Shaun Newman Podcast - Ep. #99 - Kelly Hrudey

Episode Date: July 27, 2020

Originally from Edmonton AB. He didn't start playing hockey until the age of 12 and from there played for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1980 and over his career would play with the Islanders, Kings & Sharks.  He's got unreal stories about the Islanders dynasty, playing with Gretzky & so much more.   Let me know what you think     Text me! 587-217-8500

This is Kelly Rudy, and you're listening to the Sean Newman podcast. Welcome back to the podcast, folks. Got a great one today. Sitting down with Kelly was an absolute blast. I already can't wait to get him on for part two. But before we get to that, let's get to today's sponsors. Chris King, former podcast guest and his company Golden Ticket Sports have partnered with Next Level Hockey Consulting

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If you're heading in any of these businesses, make sure you let them know that you heard their ad on the podcast. Believe it or not, it really helps, and it helps both sides because they want to know that people are listening. If you're interested in advertising on the show, visit shawneuma podcast.com in the top right corner, hit the contact button and send me your information. We've got lots of different options, and I want to find something that can work. for the both of us. Now, I've blabbered on long enough. Here is your T-Barr 1, Tale of the Tape. Originally from Eminton, Alberta, he played for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHO. It was drafted in the 1980 NHL entry draft, 38th overall by the New York Islanders. Over his career, he would play for the Islanders, L.A. Kings, and the San Jose Sharks. In 1993 with Wayne

Gerexky and crew, he backstopped the L.A. Kings to a Stanley Cup finals appearance. against Patrick Wall and the Montreal Canadiens. During his career, he played for 15 seasons, 677 games, 271 wins, 3.43 goals against average. He can now be found as a broadcaster on Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada. I'm talking about Kelly Rudy. So buckle up. Here we go. Well, welcome to the Sean Newman podcast tonight.

I'm joined by Mr. Kelly Rudy. So thank you, sir, for hopping on. Yeah, my pleasure. You know, there's nothing good of this pandemic. And so many people are suffering in so many different ways and physically and mentally and so on. But the one joy, or I have two joys during this time. This pandemic reminded me to call my mom every single day. So I've done that throughout this whole pandemic.

And secondly, I've reconnected with Canadians and people such as yourself and others that have reached out to me. And I'm proud to say, Sean, that I have not turned down one request. Now, I will say this. There's one kind of pending, and I just sort of found out today that I'm going to be awfully busy starting tomorrow and then for the next 10 days or so until we start back up. And it all, it looks like unlikely I can do it. But nonetheless, that's a long-winded answer. But yeah, we're all trying to find ways to get through it, right?

Well, actually, that's how I figured about reaching out to you. As I listen to you, go on a different podcast. I'm always ear to the ground, so to speak. And for us on the other side, you guys slowing down, I use the old farmer adage that when the sunshine and make hay. And so I've been, as soon as I saw that you were going other ones, I went, man, it'd be cool to have you on. And so I think it's super cool what you guys are doing. You know, it's a slowdown. And it's probably the first time in how many, you're going. years, Kelly, you've been able to, you know, oh, yeah, sure, yeah, I got time tomorrow. I can hop on and talk a little bit. Absolutely, because normally I'm not able to, you know, normally I, during a regular hockey season, I'm gone ballpark every year's a little bit different, but to 200 to 220 nights or one year, I think I was 240, something like that, just during the hockey season. And so, unfortunately, I usually have to decline the request to do something like this, because I just can't quite fit it in, you know, not only with work, but, you know, you want a little bit of downtime. And so, yeah, it's been really nice to connect to, with people.

I mean, I mean, I had a guy, he's a Canadian, mind you, but he lives in Australia. I did a podcast with him. I think it was last week. And so it's really cool talking about hockey with people from around the world. And it's funny podcasting is so accessible. It kind of brings the whole world, you know, like you say, Australia, a guy from Australia, reaches out has a conversation and now you're sitting hitting a group of people

on the other side of the world. Yeah, yeah, it's been fantastic. And like I said, not a lot of good things have happened because of this virus, but and another big adjustment we had to make in our life, which will, won't allow me to start the NHL season on August 1st or the

second. So our youngest daughter, Caitlin, she was going to get married in Canmore in September. And so they made the decision early I think it was in around April when it started to really ramp up and look ugly that and the numbers you couldn't get to in groups of more than 20 or 15 I think at the time and so they made the decision to Get married here in our backyard so that's August 1st and so then we'll have a back Backyard reception on the second as well a gift opening and those sorts of things

So I'm really excited to get back to work on Monday the third But most importantly we have a great weekend coming up and everybody's excited and you know technology right so we're gonna live stream the wedding so for all the people that were once invited but can't make it now or are not able to join us because of numbers so we're gonna live stream it's gonna look different and we're doing social distancing it's gonna be the wedding itself is in our backyard but the reception area is in our driveway tenting it doing the table six feet apart so we're all adapting right it's funny you know you

mentioned not many good things come out of it but It's funny. As time goes along, I think a lot of great things that come out of it. Everybody's had to slow down. Everybody's had to get a little bit creative, Kelly, on how to go about day-by-day operations. And, you know, a wedding, my sister-in-law was supposed to get married in Minnesota this summer. Same thing, right? They had a postpone here. She's a nurse. Yeah. thing and definitely in some a little more unnerving situations than the most of us or the rest of us.

But I think, you know, you talk about live streaming the wedding or, you know, just how everybody adapts to what's going on. It took a couple weeks, right? The first couple weeks, everybody was shell shock. But as time goes on, businesses are getting smarter. You know, the NHL, you know, geez, I kind of forgot about the time. But that's not that far away. and they should be up and running again.

Yeah, absolutely. And to your point, maybe it's just me, but I said it early on in this pandemic, this shutdown of everything, seems to me, at least in my little circles, in around my neighborhood and going out to not often, mind you, but to the grocery store, everybody seems to be a little bit kinder.

And I've really enjoyed that part of it. I think we make more time to ask how people are doing and so on. I've got a story for you, though, that first weekend, I believe the NHL shut down on a Thursday, and I want to say is March 12th. And that weekend, I don't think our family truly understood the magnitude of it. I don't think a lot of people did, and how it was really starting to ramp up in a really bad way. And so we had everybody over for Sunday dinner.

Like we have three daughters, a son-in-law, a grandson, and two fiancés. And so we had everybody over that Sunday afternoon. and I was watching my wife Donna leading up to everybody arriving and man alive, she looked like she was flipping channels and everything to do with the COVID-19. And I should have asked her. She was really getting uptight and she's usually a pretty relaxed person. And I should have asked her and I didn't. She was a little edgy during dinner, not normally how she behaves.

And then the next morning at about 5.15, she woke up. She thought she was having a heart attack. And so we ended up going to the hospital and everything checked out fine, which is great. But because of the way she worked her stress all up and everything, she ended up getting a case of shingles. So that's my point about even though we're now four months into it, ask people how they're doing. Just check in on people. And let's not let that slip because I was, I think, very important early on for our mental wellness. Yeah, that's a pretty crazy story.

I know a lot of people in the beginning, I can just speak for myself. You hung on every word of the news. And normally, how much news do you actually watch in a week when it's busy? I'm not a guy who hangs off everything. But at that time, there was no sports. There was no nothing. All you could focus on was the growing cases, everything locking down. Every day, it seemed like, holy crap, we're closing another thing in.

It was unbelievable. Unbelievable. There's no joy. I can tell you that. And, you know, all three of our daughters were affected in some way and not only financially but mentally and it's been a real challenge in that sense. So like I said, just keep an eye on everybody and let's spread love and, you know, hug everybody when we can, hopefully in a couple months or three or four months and that don't feel good too. Absolutely. Yeah. I'm of the adage positivity spreads just as quickly as negativity can, positivity can. So anytime you smile first and say hello, it's going to put good thoughts on the other person.

And I think that's an easy thing we can all do. You know, and it's funny to say that because I wear a mask everywhere I go. And I appreciate it. Everybody's right. But that's how I believe. My wife and I believe in wearing a mask everywhere. But you can still tell when somebody's smiling behind a mask. And the eyes don't lie, right?

They light up and see these lines right here. Although I've got a lot more lines at my age now. It's all good. Now, what I was telling you or asking you before we started was we pushed this interview and I'm glad we snuck it in before you get real busy. I'd read your book and in your book you talked about your great-grandfather and, or your grandfather, sorry, and how he was in an internment camp back in World War I. And me being a history guy, I enjoy hearing those stories.

I think it's sometimes puts the world in perspective. And I thought, I've honestly never heard, I've heard about World War II, but World War I, when I read it, I was like, oh, geez, I don't know why it surprised me, but it surprised me ain't coming in your book. Yeah. And so I thought maybe we could just chat about it briefly, and you could tell the story of John Rudy. Yeah. Well, I'm very proud of my Ukrainian heritage.

And so, you know, they came over. I can't remember the year now, but they came over and your province, are you based in Saskatchewan or the Alberta side? Good old border city. I grew up in Saskatchewan, but now I live in Alberta. So I'm a little bit of both. Okay. So I know for sure in Alberta, I do believe in parts in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and other places. If you came over here and you were willing to work the land, you were given free land. Now it was ugly work and it was really hard work. So in our case, our relatives came over to Northern Alberta. And so it was completely treeed, right? So you had to, I found out later, I thought that they just sort of cut the trees down and pulled the roots out.

I had no idea that the young kids and the families, there would be like 12 years old, boys and girls. They were charged with the duty of doing the dynamite to get the roots out. And so, yeah, right? I had no idea until like two, three years ago. I didn't understand that. Can you imagine that now? Right. You're giving dynamite to a 12-year-olds so they can blast the roots out and then leave it to the horses and the adults to clear the land.

I mean, that just wouldn't happen. And maybe that's a good thing. But anyways, he came over here and he had all sorts of different jobs. He tried farming and did mining. He's in, I believe it was in Southern British Columbia where he was in Kansas. camp or Pitcher Creek area and just the way that he was treated. Like I have great respect for our police services, but I understand, and we told the story in the book, that there are a couple of guys from the RCMP that did not treat people

from other places kindly, and it was simply a dollar thing. If they turned them in or arrested them, they're given. They're awarded for it. Yeah, so, you know, hard life. And, you know, I look at that hard life and his willingness to work and, you know, do the really difficult jobs. Those lessons, he passed on to my dad and my mom and dad had the same sort of hardworking background. They both grew up in northern Alberta. My dad in a place called Andrew.

My mom in a place called Smokey Lake. And eventually they're able to move my mom and dad to Edmonton, I believe, in around 1955. or 56. My brother was born shortly after that. And man, I'll never forget, Sean, our first house. It was on 159th Street in Edmonton. It was just down from a Meta-Arch Mall. And my mom, dad's were so proud of it and they should have been. It was under or about 900 square feet, no basement. We had a little crawl space where we kept our goods to be, stay cold. And just so proud of how my mom and dad worked hard. I think I told the story in the book. My dad, he worked for a place called Orange Crush, but Prairie Rose, that's what it was called bottling company,

ended up being bought out by Pepsi. But his entire life, he fixed pot machines. And I would go with them, man, I'd go with them. I remember one time, I was about eight years old. There was a beautiful sunny day, and he had the Pepsi truck at our house, parked in front, and he got a call from of the drive-in theaters in northern Edmonton and he had to go that day I believe it was a Saturday because there were having tons of people coming to drive in and the pot machines weren't working so I was sitting like this I was in the passenger seat I had my arm out the window because I looked over at my dad he had the window down his left arm was out right arm on the steering wheel and I was like sitting up checking him out for his posture and everything and just wanted to

be like my dad and my mom beautiful still with us and she worked on a children's clothing store in Edmonton and yeah just great upbringing thanks for bringing up uh my grandfather and uh you know we were really fortunate and blessed yeah that's how your book reads you know if there was anything that surprised me about your book was the the tone of the entire thing and i found it very interesting you're the second guy i've had on i had brian burke on and he's a guy who started very late into his hockey career. And I think what most hockey people specifically now would say that sticks out about your career is you didn't start until you're 12.

And not only that, you didn't start playing until you were 13 because the first year they wouldn't let you play. It was crazy. I grew up with my older brother playing all the sports except basketball. For some reason, I could not get in a basketball, although I only had a vertical jump about this high. So it didn't suit me very well. but I played tons of football, baseball, ball hockey, street hockey, racket sports.

I loved all those. And then when I went to my mom and dad that year, and I asked them if I could join a hockey team simply because I want to be around my friends more often, not because I had an overwhelming joy of hockey more so than football and baseball. I had, you know, equal love for all those games. And they, as you mentioned, they told me, no, you're not allowed to you. You have to learn how to skate. So for a year.

So as everybody my age or a little bit younger would remember, it seemed to be colder back then. Winters is easier to have an outdoor rink. So every single day during the winter, school would be over and I'd race home, drop off my books and maybe do a little bit of homework. But otherwise, just get my skates and race over to the outdoor rink and learn how to skate that way. And, you know, I was terrible. Did you teach yourself then? Yeah. Tell yourself how to skate at a.

age 12. Yeah, there's, well, I don't think there were power skaters or people teaching it back then, and I don't think the thought would have been to go to a figure skater to learn, because, you know, you didn't think that back now. Now that would be a great idea, right? Let's get somebody with a figure skating background and or power skating. But anyways, and by the way, we wouldn't have been able afford the lessons. So I just learned. I went to the rink and I watched all my friends and watched the older kids, watch my brother and kind of figured it out on my own. And that turned out to be one of the things that most people said about my career,

that I turned out to be just a really good skater. That was one of my great qualities. And I really worked hard at it, though. You know, you bring up a very great point. I haven't written here that what you did, you had written in the book, and I found that I'm a defenseman by trade. So I always like playing with a smart goaltender who can just read and react. And you said each defenseman liked to pick the puck up a certain way.

That's the first time I heard a goaltender say that, honest to God. And I'm like, and maybe there's some that think that. Or maybe they're playing to think that. And I read that and I was like, gee, that's smart. Like, I've played with a lot of goalies in my time. That's like a really observant, observant point. Like to notice how a defenseman picks up a puck because you're absolutely right. Every D-Man has their strong spot. But even hearing you talk about skating, I watched how they

did it. I find you don't have a goalie coach back then, right? Like you're a guy who has to learn on the fly. So at 812, you teach yourself how to skate by watching other guys do it. And then as progressing your career, I find you say that over and over and over again is, you know, I kind of mauled myself after, you know, plant or whoever it is, right, and steal little pieces of game. And that's fascinating to me. That's how you pieced it together to get to the NHL. Yeah, I did. And I'm not ashamed to say that whether it's in junior, in the minors, I've played in the minors for two years or in my entire NHL career. If I wasn't playing that night, if I was the backup on the bench, I watched the other goalie a ton and tried to

sort of break down his game. And then if I really liked something, about his game or thought it was really cool that I should try it. Next day in practice, I was trying something that he was doing to see if I could incorporate it in my game. And the other thing is, and oftentimes you could, little things. So you still had your own sort of style and particular habits and so on. But every time I played with another guy, whether it started with Billy Smith and Roli Malanson,

or even in the minors with a guy by the name of Rob Holland, and then it continued everywhere I went. I'd use my partner, the other goalie, I use his goalie stick for a couple of practices to see if maybe there's something about his lie or something about his curve or something. What did that mess you on? No. I just thought, man, you've got to keep growing and you've got to find ways to, what happens if I grab my partner's goalie stick and it's better, it feels better than mine, you know? Then I just, then I call my, my equipment company and say, hey, can you just change just a little bit on my goalie stick?

And, you know, same with your pads, your gloves, everything. There's all these little things that you have to try and find a way to get above. That's fascinating. Most guys, well, you know this. Most guys, they get a set of shin pads, a set of elbow pads, a set of anything. And they're like, man, I got to wear it. Like the rest of it, if I put a new set on, it don't feel right. Yeah.

What you're saying is you just grab somebody stick and we'll try it out for a ship. Yeah. You know what I've talked about pros, though, skates and sticks, everybody's pretty finicky, like very finicky. Paul Coffey, I played with a lot of great players. And Paul, there's nobody more finicky with his skates. He was always doing things with them or having the trainers do things with him. Now, going back to Paul, by the way, he was one of the guys that really appreciated me setting up the puck for him behind the net. because he liked it in a particular way.

So I'll finish off that story a little bit. Paul liked the puck. He liked to go behind the net on his backhand, and then he gave a lot of momentum through the corner to the goaltender's right. And what he really appreciated, if you put that ballpark around four or five inches off the end boards, so not tight against the boards and not in the middle behind the net, because that didn't allow him a chance to turn his shoulders

the way he needed to. And other guys like Charlie Huddy and Tim Waters, Rob Blake, Rob Blake liked it to, if he's coming back here, he liked it off the right post and about near the goal line of possible if that was where he was going to skate and get the puck. You learn all these things and you ask them. You know, you ask him in practice, where do you want the puck? What's best?

If I have time and if I'm not fumbling with the puck, if it's not rolling, what's best for you? And they tell you straight up. And so it's your job to be a good listener. Yeah, that's cool, though. That is really cool. Like just talking about all the different spots, I know if I got a listener out there who's going, where, what?

But if you're D-Man, that makes perfect sense to me. I don't know how many pucks you pick up by the goalie just spoting it for you. And when it's spot in the right spot over and over and over again, it makes your life easy because it's just, well, we come. But when it's picked up in a random spot, That's, heck, that's how turnovers happen. That's how goals get scored because he's not comfortable. Yeah, it's the same thing, though, for a passer when he's trying to give a one-timer to a guy.

Certain guys or most guys have a certain area in which they're most comfortable. Yeah. And so once you sort of understand where the sweet spot is for certain guys, again, if you have time and if there's a lane to get the puck through, but some guys just can't shoot a one-timer if it's not in the right spot. some guys can some guys are just so strong like you know ovechkin i'm pretty sure he can he can adjust pretty much anywhere his his sweet spot kelly is just bigger right yeah it is some guys have where if they you get it in that six inch spot yeah they can absolutely drive it and then just some guys you know are more talented and just can take a puck wherever it is and still have it

ovechkin is if you can get a break grexki's record i say no I know Wayne says he's cheering for him, and that's another quality that Wayne has. He's just so fantastic. But I just, you know, now with this pandemic, we've had work stoppages. Ovechkin's getting so close, and I'm not wishing this upon anybody, but he hasn't really had a catastrophic injury either. And everybody does. Now, I know he's not a unique body and not only size-wise, but genetically.

but I got to tell you, at some point when guys start to get old, it just seems like it's inevitable. Every single guy has some sort of injury that keeps them out of the lineup for a significant amount of time. Now, I should clarify my laughter and my smile. It's not over the catastrophic injury. I wish that upon nobody either. But I finished your book, and at the end of it, it talks about your catastrophic injury of taking a Brett Hall shot to the gonads.

Well, I had a bunch of catastrophic injuries. The first one, major one I had was I blew up my ankle in training camp in 1995, my last year with L.A. It still bothers me to this day. In fact, I golfed yesterday, and I must have swung too hard because I was limping around for a few holes after that. But, yeah, you can go on YouTube and watch that play where Brett Hall gets me right in the sensitive area. And oh, my gosh, that was just, I watched it recently. I don't know why. but I had forgotten how long I stayed down on the ice.

I was just like, I was down forever. And you know what I remember most of all? I remember tons of that play, but I remember I get hit and immediately I know it's bad and the play continues on. And I'm struggling mightily to try and get my, regain my footing again and I just couldn't. And all of a sudden, just the worst cold sweat comes over me.

And so I knew, oh boy, I'm bad. badly injured here. And Mike Vernon was away from the team because his wife was giving birth to I think their second child. So Jason Mazzotti was our backup. And I don't know if Daryl Sutter didn't trust him or, or no, no, Daryl Sutter, that's right. He knew us badly injured. So he's telling Jason Muzotti to go on the ice. And I'm saying, no, no, Jason, you go back. So I felt badly for Jason. I had him going back and forth. And finally after a while, Darryl Sutter convinced me to come off. Jason played just a few minutes, and I convinced Darrell I was okay to play again,

and I got scored on in about 15 seconds. I just couldn't move. I had to go right to the hospital. Luckily for me, I was okay, although I missed some time because I couldn't walk. I had to walk like this for about two weeks. It's terrible. You know, you mentioned wearing two cans. Is that something now they've made?

you know like is there something better now for goaltenders you know of all the equipment improvements they made have they made a better can that can handle a bread hole slap shot you know what that's a great question I haven't checked I I'm in the locker room after every practice and I've never really paid attention to it but I'm gonna ask I'm thinking I'm or no I can't go to the Justin room anymore I'm gonna ask when life gets back to normal or I'll check it out I have tons of cotton batten in there also just sort of absorb the shot to the groin because, oh my gosh, had enough of those to just like them early on.

Well, I mean, of all the guys to hit you there, I don't know, you were in the league for 15 years. Who had the hardest shot? Like, what was the guy you didn't want to shoot the puck? I assume Brett Hall. He was up there. There's a small group of about five or ten guys. So Al McKinnis was in that group. Al I Afraidy was in that group. A guy by the name of Tim Kerr was in that group. Tim had a wildly successful career for a number of years, and unfortunately he lost his wife while she was given birth, and he could never quite get it back.

It felt terrible for him. But, yeah, those guys, I remember Al Ayafradi. We played together in San Jose, and he knew how hard a shot was. I think didn't he break the record in All-Star game one year, 108 or 10? Yes. And so he knew how hard a shot was.

So when he'd come down and shoot on you in practice, he'd only shoot it about 75% or 85% because he knew how he could damage you. So I always admired that about Al. Al McKinness, by the way, there's a video out there on YouTube that where it's a five on three. We're playing, I'm with L.A. We're playing in Calgary. And the flames have a five on three man advantage. and he gets a one-timer and blasts the puck, and I see it coming, and it just barely

ricochets off the very top of my mask and hits the glass and the glass is shattered. Somebody said that to me a couple weeks ago or a couple days ago, and I just, I don't know how I got out of the way of it, actually. Right? It's another guy that has an absolute missile. Oh, and you know what? He had a special weapon as well. he had that big slapper, one-timer, or he could walk into it and, you know, the big wind up like this.

But he was amazing at deception. So he would do this, make you feel as though the big slap shot is kind of. And then oftentimes, just to the goal he's right, there was Joe Newendike, and he had stick on the ice. And so it was a perfect fake slap shot, just an extremely hard pass right onto the tape of Joe Newndyke. and I've lost count of how many goals Newndyke scored in that way, or scored in that way. Newndyke, by the way, in my opinion, for the longest time, was the best player to ever be around at deflecting pucks.

Now, Joe Pavellsky's great, and there are a bunch of others in today's game, Crosby, but Joe Newndyke at that time had taken it to a new level. I'm assuming that must have been a learned skill, deflecting. Just constantly after practice? Would you guys work on that all the time? Oh, yeah, totally. Yeah, definitely.

And, you know, I didn't like to be a net for those simply because you could get hit in the wrong spot because you're, you know, you open up a little bit. And so you sort of learn how to do it through some practice or work on it and practice, but a lot of it is trial and error in the course of the game. And you'll learn how to sort of once you read a play and you suspect that there's a deflection possibility in front of you, if possible, the best way to stop it is not. to react, but to go to meet the player that is going to try and get a stick on it and so that you take away the ability, not to deflect it, but to change the direction by it very much. Yeah. Well, I want to go back to, you're growing up, you're now playing hockey. So did you, when you're skating out on the ponds, was a goal of your first choice? Or when do you decide, like I want to strap on the path. I did. I was just a few months prior to joining that first team.

I was playing ball hockey with my buddy Jeff Marshall in Edmonton. And we're just the two of us playing. It's probably August or something. And I believe training camp for us would have been late September because I remember the World Series being on. And so we're playing ball hockey and my buddy and I are chatting. And his dad happened. to come home and he overheard our conversation. And Jeff's dad, Fred Marshall, said, you know, Kelly, I don't want to influence you too greatly, but whenever I watch all you guys play ball hockey in the neighborhood, when you're in the net,

you seem to stop the ball a whole lot more often than everybody else. So I thought, hmm, okay, I will. And from the first or second time I tried it, I was addicted to it. And it's such a challenging position. And yeah, I never wanted to change. Now, in the summers, when I got older, I'd play forward.

You know, when I was playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers and I'd come back to Edmonton for the summer. And when I was an NHL player, I'd play shinning with my buddies back home in Edmonton. I'd always play forward. And I had a gas doing it. It was awesome? Back then was goalie gear expensive? I mean, now it's got to be the most expensive spot in the sport. Was back then, was goalie gear expensive?

Yes, it was. and that's a, I'm glad you brought that up because as I mentioned what my mom and dad did for a living, they couldn't afford it. So I was very lucky. I grew up in a community in Edmonton called Elmwood. And they had a program in place that if you decided you want to play golf, they would lend you the equipment for the year. And so luckily for us, my mom and dad never had to buy the pads or the gloves or anything. The only thing, yeah, the only thing they ended up doing later in life was, They allowed me to get to a molded mask and also skates. They had to buy skates.

This is how far it's gone. Now, my first, I used skates my first year. Didn't even have a steel toe or a hard toe. And I was playing goal. But my second year playing, I was able to buy a pair of skates with hard toes. And people are going to laugh at this. They weren't goalie skates yet. They were still regular skates.

We couldn't afford goalie skates, but they were $19. I remember going to the, right? I remember going to the sports store, and now they were entry-level skates, but that's all I needed. I just needed skates that had a hard toe, and then I believe it might have been two, three years after that that I was able to get real goalie skates. You know, what I love about your story is like, it's just, it's not fancy. I mean that in like the best possible way.

You know, you think now the story is kids got to be skating by three or hell before that. They got to go all through the summer. They got to go all the time. I'm not against specializing. I'm not against a kid level hockey because when I listen to you and when I listen to a lot of guys talk, you guys found ways to work hard. And that's what your kid loves it. He loves it.

But what's amazing about your story is secondhand skates, not picking it up until late. and then just once you were going, it was like, all right, let's go. And you found a way to do it. Like, it's unbelievable, Kelly. Well, I can tell you, and there are other examples of guys that I played with. And again, I'll go back to Paul Coffey. I can't remember, I know he wore Bauer skates, but I can't remember which model number. But if you were to research it or go find a video where they actually show a skate,

Paul never wore the top level of skates. He wore, I think, a mid-level of skate that he just loved. And that kind of surprise. You know, Paul would go through, I think I lost count, maybe six to ten pairs a year, which back then was really unusual. I think most of us went through two, maybe three. So he was really finicky in that department. But I always used to tell people, it's not the equipment.

Like, I could go, I love golf, and I'm lousy, but I could go buy the best clubs. That's not going to make me a better golfer. You know, you still have to have the mind for the game, you have to have the skill set. And so I've always told families that, you know, if you're a son or daughter, you know, they're looking for new equipment.

You don't need the best. And for the longest time, I'm not sure if in Lloyd, you guys have that play it again sports. I would tell people, you know, if you're your son or daughter, there's seven or eight or nine and they're gonna be going through, going out of this equipment quickly, there's nothing wrong with used equipment. You know, you can go to, like I said,

those places that they sell use of equipment. equipment, they refurbish it, it's good to go, and you don't need the best. People get stuck in keeping up with the Jones's theory where they need the, but what, I mean, what you're talking about is just fantastic. Like that's, you know, how do you, back then there wouldn't have been a WHL draft, right? I'm thinking it wouldn't have come around yet. So how do you end up in Medicine Hat? Okay, so like I said earlier in this chat, I was lousy growing up.

So I started really late, as you mentioned. I got cut once. I remember one year I got cut three times. And so when I was 16 years old, I tried out for another rep team. I got cut. I was for the first time in my life, I think I was discouraged. And I kind of thought, well, maybe hockey's not for me, right? I mean, I was getting sick of getting cut every year.

And I go home and my brother's there. And I guess he could see my, I was really discouraged and down. in the dumps and I said I think I'm going to quit hockey Ken and he goes do me a favor when you're on your way home another rep team they called and they asked you if you would come out to a practice tomorrow and I thought no why would I like it's embarrassing getting cut every single time you go for a rep team right and so uh he convinced me and I went and I you know I made it because I don't know what the backstory was they only had one goalie when I went to that practice. So I made it by default. So I made my first rep team by default that year.

And I was lucky because our coaches had this belief in which our other goalie was a guy by the name of Gord Hobbins. By the way, he owns a store here in Calgary called the Running Room, Gord's running room. And anyways, so they like to rotate us. So Gordon would play one game, I'd play one game, gore to play and vice versa. And, you know, lo and behold, that year I started really improved. And I started to get pretty darn good. We ended up winning the city provincials, our city championship, then we won the provincials. We played Mike Vernon's team in Calgary at the Max Bell Arena. We won the championships and this pretty cool experience. So the summer rolls around. And this is how you'd get invited to a WHL team back then. They would send you a letter.

but multiple teams could send you letters. It wasn't you were on a list and they were only restricted to one team. So New Westminster Bruins, they sent me a letter and Medicine Hat Tigers sent me a letter. Well, I didn't know much about the Western Hockey League, nor did my family. And so I must have looked at the hockey news or something and saw New West was a perennial powerhouse for years and years. And Medicine Hat, they didn't look to be a very good team. So I thought, I'm going to go try out in Medicine Hat because if there's a team I might be able to make, that could be the team. As it turns out, I went to Medicine Hat, by the way, not expecting to make that team at all.

My hope was to make the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League just 15 minutes outside Edmonton. And much to my surprise, I go to Medicine Hat again, my buddy Jeff Marshall, he was on that same tryout. and the second day of camp, our coach, lovely guy by the name of Vic Stasiak, he was a long-time NHLer on that famous U-Kline, they called it many, many years ago. And Vic calls me into the office, like I said, second day of camp. And I'm thinking, well, here, I know what's happening here. This is a pretty obvious. I'm going home.

And within about two or three minutes, he tells me that I'd made the medicine hat tigers that year. Second day of camp. And I said, I stopped. I said, I'm like, well, we've got a big problem because he tells me. I thought I was getting cut. I only brought one pair of jeans and two t-shirts. So we had kind of a little chuckle over that. And then the decision was made that later in the week, I go home, talking over with my family, because it's a big decision. I was 17 years old, right? And so, yeah, that's how

that journey started. And that's how- Did you ask, Vic, why and day two? No, you know, keep in mind, I was outrageously shy back then. Like for me to even muster the courage up to mention that to Vic would have taken everything in my willpower. So, you know, he regaled me, though, with stories about Glenn Hall and Terry Satchak, two goalies that he'd played with in his career. And, man, I just sat riveted for maybe another hour and 55 minutes.

I think our meeting lasted two minutes or two hours, but the first two minutes, the important thing was said, and then he just told me story after story. about those two legends. You know, one of the interesting things you kind of glaze over there is in tryouts, and I can just imagine being the coach. I can't imagine seeing it now. But after you're done taking shots in the drills,

then you take your helmet off and go join the forwards in the two-on-wads. Yeah, I just loved hockey. And I think that was my second coach. Vic had to leave halfway through the year because he, He was a rancher in southern Alberta outside Lethbridge, and just couldn't find the time to do both. But Sheldon Ferguson, he was our coach in the second half, and he tells that story.

He also surprised me one day in practice. And I don't know, I can't remember if this story's in the book. You know, you have so many stories for the book, and only so many can get in. But I guess I was especially hot that one day, and nobody could score on a three on O. and drills over and I go over to the bench and maybe take off my mask for a drink of water. Sheldon comes over and he's swearing like crazy like how good I am.

And nobody had ever really complimented me in my life, right? You know, this is 1978, by the way, 1979. So it's not like compliments were flying around back then in the way in which we like to compliment to each other now. But I was just so shocked and I don't know how I reacted. And I kind of remember thinking, well, that's unusual. A guy in the hockey world giving compliments to another male because that wasn't the norm back then. So, but, you know, all those guys, Vic and Sheldon were great to me.

And, you know, we were so terrible. I believe we finished with 37 points, Sean. And because of that, I had so much work that I was either going to make it or, you know, not be able to handle the stress of all the work from the shots and would have been gone from the game in no time. But I improved rapidly that year, even though my numbers would suggest that I wasn't very good, but they're kind of skewed because we'd go in at places like Portland, I believe, and I think I had 100-and-some shots one night.

I think I gave up 16 goals or something, and I was one of the stars at the end of the night. Do you imagine that? I gave 16 and 14 so many times in my life I've lost count. If Dan Mack, my college roommate is listening to this, we set the most, we set the record for the most shots in NCAA Division III history. Really? He was in net, and I think he had, he knows the record better than I ever will, but I want to say 82 shots. Yeah. I must have blocked 50.

I mean, I was laying on the ice taking them everywhere that game. It was unbelievable. So they have over 100 shots, holy man, that's a workout. Yeah, we had, we'd go on road trips. out west and we're playing all the powerhouses right like Portland and Victoria and New West and Seattle was a good team and we would just take it on the chin like I'm not going to exaggerate I think this story is in the book so New West not only were they a great team but they were tough the stories about New Westminster man they were they were the toughest

team out there so we were a team my first year in the hat with just a ton of 17 year olds We were really young. We're building for the future. But we would go into New S and three things would happen in warm up, guaranteed. So they would come down, the Bruins would, that shoot pucks at me, or when they're done with that, they'd steal all our pucks, or when we'd get some pucks back, they'd take our net. So that was guaranteed. They tried to intimidate the crap out of us, and it worked.

I mean, they were awesome. Like they were a really good team and, you know, we were feisty though. I know that we, our team, we had a ton of brawls that year because we weren't very good, but we were a team of character and we weren't going to back down from anybody. Do you remember the first time they came and stole your net? Oh, yeah, that was true stories. Everybody in the Western Hockey League back then will tell you all the same. It was crazy.

We had a brawl one time that same year at home against Billings, and Billings was another, well, they were all tough teams, but they had some really tough guys. And brawl and warm up, one of my teammates, guy by the name of Mark Komenoski, with his wooden stick back then, right at Center Ice, he cross-checked another guy in Billings right across the bridge of the nose. He hit him so hard, he broke a stick.

And then the brawl, in Medicine Hat, the old arena, the police cop shop was right in the same parking lot. So the cops all came over and they're about, I don't know, 12 guys arrested from each team. And so we played a game with about eight to players on each team. I mean, it's crazy times, crazy times. Good times, but I'm glad they're not like that now. But I know most young people listening to this and go, what? That's ridiculous, but that's how it was. You know, I love how you had a 6.71 goals against that first year. Rookie of a year and the MVP. I know, right? For my team, not for the league. For your team, that's right. That's right. That's right. When you get drafted in 1980, did you see that coming?

Well, I'm going to give another long answer. Yes and no. So if you would have asked me during the course of that season, that was my second year in the league, I would have said no, for the most part, until it might have been February or March. There was this hockey book, a magazine, and I can't remember what it's called anymore. But they go through all the junior teams and talk about what's going on with their teams and talk about players. And they had a draft. ranking. And much to my surprise, I was in the top two maybe or three of goalies. And I'm thinking, what? That can't be right. And I'd never talked to an agent or, you know, nobody ever mentioned anything to me. I was to find out later that, uh, yeah, last half of the year, tons of scouts were coming to the hat to, uh, check me out and stuff. And, and, and then you didn't, you didn't have, like an inkling. You weren't like, man, am I playing good? No, no, no. And even though we had a lot of success in that year in the playoffs, we went to the Eastern Conference Finals and lost out to Regina.

They ultimately went to the Memorial Cup that year, but it just never occurred to me. And like I said, we weren't from a hockey family. I didn't have agents contacting me. So the day of the draft, by the way, put it in perspective. Back then, no kids went to the draft unless you were a sure first rounder. So I wasn't that. So the drafters in Montreal. I'm playing ball hockey in my mom and dad's basement with my brother.

Phone rings somewhere in the afternoon. My brother goes upstairs and answers it and says, Kelly, phones for you. So I make my way upstairs. And a guy by the name of Jimmy Devalano, the Islanders, introduces himself. Says, Kelly, we're happy to say we've drafted you in the second round. And you'll be getting letters later about the training camp and so on. And I hung up, went back downstairs.

and play ball hockey. I mean, and then, you know, Jimmy, Jimmy did fill in the story years later. So we're chatting one time. And I said something like, Jimmy, why did you guys choose me in the second round? He goes, well, actually, Kelly, we had you and Don Bovre rated the exact same.

And you were chosen 38th overall, but Minnesota chose the pick before us at 37, and they picked Don Bovray. And so we thought we had you, Kelly, rated in the third of the third. a fourth round. That's when we're hoping to get you. But as soon as Minnesota made that decision, we didn't think we could last another round or two that you'd still be around. So we chose you with the next pick. And, you know, money wasn't big back then, but it's still a signing bonus for

a second rounder in comparison to a fourth rounder back then was pretty significant. So it helped me in the pocketbook a little bit. What was your signing bonus? 40 grand, I think. 40 grand. Yeah, 40 grand for a an 18 year old kid or whatever back in 1980. That was a pretty nice chunk of change. What did you do with it? Where did you go? Did you have a splurge on anything?

No, I, my mom and dad had given me my second year a used car. And it was really in good shape. But, you know, back then, 19, it was I think a 1974 Mustang. And so the only thing I spent money on is, I bought a new car stereo. That's it. And the other money I put into an annuity, and no splurge, no party, no leather jacket, no...

You mentioned a new car stereo? What was a new car stereo back then? Oh, I can't even remember, but it would have been hundreds only. And what, a tape deck? Yeah, yeah. It would have been cassettes back then, I think. So not eight-track. But, and so yeah, you know, for a guy that had no money whatsoever, like I was living off making take home, 50 bucks every two weeks playing junior hockey.

And my mom and dad, by the way, they did buy my gas for my car every time I had a gas card. But other than that, you know, I didn't live big. You know, once in a while after junior game, I'd go for pizza with the guys. but not very often. Most times I go home and have a meal that my billets had made. And so life was good. Life was simple. That's awesome.

Yeah. You know, you get drafted to the Islanders. And coming from this part of the country, we are an oil country or yourself here in Calgary. So you, in the 80s, everybody around here remembers the Oilers. Here's the stories of the Oilers. Even myself, I've had, you know, Grant Fioran and Marty McEman. sorely and had them talk about the culture and what Sather and Gretzky and Messi and all them guys did, Kevin Lowe. But you walked into a team that won four straight,

went to five cup finals. You know, you want to talk about teams that get started and have a winning culture. I mean, they only started in 1972. It's not like they were around for 60 years. Yeah. What was walking into the Islanders like from a guy who hears all the oiler stories and the culture and how they took care of all the new guys that came in? What was the team filled with, you know, some serious legends in their own right like? Yeah, I'd say that I was so fortunate to go to the Islanders because it started at the top with Bill Torrey and Al Arbor. Bill was our general manager, and let's just say it would be an understatement to call him stern. Like you knew exactly where you stood with Bill Torrey. He let you know. He was supportive,

by the way, but he really pushed you and he ensured that you were prepared to play every game. Al Arbor the same way. Excuse me, I've talked about my dad and what a special man he was, but I always, after I got to Noelle, He was like a second father to me. And by the way, there's a great YouTube video about my feelings about Al. Elliot Friedman did the interview because I was still working on West all the time on behind the mask with hockey night. But Elliot did it and it's really moving because Al gets very emotional. And so do I when I talk about Al.

So then we go to Dennis Potman's on the team. He's our captain. By the way, I never did see Bob Yor play live. but Dennis tells me that Bob yours best defenseants ever play. And I say all my years watching the NHL, the second best defenseman is Dennis Potman. And there have been many others. And lots of guys in the argument like Nick Lidstrom

and so many other guys that had great, or phenomenal careers. But Dennis had the unique ability of outrageously high skill level, mean. Like he was a vicious hockey player. He's so strong and attribal. True leader. And then we had Brian Trache, Mike Bossy, Billy Smith, Clark Gillies, all those guys that I mentioned, hockey Hall of Fame. Then we had other outstanding guys like Bob Nystrom and Stefan Pearson, John Tonelli, Bob Bourne, you know, the team was Ken Morrow. The team was littered. And I don't use that term lightly, littered with stars. And so again, going back to my shyness, this is where it really

paid off. So I didn't talk much in my first year in particular. I was the only rookie, by the way, to make the team out of a training camp. Then we added Pat LaFontaine and Pat Flatley and Gord Deneen and Paul Goudalier later that year. But I just watched and I just observed everything going on. And in particular, I paid attention to, you know, the guys that I mentioned and the way in which not only their work habits, but how they prepared for practice and for games. And I, I I truly did study them. I made sure that when I noticed a guy would come into the main dressing room for, say, a 1030 morning practice, what time does he get into his stall to dress?

Does he get into a stall at 10, 10, 10, or does he get there at 10 o'clock and socialize and take his time and, you know, just there's a form of communication that's really important in dressing room. I paid attention to that. everything about that experience was going to the best classroom, best university possible. And the other thing is that those guys, they did not accept a happy-go-lucky attitude. You know, they, when you're going to play hockey, you're prepared. So I've got a story in my second year.

I had my best game in the National Hockey League. I believe I finished with 48 saves in St. Louis. we won 5-1 and I'm pretty proud of myself back then we weren't chartering so we stayed the night in st. Louis we flew home the next day we go right to the practice rink for an afternoon practice and just in the skate around before the actual whistle blows to really get going right I'm not skating as hard as I should have and I'm thinking pretty highly of myself I suspect and Bob Nicom I won't say the words even though this is one of those podcasts where everybody swears but I kind of have my own rules about that.

But Bob Nicom comes up to me, and I'm skating here along the boards. He positions himself right here to my left, and he looks at me and goes, get moving. There's another word in there. Get bleeped moving? Oh, yeah. And it was message sent and message received. And that was maybe the only time ever when I needed to be schooled about, I needed to work hard. And I've never forgotten that lesson, of course.

I'm telling it how many 40 years later, but, you know, I just think that there's no replacement for hard work and those guys taught me all those lessons. I did tell the story, by the way, Sean, and you might have gotten a chuckle out of it. I showed up my very first year in L.A. about three minutes late on a day off, we had rented a ballroom in L.A. at the Marriott. I'm glad you're bringing the story up. So I won the night before. I was the starting goalie. And Al Arbor had this little thing that if you, basically, if you sort of guaranteed a win in L.A., you'd stay a couple extra days after.

That was sort of his character for us. And I was learning these lessons. So I played on Saturday night. We beat the Kings. And then we went to a place called Tequila Willies in Manhattan Beach. First of all, I'd never been to L.A. I had no idea how beautiful Manhattan Beach was, and I'd never had tequila in my life. And so I'm feeling pretty good about myself.

And so I think I had like 10 or 11 shots of tequila. Oh, my gosh, in no time. I had to take a car home. I was so drunk. I threw up, I don't know how many times. And I remember for that trip to L.A. I had bought a brand new suit. It was beautiful.

First time I ever wore it because I was so drunk. drunk, stupid. And I tripped to my hotel room and tore my knee open on my suit. And I can never get it fixed. I never was able to wear it again. But the next day, anyways, we're going to have this, we're going to go get a ballroom. We're going to have a bunch of drinks. And we're going to find out where we're going to go drinking later that night. That was kind of the culture back then. You have beers with the guys all the time whenever you have free time. So I sleep in a little bit. I get to the ballroom about two minutes late and it goes completely silent and Dennis Potman tears into me. He teaches me a lesson about the importance of being on time and how if you don't

show up on time, you're basically telling everybody else that your time is more important than everyone else's. And I still stick to those rules to this day. As you know, I might have been like two minutes early for this podcast. And so I don't, I don't. keep people late and never will and Dennis taught me a very important lesson. I was ashamed myself actually. I was a shame that I, when he explained it that way, I was ashamed of myself that I had put myself ahead of my teammates. Speaking of time, we've been going for 55 minutes. Do I got you for a little while long? We've got a little longer here. Let's go till, let's go 21 minutes. Sure. I'll mentally clock that in the way we go again.

I asked the same question of the Oilers, because I find it really, really interesting when you have a strong culture like that. Anyone can get a collection of talent. I think that's been proven in any sport. You can bring a collection of talent together. But there's something we said when your leaders bring in the young guys like that, teach them valuable lessons, hold them accountable. Who did that start with in that organization? I think Dennis. There are so many great leaders.

Like Mike Bossy, and I've said this often, and I know he wouldn't take this as a dismissive comment, Mike Bossy was selfish, but I really admired that about Mike because when Mike was selfish and he scored tons of goals, we had success. So Mike knew how important it was that he had to score. And so he took that extremely seriously. He was extremely proud, and I always admired that. But Mike wasn't the kind of guy to really, like, step up and say something like Clark Gullies or Dennis Podman or Billy Smith would, Brian Trotche. Brian, by the way, he was a really easygoing guy, but a fierce competitor. I just love to be around him because whenever I was around him and we were in a position that to maybe looked a little bit bleak.

He never showed it. So that same year, my first year, we beat the New York Rangers in the first round. We beat Washington in the second round. We're playing Montreal in the third round for a chance to go to the Stanley Cup finals, like you said for the fifth consecutive time. Well, we go to Montreal for them

and we lose the first two games and pretty handling. And I remember on the flight back, and I'm thinking, oh, boy, the mood on the plane is going to be pretty bleak or pretty dire. And I'm around Brian Chorche, and he's chipper. He's like not a problem. And in game three, I don't know. I don't think I've ever found this hit on YouTube,

but he delivers maybe the biggest hit I've ever seen in my life behind the Montreal net on Bob Ganey. And Bob Ganey's not a little man, and he was a solid player on his skates. And Brian just a devastatingly brutal hit on Ganey, and that turned the series around, we beat them in six games. So Brian had that unique ability as well. But I still go back that on that team anyways,

Dennis Potvin was a great, great leader. Turns out years later when he ended up retiring. By the way, he retired, I think, at only 31 years old. And he had 19 goals that year for a defenseman. Like, he should not have retired. He could have kept playing. Well, and 31, just you think guys now. I know one is not that old.

I went through that list. I don't know. I was doing a podcast a few months ago, and I went through the list of that Islanders team, and man, there are a lot of guys that quit early. Like, I ended up playing until I was 37 years old,

and I don't know if any of those guys got to that age. Like, I'm not mistaken. Mike Bossy had to retire because of a back injury, but he was 29 or 30 only, and that's remarkable to me. You know, you, the Islanders is, well, actually, I want to ask, the boys on the bus documentary on the Oilers, when they walked by the Islanders dressing room, I know we weren't playing that year,

but everybody here has probably heard an oil country, the Wayne Grexky story and the Kevin Low story, and it's in lore here, that they walked by the Islanders dressing room after losing to them and giving the Islanders their four straight cup. And they walk by and the Islanders are all sitting there and they got ice bags on, right? And the others are feeling pretty good about themselves, right? Like they just made the Stanley Cup finals, but they look at the room and they go, man, that's what it takes. They're not even happy about winning their fourth cup.

I remember hearing that as a kid and being like, oh, man, that's what it takes. Oh, and then I read, maybe that's not the case. Well, they party pretty good that night. I happen to be the third goalie of that. I was a third goalie twice for their four cups. you don't get your name on the cup or anything. You don't get a ring because you're the third guy. But I had that unique opportunity.

Now, part of that story is right is, yeah, they did have ice bags all over, but they got at it pretty good later on. And I will tell you this. That was another lesson that Islander Team taught me when I made them in 83. I was so shocked by how beaten up they were after every game. And everybody's getting treatments or ice or, you know, Kenny Morrow. his knee was, I don't know, about this swollen after every game. And I think it was something like every two weeks or something like that,

he had to get his knee drained. And I'm just saying he's limping like crazy, all the guys. It was just a, it was something I had never witnessed before because I was a young guy. I was only 22 when I made that team and very, very healthy. I had no significant injuries whatsoever. And to see those guys and the abuse that they had put, their bodies under and nobody complained. Nobody complained. They just, they just played. And it was expected. And so, you know, when I started playing for a length of time, then I, that was, you know,

how I just played. I never complained. It was, I never wanted to go into the training room. That was not a good place. I'll tell you a funny story, at least to me. I did a TV project a number of years ago, quite a few years ago. I don't want to name it because if somebody was a part of it back then. I don't want to sound like I'm cruel to them, but there are guys trying to make, get a break. And I remember the first day or two, I'm there and I go in the training room and the room's full of these guys. And I'm thinking, they don't understand. This is not the room. This is not the goal to be in this room after a practice. This is the last place you want to be. You want to show that you're determined to fight through all the little nagging injuries and all

the things that are affecting your body. And that's one of the reasons why I knew I was on the downside of my career because I believe I, after my up until my 12th year, I believe, I don't think I was often in the training room. I just, my body was able to hold up. And finally, in my last three years, it seemed like I just couldn't get out of the training room. I was always getting treatment for something. And like I said, my ankle was a mess and I had bad shoulders and oh, everything was just breaking down. So I knew the end was kind of coming at that point. You know another thing that stuck out to me about your time with the Islanders, a lesson that I've I think when you watch sports and you listen to players talk to the media,

especially in the playoffs, but never antagonizing the other team into giving him any fuel. And I think you had a story in the book about Al pulling the bus over after a game one win. I think it was in the fourth year of winning the cup and what he did with the bus driver getting him off. Maybe he could talk a little bit about that.

Yeah. Yeah, well, there are two cases Al really got after us on the bus. So the one I mentioned in the book was we were in Winnipeg and it was just after the holiday season. I believe it might have been December 30th. We were in Winnipeg and we lost in overtime to Winnipeg. And keep in mind that year, Winnipeg, they were a good team.

Like Howard Chuck was on the team, Paul McLean, they were an excellent team. We lost three, two or four three. I thought it was not a bad game. Anyways, we're going back to the hotel because the next thing we're going to play in Minnesota. against the North Stars. And they also had a good team. And we get to the hotel.

Al kicks the media off the bus, kicks the trainers off the bus, tells the bus driver to just take a step off the bus. Then he comes down the aisle, and he's pointing at every guy. And again, I won't say the same words, but it's the same word that I met the other story. And he goes, don't you ever embarrass me like that again?

and he looked at all of us. I was like, oh my gosh. Al thought that our effort was so poor that he, and he didn't light into us like that very often, but when he did, you knew he meant it. So anyways, we go to many of the next night against, like I said, a really good team. And I've forgotten the score,

but it's something like 9-1. Like we steamrolled him. And Al did that another time. We lost in New York City to our rivals, the Rangers, We bused back to Long Island and we're all parked at the Nassau Coliseum just before we get off the bus in a nice measured tone. Again, Al had the bus driver leave and stuff and he comes, stands at the front of the bus and said, all right, I didn't like your work ethic tonight. So you're going to have a good long day at work tomorrow, just like your parents. You know, your parents are hardworking and they go to work in the morning.

they put in a good eight-hour shift, sometimes a little bit more. And so be prepared. That's what you're going to do tomorrow morning. So be at the rink at 6 a.m. And don't be or don't think you're going to leave until about five. And so we'd go there and we'd have video sessions, we'd have practice, we'd have one-on-one meetings. And ultimately he would let us go home a little bit earlier.

But the message was sent that just because you're a pro athlete and you're usually at the rink for three, three and a half hours, that's not how most people work. Most people don't work just three hours a day. So there's a message that I really loved also. Find Al very fascinating because as stern as he could be, he did it in a way that any player I think can respect, right? Even just asking the bus driver to leave the bus for a few minutes, right? It's a very courteous thing to do, right?

And you can see measured in it. He's not mad. I mean, probably is mad, but I mean, he asked the guy, most, you know, I think we've all had the coach. where he lets you have it and he doesn't care who hears. That's a very measured approach when you're like, excuse me, get you hop off the bus for five minutes.

I got to give the boys a shit kicking for a couple. Yeah, right, exactly. And so I think that connection that Al always made between our parents and our livelihood, I think that's what all of us really admired and respected, because that's an easy connection, right? If you go back to your childhood and most of us grow up with really hardworking families

and, you know, mom and dad and just really grounded. And so when you hear that coming from an NHL legend like Al, like Al won, most people don't remember this, but Al won eight Stanley Cups, four as a player and four as a coach. So he knew winning. I mean, and Al was really respected. I can tell you, whenever I ran into Scotty Bowman in my broadcasting career, he always gave me an update about Al and his health and his wife, Claire.

and so it was just really cool that people like Scotty Bowman just admired the shit out of Al. Well, I keep glancing at the time because I got lots of questions rolling. And I got it. We got to get to the L.A. Kings because I love your time in New York. It was, you know, you can tell even when you talk about it, Kelly, it brings back such good and fond memories for you. Yeah, yeah. But you get traded to the L.A. Kings. I'm sure that came as a shock.

You're walking into, I mean, going to L.A., and that's Hollywood, right? You got Wayne Gretzzi, you got the greatest player to possibly ever play the game, and there's arguments to be made sure, but you're going to showtime. You're going to, you know,

you're going to the show, and you got Wayne Gretzky stepping on the ice every single night with you. What was L.A. like? It was cool. especially coming from the New York Islanders where you'd won so many, you know, seen them win four cups, gone to a fifth, been this team that it was surrounded by absolute legendary players who had a structure to...

Yeah, I, you know, in New York I met a few celebrities, but not many, but that was different in L.A. as an example, I had known Wayne from the 87 Canada Cup. So that was my first experience playing on a team with Wayne. And then when I was traded in February of 89, it was just shocking world. So the first day I get to Los Angeles, we're playing at home against Washington, but I get in late. I don't even get to Los Angeles. So about 8 o'clock at night, I'm picked up by one of the office staff,

taken over to the Great Western Forum and Inglewood to meet my new teammates. and the night didn't go well for our team. But anyways, after the game, I'm saying hi to everybody. And then Wayne says, hey, do you have a couple of minutes? Let's go have a beer and just chat. So he gets dressed into his regular clothes. And I go out in this other room. And it's Wayne and I and Pat Sejack.

And he was dating a girl by the name of Gina Brown. I think they ended up getting married. but the four of us sat around for, I don't know, an hour and a half just drinking beers and talking. And I'm thinking, Pat Sejack, my gosh, you know, this is pretty cool, right? And a big hockey fan. And that's what it was like in L.A. You know, when you're playing on a team with Gretzky in particular in L.A., everybody comes through that room and you, it's just weird.

That's all I can say, because you never think growing up in West Edmonton that you're going to have a chance to meet. at that time, basically all the biggest stars in Hollywood. How was preparing, you know, you talk about watching how the Islanders prepared and like detailing it and like what time they show up and how they're getting ready and everything like that to being in the L.A. room and you got guys like John Candy and Kurt Russell and John McRoe and Bo Jackson and Sylvester Cologne and like was your pregame? just hooped or were you just like, yeah, this is kind of the new norm? It was a new norm. And that's why I've always said that that was actually a hard place to play. And you had to be an incredibly

focused athlete to play on the Kings during that Gretzky time. Because I saw a lot of guys that were really good players, but just couldn't really adjust to that lifestyle. And also, you know, they're not only that, but certain things like there's all the theme parks. can go to on a day off, take your kids, the beaches, all the different things that, or you can play golf. I mean, I had to restrict myself. Like, I only golfed, I think I'd only allow myself golfing two times a year because I just thought that it would interrupt my focus. I'm so proud of myself, Don and I went to a party, a birthday party at John McEnroe's place in Malibu, but we played the next day. And I always thought of this. It was a really cool party. Maybe only 12 people.

There's Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Willis, gosh, Eddie Van Halen, his brother, Alex Van Halen. And Kelly Rudy. What's that? Valerie Burton. And Kelly Rudy. And Kelly Rudy and my wife. There's some others, very small, like you said, a bunch of tennis players, John's friends. and we had curfew that night because we played the next day, and I was so proud of myself because I made sure that I got home for curfew. And I was more proud because Tony Grinado scored in overtime. We beat Pittsburgh 2-1, and I was like, you did the right thing, Kelly. You know, that would have been cool to stay at the party all night,

but it would have been irresponsible because the L.A. Kings were paying me money to be a top goalie. And how dare I not recognize that? Well, I think it's evident in your story how a level-headed maybe would be the correct term. You are your entire career, maybe grounded is a better word. You speak to your wife. I mean, you met her in Medicine, Hadd. I think how many years you've been together now, Kelly?

36 years. We celebrated our 36 year of marriage, June 30th. We were together four years before that. So we're 40 years. We've known each other and been dating and all that. So it's pretty cool. I find I admire that a lot. To have the level of success that you did and continue to do.

I mean, with hockey night and Canada and everything else in your career, and the amount of work you put in and still find a way to make, you know, it's pretty evident to me, your relationship work and see how important your kids are to missed the start of hockey and not even blink an eye, you know, August 1st, daughters what, right? Like that's pretty cool. Hey, Sean, my favorite story in the book is the most real about our relationship, right? So I was young, I'm going to say ballpark 29 or 30,

not really grasping this whole sort of being popular and living in L.A. And life changes. And I wasn't treating the fans with as much. respect as I should have during the short period of my life. And so one night, excuse me, we come out after a game and there's some people waiting and I must have been way too short with them and we get back to the car. And before I can even put my key in the ignition, Donna says to me, she looks right at me and says, that's enough of that. You're going to go back to being the good guy you were from Edmonton. That put me in my place really quickly and it was the right thing to do.

and I can assure people from that point forward, I have never, ever been short with people or dismissive or anything. I needed somebody to tell me that, and she was smart enough and brave enough to do it, because I don't think some people get that same sort of calling out when they need to. That's a pretty cool story to have your partner keep you grounded, essentially. Yeah, I know, right? Starting goalie on the L.A. Kings, and he goes to his card for a segment. He gets hacked from his wife.

I think that's pretty cool. Before we go on our final segment, I got to ask a couple of Drexky questions because there was some cool things you talk about. It's the first time I ever heard, and maybe I just, Amy, fans and we'll know this saying a lot, but you always talk about his silver dollar eyes. Gretzky sitting on the bench and his being in the moment. What was that? Atabal. Yeah. First of all, it started, I noticed it most in the dressing room to start a game. And then it would ramp up after that. So Wayne liked to come into the dressing room.

I'm going to say ballpark about 20 minutes before the start of warm up. He had his own routine like we all do. But he was fascinating because I had never played with a guy that would break down the upcoming schedule or tonight's action as well as Wayne. And I don't use this lightly. Only he and Ron McLean are the two people that I've ever met that I have a photographic memory. So I suppose it's a blessing, but I think it might be a curse. And sometimes you might overthink when you have a brain that works in that way.

But so Wayne would come in, sit down, and I used to love this because he's had about three stalls away from me. And I look over and I could see the brain working. And he'd go, okay, just I'm going to make this up. but it's a, this game tonight against Calgary is really important because Edmonton's in New York tonight. They're on the island tomorrow. I think they're going to split those games. Then they're in Boston on Wednesday. Boston's a good team, but I think Edmonton's going to win that one. And then you go, and Vancouver's in this city, and it break down everybody's schedule where they're playing maybe that night or the upcoming week. And he was pretty darn accurate in

in breaking it down. And so, and then you'd get into the actual game. And I didn't get to see it as often when I'm playing because I'm focused on my own job. But if I were the backup and I'd watch him and you look at his eyes and they are watching everything about the game. He knew everything. He knew everybody's qualities and everybody's weaknesses on our team and the other team. And if you just look at replays, when he's on the bench and he's ready to jump over, his eyes get to be about this big and his brain's already working about how he's going to think the game and what he might do next. And it was just fascinating to see. Now, like I said, in our previous talk, I played with great players that were all incredibly focused, but there was something unique

about Wayne and those eyes, just how he picked up little nuances about the game and the players and the referees, everything about it. He just knew everything. It's, Well, he just wasn't, you know, there's players like, I think of the reason, I think Eric Lindross pops right to mind. Like, they're just big, larger than life and bully people around. When you look at Wayne, he's not, I mean, he's not five foot two, but I mean, he's not an imposing guy. And yet, when you watch the highlights of him and how he saw the ice and how he made the most use at everybody on the ice, it is mesmerizing. Like it's unbelievable to watch. 100%.

And I've said this when I'm asked about, is it Gretzky or Lemieux the best that I ever played against or maybe best of all time? And I say this nicely. I think Mario had a tiny bit more talent, just a tiny, but Wayne used everybody else on the ice better. He saw the ice better. And, you know, it was interesting because Wayne, you know,

he had, I've heard people say, you know, he wasn't the best skater and didn't have, the hardest shot. And I disagree. I mean, I was lucky to play against them for a lot of years and practice with them for eight years when we were teammates. And I never saw him lose a puck race. And, you know, also, like, he maybe didn't have a shot like Alan McKinnis or Brett Hall. But what he did have, he had the most deceptive release I've ever come across. And even after playing with him for eight years in practice, I still couldn't figure out his release, in particular on his slap shot. He had this funky little thing. He had kind of an open

blade on his stick, and he had positioned the puck kind of where everybody else did, but just at the last second, he had kind of opened it up just a little bit more, and the puck had come off oftentimes, if that's what he wanted, just the toe, the stick, and it would fool your eyes. Like, go back to that goal that he scores on Michael. Vernon in overtime. I believe that's 1986 when he was still with the oilers, Wayne. And you look at the reaction by Mike Vernon, who I think should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame is a great goalie. But he completely fools Mike and Mike barely even moves. And that's what Wayne had yet, these subtle little things he did. Now, if I were to talk about game seven in

1993, Maple Leaf Gardens, when Wayne scores a hat trick and he says it's the best game he ever played, I might have to argue. I mean, it was a fantastic game, but I mean, how do you pick that game other than the other 1,500 amazing games you play? But so if you look at the three goals he scored, so the first goal, we're short-handed. He and Marty McSorley have a two-on-one one break. I believe Dmitri Miranov was the defenseman for Toronto and Felix Potten was the goal tenor. So, Wayne, I thought, near the last.

second. Remember, I'm 200 feet down at the other end. I'm watching this whole thing develop. There's given goal a couple times. Wayne at what I thought was last second, feathers a beautiful pass onto the stick of McSorley. Potman's kind of coming across, but I'm thinking Marty just roof this and it's a sure goal. Much to my surprise, I think everybody's in the building. Miranov didn't pick up on it. Marty slid the puck back to Wayne and it's off his back foot. So Wayne's stick is out front. The puck can't get to a six. So somehow, I don't know how he ever did it. He makes the adjustment with his feet with skate blades and somehow nudges the puck up to a skate or a stick,

taps it in. That's his first goal. The second goal in the second period was a thing of beauty because it's one of the most subtle plays I've ever seen a player make. So Kent Manderbill, I believe, is a defensive centerman on Wayne. And I can't recall who on our team, maybe Thomas Sandstrom, shovels the puck out into the high. high slot and Wayne somehow doesn't go for the puck. He just adjusts his body. It's beautiful. And Manderville is completely surprised by it. Had no idea. Wayne gets a puck's slapper on Felix Potvin. And then the last goal was a, I do say this is lucky. I've heard people say that Wayne knew that he's going to, when he is behind the net, that he was going to throw it in front off the

skate of Dave Litt and give us a five, three lead with about two and a half minutes ago. But, I mean, lucky or great players get lucky as well like that in those kind of situations but man alive he he thought the game differently than anybody wow and that's evident in his career just you watch any of the highlights specifically in his probably first 10 to 15 years or 12 years somewhere in that range now probably 15 like i mean he was just absolutely ahead of everyone on the ice you just it's crazy to watch some of the highlights. It's just absolutely crazy. I've got to share another story with you. My second last year, I believe, I'm playing now for San Jose. I finish off my career two years in San Jose. We're in New York City. Wayne's now

playing for the Rangers. It's the second period. And once again, keep in mind, I played with Wayne for eight years. So I know a lot of his tendencies. And I have a, I thought, a really good idea what to expect in most situations. So, Second period, I believe the Rangers might have been on the power play. And Wayne's in the corner to my left, just above the goal line. Okay, that's important. So now his stick, a left-handed shooting player, the puck is probably four feet in front of the goal line. The left-handed, or left-defendman is Brian Leach.

Great, talented defenseman, left-handed shooting. And I'm watching Wayne, but out of the corner of my eye, I glance over, and I say, see Brian Leach and now he's trying to sneak in back door. And I'm all over and I'm thinking, okay, I know Wayne. He's going to feather this beautiful pass right onto the tape of Brian Leach and it's going to be a tap in goal. I'm all over it. So I'm waiting and waiting and waiting.

I see Wayne with that opens up the blade so it appears as though it's a pass. And here comes Brian Leach. I start to move over. Wayne quickly cups his stick over the puck. Rouss it short hand on me and I was like, God, you got to be kidding me. Of all guys, how can I fall for that? I don't know if I saw that very often from Wayne, but he just knew the way my mind thinks, right? He knew that for me, it was really, really important for me to read a play. And he knew that. It's crazy. Did you ever sit down with Wayne and just be like, all right, let's hear your playbook on Kelly Rudy.

I know you got one. What is it? I never have. That would be a great conversation over a couple of years. By the way, it was funny. I think I sent out an Instagram messenger tweet about two weeks ago. My wife Don and I went for a walk with our middle daughter, Megan, and her fiancé Paul, and it was way too long. It turned out to be like 15 miles or longer.

Oh, my gosh. And I was so dehydrated. I got home. and I tweeted a thing about this big cold Grohl spear, and it was ice cold. And I said I was too tired to even drink it, but then I said, I'm something, but I'm a committed guy, so I'll drink it anyways. And Wayne must, well, Wayne watched the video. He sent me a text.

I'm like, that beer looked delicious. So cute, right? Awesome. No, it's cool that your friendships have stayed that tight over time. Yeah, it's funny for all of us, you know, whenever we see each other and, you know, we maybe don't text all that often because we're all busy and we have lives and stuff, but we still try and keep in touch it. And whenever we see each other, hopefully there's time to have a beer and reconnect and stuff. So it's, I'm a fortunate guy to have all these relationships in my life. And it's really cool, really cool.

You know, before we started this, you said, you think you got enough material? girl for an hour? Do you think you can go that long? I laughed. The listeners won't hear it, but I laughed. I'm like, oh, we got enough. But I want to go to the crewmaster final five because I could probably keep you here for four hours. And I, unless you want to keep going, I want to sit here and say, I will keep going, because I love this. And if you have all the time in the world, we can keep talking. I'm not going to cut you off. Like I say, I got tons of things I want to ask about. But at the same time, I respect your time. So if you've got things to go do, Kelly, I completely get it. It's up to you.

I'm going to make a deal with you because I'm having a great time as well. We're going to do the last five and finish it off. But when the NHL hands out, Stanley Cup, hopefully October 2nd, I believe that's their last possible date. And they won't start up again until maybe late November or early December. You contact me again and I'll spend another hour with you. How's that sound? I'm having a great time.

Well, and folks, by an hour, he means another hour and a half because we know how this goes. Well, that's awesome. I will hold you to that. I'll put it in my calendar tonight. So the Crude Master Final Five, a huge shout out to Heath and Tracing McDonald. They're sponsors of the podcast at the very beginning. It's five quick questions or long questions as long as you want to go. Now, you had the nickname Tunes, which not many people know. You're right. And basically, you're a guy who's into music.

So what I want to know is back when you were on your road to the stand. Stanley Cup finals with the LA Kings back in 93. What was your go-to music back then, or can you remember? Oh, yeah. It would have been Springsteen. And then anything, the Eagles, but Springsteen for sure, I remember Paul Coffey was a massive fan of Springsteen's, and he was on our team earlier that year, played it all the time. Fortunate enough to have gone to see Springsteen a number of times. Same with the Eagles. We're lucky Don and I, um, 94 when the hell freezes over to her, the Eagles, they came back at a place called the Irvine Amphitheater about, so depending on traffic, but two hours south of L.A. And we went to opening night and the third night. They played four

consecutive shows in Irvine. And so we went to that. But music has been a big part of my life. I'm surprised you knew my true nickname. Most people think because I had Hollywood painted on one of my L.A. Mass, that was my nickname. It never was. Most guys called me Roots, but Brent Sutter and Wayne Gretzky still to this day call me tunes. They know. So I got a Springsteen suite. Well, actually, Eagles is sweet too.

I'm a music guy. Before I got in here, I don't know about yourself, but what I love about the media side of things is it gives me the same feeling I used to get before hockey games. I get kind of like a nervous energy. And then once you get into it, there's a flow to it that's just lovely and it gives me the same kind of high. So before I hopped on with you, I had, are you ready by ACDC going? I was I was, I was brought myself up because I was kind of in my head before we got going. So I kind of had to to set the mood, sorry, kind of the speak. What is one of the, what is one of the music or songs or artists that you don't tell people you listen to but you enjoy?

Probably country. I'm really into maybe because I moved here to Calgary, but oftentimes if Donna goes up to bed and I'll go on YouTube and I'm going through music, I'll sort of at some point navigate towards some country artists, males and females. I just love the female voice. And there's something about it that the tone that really strikes me. And that, you know, when you were talking about how you get pumped up, there's something about a ballad from a female that really, really resonates with me.

It just, to me, it sounds more heartfelt. Maybe it isn't, but to me it is. And their message, about love and so on. I really, that really gets me going, especially with a glass of red wine. You do enjoy your, you know what we should do? When the Stanley Cup files is over,

what we should do is I should come down to Calgary and do it face-to-face. It'd be better in studio than it would be across Zoom, but we'll get to that later. Now, if you could sit down, if Kelly Rudy could have anyone to do this with, could sit across and pick somebody's brain about some stories, life lessons, etc. Who would you want? Well, I'm going to sound like a braggart, but this is true.

So I've been fortunate enough to interview three former presidents. So I've had that unique situation. I've interviewed world famous athletes, one of which was Lance Armstrong. So I recognize I'm spoiled and so I've had a chance, but I would think that to me, Winston Churchill would be a guy that I would really like to have had a chance to pick his brain about what he's gone through. Muhammad Ali for all the things that he had to go through and how he tried to change. and I you know this whole George Floyd thing has really made a lot of us self-reflect and so that really hurt a lot of us but Muhammad Ali now that I'm doing a lot of research and what I need to know and learn I remembered him but I was a kid right so I didn't really know what he was

trying to do in terms of social social justice and the racism that he went through So that would be amazing to have had a chance to sit with him and learn about the world. And yeah, those two, I'm going to go with. And I was fascinated by George W. Bush and Bill Clinton when I interviewed them. Different people, different souls. But just understanding about different things that I really appreciated. You know, if you could sit down across from Muhammad Ali tomorrow. Do you have a question you think you'd want to ask them?

Yeah. Yeah, like what you go through? he talks about being a black person and all the injustices that he went through. And I have to admit, I was so naive. I'm ashamed of myself at times that I had no idea what it was like for black people, Muhammad Ali, and I just didn't know it existed. I would have watched some things on the news that would have been uncomfortable to me, but this whole last month or so it's been good my kids have taught me a lot they you know we sit down

and and we talk about black lives matter and other things that are really important so we're not just a hockey family or I'm not just a hockey guy you know I try and learn and I'm 59 soon to be 60 I still got a lot of learning to do and I'm okay with that I don't think there's anything wrong with well actually not anything wrong I think everyone should continue to learn yes right never stop, which brings me to my next question, which I know reading is one of your hobbies. I find it very fascinating that you read every day and read a lot. So what is your one book that you can recommend? And then what is one book you're reading currently? Just give me a second here. I have a book right here that, you know, first of all, living in Western Canada most of my life, I love

our history. And so I love the books about all the early explorers and their journeys and challenges and what Western Canada was like when they first came over here and trying to navigate. In fact, yesterday my wife and I were golfing and were coming along the foothills and we were talking about the explorers. How ironic we're having this conversation about what would it be like to look at those mountains and go for the first time and see them go, oh my gosh, what do we getting into and what are the challenges but I'm gonna just move this for a sec because I've got a couple books here that uh I think okay it's been moved but anyways here's a guy that I've gotten to know his name is John Marriott and he's

an amazing photographer based out of Canmore and he's got a number of books And so a lot of them are about the wildlife here in Western Canada and Northern Canada, but he does travel the world. And so John and I became friends or got to know each other in 1998. I had retired and I was going grizzly bear spotting on the highway, Highway 40 in Canaanastas. And I went up to Highwood Pass back and forth. and he and I ended up having a same passion. Now, he's a world-class photographer. I just really respect the animals that we have and so on in Western Canada.

So he and I sort of struck up a friendship. In fact, his latest book that came out about a year ago, I wrote the forward, and I know most people would think that's the oddest thing. How does a world-respected wildlife photographer have an old hockey guy write the forward. But, you know, it's amazing. Our friendship is based on a lot of the same things that we grew up on. And he would get, he would go to the mountains as a young kid. And that was the only holiday. My mom and my mom and dad could afford to take my brother or not. So I fell in love with the Rockies and I passed on that gift to my three daughters because they're in the same way. They love going to the mountains. And in fact, I don't think I shared this story in the book, but I do on most podcasts. I've had a great life based around the game of hockey, but my goal in life was to be a park ward in Banff or Jasper or Lake Louise, Yoho, Hart Cootney, one of those.

And unfortunately, this dumb game of hockey got in the way. Worked out pretty well for you. Right? It did. If you were on a road trip, you're, you know, you guys are, go back to your playing days wherever you want. You're going into, it doesn't matter, St. Louis, wherever you want. Who would you want to have as a roommate for the night? I think I had my own room my entire career, but I think Wayne again. I'd just like to see his

habits like that and just sit there laying bed with your hands behind your head on the pillow and just chat about what's going. And just soak it in. Right? I think it'd be cool because it was just he had just such a remarkable life that unlike, anything anybody I would know I suppose real true Hollywood celebrities would have it I'll give you an example one of our last years together Giorgio Armani I believe was a big fan of Waynes and so he had this beautiful boutique on Rodeo Drive and and he closed down his shot for us one night and we had a private fashion show so

I suspect 10 of the most gorgeous women in the world and 10 of the most gorgeous men modeling the clothes, the women's wear and the men's wear. And I don't think that would happen to many people that he would close down a shot for Wayne Gretzky in the L.A. Kings. And so, you know, we had drinks and we were leaving with bags full of free clothes and stuff. It was just, so to go into that, I'd just like to quiz Wayne, like, what else happens in your life than none of us ever get to experience. I'm sure even though I've been around them for a lot of years, I'd be surprised. I can almost 100% be positive. That'd be true. I'm sure you'd be surprised.

Well, here's your, here's your final one. What is the best piece of advice you can lay on me about the media business? Oh, easy. Be authentic. So I always say the camera can spot a phony and you're not a phony. You are authentic, my friend. So you're just natural. And you ask real questions. You go up the flow. You don't have a script per se that if I were to say something that you would find interesting, sometimes with inexperienced people, they don't react to the answer. They just go right to their next question. They have written down. And I think it's really great to be like a Ron McLean or a David Amber. And there are many of them that I work with that they understand the fact that a conversation and interview is fluid.

So it goes from, you know, you have your questions and your structure, but you can deviate from that. And maybe you get back to your questioning, but maybe you don't. But yeah, I've always said to be authentic, and I've always tried to remain true to myself. I talked to this one guy that I love in Toronto that, you know, many people that I work with, I respect dearly and I love them. but one guy that just has a different take on life than I do,

and I've really learned to Justin, his name is Shrelli Najak, and we have really interesting conversations, like really deep, and we talk about how much we miss each other and love each other and so on. He always reminds me that when you're coming or getting to a point, whether you're asking a question or answering a question, it can come from only one of two places in your heart. You either have a red heart, which is about love and respect and support and so on, or a black heart, which is hate. And, you know, I always choose to usually, other than a couple times in my life, it's been all about a red heart.

And I love sharing that story. That's pretty cool. I appreciate the compliment as well. That's high praise because, I mean, yourself, you've had a very, very good career and hopefully you got many more years coming. Yeah, I appreciate that. And thanks for inviting me on. We'll do this again, like I said, and this was really fun. Really great sharing all my memories and so on.

You did a wonderful job. Well, I appreciate you coming on, Kelly. Thanks, Sean. 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. Hey, folks. I hope you enjoyed that one. I certainly did. You could probably hear that. Kelly was super cool, super easy to talk to,

and I thought he had a lot of good stories to share and just a cool individual. Now, the reason you're all still probably sitting here is you're going, We are less than like 48 hours away from episode 100 being released. I've been giving you clues. I was looking back. Here's what I've given you. He's Canadian. He's written a book.

He's married. Has been to Lloyd Minster. Building the building when the Stanley Cup has been handed out. Lives in Canada. Been on a national broadcast. He's been in every NHL rank. He was to the 2010 Winter Olympics, 2014 Winter Olympics. then I gave a shout out to Ken and Jen Rutherford, doesn't wear glasses,

and you're going, some people have an idea. And the anticipation, the amount of people are just like, come on, we got 48 hours, let's just blurt it out and get to it. But you know me, I can't do that. We've got to have a little bit of fun, 48 hours. When was the last time you sat on pins and needles like this, wondering who the heck was coming up? So here's your hint for this week, all right?

I laugh. because I just, I'm going to give you, he's got, he's got all his teeth. How's that? He's got all of his teeth. He's not a guy like me with a toothless grin. Now, if you want to enter, first off, a shout out to Sandy Beach Golf course. They're giving me, whoever wins the draw, four people, two cards for Round of Golf. Shout out to factory sports.

They're tossing a $200 gift card. And all you got to do to enter the draw is head to social media. tag the podcast and the hashtag who's 100 with your guess for 100 for each post whether it's on facebook twitter instagram snapchat go to the website and shoot me an email with your guest text i don't i don't care you get an entry into the draw and uh essentially i'll pull the the winning uh name will come i said it's going to come at the end of the 100 but uh i'm actually recording 100 right now so i'm not going to know that until later so we'll pull that uh we'll pull the winner at the end of 101.

How's that? That'll be the Monday following the 100th episode. So I'm having fun, guys. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. And we will catch you at next episode. And until then.