd be one dead ombre sitting on the old ice surface. You know, if you go back to the beginning of your career, was that always what you were? Were you, like as a young guy, were you the guy walked in the corner and thumped on people? Or did you slowly get turned into that? No, I was, I was always a power forward that put up pretty good numbers. Like through minor hockey and all that was always one of the top scorers on our team, right? Even in junior, I put a pretty good. numbers and juniors, but being a big guy, right?

Guys come after you and I'm not a guy to back down. And then I just, the more I didn't back down, the more I beat up people and I just kind of come on. I didn't go looking for it at the start. They come looking at the big guy. And then I just was, it just something I was gifted. I was able to take them on and beat a lot of guys up. And then I just took advantage of it, right?

It was part of the game that was going to get into the next level. So I just stayed with it. and I just worked hard at that, and that's what got me to the next level, so it wasn't a bad. I was fortunate enough to keep doing it. What do you think of today is that, HL? I'm always curious as a guy who made a living as, you know,

bell rings out you go, and you're, you know, you're taking on some, well, I keep saying heavies, but I watched you fight Derek Bougarge a couple times today, and I was like, oh, man, that is a giant of a man. But there were some other guys in there, too, right? Like, you weren't fighting small, fish by any stretch of the imagination.

No, like Parker, Goddard, like all those guys, Peros, like, don't I mean? I'm not a small guy myself, but there's a lot of guys that made me look small too. So when they make me look small, they're pretty big dudes, that's for sure. But like I said, the game's changed so much since then. And it even changed from the arrow I walked. And it was you could see it kind of changing a little bit, just kind of on my way out kind of thing. So it's, I don't agree with it, but it is what it is, right?

It's just, it's not just hockey. It's our whole, our whole society is just changing. It's just, we're just, the mentality we take in life nowadays is just, it's just different, right? So I don't know if we're all just getting used to it or whatever, but it's, it's tough, but it is what it is, I guess. It's just the way we're raised now, I guess, the way the kids grow up in school. And it's just, it all starts pretty much right there. And it's that attitude that they're brought up in school, right? We're a little bit softer nowadays for sure.

Mark Shafley, would you suspend them? No, I don't think so. I mean, I just, I watched it a few times, and it's, it's, it's, you, the kid put himself in a bad situation, right? So, I mean, if he wanted to get that, get that, is that the price you had to pay. I don't think it was nothing too serious. There's nothing crazy anyways, you know what I mean? Yeah, well, I keep saying that, uh, the new NHL doesn't, um,

penalize the guy with the puck, right? So if the guy puts himself in a horrendous position, the guy without the puck has to hold up, even if it means giving up a goal. And that's the tough thing, right? They can't penalize that guy. Yeah, it's, the guys are changing so much. And I had a couple interviews about this too.

It's, it's those suspensions, right? It's the dollars that come out of their, like every game that they're suspended. It's money out of their pocket big time. So you can only do that so much. I mean, Tom Wilson, does it more and more and more and he just he's giving away money left right and center but like I said there's that's it's not so much that like the game suspension all that but the more to take out of

your pocket that definitely changes the game and like you said it's it's put an accountability on on the guy that's not not enough on the other person that's putting himself in that situation for sure well I'm glad you bring up Tom Wilson he was my next on my list man he uh I don't even know what to say about the New York Rangers when he came bowling through but But as a guy, if you're sitting on the Rangers bench, you know, like George Laroch tweeted out, you know, Rangers sign me. I'll take care of Tom Wilson. I assume you would have been over the bench awfully quick if Tom Wilson had done that

under your watch. Oh, yeah, for sure. And like I said, if I would be going after like OV or something like, don't I mean, backstream like that too, right? And like then letting them know, like, OV, this is just like, there's only so much you can do with a guy, right? like, know what I mean?

But you go after their superstars and you make them feel Tom Wilson's going to change his attitude pretty quick too, right? Like I said, there's, you go after him, but if you go after their superstars and let them know why it's happening, those guys will start letting Tom Wilson to smart enough because they don't want to be playing into those situations all night either.

Yeah, the star players would be like, all right, Tom, you've made your point. Now I'm getting hacked. DJ's coming after me. I'm tired of this. Yeah,

for sure. I mean, and that's the way the game's changed, right? There's, there's no accountability. anywhere. So the start players on another team too, they don't, they don't care, like whatever. But before they knew if someone was acting up, they pretty much knew someone was going to come after

them too, right? So that's where the accountability is just not there in the game no more. Now, rewind the clock for me, because I don't know the answer of this. Were you taking in the Bannum draft? Did Lethbridge take you in the Bannum draft? Or did you walk on? How did that happen back in in the day? I was a walk on. Yeah, I had two letters and to go to Dubcamps and one was way over in Tri-City and one was in Leithbridge. So obviously we took the half as far. Took the seven-hour trip instead of a 14-hour trip. So that was where we went.

And I went to camp there and I signed that, signed in camp there. And I was with property of Leithbridge ever since that first camp. Did you have to tussle in the first? Like when you walked in, you mentioned you're the big guy. Everybody looks at the big guy and goes, let's see what this kid's made of. And then when they see what you're made of, then all of a sudden you kind of slide into the roll of, you know, putting up points, but being a power forward and power forward even at that time was somebody who was not afraid to shed the midst from time to time. Did you have to do that in training camp?

No, no, not yet. I mean, we had Derek Parker there when I was when I was young and he was, he was a fighter there. And I was, I was just there as a power forward, just doing my thing. And then first game, home opener and a couple, like after, like I was, I went to camp signed with him. but home opener in the next year, when I made the team, we had a bench brawl, and I'd just grabbed someone and I didn't know who. And next thing you know, it was, I had one of the Calgary's tough guys. I forget who it was. I got parents come up for the weekend to watch them hockey.

I play a period. I get suspended for the rest of the weekend. Next game was a line brawl, and I ended up fighting Seattle's tough guy, and then Black. And he was signed with St. Louis, too. later I got to meet them too, but, and I just, it just got paired up with three tough guys that I did really well with and not just benchball, line brawl, and then someone seen who was fighting the last two fights, so they come after me. And then that's why everyone just seen the,

the stats, right? Well, look at who King fought, he fought, this guy, this guy, this guy, so people kept coming after me and I wasn't the one to say no, and I just kept doing good at it. So that's pretty much halfway through that year, kind of Derek Parker kind of lost to his job and I kind of did the power forward slash all the fighting on the team too. You know, you talk about like, well, bench brawl, you know, line brawl. A, those two things don't happen anymore. If they did, can you imagine the suspensions that come of it? But two, if you're a tough guy in the dub and you hear that and you hear this new guy

named DJ King, dust it up three of them, the writing's on the wall from that point on. Because if you're the tough guy walking into Lethbridge, you're going, well, let's take a run at this DJ King kid because that's the way it works. Like as soon as you make a little, that's like that's a small sample size, but against those guys and doing all right or doing really good. Now everybody knows. Yeah. And that's exactly.

And that's what and that's what took off. And that was, that's what started my career. And that's what got me in NHL, right, got drafted that year and everything. Everyone, everyone seen the names that I was doing and making my name for myself pretty quick there.

So it was, it was, it was, the parents didn't like the, like the fighting right at the start, but, uh, they got, they, they, they, they come to accustomed to it after a while. Yeah. Um, you mentioned getting taken in the draft to 2002 by St. Louis there in the sixth round. Where was the draft that year? Uh, it was in Montreal, I think. I didn't go to it anyways. I was, I was, uh, actually, we were doing a fun run in St. Uh, in that Ray Mitchings place there at his track there. And, and, and, And I was outriding there that the day before. My birthday was that same time. And then Larry Klox calls me. And I was just like, I had mom and dad's there. And I just take a message. And they're like, oh, I think you want to take this call? And I was just like, so I come upstairs and get the phone call.

And GM of St. Louis there talking to him for a bit. He was pretty busy. So he just kept her short. They said, well, we'll talk to you in a couple hours. We're still at the draft. But congratulations, all that. So I just like, oh, woke me up pretty quick there. after that.

You know, just like, just kind of forgot about the draft that day. Yeah. You forget about the NHL draft. Oh, no. I mean, I wasn't, I was just, I, I talked to a few teams. I didn't, I wasn't really, I didn't really think I was going to go anywhere, to be honest. I was just like, I never, I was just, I'll keep working hard, but that's, I wasn't, I didn't,

I talked to probably four or five teams and that was about it. And I wasn't, I wasn't really projected to really go. So I was just kind of like, it is what it is, right? if I get drafted, great. But if not, I'm still going to keep working hard and try to get there anyway still, right? Like, a lot of people don't get drafted and still make it there just like, like, I wasn't a bad to draft, right? So it was just, I wasn't, I didn't really think I was going to get drafted, to be honest.

Was St. Louis on your radar? Were they one of the teams that had talked to? Yeah, they were, yeah, yeah, there were St. Louis. But, like, if Phoenix was the one that I thought I was going to get drafted to you, but then just, I talked to him quite a bit the most. but it just St. Louis was the one that took me. So it was a perfect fit for me, especially with Quinville being the coach there at the time.

He was there for my first couple years, and he got me in there as a young kid. And like 19 years old, I stayed there right till opening day. And that's pretty much where I, like, they said, well, I don't know if you can handle the big boys yet as 19-year-old. But so that was, but he gave me all that experience there as a young kid there. And most thing is confidence, right? They gave me so much confidence as a young age.

I really believed I could come back and make the NHL there at that young age. So we had the lock coach when I was 20 and then I was back and we were playing, I was playing pro at 22. Yeah. I didn't realize you'd had Quinnville as a coach. He's got to be, and I mean

obviously you saw it firsthand. You speak very highly of him. But I mean, Barry Trots, Coach Q, is there many better than those two? No, I mean, I've I've had quite a few coaches over my career for sure. But like I said, they can make you or break you a coach, and know what I mean?

Especially at a young age, they're coming in. He had great, a lot of confidence to me. And just the way he was, just, just, you go work hard, you'll treat you good, right? That's a meat and potatoes kind of thing. And as long as he put in the effort, he was there for head, your back kind of thing. So that's the biggest thing.

And it's not just in hockey. It's everywhere, right? it's confidence. And he gave me that confidence right at the young age there. And that's what got me into the NHL, that's for sure. You remember your first training camp? You're saying at 19, he kept your rate until opening day. Who were the big guys on St. Louis at the time?

Keith Kichuk. Yeah, well, I was there for my first year. But, like, Scott Melendie was there. El McKinnis was there when I went to camp. So when I was 18, I got, was my first pro camp. And I was just thought I was just going to go to. the young guys camp and that did not make main camp. They didn't take too many

main. They took their first second rounders, right? But 18, they, they, we went to Traverse City, had that young, the prospects tournament there. Most 90% of the guys go home after that, right? All of a sudden they, they, they, they're 18 years old. They said, well, you might as well come to main camp. And I was like, oh, we smokes. That's pretty cool.

Like, just whatever. So then you beat the McKinnis's, the Pronger, the he was there, Smellinbee, Kach, like, Jackman was there. Those guys, like Doug Wade, like all those guys. And then I just was there for a quick three-day camp, and then I was sent back to Lethbridge.

But then come back 19-year-old, I was like, okay, I'll make camp, and I'll see if I can maybe sneak in an exhibition game or something, right? Three exhibition games, right? The opening night was the next night. And then they sent me home back to Lesbridge. They had to cut down, hey? They had to make the roster, and I wasn't,

I couldn't go down to the minors because I was too young to go to minors, right? So that was pretty good confidence boosted right there too. So I was, I got like, I scored a goal in exhibition games. I got in a fight. I did it all. And those ones, yeah. I fought John Erskine there as 19.

Reed Lowe was like, I don't know if you want to be messing with this guy. He's pretty strong. And I said, well, I'm not going to back down. I'm going to keep doing my thing. And we had a pretty good tilt there when I was 19. Yeah. And who was that against John Erskine? Yeah, John Erskine.

He was with Dallas and then I actually later on played with him in Washington. We had a good, we were buddies in Washington there for a year. That's a name that I just don't even recognize. I'm going to have to go look this up now. Yeah, big D man. Yeah, big D man. He's from Ontario and he is. I got to know some things because I started digging on your career.

Like, and I go back, it's, you know, when you play senior hockey, when any team brings in the X NHL or any team brings in the X. NHL or any team brings in the ex top guy any team brings in the X whatever all the guys scramble to YouTube to hockey DB to whatever it is and I'm just always like it's just another guy just another guy wearing the other jersey and if I build it up too big in my own head then you do become something bigger right and so it started it started with Marasty when Marasty played in Marwain I remember him playing there and I was like I don't really care right and then I had him on the podcast and I watched his fight roll I'm like oh my god right like

okay and now I see them everywhere and I'm like thank God I didn't uh well he didn't want to just dust me up because that would have hurt like he's got a cinder block for a head and hands and then like I say I come back to you and I watch it all over again now I start rolling through the st. Louis blues guys you played with or were around that team and man you got to to a I didn't see coach Q um you mentioned pronger and McKinnis and all those guys but you know as your career starts to go. Like, you're in there with the Paul Koreas of the world and the Doug weights and the Keith Kichucks and. Yeah, Bill Guerin, Arnott. Like, we had, like, we had quite the crew there was just, there was just, they were just, they just had their last couple years there.

And it was the old boy crew there, like he said, those five, five Americans there was, well, besides Korea, but it was, they were fun, they're, they're, they're fun group. That's for sure they, they, they stayed young anyways. Yeah. Did they, did they, uh, a young guy, that was probably pretty cool to have a little bit of veteran leadership touring your round to all the NHL cities, I assume. Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, just they just, they, they, they, they gave you so much respect to, you know I mean, they were, they weren't the cool guys that were like, there, there is some guys

that are in the league that are just too cool for school, but that, that whole group there, they, they were on each other if someone that kind of was given the big shoulder or one of the other guys, they, they'd hassle each other, those five guys, and they'd make sure, they take care of everyone. Yeah, they took care of the young guys really good. I know it was years after, multiple, multiple years after, almost a decade, I suppose, after playing in St. Louis. But when St. Louis wins the Cup, were you cheering for them?

Like, was that your team? Like, do you cheer for the blues? He's cheer for buddies, you know, I mean, Perron was there. Like, Steen was there. Like, there was teammates there that I played with, that were, and I still did, like, don't I mean? Weber's, I played with Weber and Colona. and he's in Montreal, like, I don't know what I mean?

I just more cheer for for ex-teammates or buddies that I played with somewhere throughout their career kind of thing. So there's not really a team I cheer for. I'm more cheer for the guys, right? You know what I mean? So it's just nice to see those guys do well for sure. Speaking of Shea Weber and the Montreal Canaanians, I know they lost game one, but are you surprised at how they're doing?

I mean, like, we've all been there, done that, right? You get, it's a whole new game come that time of the year and you get prices playing unbelievable. You get a goalie that plays like he is and you get rolling that caught. Like I mentioned it earlier, it's confidence is such a big thing in the game of hockey, right? You get rolling and the confidence there, any team out of all of them can win the cup, right? So you just got to be, just like anything, you got to be, you want to take advantage of the highs and roll it out as best as you can. Who you got your money on? Who's going to win the cup this year?

Oh, I don't know. I mean, like Vegas is looks so tough too, right? So, I mean, they're, they're so big and strong, and they do it all, right? So it's, I don't know, it's tough. I don't, I don't, I stay so busy. I don't really watch a whole lot of hockey. I watch some highlights and all that. But like I said, I'm open for this for Montreal to get there.

But like I said, Vegas is just, they're just so strong and big. Yeah. Ryan Reeves is a guy playing for Vegas, who's made a name for himself, another, not Tom Wilson, but he kind of is built the same way, so to speak. Yeah, he was in St. Louis when I was there, too. Yeah. Was he the same guy in the minors? Yeah, well, no, he's, he was, he grew up a lot. He had a lot of learning when he come in as a young kid, right?

He was just, he was a kid sleeping on the table there as a young guy. I was like, what the heck you're doing? You're a young kid and you're sleeping on a training room table. You're like, get out of here. Like, don't I mean. Like, don't give these guys ammo to bug you kind of stuff. stuff like he was just just whatever no no care in the world kind of whatever but he grew up out of it and he knew he figured it out pretty quick and and it's doing him really well like what i mean he's he's

lasted a long time and he he's he's in a different area right now but he's taking advantage of it big time yeah big time he's he's created like he's earned himself a spot with the vet one of the best teams in the nchel and he's very valuable to him yeah for sure like i said he's he's he's very valuable on the team and that's the big thing right he's not just he's not just there taking up a spot he's uh he's a key component to their team that's for sure um you mentioned shea weber and playing with him and cloner rockets uh days back in the day that was another thing i learned about you dj and i guess maybe i just don't follow my my hockey close enough i'm not sure but i didn't realize you'd warn a memorial cup that's certainly not when people talk about they talk about all your

fights but you got a mem cup to your name and you played with a young shea weber uh What was the Mem Cup like? And I guess the second question I had is Shea Weber back then, the same Shea Weber is now. Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, he was a men among boys back then, and he's still with men. He's still a men among the men. I like, no way mean, he's a beast no matter what. But you put him with the young kids there in the junior hockey.

You can get a lot of guys that can be men among boys there in the dub, but they come to the pro league and they find out pretty quick. They're not as manly as they're not as they. I think they were. But Weber, he's a beast, and he just stayed. He just was a dominant force, no matter what, where you put him, he got her done for sure. Did you ever see him dust up the gloves? No, we played against each other quite a bit there.

And when he was, like I was in St. Louis and he was in Nashville, right? So we got to muck it up quite a bit. I was on the forecheck against him as much as I could and I'd let him know. But like I said, all in good fun, right? but it was, we're just doing our jobs. How was the Memorial Cup? Moro Cup was good. Yeah, I was, that was 19 years old.

I was in, Lasbridge was supposed to be pretty decent, right? We had a pretty good squad, but it just kind of, it was falling apart there just before the trade deadline. And we had to make up a mind if we were going to go for it or not. And the coaches were, the GM, the Maxwell's there, treated me very well. Like, they were the GM and coaches when I, Went to Laspbridge and they actually asked me if, what do you figure?

I said, well, you guys are the bosses, but it's up to you. But if I'd like to try to stick it out here, but if we're going to trade me, trade me to somewhere that's contending, right, or whatever. So I thought I was going to go to PA, to be honest. PA was really strong. That year, and PA was going to make a big run for the MEM Cup too. But I went to the Cologne Rockets and they were hosting the Cup. So they were going to be in it for sure, right?

They were strong forced. And right on the deadline day, I got to call at 11 o'clock to you got to be on the airplane going to Seattle to play with the rockets in a couple hours. You are in, you're coming to Lloyd for the. The NACC, we come there for July 11th to the 19th and then we'll be there for the Lloyd finals. CPC is going to be there. What I'm going to try and do is I'm going to try and Hassee to come in the studio. That way we can actually have in-person SaaS. Yeah, for sure.

I mean, you know, got all these freeze-ups and all that kind of stuff. So it might be for the best that you sit down and in studio kind of stuff. Well, out at the lake right now, and it's pretty busy out here. But I got cell phone on and it's just, like I said, it's a busy place, but it's freezing up every once in a while. How excited are you for the truck wagon season, they'll fire up? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's good.

I mean, everyone's, we've been, we went the year off with a different year last year. everyone's excited and then having this big NICC show coming up here and Lloyd there in middle of July. It's very exciting. It's the biggest thing there. It's the future of the sport shows some growth there. So the guys coming up into the sport, they can have something to look up to for sure. Because it was a little gloom there for a while where we weren't too sure about the future. But if we can give the younger generation something to look up to, it's the sport will last for sure.

because we definitely know there's going to be fans in the stands no matter where you go. It's just got to get some younger drivers getting in also. I'll be interested to see how your turnout is here as everything opens up, DJ. Like throughout the summer, I feel like I drove by an 11-year-old roughly girls ball game the other day. And I've never seen so many people in the stands. Like for a Tuesday night ball game. Well, you get the chucks coming to town and you let people in the stands, that is going to be like, we.

Nobody's had anything to watch at all. No. For a year, year plus. Like, it's going to be jarred. Yeah, there's, everyone's hungry, everyone's hungry, do something for sure. So it's going to be right, right, everything should open up there,

right around the July 11th day. We're supposed to be full, full capacity. So it's going to be one of the first events there that people are allowed to do what to go full bore. And it's, it's going to be exciting for sure. That's, that's the other thing, just being able to run.

No matter when you can go into hockey, Chuck Wagon, when you get a full crowd, it just gives you that much more. right sight when it just gets the heart going that's for sure and that's why we do it right it's just it's that love of the game well i'll do this we'll do the crude master final five my my uh goal then is during july when you're in town i'm going to try and rassily over to the uh studio so we can sit in here and actually um talk a little bit about playing with holtby and some things about washington because i you know there's a team you got to see early on in the stages and of course

they win a cup and you get to see a young ovechkin and everything else but that is for for a different day. And by that time, you'll be racing. So we'll get to talk a little truck wagons as well. But the crewmaster final five, just five quick questions, long or short as you want to go and then I'll let you out of here. What's better than a truck wagon crowd or a hockey crowd? Yeah, they're both. Like I said, any crowd's a good crowd. I mean, the thing about the chuck wagon crowd, it's more of a family thing, right? I mean, you went on the hockey thing, You got your, like you've heard it how many times your locker rooms, your family and all that stuff. But in the truck wagon world, pretty much everyone's your family.

It's all the other drivers, all the people in the stands, everything like that. It's quite the crew. So it's nice to be in front of a full crowd, but you see that crowd as just a big Chuck wagon family kind of thing. Hockey is cool, but you more keep your dress room as your family and you get your spectators, fans. It's nice, but it's not as tight as the Chuck Wagon family. Wagon World for sure. If you could do this with one guy, sit down and pick somebody's brain on their career or maybe some of their experiences, who would you take?

Oh, I don't know. I did that, like we talked about earlier, that crew that I played with there in St. Louis, my early years with Kachak, Garon, and weight and all that kind of stuff. Just to go back and have this, this is an R-Nod and all those guys to be that fly in the wall again and just kind of picked their brains a little bit more, don't know what I mean? I didn't really pick their brain. They just, they just did what they did, right? I was just more just whatever.

But now that I'd kind of pick their brain a little bit more and learn some more about those days for sure. From one toothless guy to another toothless guy, are you ever getting the front jib fixed? I keep my tooth up in my, and it's in the counter at my house there. And the wife always asks, I said, I haven't worked for so long.

It probably doesn't even, I can't talk, but I don't put it in no more. So I just, I just, who I am now, I won't, I probably won't wear that tooth ever again. No, no plans to get it fixed then? No, I got, I mean, I got it fixed. I got it fixed a couple times. I got the veneers right across once.

I had the post put in. I got him knocked out. Now that I shouldn't be getting him knocked out would be the time to fix them now, right? But I just, I have no, it's, it is what it is. I don't have, it doesn't bother me one bit. So I'll just leave it be as it is. If you could go for beers with one tough guy, who would it be? go for beers?

Yeah, with one tough thing. Yeah. I mean, like, I don't know. That's a tough one too. I was lucky. I always go back to the St. Louis thing, and we had Kelly Chase there and Tony Twister, and I got to get to have beers with them quite a bit

in St. Louis with the alumni, and then here's our stories from their time. So, like, that's a tough one. I don't even really know, but I was just fortunate enough. I got the meat guys like Kelly Chase and Tony Twist there for sure. They were great. The alumni in St. Louis is so strong.

Like, everyone goes back there. So I met so many of those older generations for sure to you. So it was very good. Okay. Your final one then. If there was a line brawl tomorrow, you're on the ice. Who's the one guy do you want on your side going into it? One guy on my side.

Well, like, I'd probably want. Twister. It was like, no, I mean, he's, he's just, just,

just from what he had there on. He was, he was one crazy man, too, like, don't mean, he was people, he didn't even have to,

like, he was tough, but there, people just didn't know what he was going to do, too, so he had that, like,

there's guys that you're scared, ah, I'll just stay away from from him and I won't get hurt, but there's guys like, oh, I got to, like, stay, like, way, way away from him

or else I won't get hurt. I don't what I mean? Like, There's guys who are like, well, if I stay within six feet, I'll be fine. There's guys on the ice. Like, oh, I might be over here on the whole 200 feet away, but he just, you never know with him. He'll find a way to do something.

Yeah. Well, best of luck in the upcoming truck wagon season. Thanks for hopping on DJ. And I, I promise to try and track you down while you're hearing Lloyd. Yeah, sounds good, bud. We'll do it again in the studio and it would be a little bit more smoother for sure. Sounds good. Thanks, DJ.

All right. Thanks, bud. Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed DJ King. I'm hoping in July when he's sitting in here, sitting in Lloyd Minster doing the chucks, and I'll slide him over here, maybe a couple others, and we'll have a little bit of fun in the studio.

But man, what a, just a, he's played with some hockey players, right? Like M. M. Cup, everything else. And then he's, and then, I mean, in the show, he went against some heavies, like, really interesting stuff. Certainly hope I can get him in here for a sassarilla or two

and pick his brain some more because I think having the big man on and was a lot of fun for me and I'm sure you guys sitting at home or driving in the tractor or heading to work or wherever you're at this morning. I'm sure you enjoyed that as well. Now, if that wasn't the end of today's episode, we got the double shot, Morgan Man, coming up here.

So we're going to slide into your T-Barr-1 tale of the tape. Originally from Sandy Beach, Saskatchewan. He won a CIS National Championship with the Acadia Axeman, and Alan Cup with the Lloydminster Border Kings. He's a teacher and counselor in the Lloydminster Public School Division, and now the head coach of the Lakeland Rustler's Female Women's Hockey Program. I'm talking about Morgan Mann. So buckle up, here we go.

Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. I'm joined today by Morgan Man. Second time for you on the podcast. It's changed a little different since the last time you're in, First off, thanks for... Thanks, Sean. Appreciate coming back. Yeah, your office looks great.

Well, and you're on the wall, good sir. Right. Now, the reason we got you in today is, well, I've read the article in the booster, the source, way to have you, about the new team with Lakeland College. I guess I'm curious about the details as well because, you know,

I did a little bit of digging on Lakeland College hockey, You know, they've been around since 1913, Lakeland College itself. So over 100 years. They started out with hockey, then it just disappears. And then for people who've been listening to the podcast since the very beginning, Dad played for the Lakeland or I guess the Vermilion wrestlers because at that time they weren't the two campuses. And won a centennial hockey league senior championship in 1975 with the hockey club then.

But there hasn't been, I mean, that little, brief time in history, you know, there hasn't been any college hockey. And it's kind of odd. You know, just before we hopped on here, we were talking about how talented the area is with hockey. While you're a man who's been with the Steelers now for several years, you're getting to see the women's side of it. So to me, it's like, well, that makes sense. Like, perfect sense that there's college hockey. But shed some light on us for us. Yeah. No, we're super excited to bring college hockey here to Lloyd Minster and to Lakeland College. I need to be caught up on some of the history of it. I really enjoyed your dad's podcast, but that part slipped. I miss catching that,

that he had an error there, that there was the team in Vermilion. So I need to do a little bit of digging on that. But no, our area is really a hockey area. and I think it's just a natural segue for being an opportunity for female hockey players here in this area with being one of the six designated spots in Alberta with the Alberta League, the AAA League. It makes a lot of sense. And so within Alberta with the no borders for U-18 in the female league, and so the U-18, the U-18, the U-1-1-5. Steelers last year had players from Lethbridge, Calgary, Banff, all over Alberta. And so they come to Lloyd and have a good experience here with the Steeler program and with their Billet families. And Lloyd becomes a second home. And then so the opportunity to stay on here for players coming in or

are players from the community to go to school here and play hockey, it's great. With, with eligibility being backed up through COVID the last couple years. And there's been a lot of players that just didn't have an opportunity to carry on with their hockey and at the college or university level. So this is providing an opportunity to some, a few more players to experience that. So I think it's going to be a good fit here. Well, I don't know. We sit in Alberta, Saskatchewan around the border. And in this part of the world, hockey, Canada.

and hockey are just like the same bloody thing, right? Like, we're a hockey haven. Everybody loves playing hockey here. And women's sports are on the uptick, right? Like women's hockey is definitely jumping leaps and bounce. And yet Lakeland College doesn't have a hockey program and hasn't for some time, 40 plus years, at least since dad played.

And even then, it wasn't the ACAC. It was a senior league, right? And so the fact that you're getting the ball rolling on, I think is super cool. Now, I got to know, are you going to play out of Vermillion? Because part of me goes, I think that would be brilliant. Or are you going to try and play it out of Lloyd? We're starting in Lloyd, and you're right.

I mean, with the two campuses, and the Vermillion campus is maybe known for being a little bit more fun as had if on the Vermillion campus possibly. So that being said, I just think that campus would embrace hockey and the culture of what hockey is and going out to games and supporting it and having some fun at the event. And so we will.

Although next year we're in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League, so we're not able to jump right into the ACAC. The ACAC League requires you to have a year of exhibition and to just sort of... Go through some hopes. Yeah, show that you're a legitimate team and that you have things in place. It's not just a one, one and done outfit and some standards.

So initially we were a little discouraged by that thinking, you know, we have momentum right now. It's right now at this moment coming out of COVID that we have girls looking for places to play hockey and thought we're missing the window here. As things get going again in our country and in our own community here, I think we're anxious to see those opportunities come back to kids and things pick up in the community. I think the timing's right there, but to support a team. But as we got into it looking at the junior league, it's a 10-team league. And actually, just an email came in yesterday to those of us that are involved with the team that a team in the south has now asked also to join next year.

So it's now looking like an 11-team league, which is a really healthy league. five in the it'd be five in the north and six in the south so there's an all-star game and a showcase weekend the person in charge Glenn Ball from Sherr Park he was one of the original

founders of this league along should mention Joe Holt out of Irma Irma has a successful team right from the beginning of this the of the league as well. And so, Glenn had said,

you're going to enjoy this, you know, you're going to find this league's pretty darn good and might just have everything you're looking for that we think that you're going to want to stick around and and stay with us. And it's a little, there's some added expenses to moving to the ACAC. And our goal is still,

you know, to get to that point because I think kids are looking to play. college sports. As you played, Sean, to play college sports and to be in the college league, there's something to be said for that. And so, but if we don't get there after year one, or we're still, we're, we're just very fortunate to be in the junior league because it looks like it's going to be a great experience.

So, yeah, circling back, what did you ask me originally there? Well, I think it's, I think it's going to be interesting. You know, you mentioned that they're, you mentioned that they're. giving you a year of, I don't know, essentially proven out that you guys are going to have a program and everything else. That happens lots in the states. Does it? Yeah.

I just think of the states, lots of movement between leagues, lots of clubs, schools start of those club programs. Yeah. Just get their feet and bearings under them, start to get a recruiting class, right? Like, you're starting from scratch. Right. So to hop in against schools that have been, you know, I don't know how many years will the girls get to play in the ACA.

Is it five years of eligibility or is it is it going to be a little different than that? Five years. Yeah. And so this next year won't count as a year of eligibility against them with playing in the junior league. And so yeah, it's well, it's a big, it's a big ever-moving world. So it's probably a good thing to kind of just start out as a club. For sure. Your bearings.

Yeah. But I mean, overall, I think, you know, like, college sports is, there's a lot of fun had there. Yeah. And I bring up Vermillion because I just, well, you take a look at the Lloyd landscape. You got the Bobcats, you got the banets, you got a lot of, you got a lot of hockey,

you got all their elite programs. Yeah. You go to Vermillion. There's no knock on Vermillion. I think it's a perfect little college town to have some elite hockey played right there. And why not? And the first hockey program in 40-plus years, I think it would be a great slam dunk. So you're playing out of the Russ

Robertson and Lloyd. Right. And just to Circ, like, and that's, sorry, Sean, I get off topic, but you, we will, and when we join the ACAC, we want to play some games in Vermillion for sure. Next year, in respect to Irma being another team in our junior league, Irma's draw zone as kind of Vermillion and girls from Lloyd, when there was nothing available here, would travel to Irma. So the last thing we wanted to do is to add a team to the league and see a, another team, you know, that that took away from their ability to draw players.

So next year we're not going to play league games in Vermilion out of respect of the, you know, kids coming. There will be kids from that area playing on the Irma team. So it's, yeah, this might be a bit of a conflict of interest. The reason I'm laughing is I saw Dad's question to you because I called Dad, because I wanted to ask him about what years he played. And he asked, you see, you should ask Morgan if they're going to run with. the same ugly yellow buckets and yellow pants they had back in the in the 70s. I assume you haven't got to uniforms or anything just yet. We have actually. We're going with green pants and green

buckets, but hearing that, I'm big on traditions and playing homage to the past and the history of things. So I'm wondering if we tell your dad we just might look into us to. Well, you're telling them right now because you know dad's chuckling as he hears us. We just, that's good to know actually. We might follow that one up. Well, he was telling me, if there's anyone from Lakeland College listening, he was telling me that he goes into all these. He was telling me about the Centennial Hockey League. He said it's now defunct.

It hasn't been going for a while, but it had Lacklbush, Vermillion. Vermillion actually had the college team and a senior team from the million, yes. Two Hills, St. Paul Elk Point is what he figured. And he said, you know, following me around in senior hockey, he always looks for these old centennial banners and he can't find them because he said the first year they won it. a bunch of college kids playing in a men's league. He said they'd walk into two wheels and have a bench clearing brawl.

And then they'd walk in the old point in the same thing. And I'm going like, it's kind of funny, right? A bunch of 18, 19, 20-year-old kids going into a senior league. Yeah. I mean, that's... Not easy to do. As we know, jumping into senior out of junior is... That's a big step.

Well, if you find anything on the Centennial Hockey League, you'll have to throw it my way so I can tell dad. But, no, super cool. The other thing that's interesting about what you're having to do is instead of it being, you know, I'm just thinking when I went to college, they had funding from the college to run the sport. It's going to be funding from the community. So you're in the middle of trying to drum up some money, essentially,

to try and make this thing. How's that going? Oh, that's the hardest part of the whole process of putting a team together, recruiting players and working with a great group of people from the community that are giving their time to, we're at the Russ Robertson. we had to find a portable dressing room that Richard Klinger donated to us to an old office, not an old. It's a relatively new oil field office unit that we convert into a dressing room.

And those pieces and the conversations with the college and the city of Lloyd Minster have all been terrific. It's meeting new people and new relationships. It's fun to be involved in those things. But the hardest part is for sure trying to go out and, and find the money to run the team. Yeah, it is new. It will be the only team of its kind in Alberta that's especially in hockey.

I think in all of the, well, it is, in all of the college athletics and the ACAC will be the only team that's funded from the community. I think it's a model that's, as things tighten up, Through the 80s colleges and universities got 80% of their funding came from the government. Now I believe it's less than 50%. Now don't quote me exactly on those numbers. Just the point is things are tight.

And it's the things that we've gone through a period of in Alberta, in Saskatchewan and in our community where the economy's been tough. And so the money's not there from our own exhibition center in Lloyd Minister, the exhibition grounds. I mean, they've felt that they rely on government funding, and it's been hard for them too. So Lethbridge, both their male and female hockey programs, a year ago were canceled. Laurentian in Ontario shut down. So I think, unfortunately, we're I think we'll see more. programs coming to an end.

But sometimes through these things and just like I hear talk of some friends in the oil community here in Lloyd Minster that talk about now that oil prices have jumped back up and I'm in an area or an area that I don't know that much about, but just the comment that make doing right well or doing very well at the moment with the surge in the oil prices just because their house or their business or however you want to frame it as they've had to clean up what they do and, you know, just be very responsible with where money spent. And now, you know, sometimes periods of struggle allow you opportunities then to grow. And so I think that with it tightening up for supporting sports,

that maybe sometimes there's definitely hockey teams, even in Canada, where some players are going to school and even making a little bit of money. Now, that's not in the ACAC or the collegiate level of what we're playing, but I know some men's teams in Canada where players are coming out of the Western League with pretty good packages, and the package they're getting from the universities to go play there

are have them leaving making money now is that really necessary um so that it means that programs are being shut down i'm not sure if it does well you got your work cut out for him because you know if you just had to walk in and coach a team that'd be one thing you're going to wear you're going to wear several hats this year so i guess the question is that i got up for you is why i'm work why are you leading this one, right? Like, I mean, I don't mean you're an old guy by any stretch, but you could have just stepped back and, and like, is there, where you like, this is something I think would be healthy for our community, like, A, if you can get it to run, of course it can be healthy for our community. But, you know, I always come back to, you know, people ask, you, you just asked me

about the bike trip. Like, why? Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I kind of got this weird driving me that I want to go do something. Oh, it's a great question. And I do have moments of sometimes asking myself the same question. But I suppose there's a number of factors. I mean, I do really love, I still love coaching at school. I like coaching teams where everybody makes the team. I have a rugby and wrestling program that everybody makes the team. And so if you have the courage to come out there and stand your ground on a rugby pitch,

fantastic. And it's not overly supported. We don't have a lot of parents coming out to watch the games. But what I see from young people in that sport, how it's a confidence builder and how it can change their, how it can sometimes what it can do for young people's mental health to connect and build relationships with other people through sport and combative sports can kind of, it seems to do something. Galvanize.

Yeah. Does something to make teams or people even closer. Yeah. So, I mean, I really enjoy that part. And even last year with COVID and the politics of, and it's in everything of hockey and sometimes the stress of dealing with, you know, the boards or organizations that you're dealing with, the political parts of the game can be, that is, that's, I don't find, I suppose nobody finds that much fun, really. But going out on the ice and practicing or skating or seeing young people

working hard and being good to each other and the commitment. And like our team last year was just a terrific group. You'd come to a seven o'clock practice and every single player was ready and dressed and standing by the gate at 10 to 7 and then hit the ice, you know, just with all the effort and work that you could ask for as a coach. That's selfishly, that's pretty rewarding to be involved with those types of people. And I mean, and then the other piece, I mean, and teaching is kind of this way too. Teaching and coaching are the same in the sense that those relationships with young people and guiding them through that time, through sport or school,

as they go on and go into their own professions and have their families and, and that you still, you can, when you see each other at the rink or the grocery store or at their, now for me, now I'm even had my first grandchild of my first student to come through and to have Grandpa come back as somebody I taught and that was a good experience for them, that's the bonus in the job. Yeah, that's, I always, if I go back to when I had you and Mervon, the way you guys talk about coaching and teaching kids,

well, I've got to witness it, right? It's like super unique, I think, right? So you have a gift when it comes to stepping on the ice or stepping in front of a class, I assume. I love the, you know, whether it was Murray, Matt, McDonnell or Mr. Armstrong when they got talking, because I wasn't a guy who played rugby or football where you have these large teams and very few cuts, if any.

And in hearing the way you guys talk about that and seeing how kids respond to all that is like really, really cool. And I always, I think it goes back to what we were talking about before we started was you get to sports as a way to put stress on people. And when you put stress on people, you get to see how everybody reacts to said stress. and that pulls people closer, especially when you're all pulling in the right direction. And if you get the right guy at the helm

who can balance all the kids' emotions and everything else, like yourself or Merv, you know, we're too fantastic. I got coached by Merv as a young kid, him, J.P. Kelly, right? And to balance all the horses in the stable, so to speak, is really something, you know, we both played a lot of hockey. So you just, you understand the teamwork aspect of it. Yeah. And that's what you get to stick along doing. So being the head coach of the rustlers and hopefully guiding that program for the next couple of years, you're getting to

kind of keep your hand on being involved in that way. Mm-hmm. No, I know I'll enjoy it and working with great people. And so it's good to be busy. And so, yeah, I can't wait until game one in the Russ Robertson Arena. And I've, I've said to my father-in-law, Doug, who's handling all of our, Doug's handling all the academic end of any of our students that are, you know, that's as most high school, I mean, he does that at Holy Rosary, that's as an academic counselor. But that can be a bit intimidating for kids to try and that step from going from high school

to college is a lot of figuring out with that. So having somebody that's helping with that transatlantic. transition and knows the staff at Lakeland College and connecting them to the right people and checking up on them to make sure things are sorted out. It's priceless. Anyway, I said to him that that game one, the national anthem is going to be playing and we'll look around and feel like, yep, it's been all being worth it. And we're, you know, looking forward to that moment. Wow, I just, I don't know, I'm a hockey purist. Just imagine you're talking the

national anthem. I'm just thinking of seeing the rustler's jersey on a bunch of women in the hockey rink, right? Like, obviously, we got national championships in like volleyball, Chris King and the basketball program has been fantastic. I know their futsal program and, like, they got some very, very strong programs. It just makes sense that the hockey guy in me has always wanted, you know, I told dad I once applied for assistant athletic director of Lakeland College. This was a long time ago now. Yeah, yeah, seven, eight years ago. Yeah. And they asked me, what would you want to see done in your tenure if you've got the position?

Like, hockey, simple. Yeah. Let's get hockey going here. Like, that's the greatest sport in my mind. Yeah. And we don't have it. No. And now you're bringing it.

And so when you get to that point, dang right, you can have a big old grin on your face. Yeah. No, it'll, it'll be good, really good. Well, before I let you go, is there, I know you're probably a looking for sponsors, people to get involved, anything like that. how do people find you and I'm assuming email phone number something like that morgue um and I'm I'm not we have a couple people once the Lakeland College is helping us out with some with their social media and have a face page or Facebook page dedicated to our hockey team and my cousin Jesse and and my wife Leah are looking after the social media for our hockey team

So they have some stuff like set up and on Facebook and Instagram and I don't know. That's not my world. I just want to coach the X's and O. Yeah. So, but yeah, we have a sponsorship package that we're that we put together in conjunction with the college that we're out to speaking to people. Actively about. Yeah, trying to see if there's interesting. If I'm a business and I'm listening to this right now,

I go, oh, I want to mind getting involved. How do they find you to get the sponsor's a package? Give me a call. And my number should be on the Facebook page. I should be more prepared for that question. No, that's all right. That's all right. I'll say this.

If anyone listening wants to get involved, you can shoot me a message to you on social media because I can steer you to tomorrow. That's an easy thing. Now, your final one before I let you out of here. Who's winning the Stanley Cup playoffs? Oh, after game one of, between Vegas and

in Colorado, I thought. Oh, Colorado. I thought Colorado. Boy, I sure think that that could be an interesting their mobile, quick puck-moving defenseman, which is being a bit of a trend now in hockey. In the end, Vegas was their heavy, heaviness up front and it was just too much for those D

the turnovers they caused. So anyway, I'm now, I'm now picking. Vegas. Well, I've got to talk about Kail McCar for two minutes. Like, I'm a small mobile D-man, or I once was. I've gained a few pounds since my playing days. But when I was playing, that's what I was. A small, smart, mobile D-man, and I always said, or I always had in my mind, if I was six-foot, I would have been

the NHL, ha-ha-ha. And then I watched Kail McCar dance around the ice, and he's, what, 21 years old, 22 years old, 21, somewhere in there? And he looks like he's a 30, like a 10-year vet of the NH. He is Like, he's going to win the Norse trophy this year. Is he not? Yeah. He's very impressive, isn't he?

And he played in the H.HL. Yeah, no, that's cool. And he steps in the NHL and he's just, like, dancing. And he's got, I don't know. Was he 15 or 16 when he played here in the RBC Cup? 16? 16, I want to say. Yeah.

You were just speaking of the coach from Brooks. I mean, he. Yeah, Papuantle. He's been able to find a few of those players. I know. Oscar Plondowski, Darryl Daryl Pondowski's boy. They recruited him heavily and had him out in his jersey.

And I mean, he chose the Q, the Quebec Major Junior League, but it gave serious thought to going to Brooks. And he's ranked to go in the third round. I mean, they attract some of the top-end players. Well, I mean, Cal McCar is just a perfect sale piece. for Brooks now, right? I mean, he's going to, man, I was, like, when they showed up the nominations, like, just watching him play, you know, him playing in Colorado, especially this year.

We got a lot of the North Division, so if you wanted Colorado, you had to kind of search it out. But seeing him in prime time in the playoffs versus Vegas, like he just does things as a defenseman that are like, oh, man, that is fun to watch. That is fun to watch. Yeah. knowing a high level of compete too, eh? Like, yeah. At times it almost seems like trying to do too much,

but I think when you're down and you're trying to, you know, they got in in a bad spot. They're chasing and so then you do, you're guilty of trying to, you're better to be trying to do too much than not enough for sure, but he's special. I got to throw at you, New York Islanders can't get by Tampa

and like with Barry, Trots at the helm. Look at that team. Look at what they've been doing. Yeah, that's who I would love to see that scenario. I'd like, I mean, I, Barry, what Trots has done. I mean, I think he's arguably the best coach in the NHL, like what he did in Nashville. I mean, then to go and win with Washington, like, that's really cool to see the success he's having in his demeanor and being a Saskatchewan boy and like there's a lot to cheer about with Barry Trots there. They're playing a great game. I'd love to see them get by Tampa. Well, and for Lou Lamarillo to be kind of steered out of Toronto. Yeah. And then for Barry Tross to be steered out of Washington after

wins a cup. Yeah. And then them both go to New York Islanders and lose John Tavares. Couple of savvy vets. Oh, man. And then to just watch them play. And I wish, I don't know, I forget what story I read, but I read a story on, it was about soccer over in Spain. and one of the all-time winningest coaches, and I know my viewership doesn't know nothing about soccer, just like I don't. But the story was cool. It was talking about this coach

went into a losing program and said, you've got to adopt. They had no fans, they just were a stinker. So you've got to adopt your city. It wasn't Ted Lassau. It might have been. Did he adopt? Have you seen that TV series?

No, God, no. Oh, you've got to watch it. Oh, you're making fun now. And I'm showing like, I know zero about soccer. He talks about going into a blue-collar town, and you've got to have blue-collar players. Yeah. And when I watch the New York Islanders, I go, I wish they were the Emmington Oilers. Yeah.

Because they play a hard style of hockey. They still got their talent. Yeah. They still got the big. Right? Philly. Right? The broads.

I mean, they embrace it. The city loved their flyers because they recognize the spirit of Philadelphia and their hockey players. Now I'm going to be annoyed Ted Las. So I'm going to have to go put that up. I look at like a real jack-house. It'll be time well spent. It's brilliant. Well, thanks for coming on.

Best of luck with the Lakeland, the wrestlers. I hope that goes. I will pencil in. When is the first game? If everything goes smoothly, when? The league starts October 1st, so whether it's a home or away weekend, I'm not sure yet or home game, but league starts then. We'll try and have a couple of exhibition games through September.

But we'll let you, when our first home game, we hope to see out there. I'll just mention in the sponsorship stuff. Yeah, sure. Sorry, Sean. we're still looking for a naming sponsor too. So our team to be that sponsor that goes, is synonymous with the name of our Rustler program. And so are kind of our big title sponsor.

So anybody interested in that? We're looking. The Sean Newman podcast, Rustlers. Exactly. Yeah. So doesn't that sound good? It sounds good. I don't think I can afford it just yet.

Well, thank you, sir, for coming on. and chair a little bit. Best luck. I think it's super cool. Yeah. And with you at the helm, I'm sure you guys will be a feisty team for sure, if nothing else. Right on. Thanks, Sean. Appreciate it. Hey, folks. Thanks for joining us today. If you just stumbled on the show, please click subscribe. Then scroll to the bottom and rate and leave a review. I promise it helps.

Remember, every Monday and Wednesday, we will have a new guest sitting down to share their story. The Sean Newman podcast is available for free on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and we're else you get your podcast fix. Until next time. Hey, Kieners. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. I don't normally do two and ones, but with Father's Day around the corner,

I just went, you know, Morgan Man talking about being on, you know, the Lakeland College, the news with Lakeland College, I thought was pertinent to get out. And then with Father's Day on Sunday, I plan on having dad on for Monday's episode, and I didn't want to, I was trying to figure out how to go about doing that. So I just figured, well, simple.

We'll put them together, and I knew I didn't have DJ for long, and I knew I didn't have Morgan for long, so together, you know, they combine for a nice little episode, but normally we don't do the double shot. It's, normally I like to give, if you're getting one, you're getting one, not multiple. But it has happened a couple times,

and I hope you enjoyed today's episode, right? I got to give a shout out to Paul Days. You used to go to school with Paul. So wherever you're at, Paul, listening today. I do appreciate you listening and reach now. He said, really killing it at the podcast game. I've been tuning in lately. Had to go back and listen to Ken Rutherford's interviews.

Don't know him, but what a solid, upstanding guy. We all need a Ken Rutherford as a friend and a role model for what manliness truly is. I know I have my version, and he laughs out loud, loving it, keep it up, and keep Ken coming back. So I thought that was a pretty cool little shutout from Paul Day, so where you're at, Paul. Thanks for listening. If you're the champ, sorry, big shooter. I don't think you'll be golfing with me anytime soon. It looks like you're nursing your wound now or just abusing it, one of the two.

I'm not sure when you're getting back to golfing, but keep at it, good sir, and you probably won't be golfing this summer. So stop with the manual labor on a bum rest. Anyways, to the rest, you have a great week. up with you Monday. I should throw one last thing in there. It is Father's Day Sunday. So for the love of God, do something for your dad. Without him, we all, or you wouldn't be here. I know for sure I wouldn't be here. And some of the advice he's given me along the way has been gold. So I look forward to sitting down with Dad and getting to have a little Father's Day, which, you know, I hope you all get to sit down and have a chat with your dad and showing some love and, I don't know, throw a couple

beers at them, maybe taking for a round of golf, whatever you guys do. Have some fun. Enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the rest of the week. And we'll catch you up to you Monday. All right.