Shaun Newman Podcast - Ep. 84 - Ty Smith - Spokane Chiefs

Episode Date: June 3, 2020

Born & raised in Lloydminster he was a 1st overall pick by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, in 2018 he was drafted in the NHL entry draft 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils, was awarded the CHL defensemen of the year in 2019 & won a world junior gold in 2020.     All episodes can also be found on YouTube & Spotify   New guests every Monday & Wednesday

This is Ty Smith. Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. Happy hump day, folks. Welcome back to the podcast. We got another great one this week. If you didn't tune in to Mondays, I highly suggest you go back and listen to Scott Pady. He is Lloyd Minster, born and raised. He's an actor in Vancouver for the past 15 years.

He's been on just recently Sonic the Hedgehog or on Amazon Prime's upload. he's got to work with guys like Jim Carrey, Jack Black, Owen Wilson, a whole list of A-list stars. He's found his way on to some different projects. He's been, he was a super cool interview, so I really suggest you go back one and take a little peek at that. Let's get on to the sponsors of today's show. First off, Gartner Management, the new home of the Sean Newman podcast is a Lloyd Minster-based company specializing all types of rental properties to help meet your needs. whether you're looking for a small office or 6,000 square feet of commercial space, give Wade Gartner a call 7808-808-5025.

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wandering wild stacey does a terrific job she's got a pretty cool thing going there so uh let's help her out crit athletics check them out on instagram or facebook they still have a deal going on where if you spend a hundred dollars you get 25 back to a local business of your choosing that is a gift card back to a local business of your choosing now here is your factory sports tale of the tape this guy was originally from lloyd minster Alberta, he was drafted first overall in the 2015 WHL Bannam draft by the Spokane Chiefs. In 2016, he played for Team Canada in the Youth Olympics. Sadly, they lost to the U.S. and that.

2018, he was drafted 17th overall in the NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. 2019, he was awarded the CHL defenseman of the year. Of course, I'm talking about Mr. Ty Smith. So, buckle up. without further ado. Welcome to the Sean Newman podcast today. I'm joined by Mr. Ty Smith of the New Jersey Devils, Spokane Chiefs, Lloydminster, Bobcats. How's Ty doing today?

I'm doing pretty well. How are you? Yeah, I'm doing really good. So you're out in Vancouver right now? What's going on in Vancouver? What's got you out there? Have you been there multiple years? This is my second.

in full summer out here. Kind of when the season ends, I like to come out here and have a pretty good setup, I guess. Brendan Gallagher from the Habs has a place here into Austin, just a little bit south to Vancouver. And he lets me love with him. And I spend my summers kind of hanging out with him and his dad's our trainer. So we go work out with his dad at five or six times a week. and then my skills coach from when I played phantom here in my second year.

He's down here as well, so I get to hop on the ice with him a couple times a week. So definitely a lot of fun down here and a really good setup for me. So I'm definitely pretty fortunate. What's training with an NHL are like? I mean, he's a pretty competitive guy, so it's definitely interesting. I mean, it's not even just the training. Like our training group, I guess, we've got a couple other guys,

Statcher from the Canucks, and then probably the bigger name would be Luchich. He's definitely a different guy to be around. He's pretty tough, I guess, maybe a little scary. Maybe a little scared? Yeah, when we're on the ice at him, he's, you don't want to miss a pass when you're passing to him

or if you're going against them in a battle drill. So training with those guys, it's a lot of fun. They're always bugging me and picking on me. So it's pretty fun being down there with them. I got to ask, what's a battle drill with Milan Luch each like? I mean, he's pretty hard on me. He always says that I need to keep getting tougher and work on my defense. So he's always working me when it's in the corners, it's tough.

But it's a lot of fun, and I think it kind of helps me. Hey man, if you can eventually figure out the bull moves because he's got to be one of the biggest guys in the NHL when he gets going. You'll have no problem with anybody else. Yeah, yeah, for sure. How did you get hooked up with that group then? Are you friends with Gallagher or how did you fall into or just when you get drafted, your agent hooks you up? Yeah, I kind of started my second year, second year Bantam. my dad was pretty pretty busy kind of running running us around with having my younger brother and younger sister

he had a lot going on and we had a lot of help from people around lloyd helping us out getting us places but he did he did a bunch on his own so it's uh it was something that i was kind of looking looking to do is go to an academy i mean um i guess being the player that i was at that time um and kind of looking to continue to develop and her at a younger age. I guess we kind of heard through my agent, which is the same agent as Brendan. So Galley and I had the same agent. So I guess Brendan's dad started up this academy out here in Delta, the Delta Hockey Academy, and there was their first year having a Bantam team. So my agent Jerry was, I guess, kind of pushing me towards coming out here. And he brought my dad and my brother and sister and I down here and kind of gave us a tour of it and introduced

us to Ian, Brendan's dad. And I mean, I loved it down here and the whole setup that they had and I heard a bunch of great things. So I guess I just kind of decided to try that out and throughout that year, Ian and I kind of developed a pretty good relationship and he wanted me to come down and train in the summers. Obviously, I didn't do that when I was 14, 15. But then kind of when I played my 16-year-old year in the dub, he thought that it would be a really good idea to come do that before my draft year. So I came down and I lived with the Bill of Family I lived with when I played down here in Bantam. They kind of let me stay there again in the summer. And halfway through that summer, they moved to Merritt, which is a couple hours away. And then Brendan kind of just said,

want to stay down and train, you can come live with me for the rest of the summer. And then I guess we kind of hit it off a little bit. We got to be pretty good buddies. So he's invited me back ever since, and he's kind of taken care of me. So it's a lot of fun, but, I mean, I think he's the most competitive human I've ever met. I mean, I like to think I'm competitive, but, I mean, it's everything all the time here. So no matter what it is, whether it's guessing the next artist who's going to be on the radio or things like that.

It's always a game, and he always wants to win. So I think it's a good environment for me to be around. Oh, absolutely. Anytime people are pushing you. That's a good thing. Did you watch the last dance, the Michael Jordan documentary? Yeah, I've been watching it. I've watched the first eight episodes,

and I'm kind of trying to save the last two for a day where I don't have anything going on, and I'm really bored. Well, you won't be disappointed. I just think when you're saying Gallagher, likes to be competitive on anything. Michael Jordan is the, that's what jumps to mind immediately. That guy, what was he? He was betting against the workers of the arena on who could get a quarter closer to the wall.

Yeah, that's crazy. It's those stories and that behind the scenes access, it's so cool when they bring that to light and you get to see those guys and they're, you know, away from the public spotlight. Yeah, for sure. let's go back to Lloyd actually let's go you mentioned

the academy out there so at 14 years old you move away from home then yeah was that a little nerve-wracking I would imagine or were you excited for it I think more so excited I mean

kind of growing up I guess I had to do a lot more stuff around the house I think kind of when my parents split up around like 10 or 11 and then I had to kind of be more mature at a younger age so um I was kind of excited to to move down here and I guess have less work around the house and kind of get to hang out a little more so I was excited for that and excited to come come down I mean it was a there's a good time for sure and a great group of guys and I was pretty excited I think just to come down and it's it's all hockey when you're on the academy. So that was probably the part that I was most excited for.

Just pumped to get a billet family so you didn't have to worry about doing your laundry anymore. Exactly. Who was your billet family? I always love to give billet families a shout out because I had great ones for three years and by the sounds of it, you going back and staying with the same billet family until they moved. I mean, you had many years of living away from home, so there might be several different ones. But what was it like moving in with your Billet family? And obviously they must have been pretty good to you.

Yeah. I mean, our Billet family, or my Billet family, I guess my first year when I was 14, the stewards, they, John at the time, the dad, he worked a little bit with the Giants, like Vancouver Giants. And now he's the, I think, head scout or assistant GM or something with the merit centennial, like the BCHL team. So him and then Barb and then, I guess, his grandma lived there too, Brody's grandma. And Brody Stewart, his other guy, he played in town this year.

He's played there since he was 17 and he's 19 now. So he's played in the Western League for a few years. And I mean, they're great to me. We had a ton of fun. And Brody and I shared a room. We had two beds in the same room, and we were separated by about a foot and a half. And it was a ton of fun for us. We didn't argue ever, which was surprising.

Considering I'm always looking to argue with competitive things, he's a laid-back guy and super chill. So I think it worked out really well that he was laid-back so he didn't fight too much. What's the last argument you had on something that you're being competitively? about. Brendan and I were fighting yesterday. We were playing Xbox, and his game's Madden. That's his game. He thinks he's a star. And mine's NHL. I think that

like he's never beat me at NHL yet. He's probably like 0-50 or 60. And I beat him once last summer at Madden, and I still haven't let him hear the end of it because I got my one win. And this year I got I got Madden 20 just so we can play when I came down here. I never played it once until now. And I think like I didn't expect I expected to win one, but I didn't expect to win it for a while. And yesterday I beat him like bad.

I don't know what happened. I beat him like I was up 21-0 in the third quarter and he rage quit. So he just turned off the Xbox and then left my room. So we went to an argument about that. I was pretty mad that he quit. I wanted to run up the score a little bit more because I was having a day. That's awesome.

An Xbox guy then? Yeah. PS4 on this side. I mean, I'm going to forewarn you. I haven't played anything. I don't think I bought, the last NHL I bought was like NHL 17. I haven't had time for, I know.

I'd still take a run at you. I'm saying, You give me a game or two to freshen myself back up, learn a couple of what's been going on in the games. I'd give you a run for your money. Yeah, I thought I was a player, and then I played in this Achille Thomas, the guy that scored the golden goal this year at World Juniors.

He's got his clothing line, his Dale apparel, and he had this tournament going on. And I had to get up at 7 o'clock yesterday in the morning to play in this tournament, because I committed to playing. put it out there that like all the guys that were playing so he had like fans and stuff I guess registered and uh his clothing line sponsored it and uh I won the first round and then the second second round they got spanked by some I didn't know who it was just the fan and they spanked me five

nothing so I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was I need to keep working well it's pretty crazy now you go to the bar and there when there's no NHL games on there will be EA sports games on right and they got those big tournaments now where you can win like millions of dollars playing video games. It's crazy. Yeah, it's wild. It's pretty cool. How about when you did come back to Lloyd and you played on the Tulles Cup team in Midget? What was special about that year?

That was the first year for me that I got to see you play. Took the wife who had just moved up from Minneapolis here and I took her to a hockey game. and I told her what we were going to watch and she was kind of laughing. She was like, all right. And then we got in the building because you guys are playing the BC representative. And the winner of that series went to the Telescope. And that place was rocking. I haven't seen the Civic like that in a long ass time.

And you stuck out to me because I remember, I didn't know who you were. And I was like, hey, who's this kid? He's pretty good. And then I found how young you were. And I was like, oh, holy crap, right? Like talented, talented player, but an even more talented group. Like that team, you know, I've had some of them on here. The Zane Franklin, you mentioned, Jackson Clucy, Bryce Kindop, who just signed with Anaheim, Chase Waters over at Saskatoon Blades, T.J. Lloyd playing Junior A.

While actually, now he's playing for Bowling Green. I mean, the list goes on. Logan Ganey, Parker Siretsky, Ryan Shetler, Austin McGrath and that, right? Like, what was it about, like, that is an absolute wealth of talent you guys had that year, and you came within inches of winning at all. Yeah, I mean, that year was a ton of fun. When I went to the academy, I decided before I even went that I'd come back for my last year of minor hockey, I guess, and play it in Lloyd and spend it at home before going.

went to play in Spokane. So I guess coming back was pretty exciting. I mean, obviously Travis is the coach. I get along pretty well with Travis. So I was happy that he was coaching the team that year. And then, I mean, I think we just got, I mean, in a way, very fortunate with guys coming back. I mean, lots of guys we thought would play junior.

And they ended up coming back, like even a guy like Frankie, like, I mean, everybody was like, yeah, there's no way he's back. And then comes back and Kindop and Ganey and Siretsky and T.J. And Shetler, like all those guys were all supposed to play. Leslie, too, they're all supposed to play junior. And then, I mean, they came back. And even our third years were all good players too. I think there was zero returning guys the next year after we were done.

So, I mean, that normally doesn't happen in Midgett where guys can play. like three years. So, I mean, our group was definitely talented and all the guys went on to to play junior the next year. And I mean, our group just had a ton of fun together. It was a great year in that regard. We had a pretty close team. And I mean, it was a great time and pretty cool. We got to go way out east for the telescope. Well, and you guys, like, you win top defensive player. that tournament too, don't you? Yeah. Like, that's pretty high company. How, how fun is it now in the dub going around and getting to play the kindops and the waters and the, I mean, you see some of them

more often than others, the Frankies. Like, how much fun is that when you guys roll into each other's buildings and get to play against one another? That's a good time. Yeah. I mean, Frankie, he's a, he's a points guy this year. So he's maybe turning a little soft, but whenever he plays me, he definitely, he definitely, he lets me know. I think his buddy's on his team telling me that, like, I'm the only guy he tries to hit all year whenever we play them. So he always has to try to let me know that he's out there. I mean, he was pretty frustrated. Our last game we played, uh, right before this whole thing started and the season got canceled. We played Kamloops at home. And, uh, I mean, obviously their line was pretty dominant.

They're all like top five in scoring. And Frankie had no points and we were up, I think, three nothing. Maybe we shut them out. And Frankie is so mad. It just made my day. It's so funny watching him be so frustrated out there. And we'll talk after and it's all smiles and things like that. So it's pretty cool playing guys like that.

And obviously, Kendi, I played against him a ton over the years, him being an Everett and me being spoke. We play, I think, six or eight times every year. So obviously, that's a lot of fun seeing him out there. And it's pretty cool, all the guys that are captains as well. Kind of, it's impressive, all the guys from Lloyd that captain their team. So even like ceremonial puck drops against them because Spokane has one of those every night. So whenever a team comes into play, well, I'll get to do that with those guys.

So it was definitely a lot of fun. And I mean, this year my brother played on the past, too. He joined that team in probably November. So I got to play against him for the first time ever. Same ice sheet as him, I guess, playing competitive hockey ever. Because he always played up up a year until Bantam. And then that year he didn't make the team. So playing against him was unbelievable.

and I mean, just playing against all those guys from Lloyd's a ton of fun. So it's been pretty fun playing in the Western League against those guys. What position is your brother? He's a forward. He normally plays center, but he plays the line, I guess, too. Did he dump it in your corner? Did you get any shifts against him? Yeah, actually, we beat them six, too.

Obviously, the Pat's been of a great year. But he did dash me up late in the game. It was 6-1 for us, and I was on the ice there on the power play. He plays in the power play sometimes, so he was out there, and our guy just stepped out of the box, and one of his buddies gave him a back to her a tap in, and he scored. He said it was, like, the best thing ever because he dashed me up, and all our family came down to watch. So it was pretty funny. That is got to be, well, you can hear it a special experience to have your brother step on the same ice sheet.

I got three older brothers, but we were never, the only time we got to play with each other was in senior hockey. and we were too far apart, right? When there was never, none of my older brothers played, well, none of us played in the WHL. So there was never an opportunity to have, you know, a 20-year-old versus a young 16, 17-year-old coming in kind of thing. So the only time we ever got to play together was playing senior hockey. And that's still fun to be with your siblings.

And I can, that's pretty cool of, you know, to come up against them. And I was, you know, maybe you could, laid a hip check on them or something just to let them know you're there. Yeah, I mean, he was letting me hear it a little bit. I had a bit of a slower first half in regards to points and goals. And then my brother joined the path and then came on the U.S. swing and he, I think he scored like four or five goals on the trip, which was like, I thought it, I didn't even know if the path would score a goal in the U.S. Like, it's a pretty hard division to play in. And he was up, he was

up. He was beating me in goals at Christmas time. I think he was beating me by a couple and then we were neck and neck for a while there and he was bragging about it whenever he was ahead of me in goals. So thank God he's up a little bit late to beat him otherwise out and never heard the end of it.

How about the eight point night? What was that like? Were you just like I step on the ice, the puck goes in the net or what? Because I mean, that was the only other time I saw anything similar to that, and maybe it happens in junior hockey

and you just don't get told about it, but was the Oilers when Sam Gagne did it. And I was watching that game, and it was just like every time he touched the puck, it went in the net, and every time that night, I'd look at Twitter, there was another, oh, Ty Smith puts another one in,

or another, oh, there's another point. And it just kept going up and up and up. What was that like to play in? Yeah. I don't know. My dad, it was my dad's birthday, actually. He was turned in 50, so he decided he was going to make the trip down to Spoke for the weekend. We played Seattle on his birthday, and I think he was Friday, Saturday.

I played Seattle, Friday, and then Tri-City Saturday, both at home. So he wanted to come down and watch. So he hopped in the car. morning Friday, I'm in the game. And I guess I told him, I told him I'll try to get a couple for you tonight. Like, he's always on me,

like that I've never had a five-point game in the dub. I've had one, two, three, and four enough, but I never had five. I had seven when I was 17 once, but I never had five. So he was always on me. So I said, I'll try to get five tonight for you for his birthday. And, uh, I mean,

I think I had five, like halfway through the game and I had two goals. And I never had a hat trick before. I mean, I was hunting for the hat trick at that point, I think. And I was pretty fortunate. My buddy gave me a complete gift on the back door and I tapped it in for the Hattie. But, I mean, the game was pretty wild. I think first couple shifts, I had a couple of goals, just on the power play. and they, Roddy Ross is their goalie.

And I knew him kind of growing up. He played on the border stars with me, so I knew him a bit. But he actually, they were resting him, I guess. So he didn't play. They started their backup. And the first couple of goals I scored, my coach came down to me and said, like,

keep shooting. Like, they're going in free right now. Just keep shooting. It's going to be there all night on this guy. Because I guess high glove was pretty open. and I just kept going. And I mean, before I knew it, I think I was at five or six. And then I got to seven and all the boys were like,

are you kidding? You, man, you did it again. And it was lucky. Like, I guess things were going my way a little bit. And then I got kind of late in the third. My D partner's like, we got to get you eight. We got to break your own record. And we got to break the chief record again.

And I actually, I went D-D-D-D to him in the offensive zone. And he's like a big, like, he led the league in plus minus Milliken. And he's like more of a shot-down guy. He's really physical. And he passes to me every time he gets the puck. So I love playing with him. And he takes care of our own end very well. So he's been a great partner for me.

But he's not that offensive. He had probably 40 points, but all assists. And I give him a D-D-D-D-D pass. And he took, like, two strides. and both wingers run the side that I was on. So he was kind of by himself. And he, like, picked his head up and realized that there's a bunch of rooms. So he kept going.

And I think, like, you pump fake the guy, and the guy dropped when he, like, tow drug through the slot. And went back and five-hole, like, a superstar goal, like, highlight of the weak goal kind of thing. Like, his best goal, he's probably ever scored. And then he's, like, comes up to me, he's like, there it is, baby, that's eight. And I was like, holy man, long did you do that more off? And so, I mean, that was probably my favorite moment of the game. It's just his goal. That was the best part about it.

So, I mean, it was a crazy game and obviously pretty fortunate the way it kind of went. Well, it was pretty, I mean, eight points, man. That's just freaking impressive. It was fun to see all the highlights come through. You're just like, and another one, and another one, and another one. And another one. Every guy who comes through here on the podcast, plays in the dub, says the best places to go on road trips is the states. They got the best rowdiest fans.

What was it like playing for the years you did in Spokane? Oh, it's unreal. I mean, our fans are, I love our fans. They're wild and they're pretty committed to the boys, so it's pretty cool. obviously we have I think obviously I might be a bit biased but I mean it's most guys I talk to you think the same thing that that our buildings the best building in the league obviously next to I mean Portland plays at the motor center sometimes and Edmonton plays at Rogers like next to those buildings I think we have the best building um niceest and biggest building in the league so I'm

definitely fortunate that that's where where I get to kind of call home and junior but um I mean all the places in the states are wild like Seattle you go to Seattle and I mean you're skating around kind of so you warm up go off they flood the ice and come back on and the lights are all off and you're skating around kind of waiting for the anthem to start and uh they're all like chanting like they've got that song on and they're like chanting like f you chiefs like the whole time like the whole ring's chanting that and then like I'm skating around in my own zone like looking at the glass and there's guys flipping me off like telling me they're going to beat me up and like I'm like what's going on man like these guys are 30 40 and I'm

playing junior hockey and these guys are flipping me off like so like Seattle's rowdy and then tri-city's like packed every game because they're two hours that's their close game that's the rivalry tri-city and spoke when we play there it's wild I mean there's like a time that they're non-stop yelling and then there's a time of the third that caught Nijot comes on. And then all the fans, like all the guys take their shirts off and they start waving them around. Like it's like to Kot and Ijo and they're all dancing and cheering and it's wild. Like it's crazy loud. And then kind of the same thing like Everett's fans are, it's always a full building and they're always loud and make you kind of feel intimidated playing there.

And I mean, it's just a it's a crazy, crazy division to play in. And it's obviously, a lot of fun, but I mean, there's no nights off playing in that division. So it's been a great time for me, and I'm thankful to kind of play there. Let's talk about when COVID-19 hits and you guys find out, how did you find out that you were no longer going to have a season? Yeah, it happened pretty quick. We just played town loops, and then we had a day off, and the next day we were supposed to come in in practice because we played Portland the day after that.

So we kind of came in for practice and normally work out at 10 and then practice at one. So we kind of rolled into the rank. I got there around 9.30. Kind of get ready to work out. Talk to the guys a little bit. Kind of have your cup of coffee and hang out. And then I got there and my buddies that come early, they were kind of in there.

they just were sitting in their street clothes in their stalls and I was like, what are you guys doing? And they said, like, Mani just came in our coach and said, he wants to have a meeting with all the boys when they get here and not to change into our workout stuff. And then I guess the guys started to roll in and mani came in and kind of just said, yeah, we're going to go home for today. Obviously, COVID's kind of starting to come around.

here and we're just going to go home kind of take today just to have another off day and then we'll hopefully see you guys tomorrow morning for morning escape before we play Portland and then obviously guys guys on our team know guys on Portland and Portland guys were texting us saying like yeah we're not coming like we already canceled our trip so we kind of knew that something was going to happen and the season was probably going to be canceled so we just stayed at home he called us in the next day and said like yeah we're just going to start staying home we don't want you guys hanging out we want you guys like staying in your bill at house as much as possible try not to go out in public kind of thing and um I mean guys were all just sitting around

at home and then a couple days later um he called us all in and they called me and said do you tell the guys to come in we came in and then he said yeah borders might be closing so um leagues canceled for now. It's postponed. And then he said, it's probably not going to start again. But you guys should all be going home tomorrow at the latest because the borders might be closing and things like that.

So we were kind of out of there right away a couple days. And we're all home and kind of junior is done, I guess. How hard was that for you guys? I mean, the year previous you make it to the conference finals. don't have the result you want. You run into a good Vancouver team. But this year, you know, you guys were putting the street together at the end. You're really playing some good hockey.

And having the, you know, the experience of what you did the season previous, who knows what happens in the playoffs. I'm sure you guys at the time were feeling extremely confident that you could do some things. how heartbreaking was it to go that way? And probably for yourself and there's others, it could be the last game they ever play in the WHA. Yeah, obviously that was tough. Yeah, we were 10 games in a row.

We won and 15, over last 16, we won. And in that span, I think the only team that beat us was Portland, but we beat them as well. We beat them, Everett. Camloops, Edmonton, Med Hat, Lethbridge, like all the top teams in the league. We were beating finally. And it was kind of just, we were injured the first half. We lost one of our good 20-year-olds.

So we had two 20-year-olds for, I guess, all the way up until after Christmas. And then, I mean, it took us a while to put it together, but it was kind of all starting to come together for us. And we were playing our best talk. and we kind of felt like going into games, we just felt like we were going to win. So, I mean, obviously you got to give credit to teams like I've writ Portland, Camloops, Edmonton, those kind of teams. But they did have some good teams. And you never know what would have happened.

But, I mean, I was talking to Bryce about it. And, I mean, they didn't want to playoff's first round. Obviously, we had to play them in Portland because our division was so tough. but neither of those teams wanted to play our team. And, I mean, it would have been really interesting. And I mean, it's pretty heartbreaking that the season ended that way, especially the way our team was playing. But I don't know.

It would have been really interesting with our experience and things like that to see what would have happened. How about prediction time? Franklin said they were going to win it all when I had him kinned up and walking. What's your rebuttal to that? Well, I mean, his junior career ended with donuts against the Chiefs. So, I mean, who knows? No, I don't know. I don't know what I could have predicted.

Obviously, me playing on the Chiefs in the way we were playing, I think, I definitely think that we had a shot to win it all. Obviously, I'd bet on myself if I I could bet on anyone, I'd pick the Chiefs. So I'd predict the Chiefs to win too, but I don't know. Obviously, there are some good teams. So it would have been really interesting to see how the playoffs kind of unfolded. I wanted to ask about in Spokane over your career, you had three different coaches.

By all accounts, three good coaches or maybe very good coaches, definitely with ties to the NHL. what wisdom or lessons did they impart on you that you took away from them? Yeah, my first year in the league, I had Don Knopfbar, who tends to be like a more of a hard-ass kind of coach. I actually got along with him really well. I mean, when I was 16, I kind of came into the league obviously as more of an officer. defensive defender and a two-way guy, but I like to think I was the two-way guy, but I don't think I truly was until probably 17-18. But Don was pretty hard on me in that regard. He said, I remember we were playing Seattle. Arzell just got back from New York. He just got cut and he was

19 and he obviously dominated the league that year. He played on a line with Colstar and Grazell. who I think they're both in the American League. Colossar, I think I had an NHL game or two this year. And he was one of the scarier guys in the league. And he started playing with our captain at the time, a 19-year-old, who I played two years with Tyson Helgeson. He's a tougher, tougher, bigger defender that was probably our best defensive defensemen, my first two years on the team.

And I remember we were playing in Seattle. And I jumped up in the play. And I think we missed the net and it rimmed out. And then they got a two-on-one. They didn't score. And I come back to the bench. And I was playing as far as I was line that game, line-matching them, I guess, the best we cut on the road.

And my coach came down to the D-D gate. And I was like, oh, no, this isn't good. He never comes down here. And he said, he's like, Smitty, what are you doing? And I was like, I was trying to score. And then he said, well, do you want to play against Parzell or not? And I said, yeah. And then he's like, well, you can't be doing that.

You got to play defense. You're not jumping up in the play. Wait until we get on a power play to try create offense. And then he said, you have two choices. You can play the second, third pair, and we'll put you in all the good situations. And you can put up 50 points. Or you can play first pair with Helgi. and play against everybody's best lines all year and learn how to defend.

And I was like, I'll need to learn how to defend. So I'll play with Helgi. And then he said from that on, I guess he was hard on me about defense. And we watched a ton of video, him and I and the assistant coach about kind of teaching me how to defend. So, I mean, I definitely took that from Dawn. I think the way I defend now, I owe a lot of that to Don. And he was good with me in that regard. But another thing about Don is he was a bit of a different coach.

But he was funny. I mean, one time I got on the bus, we were on the road. We were going to do our eastern swing. And he pulls me aside. And I'm like, oh, no, like, what did I do? And then he said, Smitty, pick a hand. And he's got two hands. Like his fists are clenched.

And I'm like, well, what's in his hand? like what's going on. So I picked one and he opens it and it's like a small like walnut. And then he's like, see this? That's your nuts right there. It's a tiny walnut. And then he opens up his other hand. It's a big walnut like massive.

And then he's like, that's how you're not the need to look. So start playing with some fucking emotion. And I was like, oh God, like Don's giving it to me. And so he lets me hear about that that I need to. be tougher and all that kind of stuff. And I'm 165 pounds, like 5'10, playing against older guys and good players. And then we're in Prince George another time with Don.

And I mean, the guys still, this year still bring up this story. Like, it's probably got brought up three or four times. I think it's the boys' favorite. When I was 16, I was pretty fortunate. We didn't have much for offensive defensemen. And I played on the first power play with, like, Kyle Yamamoto. He was on one half wall. Anderson Dolan was the other half fall.

And then we had a 19-year-old Hudson Lennock who played in the A this year. And then Kyler's older brother, Keanu, those two were kind of down low. He was 20. And then, so we were pretty good. I think we were like top five or so in the league for a team that was almost last in the league. We were pretty good. And I always would pass to those two guys because they were pretty auto from the half wall. So Don said, like, we're like a quarter of the way through the year.

like smitty like you might have to start shooting the odd one like you know guys are starting to take away that so he's like prince george is going to do it and then in the pre-scout he showed us that and then i got the puck like first time on the power play and like wide open to shoot like from the top so i shot it goal he catches it we normally stay on the whole like almost the whole power play pulls us off right away the gut like the guys the older two guys eleanuck and yammy's older they're there um they're like smitty what are you doing man like why are you shooting and then uh and then don comes in and he's like yeah smitty like you gotta be you gotta pass it and i was like you just told me to shoot and he's like no you got to scratch that pass it then we're in between periods first period

end dawn comes in the room and he's like smitty are you kidding me and then i was like oh no and i was like what? And he's like, a fucking peewee shot. I can knock that thing down at the end of my dinch. And all the boys, like, they're like trying not to laugh. Like, we're even stroked by Prince George right now. And the boys are trying not to laugh. Like, he calls me out and he's dead serious. And then he walks out of the room, slams the door and he's so pissed. So I was like,

terrified to shoot the puck grass last year. So I think that might be why I'm a passer on the power play for the most part. You put up, hey, I tell you what, you don't put up 50 points, you had three years in a row of putting up, wow, what's your high side? 79? My 17-year-old year, my draft year, I had 73, but I played, yeah, I played 69 games, so I played almost all of them. Yeah, so I don't think you have any problem shooting the puck from what I saw, but that is pretty good. For Euler fans out here, what was playing with Yamamoto like? Yeah, yeah, I mean, I play with lots of great players.

Yammy might be my favorite player I've ever played with. Obviously, I spent a couple of years with him, so it's different than just those kind of one-time things, like those World Junior things or, I don't know, things like that. But he was talented, like so talented. his attitude, he's hilarious. He's always like, I'm like, should we do this? And he's like, ah, we'll just wing it.

Like, it's whatever. Like, he's so laid back. And, I mean, I think we read off each other really well. And we both kind of enjoyed each other's creativity. So I think my draft year, I mean, I think I scored 14 and had a few overtime winners. and the overtime winners were all tap in the backdoor from Yammy. So I kind of would just skate around the zone. We'd all be skating around and I'd quietly go to the back door.

And it would just go off my stick and him. He's such a good playmaker and he still scored 40 or whatever he scored. But he's definitely a treat to play with. And I'm not surprised at all at the success he's having. And the comments dry-sadles made about him and how much he likes playing with him. Yeah, he, I think he surprised a lot of Euler fans because when he first came up and then got sent back down, he's just not a big guy. So you kind of stare at him, you're like, I don't know.

I don't know if he can hack it. And then this year, I was like, holy crap. Like, he's going. And he's there. And you put him on a line with either Drysiddle or McDavid. Jeez, that's pretty good company. Yeah, for sure. I remember when he was 18, he was probably weighing, like, I don't know, 18, 19.

He was probably weighing like 160 if that, like 150 most of the time. Like he was crazy, like, and obviously short too. How about getting drafted? The draft was in Dallas that year. You fly down. You probably have a decent idea of. you know, you're going to go. You just don't know what point you're going to go. Well, like, after the first 10 and picks have been taken, are you getting nervous?

Are you, you know, are you looking down the list going, yeah, like, I think New Jersey's going to take me? Do you got any idea? I mean, my agent says that I was the most, like, relaxed guy he's ever went to the draft with because, I mean, I'm good buddies with a lot of guys that got picked. and I was like pumped from my buddies when they'd get picked. Like they're like really good buddies of mine. Lots of the guys that got picked ahead of me. And it was pretty cool and interesting to see the way it all unfolded. Like I'm a stats guy.

Like I like looking at all that kind of stuff. So I mean, I was interested in the whole process. But so on the outside, I was laughing and having a good time. But obviously Edmonton talked to me a bunch and took me for dinner. dinner a couple times and Edmonton was one team that I thought that there was a pretty good chance I'd go to. I knew I like Bouch a lot too, so I wasn't too sure, but kind of around there after Bouch went, Islanders had two picks in a row and Dauber and Walsstrom were still on the board and like, you know, those guys, like Dauber's six, four, 200 pounds and skates like a dream.

You can't pass on that. And then Wallstrom was, like, one of the most skilled players. And the fact that he wasn't gone before 10 was wild. So you knew those two were going. And then 13, they were taking a forward no matter what. So, I mean, it was pretty cool. Delhi went there. 14, Farabee.

I mean, I had no idea what was going on. I didn't think I was going to go to Philly just because of all the D that they had. Florida I was like 15 came up and I was like there's a chance and my brother was like this thing going here so much about Florida I talked a couple times and then they took Dennis Sanko who's obviously a crazy talented player and then 16 I had a pretty interesting meeting with Colorado at the combine they had one scout in there their Western scout and he's one of the guys kind of sued him and said that I was his favorite player in the draft. So his face went red and he was all embarrassed.

And just in regards to out west, I guess. And they're like, yeah, this guy's a crush in you and all that kind of stuff. So when 16 came up, I was like, you never know. Like, I didn't think they wanted a D man. And my coach at the time, Dan Lambert, was buddies with – he's buddies with socket. They played together in Swift, I guess, and they just know each other. So Dan said to me before that they really wanted forward. So I wasn't sure what was happening.

And then they were taking so long. They weren't walking up to the stage. So I was like, what's going on? And then I looked down there to their table. It was on the same side of the – it was like right down below us where we were sitting. And I looked at the skilt that their Western scout, and he was staring at me.

And I was like, what's going? going on. And then they called the time out. And I was like, what's this time out for? Like at their first pick of the draft, they should kind of have an idea. So I called the timeout. So I had no idea what was going on.

And then they ended up taking a forward from the checker public. So then I was like, at that point, I was like, who knows if I'm even going to get drafted? I don't know what's going to happen. Because there's people saying, obviously, from like the range of like 10 to 25 or whatever. But then I was like, I have no idea what's going to happen. And then 17, I was kind of thinking, like, I'm not even going to get drafted at this point.

And then New Jersey called my name when I wasn't even really paying attention. So it was pretty cool. I got to be there with my family, sitting with my dad, my brother, my sister, and my agent. So it was obviously a special moment. And definitely something I won't forget is pretty cool. cool experience and the draft itself was a bit of a roller coaster but I'm obviously really happy with the team I'm with at the moment. That's probably the best recount I've heard of a draft from any player taken on this podcast.

Like you just rattle it all off. This is where they're going. This is what they were thinking. I could see why the guy's going like, you're feeling okay? Like you're pretty calm here. It's like, well, they can't take me anyways. they got this, this, this. Like, that's,

yeah, that's cool. That's cool. I'm a stats guy, so I learned a little bit about every team before I did the combine because the combine, obviously, is 31 teams. I had 29 meetings, I think, so I had to kind of start figuring out some stuff about some teams that I didn't know much about. So I did some research a little bit before, so I guess I kind of, learned it from that.

How was the combine? What, what, I watched, I actually watched a video today of your guys's group going through the combine. And I was like, frig, this looks intense. Like, is it intense or is it just kind of like, ah, it's not that big of a deal? It's intense. I mean, the actual fitness part, obviously that's like, it's nerve-wracking. Like, you have one chance to jump as far as you can, or you have one chance.

to ride the bike as long as you can, one chance to do as many pull-ups as you can. You know, it's all like, it's all, you only have one chance, and all the teams are there, and they're checking out your results, and you want to, like, as a competitive athlete, you want to do the best you can do whenever you're doing things like that, competing against your peers. So that part was intense, and then, I mean, for me, personally, that part was more nerve-wracking, but for the majority of guys, the more nerve-wracking parts, the interview part, lots of guys are nervous with that kind of thing and then they have agents kind of telling them what they're supposed to be saying and things are scripted and then they get more nervous because they're thinking about that stuff as opposed to thinking about just having conversation.

So, I mean, that was one thing I thought was pretty cool for myself that my agents didn't even say anything. They just told me to go be myself and like enjoy the whole experience. and I think for me that made it really easy on me. And I, the actual interview parts, other than having to get from like one to the next one and like, I mean, telling teams that you got to go because like you're supposed to, like so if you have your first one at 810 and your next one's at 835 and you're talking to that team and that team still got you at like 833, you have to be like, I never had to say it, but you're supposed to say, I got to go, like, it's keeping me too long.

But then I just, like, have to sprint to my next one because they keep me one minute before my next one. And it's all in suites around, like, the rank in Buffalo. And, I mean, that part is stressful. I haven't eaten from one to the next because you don't want to be late. But, I mean, other than that, I enjoyed having the conversations with all the GMs and scouts and things like that. It was kind of interesting to see what they had to say. and I mean, I have some buddies that, like, have been tough times at the Combine. So, I mean, I'm pretty fortunate for the way things went, and it was fun for me.

Was there a memorable conversation? Was there one that just sticks out when you look back, meeting whichever team? Yeah, there's a couple. I mean, obviously Colorado's a little bit. I remember another one was Detroit. they told me to tell my dad to go he said once you get out of here like go and thank your dad

because he did a great job raising you so I thought that one was pretty cool and my dad thought that was cool and coming from Detroit considering I buddy saying like oh man Detroit's so bad like they grilled me they really yelled at me like they're so scary and they're like so good to me so I thought that one was cool

the devil's actually had one two. They had, I think they were the only team they had, they had a lady running the interview. She's like their mental performance girl and she was asking me a bunch of questions. And I mean, her and I had a good conversation and then like everyone else was sitting there and Ray, Chiro was the gym at the time. He was in there for the interview and I walked in and Ray wasn't in there yet. And then she said, yeah, Ray hasn't been in on the interviews today, but he really wants to come into years and I was curious. So I asked why. And then she said, so the under 18 worlds happened just before the Combine. And he said, or she told me that

she's asking everybody from that team. And then she said she does it every year, ask everybody from that team, if they could bring one player from that team. And then she said, from that team to the NHL with them, who would they bring? And she said that my name came up the most she's ever seen. So Ray's like, I got to meet this guy. So Ray came in. So I thought that was pretty cool. And then I didn't really even think about New Jersey taking me.

And then they end up taking me. And her and I are good friends to stay. And she always checks in and calls me and things like that. But I think that was pretty memorable. And I mean, the whole combine was pretty memorable. but I had a weird one with Washington because they're in the cop finals and I didn't talk to Vegas but Washington I did

and they I walked in and there was just two guys in there because like the whole staff was gone because they're playing for the cop and the two guys were kind of just like regional scouts and they had like a car that could have have been facing either way and uh they're like which way is this car going and i was like uh i think it's going left and they're like hmm interesting and i was like yeah which ways it going they're like oh we're not telling you and i was like okay and then they just like awkwardly sat there and then

they're like okay so like how's the combine like you having fun like oh yeah like how are things like you're doing anything fun this summer and then i was just like talking to them and And they're like, okay, have a good day. And I was in there for like five minutes. And it was weird because like I didn't expect that at all. Like all the Columbine storage you kind of hear. So it was pretty memorable and good. And I remember another one.

I remember all mine. But there's, I think it was Columbus maybe. They told me that the one scout in there from the West said that he's like, he's like, yeah, you had 73 points at Sierra. And I said, yeah. And then he said, that's weird. And I was like, why is that weird? And then he said, you know, I didn't think that,

I didn't think you're dynamic enough to put up 73. And I said, okay. I just know what to say. And I was like, well, I guess I got lucky then. And he's like, I don't know. I just, I didn't see it before. But, I mean, I have to give you credit. It was a good year.

And it was, I don't know, it was pretty, I didn't know what to say. like he was calling me out for not being dynamic enough, so I didn't know how to respond. So, I mean, it was a pretty fun time for me. It was interesting just to hear what all the guys had to say. How about the different stages or whatever they call them where, you know, you got pull-ups, you got bench press,

you got the jumping. Did you have one that you just like, I am looking forward to this? Like, I can jump extremely high or something. Um, like, my thing was probably the V-O-2. I like the, I guess, I like to run. So I like distance running. And I did like track in high school in Lloyd. And I came back for that.

And I'd do track like the 1,500 meter was my favorite one. So I was kind of looking forward to it. but at the same time, like, no one looks forward to the VO2. So I wasn't really excited for anything. And I was probably like, I don't know, like most of them I was like, I'm going to get crushed at all these, like jumping. I can't jump that far high. Like the grip strength, I'm like, I'm going to embarrass myself with the grip strength.

I'm like the weakest guy here. Height and weight. I was like too light, too short kind of thing. And then, I mean, bench press. I'm brutal at bench press. Actually, I like the 5-10-5. You start on the line, you run 5, 10, and then back 5. And I think I actually finish pretty high for those, both right and left.

So I think those are probably my best ones, which, I mean, I like that one because it was an easy test. But I don't know. I'm not the biggest star in the gym. If you ask T.J., he'll let you know about that all the time. Loiter's a bit of a gym rat. and he would always try a bag dog me in the gym. Let's go to August 20th, 2018.

I believe it's the day you sign your three-year deal. How big of a day was that? I mean, it was pretty cool. I was actually out here living at Galley's place, and I think Galley was, he wasn't around. I was by myself. Like I just, I was hanging out at home. And then, like, we'd been talking for, like, a couple weeks between my agent talking to

New Jersey and then talking to me and my dad and what we wanted to do and things like that. And I was just at home and, like, he emailed me the contract. And I had to go to Brendan's parents also print it off because Brendan doesn't have a printer. And I went there, printed it off and came home. just sat down at the table, like, in this house by myself and signed the contract. And after I signed it, I guess I just said, yeah, it's done and sent it back. And then it was kind of from there. I was just, I was done. I was by myself. I guess I called my dad, talked to him a little bit, talked to my brother. I was going to ask, who was the first

guy you called? Yeah, my dad. He was kind of talking me through the whole thing. And, the whole process of signing but um yeah i talked to my dad and then like i guess it was pretty it was pretty chill i had no one around so i guess i didn't want to like make a big deal about it with uh with the galleys here and um i don't know we can't just signed an NHL deal i don't really want to make a big deal out of this you know yeah well i didn't want to go walking around telling them i signed. I knew they'd see it on Twitter, like, within the next week. So I told Brandon when he came home, but that's all. It was obviously a big, it was a big deal for myself and for my family. It was a pretty special day. I would think so. I would think so.

I love how non-flot you are about it. He's just like, yeah, you know, like a sign. It didn't really tell anyone because, I mean, you know, they'll find out on Twitter in a week or so. That's awesome. How exciting is it to go to New Jersey to development camp to main camp to, you know, some of the guys they got there now with yourself. And I mean, the two first overalls they have in Heeshire and Hughes, like, you know, the future looks freaking bright for New Jersey if they put the pieces together properly. I mean, you got all-star talent. what's that like to step on the ice?

Yeah, it's a lot of fun. I was pretty fortunate. Last year, the draft was in Van. So, like, Brandon had to go hang out at the suite there and meet coffee. I'll meet their first rounder. So I was going to go with him and just kind of hang out. I had a couple buddies there, so I was going to just go hang out with them. and just kind of watch, I guess, just to get out of Tawasso and go downtown.

And I guess, like, just before we were about to leave, New Jersey, one of their scouts called me and asked if I was around, because they remembered I was in van, and they asked for going to come down and hang out suite and meet their first pick and whatever. So I said, yeah, I'm actually coming anyway, so I'd be, I guess, down to do that. And I kind of went to the suite, and I was talking to,

it was pretty cool. I mean, I was talking to their defense development guy. Like, obviously all their guys making the choices around the floor. But he was kind of explaining to me, like, how their lists work and, like, what their list looks like compared to other people. So I think it was cool to kind of see how the thought process works and how they figure it all out. And then Jack came up, and I was out of the way.

I was trying to just stay out of the way because it was, like, his day. Emily saws in the corner just talking to the D guy and Jack walked up and introduced himself and then I knew Quinn a little bit because we kind of talked and hung out a bit at the combine and Quinn came up and I was talking to those guys and then from then on I guess Jack and I got along really well um we talked from then on kind of thing a little bit here and there and then we got to go through the whole, like, we got invited to the NHLPA rookie showcase thing. Clager was there too this year,

and you kind of just go and, like, you sign hockey cards and, like, letters from your last name, from your jersey, and things like that. And then you go on the ice and they do, like, a photo shoot kind of thing. And then there's, like, a three-on-three, like, pick-up game at the end of it all. So I went through that with Jack, And then we went to the NHL orientation thing, like right after.

And that was, so the first thing was in Washington, D.C., then we went to Virginia together. So we were traveling together the whole time. So him and I got to know each other pretty well kind of through that stuff. And then we were in the same group for the orientation thing. And those were like full days. Like you got up at like seven and you're there from like eight till dinner time. and it's on a resort, so from dinner on, it's nice. But the whole afternoon is just like seminar after seminar about, like, player safety,

how they run this, how they run that, your rights you have to play in the league and things like that. So each team sends like two guys, two or three guys. And the double sent Jack and I and Mackenzie Black with the goalie. So I guess from then on, we went to Jersey together and we spent a few days there because camp, rookie camp and start for another week. So we were in Jersey for a week together, just skating, working out. So Jack and I got pretty close.

And then, I mean, Nico is obviously a great guy as well, and he's so down to earth for how talented he is and how big of a deal he is. Like, he just signed his 8 by 8, and you would never know it. So, I mean, guys like that, like, it kind of gets me excited to go there and for camp and things like that because I get to hang out. those guys again. And then they just traded for Kevin Ball, who played on the World Juniors with me and Ben Futter too from Colonna. So, I mean, they've got some good young guys that are fun to be around. So, I mean, it's a great time. And as far as camp goes, my first year was pretty cool. I got there

and I got to preseason and I was like, oh, this is cool. I'll get some preseason games, I guess, a couple of them before they go overseas and before I go back to Spoke. I mean, the second preseason game, we were playing in Madison Square Garden, and we were in pregame skate, I guess, and they're like, yeah, we're going to work on power play real quick, like, just go over a few things and what the units are. And I was like, yeah, like, maybe they put me on the second unit or whatever, if I'm lucky, and they're announcing, like, who needs to come to what end or whatever to work on the things.

and they're like, they're like Taylor Hall and like they're announcing their guys and like and then the last guy they said for the first unit was me and I was like, oh my God, I'm out there and like the drill was like everything runs off Halsey. So the drill was like, I walk it to the middle and give it back to Halsey and he walks down and like either rips it under the bar or like makes a sick play. And I was like making like such a short pass and I was still like, oh my God, don't miss it don't miss a stick. Like, he will be so pissed.

He's already so rattled probably that he's got an 18-year-old kid playing with them for this game. And I got a couple points playing with those guys on the power play. So it was pretty cool. And then that game we played two into overtime. And I was like, ah, okay, it's done. Like, I probably get to play because they had batten and then Cesar and one bunch or two. They're all playing that game.

So I was like, that's three D-Men. That's all them need. And then, like, a couple. couple shifts in. They said, I'm going out there. And then they're like, yeah, you're going with Nico and Halsey. And I was like, oh, God. So they put me out with Nico, Eishir and Taylor Hall.

And there was like a battle in our end. And Halsey won the battle and popped the puck to up the wall to Nico. And then I just jumped straight from the front of our net, straight up the ice. And then Nico kind of like chipped it past their guy and went to go get it. And it was like a foot race between those two. And he got it, like the face off dot. and he was on his back end

and I was kind of driving to the back post and we had like a mini 2-1-0 and he fed it to me back door and I missed the net and then I got cut like the next day and I was like oh god maybe they were to take me to Europe if I could have stuck that

in the back of the net I could have scored too I've watched the video probably like 300 times since it happened and Nico was like then they didn't score on a that shift they scored the next shift and beat us and then Nico's like come on

Smitty you gotta put that you gotta put that in that's a gift and I was like I know. Then I saw the video after the game and I was so mad because I know where I should have put it. So, I mean, just things like that, I guess get me excited to go back there and start up again. What was Madison Square Gardens like? Because, I mean, in hockey, hockey world, that's one of the rinks of, well, original six team, right? Yeah, it's unbelievable. I mean, I got to play there that year in preseason.

and then again this year in preseason. I mean, it's an unbelievable atmosphere that, like, when you walk in there, just the way it's all set up, how nice it is, and the roof's really cool in there. It's just, like, it's a beautiful arena. Being able to play there is a ton of fun. And in preseason, a lot to Devils fans get down there. So it's, like, kind of half and half filled with New York fans and Devils fans. so it's pretty cool.

Just the whole atmosphere of it. It was really special that I got to play there a couple of times in preseason. I mean, this year, we had a tough one there. They dressed, like, all their guys. Like, we didn't because it was on the road. So Panarin, he's probably, like, I don't know, he might be my favorite player in the NHL. He's unbelievable.

He, like, floats out there. Like, he's just so sick. and then he scored a one-timer goal, like, connector down, like right with the crossburn post meet. On the power play, and he did his leg kick. It was pretty sweet. I mean, I was on the ice getting dashed up, so I was choked, but it was pretty sweet.

It was a power play goal, so I was PKK, I guess, not a dash. But, yeah, I mean, just the whole atmosphere is unbelievable that it's pretty special. One of you worked when you got back, back down to junior. A, I can't imagine that's an easy thing because you always want to be with the highest you can play. You want to be with the big club. What were some of the things you tried to work on away from when you got sent back down? I just like physical strength was a big thing. And kind of last summer I had a tough summer and like I didn't feel very, good in New Jersey. I mean, I was the last cut, but I didn't deserve to make the team. The year

before, I think I deserved to go to Europe, and I think I played well enough to stay. I felt like I was better than some of those guys, I guess. Maybe not better, but like good enough to go there before they made final cuts, like keep me as an extra guy. But this year, I definitely didn't deserve it. I didn't feel like myself at all. I think part of that is like last year, in the playoffs we beat Portland in five and then second round we played we played Everett and the first game was in Everett and I went there was a guy coming to hit me and I went to stick my stick out like to cross check and protect myself a little bit and my wrist like felt really weird after that and then I went in like after the period and I was like to my trainer like I can't really like

grip my stick very tight like it's pretty sore and he's. He's like, okay, well, we'll give you some Advil and, like, tape it. And, like, I was like, okay. And then I still couldn't even, like, it hurt to, like, grab my stick and make a pass and they stay and everything. And, like, move it around. So I was like, hey, this is, I finished the game. And we won the game. And then game two was the next day.

And I was, like, telling him, like, it's so sore, like, the next morning I can hardly move it. And then same thing, he taped and gave me ad bill before the game. And then played that game. And it's still, same thing. Like, he was bad. Heard a lot. And he's like, he thought it's just a TFC spring. It's like that's a tendon in your wrist.

Then we got home and I was like, man, we'd have to get this like x-ray or like MRI or something. So we did both and MRI was fine. He said like, yeah, your TFC doesn't look great but he said it's not bad. And then the x-ray kind of came back and they said that I had a fractured wrist. So I played those games with it and then it was pretty sore. and then they had to call New Jersey for permission for me to play, and they said that I could, but they wanted me that, like, if it was bad, they wanted me to not play and whatever.

So I was like, obviously I wanted to play, and I wanted to win. So I played, and then, like, before the games, they'd freeze it, and it would still, like, I had one goal in the playoffs that year. I think I had two or three in seven games when I was 17. I had one goal in 15 games in the playoffs. And Philip Crawls, our second power play defenseman, and he got a concussion so he couldn't play. So our coach was playing me the full two minutes on the power play, and I couldn't shoot from the top. So I was strictly a passer because passing was like the only thing that like only slightly hurt.

So it was frozen and taped. And then I struggled with that kind of throughout the whole thing. So instead of like a six to eight week healing time, it took a lot longer. and then they started to rehab it in the summer. Like my physio guy here started to rehab it based on his knowledge that it was just a fracture. So, and I was like, this campy, right? Like, this hurts so bad. And it's been weeks of rehabbing.

And then I went down to New Jersey a little bit before development camp to get another MRI and X-ray. And then the X-ray said, like, yeah, it's still there, but, like, it shouldn't be hurting this bad. So then we got the MRI, and the MRI came back, and then it turned out that, like, I had a torn tendon in my wrist too. So it was like, yeah, so the TFCC was torn or whatever it was. So they said that that's going to be like, that's why it's hurting because they're rehabbing it

as if it's a fracture, not as if it's both. So then we kind of had to like adjust that a little bit. And then they said that they think if I get a cortisone shot, that'll kind of get me over the hump kind of thing. And they'll start letting me move it around to get the like inflammation and swelling kind of I guess get all that out of there so I got that done in New Jersey at Dev camp and then had to put it back in a brace for like another two to three weeks two weeks I think it was and then once I got it out it was like it was like it was like just as

as bad as before so I was nervous about that and then I had to start slowly rehabbing and even when I went to Jersey for camp I still I still wasn't like it still wasn't ready to go and I mean I think just the whole not being able to skate very much in the summer with that and being able to handle pucks and shoot pucks and things like that I feel like that all kind of played into into the whole camp thing so I mean I don't know the wrist thing kind of affected me that way but well it should i mean you're playing with a bummed wrist yeah i assume right now i assume right now you're uh you're a little fired up you got nothing but time right now you can't be on the ice as you normally would but with uh who knows what's going to happen with the nchel but you'll be ready

to go come to the next training camp and and let's get this going i'm here to stay yeah i mean that's the goal. Yeah, I mean, it could be a while until the next training camp. It could be like November, so I could have a long summer training, but I'm pretty fortunate. Vancouver actually has ice, so I'm skating here. So I'm pretty fortunate. Nice.

And I mean, Brendan's dad's on me. We went into an argument the other day. He wants me to be like, I'm 175, 76 pounds right now, and that's what I played at last year. And he wants me to be like 190. So we got into a fight because I said, I don't want to be 190. I want to be like 183. And then he finally moved it down to 187 at the lightest.

So I mean, we'll see how that goes, but I still didn't agree. So it should be a good summer in that regard to kind of, I have a lot of time to figure out where I want to be weight-wise. And I'm pretty fortunate that I have the resources kind of to determine what my weight's going to be. So I guess it'll be a good summer in that regard. When you're trying to go from 175-ish to 187, whatever you decide, 190, 183, is there a strict routine they put you on then, or are they just like, here's some McDonald's start eating? No, it's like, I have New Jersey's nutritionists, is really hands-on with the guys, so he called me,

and he wanted to set up like a, I guess, plan for me. So I'm tracking, like, what I eat, I guess, the next couple days here, and send that to him. Then he's going to call me again and kind of determine what he wants me to do. And I told him, like, he knows I want to put muscle on, but he also knows I don't want to, I guess, get huge in that regard. So he said that we'll start by everything like that. and then workouts are obviously going to be the same lifting all the time and skating.

And then because it's early in the summer, we'll be lifting now. And then I should be a little heavier than what I actually want to be. And then at the end of summer, we start going to the track a couple times a week. And then we do more like running and movement type things. So that'll start to bring my weight back down a couple pounds probably. And then I guess I kind of just work with the guy from New Jersey. And he kind of figures it all out for me in regards to like, if I'm gaining weight too quickly or if I'm not gaining weight quickly enough.

And obviously it will be muscle. Like if I'm lifting and the food I'm eating is clean, it's just more of or more protein than normal or more carbs or things like that. So he said that if I'm too heavy, because I told him I didn't want to be too heavy, he said we'll pull back the reins and we'll put you on something to like just maintain your muscle and lose some body. fat so he said well we'll kind of work around all that so I'm pretty fortunate that I have

have those resources yeah that's something most of us don't have well I've been chit-chatting you with you now for a little over an hour and 20 minutes so I think we'll move on to the crude master final five just five quick questions here at the end um it was longer short we got no timeline but first one is if you could have a defense partner who would you want can be anyone um i mean i'd probably play with like my thought process would be like i'd want to play like just with a star obviously but i think like if i actually had to pick it would probably be someone like the deep partners i've had the past couple years like a bigger guy that's like i don't know like a bigger guy that's solid defensively.

But I think it would be cool to play with like Drew Doughty or like Eric Carlsonnickles. It would be like a dream of partners for like one game. Just just a fun that would be, I guess. Yeah, those two guys are pretty good. I think it would be cool, plus Plague for a game too. That would be pretty cool. Shout out to Mr. Clagg.

What's a hobby you picked up during COVID? I was pretty upset about it. I couldn't fit my guitar in the car coming down here, but I started working on that a little bit. I know the chords and like a couple of, I can play a couple little things, but I mean, it kind of sucks. I didn't get to bring it down here,

but I guess now the course is open and Brendan was on the course, so I get to golf and skate and work. out and stuff so I'm kind of away from that now but I think probably playing guitar would be one thing or just gaming I guess we play a lot of crib too. Ooh nothing wrong with a little game of crib. Yeah, Brendan and I play every night. I'm up right now three two in the series though so he's pretty upset about it. He's looking to even it up tonight.

You guys put anything on it? Is it just for on or is there a little bit of side wager on? Bragging rights, but if I beat him, he's got this like replica W.W.E. Belt, like signed by Hawkeho. And if I can beat him, we play, it's a best of three every night, pretty much. Every night that we go to his parents' place for dinner, which is like every night of the week. It's a best of three. And if you win that, you get one point. So it's three to me right now. And then

winner kind of gets to wear the belt around and just let the other guy know that you're better than him. Who's the best player you played with and against? Against. I'd have to say either when I was younger, I'd play in Speshtikov a couple times and Spash is a good guy. He's a buddy of mine now, but he was really good back then and he still obviously is but now I'd probably have to say Panarin um he's probably the best one I've ever played against and then played with I'd probably have to go either Taylor hall um Laferneye maybe or Yami one of those guys yeah it Laferne is pretty good he's a star yeah he's a beauty

he's good best lesson you've learned to this point so many over the years. I mean, I think, I mean, as a team, from a team standpoint, I'd probably say, like, you're only as strong as your weakest link. That's something my dad's always said, which is I find to be so true. I feel like if you have, like, I mean, players that don't play as much that don't feel like they're part of the team, I don't know all, like, how that all works, but I just know your team's not as successful based on, like, all the different teams.

I've played on whether that's short-term comp or like, I mean, a full season kind of thing. And then probably like individually, I guess, just don't, like, don't ever get complacent. And I guess, I mean, there's always guys, there's always somebody working harder. There's always somebody who's bigger, stronger, faster kind of thing. So, I mean, I try make a big, effort to always be trying to get a bit of. better, whether that's kind of in life as a person or, I mean, as a player, obviously there's lots of things you can do as a player. You can watch film when you're away from the rank or like you take your stick and like a stick handling ball. And I've been pretty fortunate to get

a program so I can do that stuff at home, whether it's in the garage or in the basement or whatever. There's always things you can do in that regard. And then as a person, I mean, it could just be, I mean, going to, if you see kids outside playing straight hockey, go on and play with them. I mean, Andrew Kapp's a really good buddy of mine. And he was my neighbor in Lloyd. And when I moved in, I think we were like, I was like five maybe. And Cappy brought over like a toy car. And he always like, come out. Like, it would be someone. And he was like, come out. Like if you saw my brother and I play in street hockey, you'd always come out and play with us. And,

I mean, that taught me a lot. It meant a lot to me at that age. So, I mean, I tried to do that, or even if it's a day off and spoke. And, I mean, I'm not that tired. I'll talk to my media guy or whatever, our appearances guy, and just ask him if I

can kind of go out and if there's anywhere I can go, if there's a school I can go to and do something, or if there's, I don't know, hospital I can go or something like that, try to do things like that. I guess I've learned that from being around pros. I mean, Galley does that well. And I heard McDavid, a guy like that too from Miami.

So being around guys like that, I kind of learned how they do things and what it means to other people in the world when you do them. That's super cool. That's like really super cool. Final one for you. And I'll steal it from one of your interviews. If you could bring one guy with you to the NHL, who are you bringing? I've got to say I played with Eli Zumak.

His name is he has 86 points this year. Like he's a good player. He's a 19-year-old. He's, I mean, he just loves the game. And he's a great teammate, great guy. He's my best friend. And I mean, he lives in Colonna. So we try to see each other a bit in the summers.

but we live together in Spoke, and I think he'd just be a guy that, I think he just needs a shot, and he'll do really well. He's been at camp, so he'd probably be my pick. I just like him as a guy, and I think he's pretty committed to the game, so I think it'd be a lot of fun to play on a team with him.

Well, thanks for hopping on with me and talking a bit about your career. I'm looking at the list of things I had to still chat about. We didn't even talk about the World Juniors, which is, you know, kind of sad. I mean, you did win a World Junior Cold, but I guess that just means I'm going to have to have you back on at some point to rehash a couple things and talk about some other things. And hopefully by that time, you're suiting up for the big club and you got some more, you know, some more footage to show us all.

and you're having some fun and carrying on with your career. But thanks again for hopping on, really appreciated it. Yeah, thanks for having it. I think there's a lot of stories I didn't get to still. So pretty fortunate I've made a bunch of those or just found a bunch of those over the years. Well, we'll make sure we get you back on for a round two. Perfect.

Hey, folks, thanks again for joining us today. If you like what you hear, hit the subscribe button. Or better yet, come visit us at our website, Sean Newman Podcast. com and leave us some feedback new episodes every monday and wednesday we'll see you there