Shaun Newman Podcast - Ep. 76 - LA Kings - Kale Clague

Episode Date: May 6, 2020

Born & raised in Lloydminster. Kale was taken in the Bantam draft by the Brandon Wheat Kings where he would win a league title along with a WHL defensemen of the year award. He competed twice for Canada at the World Juniors winning a Silver medal in 2017 & a Gold in 2018. He was drafted 51st overall in 2016 by the L.A Kings & is currently playing for the Ontario Reign.

This is Cal Cagg. Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. Happy hump day, folks. Welcome back to the podcast. Got a good one for you this week. I suggest if you haven't listened to Jason Davidson, he was on Monday. You go back and hear a freaking cool story about a guy who's now, you know, started off as an amateur in rodeo at 14 and then went on to become, you know, a professional bullfighter, an agent for bull rider. and now an agent in the NHL for guys like Ethan Bear, the Emmington Oilers. It's a pretty cool story. You know, since I released Monday, has anybody else been paying attention to social media? Did anybody see Mike Tyson hitting the sparring at 53 and looking like he's like 22?

Like he is a scary individual. You can understand why that guy was the world champ for so many years. He's still got it. All I can think of is the hangover where he, you know, Still got it. How about the mountain? I'd love to say his actual name, but I can't pronounce it. The Mountain from the Game of Thrones.

How many Game of Thrones fans out there? You see the mountain break the world deadlift record this past Saturday? 1, 105 pounds deadlifted. Are you kidding me? Guy is an absolute machine. Harts my head. But you don't want to hear that. Let's get to it here.

So I had this message sent along to me from the Muckerman's supposed to happen here in May. Obviously, with everything going on, they have canceled it. But I got notes sent along to me. It says the annual Lloydminster Muckerman is a fun and active fundraising event, proudly hosted by Lloydminster Regional Health Foundation for the last several years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has been canceled. And while this does have an impact on our annual fundraising goals, it impacts. It impacts our community as a whole as many events have been canceled while we maintain social distancing. But they still want to bring our community together to celebrate our fight against the coronavirus and provide some fun along the way.

We are hosting an online social media challenge with a chance to win a big prize while supporting the local community and they want everybody to get involved. So here's what you have to do. They want you to join them on May 9th by posting your homemade muck run or option. course to your Instagram or Facebook accounts. So what does that entail? Use your imagination, folks. Yours truly I'll try and use his imagination. We'll probably get the kids in on this.

But it says use your couch, kitchen table, cardboard boxes, or anything you can imagine. Feel like getting money, turn on the sprinkler, you know, set up some pylons, have some fun with it, essentially. It says post your Instagram or Facebook account between May 8th at 5 p.m. and May 10th at 12 p. tagging at Lloyd RHF or and I shouldn't say or and hashtagging online muck run and hashtag Lloyd Minster Stronger together you know all other general public participants will be

entered to win one of three prizes for the following categories muckers ages 13 and up most post likes so spread it around your friends get your friends like in this most creative obstacle course quickest time the workout challenge the workout challenge is complete five rounds of nine reps of each exercise nine pushups nine situps nine squats time yourself post that mini muckers 12 and under most post likes most creative obstacle course says all entries from the general public must be posted prior to may 16th as we will be taking the most popular videos and putting them head to head in an online vote with the final contest winners being announced may 20

second so there you go folks there's some fun for you uh try and get a little creative here in the next couple days you know get the kids involved i'm sure they're going to love that and uh knowing my kids they'll probably i'll probably run one of them over and we'll have some crying in there or what have you and but we're we're going to have fun doing it they don't realize it yet we're going to have fun doing it all right let's get on some businesses here chris weeb keep a concrete they're open for business folks specializing in commercial agriculture residential floor's driveway sidewalks patios garage pads shops barns and countertops who essentially if you can dream it they can do it give the boys a call 780 871 10883 kenny rutherford rutherford appraisal group in these

difficult times if you're in need of any appraisal work from bank loans setting a fair purchase price whether you're buying or selling any type of real estate shop homes farms cabins restaurants you name it, give Kenny a call. I'm telling you, 306, 307, 1732. Carly Closson, maker of the podcast legendary table, and that is Windsor Plywood in his group. Open regular hours, call ahead so they can help with physical distancing. They have a curbside pickup or in-town free delivery

while the current situation is at hand. Call and ring at, see our sales and marketing. He's hoping everyone is staying healthy and safe. If you're looking for a unique and cost-effective approach to sales and marketing within the oil and gas industry, give call and a call at 780-871-1417. Corey Dubik, Midwest Flooring, open regular hours, call, stop in or shop online. Mother's Day is around the corner, folks. I will not say this again, dudes, and everyone for that matter, but guys, we're forgetful. Mother's Day, around the corner, Abby Rhodes, flowering gifts, temporary close to walk-ins but are doing curbside pickup and

free in-town delivery, make life easy. Give them a call, 780, 875, 2211, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I don't know of a mother who doesn't like flowers, just saying. Wandering Wild, they've teamed up with Let's Walk the Talk. That's Paula Burge, Stacey Jubinville. You buy any of the Let's Walk the Talk gear. $10 of it goes back to the cause, which is supporting things here in town. Grid Athletics, check them out on Instagram or Facebook.

They still have a great deal going on where if you spend $100, you get $25,000, $25 back in a local business gift card of your choosing. Factory Sports, Taylor Holt, Nathan Mullick, give them a call. They're sitting there waiting for you. They got all the summer gear just waiting. You can you just know they're just sitting there swinging a bat. You know, like golf season here, ooh, hey? Let's give them a call.

Find some stuff. 306, 825-7678. Now, I'm all excited. I'm all ramped up. Today's Factory Sports Tale of the Tate. He went in the 2016 NHL draft, round two, 51st overall of LA Kings. In 2016, he won a league championship with the Brandon Wheat Kings. W.HL. League Championship, that is.

2817, or 2017. Sean has fired up on Wednesday, folks. 2017, he earned a silver medal at the World Juniors. 2018, he, well, they redeemed Canada. Let's be honest. With a gold at the World Juniors, he's currently playing for the Ontario rain. I'm not talking about. Ontario, Canada. I'm talking about California of the HL. I'm talking about Kale

Kleg. Yeah, it's a good one. So, without further ado. Welcome to Sean Newman podcast. I'm joined today by Kale Kleg. So thanks for hopping on with me. Yeah, thanks for having me. It feels like a long time coming. I was going to, you know, I know we tried to get on last summer there when I was in Lloyd, but it didn't work out. I'm glad we can make this one work. Well, that's a nice thing about the podcast. I don't really see it going anywhere. So whether it happened right now or another year in advance, you know, it's just happy to be going on.

That's right. That's right. Yeah. So how are you doing with the whole COVID situation going on? You're in Calgary right now? Yeah, I'm in Calgary. You know, obviously my mom and dad are out here and my girlfriend's from Calgary as well and all of her family. So we're out here.

We have a place out here like probably five minutes down the road for my mom and dad. and yeah it's been good i mean same goes for everyone just trying to keep sane and you know trying to do the best work out they can um you know i've been rollerblading a little bit shooting a lot of pox you know stick handling all those sorts of things try to stay uh you know stay in touch with hockey but um yeah just kind of hanging out right now were you in california when this all went down i assume yes yeah yeah it was we it was weird um we kind of heard i kind of heard i kind of heard rumblings of, you know, the season getting canceled and whatnot. So we actually, I was going to the rink one day and obviously get there and, you know, sure enough, our practice was

canceled and they told us to go home. And that was kind of the last time I was really at the rink. I mean, other than to grab my gear to come home to Calgary. Yeah, I mean, we just went home, sat around for like a week. And then they kind of said, yeah, you guys are free to go home. So about a week after that, I just, you know, kind of hung out a little bit more. I tied it up because I brought all my furniture back from from L.A. And so just kind of cleaned up my place. And, yeah, I just made the drive home, the long drive. You brought your furniture back?

Yeah, yeah. Last year, I left in the storage unit, obviously, you know, the smarter thing to do, probably. But we found a place here in Calgary that we really liked and didn't have furniture. So I didn't want to spend money on new stuff just yet. I threw it all on a U-Haul, and we drove home. It was like a turned into like a 30-hour drive with that U-Haul. It's really slow. Yeah, I don't doubt that.

I mean, for people who don't understand where exactly you're at, you're playing out of Ontario, which is, I don't know, like on the map, it looks like it's right beside L.A. Do you even leave city limits to get into Ontario? Yeah, I mean, so we actually live in L.A. So, you know, all the Kings, because we practice sort of the same facility as the Kings. And so all the Kings players, and then most of the Ontario guys live in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. It's probably like 10 minutes from the practice facility.

Our practice facility is in El Sagando, California. And I lived in Marina Del Rey, which is probably 15 minutes the other way. Like from Hermosa, or sorry, 15 minutes the other way from the practice rank. And, yeah, I mean, on game days, we basically morning skate. And then right from the morning skate, we have like a little overnight bag, basically, and we drive to Ontario. And that takes about an hour. And then we check into a hotel for a day room.

And we eat pregame meal at the hotel, and then we nap at the hotel, and then play the game and drive home after. The reason why we leave El Segundo, our practice drink so early, is because the traffic is so bad that, you know, like, it takes an hour at about 12 o'clock. But if we were to leave, you know, to go for the game, like an hour before we wanted to get there, it would be, we'd miss the game. It's about, if you leave it like any time after 1 o'clock, you're looking at about about, two and a half, three hour drive minimum.

Because the traffic is at an absolute stance, so it's crazy. Coming from the prairies where you see down the highway, one vehicle every 10 minutes. Yeah, exactly. It's such a different feel. Like I thought, you know, just growing up in Lloyd and then moving to Calgary, I thought, you know, Calgary was a pretty big city. And then, you know, now after living in L.A. And coming back to Calgary, I get here and I'm like, this is a small town.

just because living in LA, there's tons of people and, you know, it's such close corners with everyone. So in the traffic, I mean, anywhere, like, if you want to do anything in L.A., it's minimum 30, 40 minute drive, like, pretty much everywhere outside of, you know, your little neighborhood or, like, little area that you live in. Yeah, but how much do you like living in California? Oh, I love it. It's really nice. You know, obviously the weather is unbelievable. you know, for the most part, all season, you can go to practice in like shorts and maybe like a jacket if you wanted. But there's like a few months where you can't wear shorts.

And, you know, the weather is perfect. That must be, that must be really tough. Yeah. So much better rolling out of bed, going to practice in the morning in, you know, 20 degree weather than, you know, minus 30. It was, you know, like obviously I played in Brandon and stuff. It's cold as it gets out there. And, you know, there'd be times where it'd be like a month straight of, you know, 40 below weather, scraping the ice off your car.

Oh, I don't miss those days. Well, we just came through. I was, you know, my wife's from Minnesota. And so we're talking to our in-laws here over the past month. And I mean, we just broke winter like what? In the last like five, six days it finally warmed up. And it feels like, holy man, it's here. and the Canadian winter just is

it takes a lot out of a person because it just bad years that lasts a long time and I think of seeing you down in California all I can think of lucky bastard right like that's a great spot to land yeah oh it's perfect it's perfect yeah it's like you know it's perfect I could not have for anything better

well let's go back to the beginning you know, you were talking about playing in Brandon. When did you get drafted in the Bannam draft? Do you remember that day? Yeah, I remember that day. I was just at home with my mom and dad, and I think, I'll have old, 14. Yeah, 14.

Yeah. The second year, Bannum. Yeah, I didn't really know at the time where I was going to go. You know, I knew I was going to be, like, on the higher end of the pecs and stuff like that, but I didn't know the specific team that was going to, you know, pick me. And but I heard rumblings that, you know, Brandon was going to take Nolan Patrick forth. And then Kelly was going to make a trade with Lethbridge to get the sixth pick.

So I obviously, I knew Nolan a little bit. We had played a little bit of summer hockey together growing up. And I kind of knew him a little bit from there. And, you know, I obviously knew he was a special player. So I was really excited about that. And, but, you know, right down to the fixed check, I still was like, is he going to do it? And but then sure enough, he made the trade and then fixed me. So I was pretty pumped about that.

Were you, you said you're at home? So, like, was it on a weekend or a school day? Or because it's different, you know, I'd interview a lot of older guys where the draft wasn't around or the draft wasn't even like, nobody kind of knew about it. You just kind of got a call and said you're here. By the time your age group comes through, the draft is a pretty big. day. Yeah, yeah, it felt like a big day. Definitely, like, in that time and that moment, you know, you're 14 years old and you're going to get drafted by, you know, by a junior hockey team. It's pretty cool. And, you know, it's really exciting too. So, yeah, it was a school day.

And I got drafted in the morning. So I missed the morning of school. I stayed home for the morning. And then, yeah, I went to school for the afternoon. So, I mean, yeah, it was a really exciting day. And obviously, you know, being a high pick too, you know, I was thinking WHL the whole way, you know, college didn't even really cross my mind just because, you know, my dad played in the Western League a little bit. And then also, you know, just watching junior hockey games growing up. We'd go to Evanton and watch a little bit of the Oil Kings and South Couttsdale and watch the blades a little bit. So for me, it was kind of like a no-brainer. I knew when I was going to get drafted that I was going to sign and everything. So it's exciting because, you know, right when I got picked, I knew Brown.

was going to be my home for the next while. So, yeah, I mean, I was excited. It was pretty cool. Well, and I mean, there's good organizations all across the WHL, but Brandon is a special spot. It's been a well-ran organization for a long time. And, I mean, it must have been pretty cool showing up to Brandon with the group you guys had there.

I mean, over your, what, four years in Brandon? Yeah, yeah, four. 16, 17, 18, and then 19, I got traded at the deadline. Right. What was your first year in the league like? You remember going back being a young kid? Yeah, it kind of sucks, to be honest, just because the sense, I only played 20 games that year.

How did I go? So I went to camp, you know, I started the season. I started actually really well. And then I played in the, I think, It's the under 17 tournament. It's around October, November. And so the last game of that tournament, I slid into the boards awkward and jammed my wrist.

And then it took like two weeks to figure out what actually happened. But I ended up breaking my scaphoid or scaphoid bone in my wrist. And, you know, it's a really small bone, you know, not a lot of blood flow to that area. So it takes forever to heal. It's either surgery or, you know, you try to let it heal on its own and just kind of hope for the best. So I did that.

So I was in a cast for like three months. And so obviously that's a huge chunk of the season. And then I came back, I think it was starting of February. I came back and it was my, we played a three and three nights. And it was my third game. I believe it was my third game of the third night. And I got hit awkward into the boards. and now I dislocate my shoulder.

So then that puts me out, oh, I don't even know how long, maybe like another few weeks, obviously. And then I came back again. Or am I getting this backward? I think I'm going to get in this dockwood. There's my three and three nights, and my third night I went down,

I was going down the wing or whatever, and I went to shoot, but I kind of dragged my back foot a little bit. You know how when you shoot, you kind of drag your foot. And I went to shoot, and I dislocated my knee. That's what happened.

I dislocated my knee. So I was out for a few weeks. And then I came back for the playoffs for the start of the playoffs. And then that's where I went to the board's awkward and dislocated my shoulder in the playoffs. At that point, you're just going to look. What the hell? Yeah, it was terrible.

I'm not going to lie. So, I mean, brutal luck when I was 16. I'm almost positive. I played a total of 20 games, 20 regular season games. So, I mean, it wasn't a very great year that. like in that sense, but, you know, obviously we had a super, a super great team. You know, there's so many great players in that team, and obviously we went to the league finals against Colonna and then got stuck for them.

They had an incredible team with Drysidal, Bally, Morrissey. I was going to say for oil, oil fans, a young Leon dry saddle on that team. Yeah, exactly. What was the first experience to the league finals like for you? It was good. I mean, it was a little, like, it was almost, intimidating, knowing when you're 16 and, you know, you're up against the guys like Dry Seidel and Morrissey, Bowie, you hear, you know, such good things about those types of players. And, you know, just knowing that they had such a great team with those players,

you know, it was a little intimidating, but I mean, I knew we had a great team too, but, you know, just watching those guys move it around on the power play when you're 16 sitting there and, you know, it was pretty cool. But I think, I think being, and that final really helped us for the next season. You know, because obviously we went on to win at the next year. So having that helps for everyone, you know, with experience. And, you know, just being another year older too. That, you know, it was pretty cool.

Was it a different mindset when the boys walked in the following season? After losing in the finals, you know, you get swept by a good cloning team. But seeing the pieces coming back into Brandon the following year, was there the mindset of, you know, well as let's go get this done. Yeah, I think so because I remember, you know, looking at our team that year and thinking like, holy, we're not losing that many guys. And if we can make it to the finals this year, like with this group and the fact that we're not going to be losing pretty much anyone, I think, well, obviously the 20-year-old would lose, but, you know, like guys like Ivan Pro

Robb. He was 18. He almost made Philly, but then ends up, you know, he was like their last cut or whatever. So he comes back. And obviously, he was a huge piece for us. Like, you know, obviously, look what he does in the NHL. He was amazing and junior. And just guys like that, like that we knew we're going to come back. You know, we had a good feeling. That had to be a big confidence boost pro-Rov walking back through the doors. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He's so good. He was so fun to play with and watch and junior. I mean, you look at him now. He's going on the top D in the league now in the NHL. And so, yeah, it was really cool to play with him and learn some stuff from him. But, but, yeah, no, I think going into that season, you know, I think everyone felt the same way.

We all looked down the room, like most of the guys were sticking around for sure the next season. So we were really excited. And, you know, for the most part, we had a really good feeling that we were going to be able to do the same thing and then win it. And so it made it. Well, when you get to the league finals that year, you guys actually, you know, I don't want to use the word breeze through everyone. but you don't have an extended series per se, right? Like everything's 4-1, 4-2, 4-0. And in the finals, you face the Seattle Thunderbirds.

What was that like in your second go-around? Because now, you know, the intimidation factor, I assume you kind of know what to expect going into a league finals. Heading into Seattle, of all the guys I've interviewed on, that have played in the WHL, they all talk about the best fans being the American fans. So I can imagine Seattle's barn being a little crazy. I can imagine Brandon's barn being a little bit crazy.

What was the atmosphere like and just the series in general? I mean, the atmosphere is great. You know, in Brandon, we had such great fans, especially, you know, everyone got on board just because of how much we were winning. And, you know, how good we did the following or the previous year. And so our fans were always so great when I was in Brandon. But then going to Seattle, you're right. The American fans, they, they tend to, you know, be pretty rowdy.

You know, classic American fans. They just love big hits and, you know, seeing the odd hockey fight. And, but, yeah, I know their fans are great, like, you know, as good as any, really, that I can remember. How are your fans been in Ontario? Really good. Yeah? Yeah, really good. You know, the American League gets weird, you know, some teams have great fans.

say we have one of the best fan base and, well, for sure, in our division in the West, because we go to teams like, you know, San Jose, they play out of the Shark Tank. So there's, I mean, I don't know the exact number, but it feels like 50 people in the whole rank. You can only imagine how that feels. You go out and it's like an inter squad game. So, but. So you know first, you know firsthand then what NHL teams are going to feel like.

like if they go back to playing this season with no fans. Exactly. That's literally the first thing I thought of was thinking back to those Towns-Lose game. We get in, you go for warm-ups and it literally feels like there's 50 people. It's crazy. But, I mean... Was it hard to play or was it fine? I mean, it's kind of hard, but, you know, once the game gets rolling, I guess,

the adrenaline goes and, you know, it gets a little easier. But, yeah, I mean, when you're walking out for a game, stuff and you don't see anyone in the stands a little bit weird. The tunes are blaring and you look around and there's nobody watching. Tunes are going, but nobody's watching. Yeah. So I don't know. That's the American.

Like it's kind of weird. Like I said, on a Saturday night, we'll get probably like 7,500 fans. And I think our rank fits like 13,000. So it's pretty good. Yeah, decent. And, uh, but, you know, for the most part, teams don't usually get great fans. So. What was your favorite building in the dub looking back?

I mean, I assume the home rink was fun to plan, but if you could go back and you're heading on a long road trip or short road trip, what was a fun building to play back then? I always liked playing in Regina. You know, I always thought they had really good fans. The ice was always amazing. I loved the ice in Regina. And then also, they were just a big rival for us because it was, you know,

I was the closest team to Brandon at the time. So, yeah, I like playing there, John. I always liked playing in Edmonton, just based on the fact that, you know, family could come watch. It was super close for, you know, friends and family to come out. I'm trying to think of other ones. Yeah, I'd probably say those two. You guys must have had an absolute Hail Mary of a bus trip.

Oh, the bus rides were so long. like I'm thinking back to those bus trips and we would do day trips and our closest trip was what is I think it's three and a half hours to Regina from maybe four I can't remember three and a half or four from Brandon to Regina

and so yeah we would do day trips so we would leave in enough time to get there just for game time and we'd get on the bus so we'd stop for pre-game meal I think it was an Elkhorn or somewhere along the way I can't really remember, but we'd start for pregame meal, get on the bus. And we had a sleeper bus.

So after pregame meal, we'd pop the bunk beds. They're like, there are benches essentially that face each other with tables in the middle. All the, there was like a bunch of those, you know. And so basically get on the bus, pop the table up, and then the benches flip up to bunk beds. And so if you're a young guy, you're doubling up on the bunk bed. And the bunk bed is maybe four, four. or five feet wide. Like, you know how big a bus is.

You know, like bunk, bunk bed. So it was really tight. And then obviously, as you get older, you get your own bunk and stuff like that. So it gets a little bit better. But, yeah, no, it was crazy. And just nap until the, basically nap to the rink.

And then we had this tradition where we'd crank the tunes. We'd be sleeping and all of a sudden the tunes would start pumping. And it'd be like ACDC. And, oh, yeah, it was. crazy fun times back then yeah yeah it was fun it was so fun everyone always said you know when I was in junior all the guys that I would talk to um that went through junior and then on to play pro hockey and even in the NHL they always say you know junior is the best time of your life and like I'm two years into pro and it's I mean right now junior was so like I'm just thinking

back like junior was so much fun I believe those guys now well a little bit different right nobody's worried about paychecks or anything like that. You're not worried about getting called up or down. Anything like that. You're there kind of for the love of the game. You're all the same age too, right? Yeah, exactly. You're all stuck between, what, 16 and 20 in the dub, essentially?

The odd 15-year-old gets called up for the very end of the season kind of thing. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I mean, that's the different part about pro. You know, guys have families and everything. and it kind of turns into more of a job. You don't hang out with guys as much way from the rank. I have girlfriends, too. So, yeah, it's different for sure.

Yeah, like you said, junior, all the same age and so much fun, you have nothing else to worry about, but you just play hockey and hang out with the guys. It's a good time. Well, and I think as you get older, you just, well, you mention that guys get married to have kids, that kind of thing. You just get more responsibility, too.

There's nothing more. Yeah. You'll never be more carefree than that young junior age. when you just get to show up to the rank and play some pot. Yeah, exactly. Where did you guys win the league? Was it in Seattle or was it in Brandon? Yeah, it was in Seattle.

And was in Seattle. So did you guys spend the night there? Yeah, yeah. You know, it was actually really cool. Just thinking back on how we celebrated after we won, you know, if you went at home, obviously, you know, like all the staff and like they're not probably going to, you know, be at. maybe a team part.

Like I don't know. We didn't win it at home. So I kind of thought about it like this. But when we were on the road and we won, you know, all of the staff, the coaches, like everyone got to just, you know,

go to the hotel and, you know, have some fun together. And, you know, like our coaches weren't going to be coming. Like Kelly McCriman wasn't going to be coming, you know,

to hang out with us after we won, if we wanted at home. So I thought that was kind of cool. You know, we all were just, you know, having a good time. And he was telling stories of like,

you know, other coaching stories of, of, you know, his coaching career, obviously he's in Vegas now as a GM, but I just always thought that was pretty cool, just being able to, you know, see him in a different set-in and, you know, hear stories from the coaches and just kind of have fun of us with everyone instead of, you know, just the guys. Yeah, nowhere to go, right? Like, you're at a hotel and that's where you got to stay.

Everybody has to celebrate together. Yeah, exactly. It was so much fun. That has to be, you know, when you look back on your career, you got a couple of, you know, absolute gem of memories but that one's got to be rank right up there i assume one in the dub yeah yeah oh it's yeah it's right up there that and basically world juniors are like the you know one too well i'm glad you brought up world juniors because i i you know you hit like i mean the only thing better would have been winning back to back right you go to the w hl finals two years in a row

you win it once uh you go to um back to back world juniors you get a silver and a gold. Let's talk about the silver first because I remember watching that. And I assume, well, actually, let's start from the beginning of it. How cool was it to throw on the Canadian jersey and to be a part of something that for our country is almost, I bet you a lot of people would argue is the best hockey they watch all season?

Yeah, it's actually crazy. You know, a lot of the American guys that I've talked to always make fun of it just because like American fans don't perceive the World Junior tournament as the Canadians do. Canadians go absolutely crazy. And I think that's like, so I think it's so cool because I remember growing up just thinking about how nuts that tournament was and like how bad you want to play in that tournament when you're younger, just watching it on TV.

And so it was pretty cool to be able to be able to make that team. And then especially be able to make it at 18 knowing that, no, obviously make it at 18. I sure hope I'd make it at 19. 19. So when I, you know, I, I wouldn't say, like, I definitely wasn't a, like, a shoe in when I was 18. I went and I was like kind of on the cusp of making it. Like, if I had a good camp, maybe I'd make it if I don't have a good camp, I wasn't making it. And so I went to camp, you know, ready to go. And I remember having a great camp. And then I remember the last game. Like I, I was like, if I, if I played bad this game, like, I'm not making it. So I went, I literally went into

that last game of tryout. And I think I played the game of my life. And so then I ended up making it. And obviously a great group of guys, lots of good players, like Barzell, Dylan Strom, like Shabbaugh, the list goes on. And, yeah, it was a really cool experience.

Obviously, coming up short was disappointing, but it's kind of similar thing with Brandon. We lost the year before. And, you know, there was, So for D, there was myself, Bean, and Fabro, who were the 3, 18-year-old D. And, you know, when we lost, like, you look around the room, you know, the 19-year-olds at that time,

now how disappointed they were because they didn't win and they weren't going to have another chance out of it. So, I mean, I remember us young guys. I think there was a total of maybe seven or eight of us, 18-year-olds on that team. So we obviously, like, we knew that unless guys were going to make the NHL at 19, that we were all going to be back. And we just kind of lucked to each other.

Like, we're for sure winning next year. Like, we have to. And then, like, sure enough, we won. Before we go to the next year, I got to, like, playing in Montreal and Toronto, you want to talk about fan support. I assume it was absolutely ballistic standing on the ice.

Like, I assume you wouldn't need anything to get up for those games. Oh, no. And, I mean, it was pretty, like, just being, it was my first World Junior tournament. too. Like you can't draw that better than for it to be in Canada in those two big cities. The fans, I mean, I remember the fans

were crazy, you know, sold. I'm pretty sure we sold out every game. And then obviously in Buffalo the next year, a little different. The fans weren't as good. Until we got to until we got to the semi-final and final, then the fans were

good. But up to that point, they were just okay. How tough was it losing the first one in a shootout? And would you like to burn the shootout and go continuous OT in the world juniors? Yeah, I mean, yeah, it's, it sucked just because, you know, it's a shootout. I mean, anyone, I feel like you can flip a coin because there's so much talent on each team. And you basically just flip a coin on who's going to win a shootout. But, I mean, I wish we could have just kept playing.

I say that just because we lost. I mean, if we would have won, I thought you sitting there saying, no, it wouldn't matter. I'd be sitting here saying, yeah, keep doing the shootout. But, I mean, just because we lost, I think I'd rather keep going. Just because I feel like a big championship game like that, a shootout just doesn't make sense. You don't see it in the NHL or, I mean, I can't think of any tournament I've ever watched that you'd see a final

go to a shootout to decide who wins. Only in international rules. But that's the only times I can think of it. Yeah. So, did it sting? Did it sting more that it was the U.S.? Yeah, yeah, definitely. Well, yeah.

I mean, it would have stung either way, but just knowing, yeah, the U.S. guys, I mean, there's obviously a big rival there, especially in the world juniors, too. Is there a rivalry that carries over? I mean, obviously with your first year, but there would have been guys coming back. Was there a rivalry that when you walked in against, whether it was the U.S., Russia, Sweden, Finland,

those are probably the big ones? was there something that carried over year to year like a little bit of animosity between those any countries for that matter yeah and i think just from you know started in hockey Canada i'd been playing with hockey Canada since under 17s so you know you play those same players because it's all the same age groups you keep playing those same guys in all those tournaments that you you know you play their country in and uh so definitely it becomes a buildup of, you know, hatred, I guess, for like the other guys. And you end up getting to know, getting to know them along the way, too, at things like, you know, the draft. And, you know, if guys with your same agency and stuff like that, you start to know some of the guys, too, which makes it even better.

And, yeah, I mean, just, like I said, just playing those guys over and over again, same age group. You just want to beat them every single time. I bet you there's some pretty good trips that go on on that ice surface. Oh, yeah. It's awesome. There's so much intensely. Well, I was saying, like, you couldn't have probably hit it. So you lose in the dub final, then you win the dub final.

You go to the gold medal game. You lose it to the States, which sucks. And that year's in Canada, which, I mean, you can't draw that up any better. You get home fan support. The next year is in Buffalo, which might as well be in Canada. I'm sure the fan support had to be just as good there and you guys cap it off and win a gold medal against Sweden. How sweet was that day?

Yeah, I mean, that was awesome. And I think, you know, it's obviously cool to win it, but just because we lost too the year before, that makes it so much better. So, yeah, just to be able to win that tournament, it was so cool. It was awesome. There were so many, like, fun times with that group of guys. And, yeah, just, you know, like I said, losing the year before, being able to go into Buffalo.

And it was perfect. I couldn't have drew it up better. Was the pressure, like, that tournament in a Canadian sense is almost as big as the Olympics. Did the pressure ever get felt by the guys? Did you understand what was going on? I assume you did. What was that pressure like? Yeah, there's a little bit of pressure.

And just because, you know, hockey Canada, you know, it's obviously such a big thing. You want to represent your country the best way possible. And, you know, like growing up, you see how passionate the Canadian fans are for that tournament. So, like, right then, it's automatic. You know, a little bit of pressure just felt from that, right? Like, how passionate the country is behind you. And you obviously want to win that tournament for, you know, for Canada. So, I mean, you do feel a little bit of pressure, but the end of the day, still hockey, so you just have to go out and play.

And yeah, so that tournament's so fun. I won't forget those those times. I always see, it's actually funny. I always see just in this quarantine, too, since this whole thing, you turn on TV, and sometimes T.S.N. or whatever will play, like, old games. So I've had the chance to watch, you know, a couple of my old games back from the World Juniors and pretty fun to watch. I just think those tournaments in particular, going back since, like, I'm like you, since I was young, our country, like, pretty much shuts down during the week that tournament goes on. And when it was going on when, in my heyday, you know, like the Crosby dominant team when they played a Vechkin and the Russians, what, 2004, I think, roughly, 2005, somewhere in there, 2005, I think. I was in in, uh, are surrounded by a bunch of Americans and the, the amount of crap talking

that goes on when the two teams play even to this day is awesome. I got buddies who text me all the time, especially when the Americans win, which sucks. Yeah. Yeah, totally, totally. There's a, there's always trash talking going on for sure. Um, you got to play in the Cherry versus or top prospects game too, which is another, uh, interesting little hockey. world big game. What was that like? Because you were on what, Team Cherry, right?

Yeah, I was on Team Cherry. You know, the games like that are kind of weird to me just because, you know, it's great to go there and, you know, hang out with top prospects from around

to CHL. But we went and I think there was a little, I can remember it, there was a little skills competition or like skills, skills stuff that I guess all the scouts got to come and see and watch. But then you get to

to the game and those games are super weird just because everyone's trying so hard to look good and stand out and everything. So it's kind of a, it's a bit sloppy the game. There's not much structure. But, you know, for the most part, it was like a super fun experience and super fun time to be able to hang out with guys that, you know, I had already known a lot of the guys just from playing with and against growing up. So, I mean, it was a good, it was a really fun experience.

But, yeah, like I said, that that game is, it's a little bit slum. sloppy. I mean, you can't really be defined at one hockey game like that too. So, I mean, it's a fun experience. Did you end up meat and cherry then, obviously? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he came into the room and gave us a little pep talk before we went out. I can't remember what he said, but yeah, yeah, it was pretty cool. Well, you're meeting one of the legends of the hockey world, if not the legend. Yeah, exactly.

Exactly. Exactly. You know, it's pretty cool. You know, I was thinking what's cool about interviewing a guy in your age group is you get to experience a lot of things that hadn't come along for guys older than me who I've interviewed. And one of them is a lot of guys watch Bob McKenzie's preseason draft rankings. Do you remember at all, like, all of a sudden, your name, being on that and what like and that was kind of cool Bob McKenzie's talking about me yeah yeah yeah yeah I do and it was uh the first time you know that but I saw my name on a list like that was after

the Ivan Hlinka tournament oh yeah yeah so yeah that was pretty cool that tournament was great I actually just saw a thing on my phone that it's being canceled now because of the full yeah well they pretty much canceled pretty much any tournament coming up or any gathering it's Yeah. You wish it would, wow, you wish you knew it was going to end so that things could turn around. Yeah.

For, you know, you've gone through a lot of those things, for kids to miss out on it, that's tough because for a lot of those things, you only get one crack at it. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, that was a great tournament. We won that one, too, and that one was a blast. All the same guys, really.

Like, I look back at that team. I don't know the exact roster, off the top of my head, but like Nolan Patrick, Piela, Dubois, you know, Dante Fabra, like all those guys. You know, I could name guys forever, but same kind of group of guys as the Roe Junior's. So it was pretty cool to win that and then win the World Junior's is pretty cool. It doesn't surprise you then to see everybody having as much success as they're having right now. No, no. I think, you know, for the most part growing up, the 98 age group, in Canada was always really strong.

Like, right from Bannam hockey, I remember just even across Alberta, BC, I remember playing guys and, you know, like the Fabros, Barzelles, like those kind of guys. You know, Tyler Benson, like, it's, yeah, it doesn't really surprise me. Like, you see all the success that some guys are having in the NHL. Well, let's talk about the draft.

2016, when you do the Combine, what was that experience like like because you're sought after you're you're probably talking like I think I'd read that you talked to 24 teams at the at the combine yeah like is that a full day is that is that a long grueling day or is it just a whirlwind of you know like once again you're now sitting in front of teams like I assume the L.A. Kings the maybe the Emmington Oilers, et cetera. Yeah, I mean, so it's one weekend, and what it happened was, like,

that was the year that we won the league and went to the Memorial Cup, but I didn't have a chance to train for the combine itself. So I wasn't too nervous about the testing and all that, just, you know, people would take for a grand assault that I'd been playing up to this point,

and I didn't really have time to train for any of the test. So, I mean, the testing part of it, I just kind of did my best. I actually did pretty well, I think, like middle of the pack. And then the interviews, they're broken up in three days, for me, at least they were, or maybe two days. So you do just kind of a handful, like maybe two handfuls of interviews a day.

But yeah, I mean, it gets tiring, a lot of the same questions. You know, it's obviously a little bit nerve-wracking as well, you know, sitting in front of NHLGMs and whatnot. So, I mean, it's a cool experience just to be able to go through that. And, you know, obviously, I was able to look back on that experience in my hockey career. But, yeah, it's a little bit nerve-wracking. You're a little bit nervous for the testing, the meeting. So, yeah, it's a bit of nerves that weekend.

Any of the meetings stick out to you? I mean, I think, like, they all went pretty good for the most part. It's actually weird, though. I met with L.A., and obviously, their only pick in the first two rounds was, the pick that I went with 51. And so I met with them and basically they're just like, hey, we just want to pull you in. We want to introduce ourselves and meet you.

We don't really have, no, too many defensemen like you in our organization. And we really like you. And if there is a, if there is a chance that you get to 51, you know, we just want to let you know, like we're not going to pass up on you. So now I'm sitting at the draft. obviously I had hopes to go higher that you know obviously stuff happened didn't didn't happen this actually I mean this worked out to be the best absolute best case scenario but so I'm sitting there on draft on draft day and it's getting you know

pick pick after pick going you know not hear my name and getting closer to LA and I remembered that meeting you know more than any of the meetings just based up what they said and so I was just like if I don't go to L.A., I have absolutely no idea where I could be going. And so I was just like, hopefully they stick to their word and sure enough they does. Where was the 2016 draft in? It was in Buffalo. In Buffalo. I've been to Buffalo too many times in the last like four years.

I've been there for the Combine because the Combine was in Buffalo, and on the draft the same year, and then World Juniors. I feel like that. Oh, and then I played my first NHL game in Buffalo. I need to move to Buffalo. How was your first NHL game? It was good. It was really good.

You know, I think I played 18 minutes, and, you know, I thought I played a really good game. I mean, didn't you... Didn't you walk out of the tunnel going... Holy shit, this is pretty cool. Screw that. Back it up. Rewine the tape.

Aren't you sitting in the dressing room? You're looking over at Doughty, Copatar, quick, et cetera. I mean, there's a whole list of them going, like, this is pretty frigging cool. You get to slide on the L.A. King's Uni? Yeah, it was definitely a cool, a cool moment for sure. And, yeah, I was super excited. My mom and dad, my sister and her husband made it. My girlfriend made it to come and watch.

So it couldn't have worked out better. And, like I said, I thought I had a great game. So, yeah, it was a good first one for sure. Who was the toughest guy that night that you got put on the ice against? And you're like, holy crap, this kid's talented. Probably Ikel. I think I saw maybe one or two shifts against him. His speed and skill and shot, I mean, he's a threat anywhere on the ice.

So he was interesting to go up again. Are you just licking your chops for the first time you get to go on the ice against McDavid? Yeah. Yeah. He's such a special player. He's so fun to watch. It's crazy. You know, some of the best defensemen in the NHL can't even handle him.

So, yeah, I mean, when that test comes, it'll be exciting. Well, you're listing off some of the best players in the world, some of the best players currently in the game. And to be on the ice with any of them is a feat in itself. Like, it's, I mean, you're in a small company. There's a, you know, the NHL isn't 10,000. thousand people large every year right so you're nipping right on there and to be on the ice with those caliber of players it's uh it's fun to watch from where i'm sitting and i look forward to uh seeing you you know i'm sure if you come to ammonton and you're going to be suiting up the place

will be just filled with lloyd and wherever else to come cheering on yeah it'd be great yeah that'd be awesome that'd be definitely a place that i'd be looking forward to playing most for sure just for that that reason, friends and family that come out and watch and support it. It'd be amazing. When you get taken by L.A. at 51, are you in the building for that? Yeah. Yeah, I was. Yeah, my family and I, we went to the draft. We were there for the first round, and then obviously came back to the second round. And yeah, I was there. I was there. I assume the nerves were shot by day two. Yeah, I mean, I wasn't really nervous. I mean, I was.

just kind of hoping just to go right away. So, yeah, I wasn't really nervous. I mean, just kind of curious at that point, you know, where I was going to end up. I was saying to you this before we started. So I don't know what it is about Lloyd right now. And defensemen in particular. And I'm sure you can shed a light on a little bit of it. But what I was saying to you was in, so between Major Junior and Junior A, in 2015,

Lyndon Springer was top defenseman of the AJ. In 2018, you're the top defenseman of the dub. In 2019, Ty Smith is the top defenseman of the dub and all of Canadian junior hockey. Of junior A, the same year, T.J. Lloyd, the top of junior A, the AJ, and then all of Canada. And then in 2020, Ty Smith gets top defensemen in Western Conference. Obviously, they didn't finish their season.

Yeah. What is it about Lloyd and spit notes of McCormick? extremely talented defensemen. Yeah, I don't know. Might just be like a weird, a weird, like five years of, like, different guys, I guess. But, you know, in small towns, you get to practice so much with outdoor ranks and everything being so accessible. So I think that's a huge part. I think that's why you see so many great players come out of smaller towns because they're on the ice all the time.

but also you know I can't really speak for the other guys but you know a lot of my success you know due to Kyle Topp he's been a huge like a huge help in my career I can't even remember the first time I skated with him maybe when I was like 11 years old you'd have to ask him he might remember

but he's helped me so much just different skills to work on just things that I felt like I was doing before guys my age at the at the time like not so much now but um you know like little skills you know at the age like 10 11 that I was working on um I felt like at the time I was maybe you know working on different things like that were a little bit ahead um but yeah he's just he's really smart he's uh he's really good with um you know little skill sessions and you know skill work um yeah I mean he's great with you know he taught me a lot

about defending as well, not only offensively. Just, you know, he's taught me a lot about defend defending. And I know one summer, I can't remember what summer that was. It was a summer when I was in junior, but we were like one of our, like our biggest focus. Because obviously, you know, offense has been something that has come pretty natural to me. But, you know, the defensive side of the game is kind of where, where I've, you know, been working a lot, you know, a lot on in the, especially in the last two years. years being in Ontario. That's kind of been my biggest thing is my defensive, my defensive game to

get me to the NHL, you know, and stay. And then, you know, when I get there, you know, hopefully let my offensive and things come out. But, yeah, I know, I think Kyle has been such a great help for me. I still, you know, even though I'm out in Calgary, I still, you know, I'm texting him. He's sending me things to do off the ice right now, you know, different shooting, you know, shooting things to work on, different techniques and changing the angle of my shot from the blue line, like little things like that. And then, you know, when the rinks open up, I'm probably going to come to Lloyd for a good amount of time to see him and then hopefully he'll come out here again. He came out here probably the last two summers. He's come out here to see me and scare me. So, yeah,

he's a huge help. Well, and you had his hands on, I think, all the guys on the list, if I'm not mistake. Yeah. Yeah, I know. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I'm, I'm pretty sure he has. He's worked with all those guys. So, I mean, yeah, I mean, you can say he's, he's a huge part of that for sure. And I mean, it's not just D too. I mean, you see great, there's been like lots of great forwards too around the stage that are coming out of Lloyd's as well. So, you know, he's, he's working with all those guys, I know. And so he's obviously a huge, a huge, huge part of that. Oh, 100%. Yeah, there's a, I was saying I joked on Twitter the other week that, I mean, if the Border Kings ever came back, the group of guys, the group of guys that are like just playing extremely good hockey that have roots to the Lloyd and areas.

It's almost unbelievable. Yeah. I mean, hopefully I'm not playing on the Border Kings anytime soon. No, no. Maybe. You can do the, you can do the. Yeah, one day. You can do the, uh, who's a guy who came back and, oh, I always thought Scott Niedemeyer when

he retired should have went and tried for the only trophy he never got. But when you hit 40 and your illustrious NHL career is done, come back to Lloyd and get another Allen Cup. That's right. That'll be the time to do it. I was laughing. You know, when I, when you first said you were coming on, the first time I ever met you was that I worked with TAP and Lantz for, I don't even know.

They probably know better me, like maybe two months. when I first came back, I think it was the summer of 2013. So you would have been like 15 at the time. And that was the first time I'd ever been on the ice with you. And you're talking about Tapp's drills. What we were working on with you was changing your shot along the blue line. I remember that pretty good. And I didn't know who you were at the time.

And Tapp had been telling me, yeah, he's going places. So it's been fun to watch as your career develops. And Tapper knew back then. Yeah, yeah, exactly. He's got a good eye for good players. and he knows he knows exactly what to do and you know the right things to teach so he's he's a lot of help to lloyd for sure all the players that are coming out of there what uh what's it been like playing in the hl for a year uh it's been good a lot of uh a lot of learning curves i think you know in junior

um you know being like a top player in the league and uh being able to contribute offensively um from the and you kind of get away with a lot of stuff that I didn't really realize at the time. But, you know, just little things in the D zone that, you know, obviously my skating is, you know, my biggest attribute, I would say. So little things where I'd be caught on the wrong side, but I could just skate my way back to get on the right side or, you know, little things like that that you don't, that I, that I could get away with. And then, you know, on the flip side, not that the coach, not that like my coaching stuff,

I had amazing coaches in junior, but not that they didn't care about that, but just, you know, if you're creating an offense, you know, obviously, you know, I'm going to be on the ice. So just little things like that, I think that I got away with through a junior that I've kind of been, you know, learning curves. And I think that's taking me a little bit of time, you know, to become a, you know, full-time NHLer. So, I mean, my coached Ontario, Mike Stollers, he's been really hard on me, and, you know, he doesn't let me get away with anything. And, you know, if I'm not playing properly defensively, he'll take my, like, he'll take other parts of my game away from me. So, you know, it's kind of taught me.

It's just to, you know, really put D first. And, you know, I'm just trying to, you know, continue to get better on the D side of the game. And so that, you know, I can obviously be selfish. follow it and become a really good defender in the NHL one day too. I should correct myself. It's your second year in the NHL, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. What was your first media scrum like? In the HL or NHL? NHL. Because after a game and they all come, they come in, I assume it's got to be a little bit different than anywhere else you play. Yeah, I mean, I just remember just because they, come running in the room right after.

So, I mean, I don't remember my first one off the top of my head, but I mean, it's kind of all the same. You know, you get asked the same questions, you know, different parts for your game, what you want to improve, that kind of thing. I think for the most part, the questions and interviews are usually pretty similar. How about the first time you flicked on EA Sports and looked up Kail Kleg? On the video game? Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's pretty cool.

You know, obviously you get to play with yourself in a video game. It's pretty sweet. I'm not a video game guy, though, so I don't play video games. No, what do you do? What do you do in your spare time? I mean, right now, I'm obviously watching the Jordan documentary. How good is it? How freaking good is it?

Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, I didn't grow up in the Jordan era. So, I mean, I didn't really get to watch him play. but I mean, I mean, I've seen all of his highlights and all that sort of thing. So it's pretty cool to be able to kind of live through that, through this TV show, and just kind of experience, you know, what he was about when he was playing. And, I mean, he's incredible. His whole mindset.

And, I mean, his ability is one thing, but his whole mindset, the way he looks at it and how much of the competitor he is. It's really cool to see it. And, yeah, it's really inspiring, too, I guess. Well, and have you got all the way? way up to episode four. Are you all the way you caught up? How cool was the Rodman part of it?

Like, that guy, you just don't, I could be wrong on this. I should really think about this, I guess. I just don't think there's anyone in pro sports that even comes remotely close to Rodman. Yeah, I mean, he's a character. It's crazy, though. It's crazy, like the things he would get away with. Like just being able to go take a vacation, like a vacation, mid-season.

Mid-season. Jordan, like, I'm leaving. I have to go for a vacation. Like, I don't know. That's crazy. And then I'll be back in 48 hours, Jordan. He's not going to be back in 48 hours. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, it's crazy. I can't think of anyone getting away with something like that now, but, I mean, who knows? Well, and if you... We wouldn't be hearing about it, at least. You go back in the day, the only... Like, you just... Social media right now is a beast, man.

And back then they wouldn't have it, right? So the only way you would have known is by watching news, right? Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, but then he comes back and he's, you know, he's performing. Like, yeah, it's crazy. It's really, it's really crazy to watch. just because that kind of situation is kind of unfathomable,

especially in hockey too. Back then, like that wouldn't happen to hockey, I don't think. I don't know, maybe. Sit your old man down. Maybe there's a story or two to be told you. Yeah, exactly. Who knows? It's crazy that a guy of that caliber could disappear for, what, like,

what was it, like four days? They go get him, he comes back, and then he just keeps going, and they're in the middle of winning championships. Yeah. Like nothing ever happened. They're not just like, you know, the bottom feeder team, the Cleveland Browns, right? Like they're actually the top of the game, winning back to back to back championships. And he just disappears midseason and comes back like it's no big deal.

Yeah, and it's pretty cool when you think about it. Well, yeah, he's a character for sure. How about the, you know, one of the best I saw on Twitter of you, was the All-Star game, the HL All-Star game, where you did the fake, the DEC and the shootout. People should look that up if they have no idea what I'm talking about. Because the cootra, right? Where you walk in and act like you lost the puck and it slides in.

Were you guys having a conversation about that on the bench before you go to do it? Yeah, I mean, the coach that was, you know, right on our bench, he told me I was going to go in the shootout. so I was like, oh man, I'm not really, you know, I mean, I'm not a shootout guy. Most of you don't usually go on shootouts, but no, like the other D, I think it's Cappo Bianco and Bouchard, with, he's actually an Evanston prospect. But I was like, should I try that? And they're like, yeah, definitely.

So I had done it in practice before and it's worked before. Like, I've had goalies bite on it before. but yeah I mean I just gave it a go and the goalie literally rolled over for me and it went right down it's perfect it worked out so good and then it blew up you know the lovely thing about social media is then it blew up everywhere yeah exactly yeah I mean I'm glad it worked out because I feel like those kind of moves if they don't work you just feel like an absolute donkey what have you been doing uh in house lockdown what do you have you been hitting a well, not the gym, but have you been trying to find ways to kind of motivate yourself and stay with it?

Yeah, I mean, I don't know if I should be mentioning this, but my girlfriend's family, so her uncle owns actually like a private gym in Calgary, and obviously it's closed. So he gave me the keys and I'm the only one using it. So I'm actually lucky that I get to get to do that. So I basically have a gym to myself. So I haven't really skipped it. in the gym. So it's been perfect that way. And then I mean, I've been trying to go a little bit earlier just so I can stick to a routine that gets me to bed. I think before that I was,

because I mean, I took a little break too before I started working out again really hard. But I think, you know, I've been, I've been going pretty early. So just so it gets me to bed on time. Because I felt like before I was staying up until, you know, 2 a.m. watching TV shows and stuff. So it's good to be in a routine. Did you watch Tiger King? Yeah, I watched Tiger King. I think everyone's watched Tiger King. That's a weird, that's a weird little show.

That's seven hours of your life you'll never get back. No, never, never. It's pretty good though. Pretty entertaining. It shows you a bizarre side of life that you did not realize was out there. Yeah, exactly. Like you kind of have an idea, like there's some pretty crazy people out there, but that just puts a whole new light on it. Yeah.

What are your thoughts? Carol Baskin. She do it or not? Yeah, she did it, for sure. They need to get to the bottom of that one. They have to. Yeah, I don't know how she got away with that one. Before we go on our final segment, what's next for Mr. Calckel-Cleg?

Do you know what's coming? Any ideas? as far as getting back down there. I assume you're on. Like what the plan is. Yeah. No, I mean, as far as I know, the plan is just to continue to train and prepare for the upcoming season or, you know, maybe finish in the season, I guess, because nothing's really official. But I'm just kind of working out as hard, you know, as hard as I can.

You know, this summer, you know, as hard as it is that the season ends. the way it did. You know, I think this is a good opportunity for me to continue to get stronger. Obviously, my strength is something I want to continue to work on. You know, being a smaller defense fan, you know, obviously it's a huge, huge part, you know, when you're a little bit undersized. So, yeah, I mean, I think this is a good opportunity, like I said, for me to work on my strength and just continue to prepare for next season.

Well, I certainly look, well, I hope for your sake, and everybody else as we get back to hockey sooner than later because it'd be cool to see you back up with the big club and I know everybody around here certainly enjoys seeing it when you're up there it's a lot of fun to watch it's cool to pay attention to and I mean it's not like we're getting Ontario rain games here I'm sad to say yeah no exactly exactly you got to prescribe to those well let's go into their final segment it's just five five questions take as much time or as little times you want it's the crude master final final So shout out to Heath and Tracy McDonald.

They've been supporters of the podcast for a long time. So question one, who is the best player you've played with and against? Okay. I mean, with, there's been so many guys that I've played with that are so good. I'm just going to put, say, Thomas Shabbat, you know, at the World Juniors. We actually played together. He's my D-partner through the medal round. So obviously he had such an incredible tournament in the world juniors that year.

He, you know, got an MVP of the tournament, you know, and now he's, you know, doing so well at the NHL level, you know, had, I think he had like, what, like a point per game almost last year as a defense fund. So, I mean, he's so fun to watch. And, you know, I take things away from his game that I can try to incorporate into my game. I think we're, you know, he's obviously a little bit bigger than I am, but I think we play a similar style. So, yeah, no, it's really good to see him have that success in the NHL.

And then best player I've played against. Honestly, I think back to my time up with the Kings this past season, we were playing Nashville in L.A., and so obviously that was the first time I had, you know, been up close with Roman Yossi, and he made this incredible spin around and move on the blue line. and went back door, or went on the wall and slither the cross to Johansson, backdoor for like an empty net. So that was, I mean, he was so, he was so good. Like you watch him on TV and stuff and he's an incredible demon to watch. And then, you know, he has that game and, you know, makes that play and stuff.

You know, it just goes to show you how good these guys are, you know, especially when you get up in person with them, you know, they can really play. What was the Staples Center like the first time you get to play in it? Yeah, it's cool. It's a big building for sure. The fans are great, you know, really, really great fans. But, yeah, you know, so much character in that building. You know, you see all the jerseys hanging in the rafters, and obviously the Lakers play there and some of the Clippers.

So, you know, lots of them. The Clippers play there, too. Yeah. I honestly don't know how they juggle three teams. schedules. I didn't realize it. And also also concerts. I just don't understand. Like I mean, I'm pretty sure it's one of the, it's got to be one of the top, like busiest arenas in the world. Have you watched, have you watched them take the ice in and out at all? Actually, I was walking into a game when I was up. I was walking into into the rank for a game, like three hours

before the game and they were still peeling the rubber off the ice like my only thought in my head was how is this ice going to be good and like we get out there and I mean it's not it's not bad for you know rubber mats and hardwood floor being on top like right before but

you know it's a little bit soft the puck bounces on it a little bit so but I mean I feel like that's how that's the way it goes when it's a busy arena like that yeah Well, I mean, in Canada, we just don't have that, right? You got an NHL and that's what it is.

Yeah, exactly. I mean, they have concerts and stuff, but yeah, that's right. Yeah. But, I mean, it's not busy every single night. Like, there'd be very few nights in a year that Staples Center, other than right now, that Staples Center would be empty. Have you been going to any of the Clippers or Lakers games? I mean, you got LeBron and Kawhi.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I'm actually lucky my agency. I'm with CAA. They're actually based out of Los Angeles, so they're able to get their hands on quite a few Lakers tickets for me. I haven't been to a Clippers game.

I like the Lakers games. They're, you know, Lakers. If I was to pick between the Lakers and Clippers, it'd for sure be the Lakers. You know, those games are so fun to go to. I didn't really realize how fun basketball was to go to live just because, like, we don't grow up around it. You know, especially in Lloyd, you're not too close to a basketball game in Lloyd.

But, yeah, I mean, they're so fun. Those guys are crazy athletic, how big they are and the way they move on the court. I mean, it's so cool to watch, especially up front. How good is LeBron seeing him live? Yeah, it's almost unfair. He's so big, and he's just so athletic. Like, there's nothing that guy can't do. So, I mean, it's really cool to see him,

see him up front and, you know, just watch him play. Obviously, you know, he's the best in the NBA right now, if not ever. I like Jordan, but, I mean, LeBron is an argument for sure. If LeBron had as many titles as Jordan, they'd probably argue LeBron. But Michael, for the rest of time, we'll have the titles and the way he won the titles. Yeah. I mean, the guy took a full, what is it, 18 months off and then comes back and wins titles again. Yeah, I know.

It's unbelievable. Like, nobody does that. No. It's crazy. It's pretty cool. If you could pick one guy, past or present, to be your defense partner, who would you want? I would say maybe, honestly, growing up, like, I know this is maybe weird just because he's in the L.A. organization. But growing out, Doughtie was my favorite.

He was my guy. So now I obviously, I know him a little bit and played with him. So, I mean, it would be cool. It'd be super cool to be full time with a guy like that just to learn. Because, you know, he's so great defensively. You know, the things he does, you know, in the D zone. I think he's, I think he's incredible defensively. So obviously, and like I said, that's an area of my game that I'm working on.

So I think there's a lot of things to be, you know, learned from a guy like, that. But I like Nicholas Liddstrom, too. He's, I mean, he's, he was, bar none probably. Yeah. Top five all time. He's probably argument for number one. But, I mean, you got a couple other guys that can slide in there too. But yeah, Lidsstrom's a solid pick. Yeah, he's just so solid. He's just so, he's just so, he's just so great at everything. It's actually, it's funny because, you know, when I went to the, when I got dropped through by L.A. and stuff, the development staff, we work a lot with them. And they would, you know, working on my positioning, like all over the ice.

And so we would, what we would do is we would get video of my game. And we would put it on, like, basically it was a whiteboard, essentially. And the screen, like, it would be like a projector on a whiteboard. And so one of the development coaches would take a, like a marker and just go along, like all. like where I was on the ice who'd just take the marker and just kind of just follow where I was on the ice and I mean

my first year I would just kind of be all over I'd be rushing the fuck up the ice all over the O zone all over the D zone you know all over the ice and they were kind of trying to teach us just to you know stick to your side of the ice you know a lot of the time

so we would pull up Lidsdrum and he'd be the guy that they would reference and you see you'd start you know drawing the marker on Lidstrom and he would very rarely, like leave his side of the ice. It was super weird. Just up and back, sides, up and back.

It's pretty cool to watch. He's, like, so efficient and he made the game so easy on himself. That's interesting. I've never heard of drawing out their path. The guy who comes to mind for me, who was very similar to Littstrom,

but in a different way, was Scott Niedemeyer. And the thing I always loved about Scott Niedemeyer was he always amazed me that he as a defenseman would rush the puck in and be somehow the first guy back in the fastest league humanly possible. The guy had just amazing feat and just a brilliant mind for reading the game and how to get back and in and out and in and out. It's been fun to trace him and see how much he wandered because maybe my memory is wrong on him,

but he always seemed like he was in on everything. Yeah, I mean, he's another great defense friend. He's so fun to watch. I was, you know, so incredible to watch. So, yeah, I don't know. It's just, yeah, that was just kind of like a drill that we kind of worked on just to go over video and, you know, practice positioning. And, yeah, we just used Lydstrom and just, he was so steady.

It's crazy. What's the coolest, you know, you mentioned that one where they trace out a guy or trace out yourself even and show you where you've been. What's some of the coolest technology you guys use for helping train? Hmm. I don't know. I have to think about that one. Like, I mean, we get to do, like, we just do a lot of video and stuff with the development

staff, you know, they get to cut. The nice thing about, about the technology now is I feel like it's so much easier just to watch your shifts, just being able to cut them and just seeing your shift specifically. I watch a lot of my, like, I watch all my games. But in terms of, like, actual technology, I mean, we were at these things, I mean, we were at these things, I mean, I don't know if I, it's that cool, but we wear these things called catapults and they, it's basically like this little tracking device on your back. And it's like a, it looks like a sports bra, like when you put it on, it's got a tracking device in it.

And it basically tracks your speed, your peak speed. Like it can show how efficient you are. Like how many strides you take from like your left and right foot. Yeah, I mean, and then, you know, when you go through practice, it's got all the the guys numbers up so you can see where you stack up in speed and like what you like how how fast you get in practice first everyone else and so so I mean that's kind of all I can think of is well that's a pretty good one is there any bets going on who's going to be the fastest or no no no there's no but a lot of the guys will come off the ice and just take a peek and see kind of

where they where they sit there's got to be a little bit of trash talk hey boys you see me back at number one I need to be yeah yeah Yeah, definitely a little bit. What's been one of your biggest COVID hobbies? I mean, we've all been locked inside. Sure, you get to go to the gym a little bit, but I mean, your day-to-day life isn't like you're hopping down to go watch a movie or go hang out with friends or whatever else.

What have you been doing to keep yourself busy? Well, my girlfriend and I started a thousand-piece puzzle maybe a week ago. How's that going? We got the border, you know, together. But today we made the consensus decision to pack it up and put it back in the box. I couldn't stare at it on our table any longer. So we packed it up through in the box and it's tucked away until the next pandemic. Well, hopefully that doesn't come anytime soon.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. If you could have beer with one person, who would you take? with one person. Yep. If you could sit down and pick anyone's brain, who would you want to sit and hear from? If we're talking hockey, I would actually like to maybe talk to a guy like Goatstrom or like even Eidemeyer. Just kind of see, like, just kind of take in, you know, the way they viewed the game

and how they process the game when they were playing. And I mean, just to ask certain questions about, you know, my game and stuff. I think that'd be kind of cool. Okay. Best barn you ever played in all time for her final question. Hmm. I mean, probably Staples Center. I think it's a really cool arena in general.

You know, like I said, with, you know, LeBron going in and out of there, obviously a guy like Kobe played there. You know, so many great players played basketball there, so many great players that played hockey there. You know, so many artists come and sing. I mean, I think it's just a super cool arena. It's a huge arena. You know, when I played, they're great fans.

So, I mean, I'm going to go with Staples and Arc because hopefully I'll be playing there for a while. That's probably a fair choice. You bring up Kobe. With Kobe passing earlier, what was L.A.? What was it being like around L.A. with that going down? I mean, Kobe was, he's one of those athletes who transcend sports. He's so much bigger than basketball. Everybody knew Kobe.

With him going out the way he did and just how sad it was and his daughter and everything. But you being right in L.A., I mean, it felt like, or from afar, it seemed like that was, you know, they really rallied around. Everybody kind of came together in L.A. it looked like from afar. Yeah, I mean, it was super sad, obviously. I think, you know, for anyone that even wasn't in LA, you know, it's hard break in see a, you know, an athlete like that to go to go out the way, the way he did. It's obviously super tragic. You know, you feel so sad for, you know, his family and, you know, his wife and kids would have to go through that.

But, I mean, I wasn't really, I didn't really go around like Staples Center or anything like that. But obviously you see, you know, all the gifts and like flowers and all that sort of stuff that is dropped off, you know, at Staples Center kind of in, in his memory. And then, you know, you watch, I mean, like I said, I didn't go to Staples for even that ceremony and stuff. But you see those little clips, like of his wife talking, LeBron making that speech. You can just tell how, you know, like how passionate people were and, you know, how much people admired him, you know, in the same. city of LA. So yeah, it was really sad. It was kind of eerie. It was weird. I mean, the way I found out was I just saw it on Twitter, like probably a lot of people. I think it was weird just being there and reading that. It was definitely like shocking for sure. You were probably like the rest of us when

you first saw it on Twitter, you're like, somebody's pulling my leg, right? Like there's been so many false things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, it's really sad. I'm happy we finally got to do this. I wish it was under better circumstances. I certainly wish it was in the studio. But, you know, life goes on. And the next time you're in town, hopefully we can get a group of us together and have a little roundtable.

It'll be a lot of fun to have you in the studio. But regardless, I appreciate you coming on. I really look forward to seeing what you do with your career in the future, hopefully the near future, and all the best of luck, tip. Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate it. I appreciate you having me on here. It's awesome. Cool. Okay, thanks. Hey folks, thanks again for joining us today. If you just stumble on the show and like what you

hear, please click subscribe. Remember, every Monday and Wednesday a new guest will be sitting down to share their story. The Sean Newman podcast is available for free on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever else you find your podcast fix. Until next time.