Spittin Chiclets - Spittin' Chiclets Episode 175: Featuring Brendan Walsh

Episode Date: May 13, 2019

On Monday's episode of Spittin' Chiclets the guys are joined by a Boston legend, Brendan Walsh. Walshy joins to talk about his pro career, his time at BU, his time at Maine and some of the craziest stories we've heard on the podcast. The guys also break down both conference finals series and give their thoughts on some recent NHL news. The boys also touch on Mother's Day and how they spent the day.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/schiclets

Hey, Spittin' Chicklets listeners, you can find every episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Thank you. Hello, everybody. Welcome to episode 175 of Spit and Chip. It's presented by New Amp the Damn Vodka. Boys, we're on the throes of the semifinals here. Things are heating up. Let's go to our boys and say hello. Biz Nasty, you look like you had a fun time this weekend.

What's going on, brother? Yeah, I've been on a bit of a heater, boys. I got to go back to Arizona soon and decompress. But got to vancouver this week did a little work with mcdonald's as i mentioned on that wednesday pod and uh since then i've just been partying i didn't even go to sleep on friday night just rolled it right into saturday and i was hanging out with some boys we were uh cranking pretty hard uh my friends opened up a new hotel in Vancouver, so I've been staying there. Hotel Belmont, beautiful spot. Workbench.

Just an absolute workbench. Well, at least last night, not the night before because I was on a heater. Funny story. So after that Thursday podcast drop, Scotty Upshaw linked me in a text because one of his friends who's high up at Lululemon, Eric Peterson, he reached out to Scotty saying, yo, we got to get Biz some new underwear, because he fucking put a hole through his old ones.

So sure as shit, I go to the Lululemon store. They decked me out with some ginch and a few other things. And then he ended up taking me on a tour of their whole Lululemon facility, which was fascinating, like the type of shit that they got going on in order to develop a new style of clothing. And then just, boys, it's just been a crazy week. So I'm looking forward to recording this, getting some sleep. And happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there.

I know this is going to come out on Monday. And another cool thing, boys, I went to one of my favorite bars here, The Local. When was that? On Saturday. I can't even put the days together right now. And sure as shit, the bartender sent over a full round of Pink Whitney. So shout out to our sponsor.

How are you? Nice. Sounding good. Next up, our producer Mikey Grinelli down in Manhattan. What's going on there, brother? What's up, boys? It's a great day to be a Bruins fan. I'll just leave it at that. Great day. Yeah, we'll be getting to that in a little bit. And last but not least, buddy, Ryan Whitney.

What's going on, wit dog? What up, everyone? How are you? It feels like we haven't chatted in a while. I don't know why that is. Crazy time. We're down to two series here. So we're full tilt into both of these things.

We're going to start off with St. Louis San Jose. I also want to mention we have a special interview today. Brendan Walsh is from Boston. I think people are going to love it. It was his first time on Spitting Chicklets, and I'll tell you from knowing him, he has seven more episodes full of stories. So I think people are really going to enjoy it and have a lot of fun listening to that one. And last but not least, R.A., I know you're going to let everyone know, but I want to say congratulations on your move to full-time Barstool employee. Couple clicks for the boy.

And for everyone that doesn't know, RA has been a big part of Barstool. I think everyone realizes that for a long time now. Blogging, brewing stories, doing the, you were the death notice guy. What are those called?

Obituaries. Obituary. Obituary guy. How are you, Whit? And you know, you've the death notice guy. What are those called? Obituaries. Obituary, you know, obituary guy. How are you, Whit? And, you know, you've done a great job. We met. You've always been a big fan, and I really am truly very happy for you and being honest when I say you deserve it. And it's about time you're a full-time part of Barstool.

Well, thanks a lot. I really appreciate that, pal. Yeah, it's been a long time coming. I've hung on for a bit. I'm glad I did. And I know a lot of people probably thought I was full-time or in some capacity with Boston, but I'm officially joined full-time. Obviously, Chicklets is the priority.

That's the main thing I'm going to be doing. But I will be getting back to blogging quite a bit more. I obviously have a lot more time to do it. So, all in writer, R.A.? I won't be exhausted. So, I'll have that juice, the creativity that I used to have when you're working 45, 50 hours a week at another job. It kind of saps you a little bit, but I won't have that juice the creativity that i used to have when you're working 45 50 hours a week at another job it kind of saps you a little bit but i won't have that issue anymore also be doing some content going down the office probably filling the radio just a little bit of a

jack jack of all trades thing so i'm psyched swiss army knife yeah a little a little bit so so everyone listening at home r.a he did a full-time job he was grinding working nights now any fuck-ups now, R.A.? The people are coming for you. There's no excuses anymore, bud. You're going to be prepared and ready to rock and roll. I know you will, but like I said, happy for you. So let's get into some crazy hockey games that we've been watching, fellas.

Absolutely. We're down to four teams in game one of the Western Conference Final in San Jose. Dude, Logan Couture picked up right where he left off in the second round. He got two goals and an assist to lead the Sharks to a 6-3 pounding of the Blues as they grabbed the 1-0 series lead. We actually had a game until about halfway through. Rhino Riley made it 3-2. But then Timo Meier, Forsberg, Jordan Bennington, a minute later,

he got another goal, made it 5-2. It looked like that was going to be lights out. The Blues got a little bit of life. They made it a 5-3 game. What's his face? Barube pulled the goalie with 440 left, but they couldn't ever get that other goal, and basically Couture got an empty net, and that was it.

Biz, we were happy to see this game, and if you did, did you remember it? Yeah, I caught a bit of it. Most of the time. There's a couple guys out there. I met their ex-girlfriends in Vancouver. I ended up whacking them, so I was sort of involved in the game. But I was a little disappointed that St. Louis didn't win this game. I think even on the gambling corner on Thursday,

I would have picked them to win that first game at the tank. Or I said that they're going to split, and they need to split. If they don't, they're fucking toast. But I'm just overly impressed by the depth and the guys pulling the rope in, in San Jose and every, like every few years are able to like draft players and reload and just add to that land lineup.

Like, I mean, we keep talking about Kevin, the bank, he's now got fucking four goals that Timo Meyer has been a fucking horse. Like I played, I played against this kid in the AHL and I think he had 30 tucks in my last

year. Remember I told you the last game, the story of the ACL? He was playing for the Barracuda, so we would see them like eight times a year, maybe even more. You knew he was going to be a stud, but he's just elevated his game even more so in playoffs. He's got five goals now.

And then, I mean, fuck Logan Couture. I mean, we keep stroking the shit out of this guy, but 11 goals. This guy, I mean, yeah, he's one of the greatest playoff performers of all time. Listen, we said going into this series that nobody had a clue who was going to win. We all took St. Louis, but I think it was out in the open that it's a very close series. The other night didn't look that way, and it was funny because I was reading up on some stats, stat guy, going into this series, and one of the things that kind of jumped out at me was that,

like, historically, you look at teams that go to seventh game, first and second round, it's tough. Well, teams that play seven-game series that in the first two rounds, they end up going two and nine in the conference finals since the 1987 playoffs. Wow, that's interesting. So since, in 87, they went to every round being best of seven. And since then, the teams that have gone to, you know, seven games in the first two rounds have done really poorly in the Western Conference Finals.

So maybe over time that can end up catching up. But still, the St. Louis Blues went to six in game one, a series one against Winnipeg, and then they go to seven double overtime against Dallas. So they're by no means that much more rested, but still San Jose came out flying. And you look into some deeper things with St. Louis, really haven't struggled in San Jose.

I think that's their fourth straight loss there. The Sharks at home, I mean, they're now seven and two in the playoffs at home. They got 37 goals in those nine games. So it's just a really tough place to play. That was proved on Saturday night. I don't think that, you know, St. Louis is panicking by any means. They seem like the team that has dealt with losing a game on the road all season and getting that huge win the next time. You saw it in Dallas. So I think that they have to get the split, even though the old saying, you know, a series doesn't start until the home team loses. But still, I don't see them going back down 2-0

and being able to beat San Jose four of five games. So it turns into just an enormous game for them on Monday night. And I really wasn't surprised to see Couture. We've talked about him. Timo Meier, just the whole drafting that San Jose's done. And Doug Wilson, I mean, how long have they been good? It's like this guy's out there just making moves, making things happen, continually drafting solid players at weird draft spots.

I mean, you're getting guys in the third, fourth, fifth round that end up making an enormous impact. That's what it takes to be a successful franchise for a long time in the league. I don't think St. Louis is in a ton of trouble, but they're going to need some more from their best players. And Binnington had an off night. That's bound to happen.

But game two should be intense. And, Ari, before I throw it over to you, so both teams in this series have gone seven games in the first two rounds. No, game six in, I think, St. Louis won in six against Winnipeg. Oh, that's right. That's right. I said that last episode. I thought that that was seven games.

Because it seemed like they would. I'm going to lay off the pen, boys. All right, what do you got on this series? Come on, buddy. Well, to jump on what Wichita said, the old series doesn't start until the home team wins a game or loses a game. That's, I think, bullshit you can say in this case because 32 times a team has gone up 2-0 in a conference final game.

They've won 93.8% of the time. So St. Louis has got to bring everything they have next game. I don't think we're going to see a bad Bennington like that. That was the most goals he gave up since game three in the first round versus Winnipeg. Also, shout out to Bennington. Only nine rookie goaltenders have led their club to the conference finals or semifinals after playing in each of the team's games in the playoffs.

So shout out to him for that. That's a hell of an accomplishment. But, yeah, St. Louis, I mean, they were kind of dead to start the game. That O'Reilly goal gave them a little bit of life. But then fucking San Jose just answers right back. They're so deep. Everybody's scoring for them. But, yeah, I mean, I feel the next game is St. Louis' season, basically,

based on that stat. Ninety-three percent. You go down two-nothing. I mean, your season is all intense, almost over, barring 6.2 percent. So what do you got there, Woods? Brent Burns, last night he caught a rocket pass on his – he had one hand on his stick and a rocket pass to the point on his backhand. He caught it no problem.

It's just he's doing things that are incredible. He's played 435 minutes, which is the most in the playoffs for anyone. It's like 55 or 54 minutes more than even Eric Carlson on San Jose. So they got these two horses. I just – San Jose, I was talking to a guy who plays in the NHL, a guy who plays in Dallas, actually, and just said, playing San Jose this year, I mean, they can kind of score out of nowhere. It's like nothing's really going on, and all of a sudden,

they got enough juice up front where even the Timo Meier goal on Saturday night, it's a turnover, which was a huge issue for the Blues, especially the D. They cannot be turning the puck over like that. But all of a sudden he gets it, and Bo Meister's flat-footed, boom, through his triangle, Forsberg move, complete nasty tuck, the crowd goes wild. So it really can come quick with San Jose, and especially on that ice, dude. What did Teddy Purcell say that they built it with? I forget.

He had some hilarious way of putting it, but basically it's tilted. It is tilted in San Jose's offensive zone direction, and it's always been that way. So St. Louis is in for a test here, and, R.A., I agree with you. They have to get a win in game two. I had a question actually for both of you, so I'll ask you first, Biz. Did you happen to see about nine minutes in the game, Coach O was going down, rushing down the ice,

and Schwartz gave him just a little bit of a push from behind? Did you happen to see that play, and did you think it was penalty-worthy? Did you see it, Wits? It was about halfway through the first. Did he go down behind the net? Yeah, Coach O, he crashed into the board real hard. I thought he was down. I thought he was hurt for a second.

Yeah, I just didn't know if you guys – I didn't think it should be a penalty but it was a pretty dangerous play I thought I wasn't sure if you caught it but uh but going back to Bernsie man him and Carlson the first defensive tandem to combine for 28 or more points through the first 15 games of a postseason since 95 when Coffey and Lidstrom did the same thing uh of course they didn't win the cup that year but still impressive nonetheless biz what we what we're gonna have for us the NFL well I was gonna say Pavelski goals in back-to-back games now. You think, oh, they're going to get this top nine guy back, and it might take him a few games to get back in the lineup

and get in his rhythm. No. Boom. Right back. I think he played 20 minutes in game seven when he came. Yeah. What goes back to you telling us he just got spoiled by God? He's just good at everything.

He's touched by the hand of god it's the golfing that drives me he would take me out there and put me in the woodshed he would take me to the woodshed and golf right now and he probably has played like three times in the last maybe two months maybe even less who knows he doesn't even play during the season yeah also i'm looking at the numbers just from game one petrangelo who's been a complete street beast the entire playoffs he was minus three plus minuses and everything. But you notice when a guy like that is out there for a couple goals against, I don't think that'll be the case.

He's someone that bounces right back. So it's one game. No time to panic at all for St. Louis. No time to get too high if you're San Jose. But still, they got to be confident in trying to get another home win on Monday. And we got to give props to Joe Thornton. He recorded the 1,608th point of his NHL career. That's regular season and playoffs combined.

And he tied Brian Trottier for the 16th highest such total in league history. Brian Trottier, of course, is famous for the Brian Bellows video years ago. Calling him a titfucker. You guys must have seen that. Yeah, him and Kevin Steven was one of the best videos, funniest videos of all time absolutely fucker get up there holy fuck bellows you fucking pussy unbelievable you fucking superstar bellow you fucking superstar everybody before the game reggie jackson fucking pussy tit fucker reggie jackson was one of the celebrity uh door openers of course he was a big Oakland A-star back in the day.

But I was wondering, like, he had a candy bar named after him back when he was a star. Which athlete today do you think would actually be able to drop a candy bar named after himself that people would buy? Candy bar? Yeah, there was a Reggie bar way back in the day. I was like, Brady could have a candy bar out there, but it'd have to be, like, all natural or something.

Oh, I'm sure. He does have bars. Does he have, like, TB12 or something? He like all natural or something. Oh, I'm sure. He does have bars. Yeah. Is he on like TB12 or something? He's got protein or whatever. Yeah. Who would have a fun one? LeBron?

LeBron would probably have the cachet to sell a candy bar. No? I mean. Yeah, he's such a scumbag. A candy bar. LeBron, you want a candy bar? I'm full time now oh hey there's another crazy stat that i saw on twitter uh brent birds is logged 408 minutes

we're close to 409 minutes of time uh on ice throughout the first two rounds that's nearly an hour more than the next close yeah i just said just said that. Oh, you did. Yeah. I love how I love when you're in one. It's unreal. I love it. As I take another hit of my pen, hang over, help.

So yeah, we get up. So I go away. Last thing, San Jose had a kind of a funny tweet because they mentioned, or they retweeted that bellows. I mean, a bellows trot chase that.

And then was Thornton not named one of the top 100 nhl players of all time a few years back when they left malcolm off the list i think he wasn't based on san jose's tweet saying is he top 100 in the nhl so if that was the case thornton continues to prove what's going on there and it's setting up for i mean if you look at game one and san jose goes to win jesus if they play the Bruins in the cup finals. The storylines. Oh, I'm hard. Yeah. I mean, Boston would have an opportunity to break his heart twice is basically the storyline.

I bet you if those two teams meet, R.A., that's going to be one of the, if not the chippiest series of the playoffs. Because they're like San Jose and Boston. Because I just feel like, I just this this Marsha shit is just going to fucking really explode because San Jose is a bit of a boys club too. Those guys stick up for each other in that room and you're going to be going against star player against star

player that it's and especially with all the storylines and the hype up. I just I just think this whole thing is going to come to a crazy explosion ending. We got to see but we can't count the Blues out yet. Still a lot of hockey. No, not at all.

Play Gloria. Jesus. Game two is Monday, 9 o'clock on NBCSN, so make sure you check that out. Yeah, Biz, we still got a lot of hockey left, hopefully, before it gets to that. So, you know, the Blues, I'm sure, are going to have something to say about it. Game two is Monday, 9 p.m. on NBCSN. But before we get to the Boston Carolina series,

we're going to bring you to Brendan Walsh. He's a guy, I think this is one of our top maybe three funniest interviews we've ever done. He's such a character. He's Boston through and through. Funny guy. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. So, what's up, Biz?

He was so animated when he was telling the stories. Oh, he was standing up. Some stories he ended up standing up. I was like, these are going to punch Biz. No, but he was unreal. I was standing up. In some stories, he'd end up standing up. I was like, these are going to punch biz. No, but he was unreal. I was in tears. I had a smile on my face the entire time he was in the room. He walked in the room and you could just feel the energy.

He's fucking out of control. I love it. You're going to get me a beer with or... It was good shit, so without any further ado, send it over to Brendan Walsh. This interview is brought to you by Can I Brands. If you're a regular listener of the show, you may have heard me talk about the company I started with some friends of mine and the CBD wellness products we're creating. Well, guess what?

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products. As I mentioned, this is the company I started with Andy O'Brien and my friends. Awesome stuff. Love it. Check it out. And hopefully, we'll have that available in Canada for you guys soon. Love you and enjoy the interview. We are now joined by a very special guest. I'm going to call him a local Boston legend. People from around here in the hockey world have always known this guy in one way or another. For me, he was older than me. I watched him play college hockey from dorchester born and raised brendan walsh thank you for joining the podcast thank you for having me i am a super fan of the show i so this i love it people need to know that um you know we played against each other

skated in the summers never knew each other that well but enough you know the hockey world and i saw him at del frisco's this winter and i'm like great guy to run into You're like oh story time here we go And he's like wait I listen to Chicklets I listen to all the episodes I love it I was like dude you telling me you listen I feel like I've made it Like that was just great to hear So I knew right away I go he's coming on

So today's finally come It's got awesome The stories that you have all the guests you have And the thing that makes it unique It's just these small collections of stories that build upon a season, and then at the end, you just, it's amazing. Yeah, it just ends up being perfect. And one thing we're noticing, too, is having on, no offense, no-namers.

That's fair. He would have punched you 20 years ago. Ryan Lannan came on on and the numbers were insane. Same with Yipper. Yipper obviously played in the NHL. And he's Chinese. They're unique stories. And really the lower profile guys are allowed to let the stories fly a lot more.

We get on some NHL guys now and it's just like, boy, no one's going to care. There's all types of non-disclosure agreements at the end of the season. All types of non-disclosure agreements at the end of the season. All types of non-disclosure agreements. Yes. I think you're the first dot rat we've had on the show, if I'm not mistaken. Ah, the hazes. Oh, that's right. Oh, yeah, that's right.

Wow. That's right. All right. All right. All right. You take them as Charleston. That's okay. That's all right.

Yeah, probably because I know their pops and stuff. And yeah, you went to CM for high school, right? Yep. Get cracking on your career. How old were you when you started skating young kid like i was young um i think we all skated um it's just a youth hockey some of us tried some of us tried so four i was probably four or five and started skating and then i i actually hated we actually had this thing in which is a huge part of my life we used to box box at the J.P. McCamp Post, right? And it was like a chair, like a chair.

And your dads would be down there. It was a McCamp Post, and it was like a lightning rod. It literally is a lightning rod for everything from when I was like eight, nine years old. I used to fight a kid who I work with now, one of my really good friends. I'd hate to say best friends because he'd be like, you said my best friend. Best friend. Oh, my best friend. Complete hater.

Hates on everything. And I would fight him in front of your dad, like in front of our fathers. Like Saturday morning instead of the game, you'd be like, all right, we're toe to toe. Yeah, we'd be eight years old, nine years old. Like I'd have like a crazy eight is enough bowl cut, just hair slapping all over the place. And we would fight. And the thing about, and Biz, you would know this, the thing that jams anybody up about a fight, what do you know about yourself?

You've never been punched in the face before. Sure. And the other thing is, it's not so much like, oh, this hurts. I got a black eye. I got a bloody nose. It's embarrassment. How do, oh, this hurts. I got a black eye. I got a bloody nose. It's embarrassment. How do you manage it? How can you go on from it and say, all right, I got to pick myself up and go on?

So we have McCamp Post and we have Dorchester Youth Hockey. And Dorchester Youth Hockey, super ultra competitive. There's probably 30 guys that play Division I college hockey from a small area. Less than a square mile. Okay, so my hometown, Welland, Ontario, there was a four or five year period of time where we had seven guys in the NHL. That's crazy. It's crazy when that stuff happens. 50,000 people.

Well, it goes to show that same thing for all the guys that played from Dorchester and your town. When you grow up with great kids to go against and competition-wise that are your friends, it's like that's what makes so many kids great athletes, I think. Yep. And we had great people surrounded in the game. And I went from Dorchester youth hockey to – and I was like a school-a-year program. I did the prep school thing Dexter Cardigan Mountain

you went to all those places I went to all of them whoever were you getting the boot no no no how did you fit in with all these rich kids though yeah what the fuck

you don't have a cake here I can picture you at Dexter just drilling some kid one day be like shut the fuck up

how did that go for you dexter was dexter was good it was like guys like salt and stall and levy bird and you know uh i think i'm trying to think of one kid's name it'll come back to me halfway through it and you're gonna be all over biz you're gonna be like seriously you gotta contain yourself um so i will go from that did the whole prep school thing And then when I got to And then I went to CM And Kid Chris O'Sullivan

One of my best friends Second round draft pick Amazing hockey player Probably Like if he played right now He'd play right now He's a six million dollar player Could move the puck

Probably the most high end skill I've ever seen Very similar game to Wits I, I'd say, right? Absolutely. Yeah, but legit, I didn't come close skill-wise. Because if you were to skate with Chris O'Sullivan in the summer, I mean, how many NHL games did he play? He broke his neck. Yeah, he did break his neck at BU. But, I mean, this was like an incredible player, high draft pick, and he does things.

He did things with the puck. You're right. Nowadays, with the game the way it is, it would be. I think he ended up in Calgary, and then Sutter, I think Sutter was the coach, had him as a check-in line on the left wing. Yeah, like that ain't going to work. Like craziness, and he's like, but then again, think of what you're doing in the NHL. Like who are you going to beat out?

I'm thinking who's the defenseman? You're literally trying out for the number one. Yeah. Like, okay, you're going to beat out? I'm thinking, who's the defenseman? You're literally trying out for the number one. Yeah. Like, okay, you're going to beat out Marty McGinnis? Not Marty McGinnis. I'm a defenseman. Al McGinnis. Al McGinnis.

Oh, in Calgary, yeah. In Calgary. Like, that's who you're going to beat out. Okay? And so you're going to St. John's. You're not going to fill that role in the old NHL. You're going to try out. That's the spot.

And if you can come up maybe in two, three years, it's your job. It was like Marc-Andre Bergeron. He came up and he actually won jobs as a power play specialist sometimes. But it was hard to do. Actually, hey, Crystal Sullivan, I want to hear your version of the story when he shot the gun in the national title game or something. Wasn't it for BU?

I was not there yet. No, I wasn't there yet. So that was before there. I thought you guys were saying? No I wasn't there yet Oh okay I didn't forget it So that was before Before there So I was I thought you guys were same year You did go to BU But then you switched to university

Yes Switched What's the story there? Switched is in quotes And won a national title At the next spot Yes The thing

What I I live by a mantra We can cut this Don't worry Walsh That's okay That's alright I live by I want to hear this mantra Don't worry Walsh That's okay That's alright I live by I want to hear this mantra

You never forget I mean you never remember The nights That you go and get Like a 12 hour sleep And that has carried me through And that's been kind of a thing And like hey

I was like hey We got something going over here At Simmons College At Wheelock And when I went to BU I was a 21 year old freshman Coming from the USHL You'd already partied

You'd already lived I was already there So when I got there It was like Jay Pandolfo Bobby LaChance Chris Kelleher Chris Drury

When I got there They were seniors? They were seniors And I was older than them They were my age I was a freshman Coming in And so

I was like going to school With girls born in like 79 and 81 I was It was crazy So Can I born in like 79 and 81 I was It was crazy So Can I see your ID Before I take you home?

So When I went there I Like I would go My first freshman year Was fine And then You know

I was staying Out of the radar Right under the radar Kind of on it a little bit Under the radar First thing was I think Jack had me in Parker

Had me in He's like You didn't go to class And First thing was, I think Jack had me in, Parker had me in, he's like, you didn't go to class. And I'm like, well, I think I took a class off. It's like College of General Studies. I go to every one? Yeah, it's like they call it crayons, glue and scissors. That's the school within the school

of the athletes. I'll probably get some crazy letter from BU being like, Oh, man, I talked about how we cheated at Harvard. No, I think I should be good. So then we go, and then Jack's like, all right, well, did you miss this class? And I'm like, yeah, but I made a majority of them, but I missed this class. He's like, okay, well, you're suspended. I took the game suspension.

I was like, all right. Then it was Monday night football, right? And it just came back to Boston. I think it was like, it was a Monday night football game for the Patriots. We go out. I take a bunch of guys out. We all go out.

And then my night doesn't end. I end up at dad's diner at like three in the morning. So Mike Boyle was the strength and conditioning coach, had another guy who worked for him. Andiner at like 3 in the morning. So Mike Boyle was the strength and conditioning coach. Had another guy who worked for him. And he was bartending at the bar. So I walk up and I had a couple buddies with me. And I said, hey, give me three beers and three shots and you didn't see me here.

And I'm like, oh, cool. I'm moonwalking back in. I'm downstairs at Dad's Diner, an old place. I think it's McGreevy's now. So then Jack Parker comes in the locker room. He comes walking in. He walks in. He bombs in. I'm downstairs at Dad's Diner. Old place. I think it's McGreevy's now. So then Jack Parker comes in the locker room. He comes walking in. He walks in. He bombs in. He goes... Oh, red face. He points at you.

Just points. Boom. Boom. Come here. Getting hallway treatment. But he made a mistake. What? He made a mistake. I was with some boys on the team. I come into the locker. I come into his office. He had that like... You remember that thing at Walter Brown? The He had that little room, little director's chairs. It was kind of creepy.

So I sat in there, and he goes, did you go out the other night? And he had the rule, Saturday night only. Yeah, we had one night a week. One night a week. You could only go Saturday night only. So it could be Tuesday night, but he'd be like, tonight's Saturday night. Tonight's Saturday night, exactly. So that was Saturday night.

So he's like, did you go out on such and such? I was like, well, I mean, it was Monday night football game. And he said, who are you with? And I was like, I go, what's my punishment? Instantly. I go, what's my punishment? He goes, you're going to sit versus, I think it was like maybe North Dakota or someone else. And I said, and he goes, now, who are you with?

And I knew it was only one game because he already said it. And I go, I was with nobody. And he was like, he overspoke. He's probably was with nobody and he was like he overspoke he's probably gonna get mad at me he overspoke and i was like oh you showed your hand i already knew the punishment and i came back in the locker room and so guys are tying the skates of practice and they knew kind of knew what it was it trickled through and guys are tying the skates and they were like and i was like you guys are all right. Yeah. Fucking right. I'll fall right on the grenade. I love that.

And so then the season goes on. So that was kind of strike two. And I love Coach Parker. Not like. I loved him. We had a good relationship. It was like a cool hand Luke situation, though. He's like, you're going to break before me.

Right? Yeah. And I still subscribe. You're not going to beat so but I you know my thing was always have a good time and so I go out to uh I I play a game we play low uh I get a penalty and it's like this crazy penalty in the red and the ref goes uh oh jack there's something happening and jack was like i get like a two five like a two and a ten second period two minutes he hates those so he he the referee i got the 10-4 and for the ref goes uh what did you do what did you say to the ref uh jack said and i said i go i call him fucking i said i said did you see the fucking

slash i went back i remember you know i elbowed the kid slashed him whatever i did i go you know Jack said And I said I go I called him Fucking I said Did you see the fucking slash I went back I rimmed You know I elbowed the kid Slashed him Whatever I did I go

You know And Jack goes What did you say to him In the block room I said I called him A fucking cocksucker It was the worst call

I ever saw And Jack was supposed To be like I thought he thought That I was gonna say Like Geez I didn't say anything I was like

Tell me exactly what I said I called him A fucking cocksucker He fucking The kid did this to me And I was getting And I'm getting the penalty And I said. I call him a fucking cocksucker. He fucking, the kid did this to me, and I was getting it. And I'm getting the penalty. And I'm getting the penalty. Like, it's got to add up.

And Jack was like, that's it. You're in Mookville. Mookville. Mookville. Mookville, and I'll quickly go in. Quickly go. The next day, after Saturday night, no matter what day it was, Sunday morning, you had a 20-mile bike.

Oh, fuck. Dude, they would take an hour on the fucking airdynes, too. No matter what day it was Sunday morning He had a 20 mile bike Oh fuck Dude they would take an hour On the fucking airdynes too Those airdynes only move If you move the arms and the legs They're hard as shit So you had to do that at what 6am sometimes

Yes So I didn't have the fan bike I had to get out And run Down to Kenmore Square But I went out I had a good time That night It was Saturday night though Right So I'm on a technicality down to Kenmore Square. But I went out. I had a good time that night.

It was Saturday night, though. Right? You're allowed to. I'm on a technicality. It's still Saturday night. I love it. I grew up with Chris Rooney, NHL ref. Yep.

Chica. Chica. I love him. I think he's one of the best refs. He doesn't. He's one of the best refs. Number five, right? Number five.

He doesn't. It's either black or white. It's been like that since we carpooled in school together. He doesn't deal in gray. He's either right or wrong. That's what it is. And that's how he officiates. He actually officiated, repped all the games in the USHL.

There's no one who threw me out of more games than my best friend, Chris Rooney. He was chucking you out of the USHL. Oh, absolutely. He's like, boy, and like stuff that I was thinking about doing, like I was like, oh, I'm going to do this kid dirty. Like this is going to be like an eight second wait

while the kid passed to come up the zone. I'm like, I'm going to smoke him. He'd come in and somehow I'd get a penalty. He was like, you were going to do something. I was like, I was, but I hadn't done it yet. That's how good of a ref he is. That's how good. Minority report. So anyway, but I hadn't done it yet. That's how good of a referee he is. That's how good. Minority report.

So anyway, exactly. My neighbor now. Yeah. So then I go to Chicka's house, Chris Rooney, and he has like a full-on bar. And they have like a Chinese food buffet. This is in Boston? In South Boston. Oh, yeah.

So I go there. He's got like 15 brothers, right? I make a Chinese food plate and put a couple beers in my pocket. And I get a cab back. Head to Mookville. I head to Mookville. Chinese food. Right?

So I go there. Right? I go there. And it was kind of like, you know, it was my, I don't know what I was doing. You had enough kind of. I had enough. You were testing them. You were like, yeah, let's see if they're really going to actually fucking do something.

I think so. You see, you push push the limits this is like a cathartic experience yeah you live off no i buddy i'm on the same way i i wasn't uh wow i was always so scared like a little i didn't i didn't like authority when i was younger there was a big problem look at all the trouble i got into when i was in pittsburgh i didn't like authority yep and while she didn't like mookville and i didn't like Mookville So I So remember Gus At BU Yep Best guy

I think he was like Albanian Albanian Albanian Albanian Like rink guy He was there Tried the Zamboni

Yeah he drove the Zamboni I think he lived Under the Zamboni Yeah There was like a room That they had So I show up And I hadn't had any

Like I was like Alright well I'm just Going to eat my Chinese food Gus is there at the rink I'm there at 530 For the six Where I give You know I have well, I'm just going to eat my Chinese food. Gus is there at the rink. I'm there at 530 for the six-a-clock where I have a beer. I'm not going to say Gus had a beer. And we eat the Chinese food.

So there was a graduate assistant coach. Won't say his name. Still in the biz. He sees this whole thing. I do the run. I smoke it. And I can go hair on fire. I played a majority of my career with my hair on fire.

And make it to Kenmore Square, bomb back. I think I do like a mile in like 730. Just down to Kenmore. Boom, boom. Fly back and forth. It was like, no. It was like. I was going to say that's not that good unless they knew you've been up all night eating Chinese food.

Exactly, yeah. So I do that run very quickly Come back and then Jack finds out And like it was like You know it was like my first deal into pro hockey I come in and I've never heard this Mad Dog

Mike DeMella He was the equipment manager at BU Great guy I come walking in like Everything's good I did my run. Mookville's over. Mookville's over. Back in. Start the week. And all my stuff is in

a black garbage bag. There's nothing in my stall. And then I go out and I go, Mike do you have my equipment? Like what's going on? And so I go see Jack. Go see Jack. So I go see Jack and he's like Alright three strikes

You're out That's it So then I went from Very quick Damn you got kicked Out of BU Kicked out of BU But

So you learn from it And so I had Grant Stanbrook Legendary recruiter of Maine Yes For people who don't know He found Penner Yep

Wow Yeah He found Dustin Penner What about Teddy Purcell Possibly I don't know for sure But Grant Stanbrook He used to find like Incredible players Wow Yeah And Dustin Penner What about Teddy Purcell? Possibly I don't know for sure But Grant Stanbrook He used to find like

Incredible players In like the You know Western Canada It was just like I think the best Grant Stanbrook They used to call him The Grey Ghost

Right He'd be like In like Weyburn, Saskatchewan Just like sitting at the glass And then sitting up top And then sitting in the middle And I asked him one time

I said why do you sit all the time He goes I can see each level of the game I can see how fast the game is At the glass I can see from 30,000 feet From up top How guys can think about it

And he's just iso-camming And so he would see that And he goes I don't sit with anyone Because I don't want anyone To cloud my opinion Of what I'm looking at That's good

Holy shit So he was the architect Yeah this guy found gems dude He was the architect Of that 93 team Of like Jimmy Montgomery Dallas coach

100 points Paul Korea 100 points Cal Ingram And they won the national championship Yeah Chris Ferraro Peter Ferraro

BU tied them that year That was it Oh they won every other game 42-1-2 Oh they lost and tied BU was two teams. Jesus Christ. So you had to take a year off because of the transfer rule, right?

Yes. Which is so fucking stupid. I'm sorry, R.A. Yep. I actually tried to sue the NCAA. Did you really? I tried to sue them in the sense of I tried to get a, there was like a technicality for like girls volleyball.

Like where like girls volleyball at the varsity level or I think it was soccer. Didn't have to. You know what I mean? But it was like, but that's what it is. It's like big money. So it's like girls were playing that. Yeah, no. Big, big, you know, big money people can transfer right over and not.

It's like rich people that are playing that. I think so. Like those types of sports. But, and now going to Maine though, the main thing being you had to figure out not only what you were going to do that year but where you were then going to go. Oh dude, I was crazy. Ryan, I was hat in hand. Sean Walsh, right? I was hat in hand. I was like crazy.

Maine's a good team where I would have said honestly for the most part if a kid gets kicked out of BU I'm not trying to dog any teams but he ends up at Lowell. Maine, not to say it was a great school, but they were such a good team that they may not take on somebody who got kicked out of BU, you know? Yep. But he just obviously loved your game.

So I had Grant at the U.S. Olympic Festival. And the year before, I went to BU. And I played on that national team, which we could do two hours on that. It was awesome. And so I go from BU So I go and literally I talk to Michigan

Michigan State BC I talk to Cav Boston College And it's like Literally like Everyone wanted Hat in hand

Hat in hand Like this is me Making calls And like Like death of a salesman I'm like hey geez Willie Loman Like Willie Loman

I was like hey what do you got? You know what I mean? You remember seeing me? I used to be a good player. Remember when you talked to me? I used to be unbelievable. The Chinese food's over and done now. I quit it.

I totally grew up two months ago. I really grew up. I've grown so much two weeks ago. Okay, so did any of those teams ever offer money? So I couldn't take the money, right? Like, I couldn't take it because I'm not a scholarship athlete, right? So I have to sit out. So this is unbelievable.

So I go. So I call Grant. I'm like, Grant, I got nothing. What do you got? He's like, what are you doing right now? I'm like, I don't know. I'm just sitting here. He's like, why don doing right now? And I'm like I don't know I'm just sitting here He's like Why don't you come up for the game?

We're playing I think they were playing Boston College or Lowell Another hockey's team Maine was And you know They had just come off NCAA sanctions

From the national championship team In 93 and 94 and 95 All the kind of sanctions Some issues that arose They had some issues And I was like I mean it's like three and a half hours. He's like, yeah, get in your car and come right now.

I have nothing going on. So I'm like, what am I going to say? Like, oh, I'm just kind of comfy here. I don't know. I got in the car. I drove up. Would you wear a suit? No chance.

No, no chance. No. So I drove up by myself and bomb up three and a half hours from Dorchester. I go talk to Sean Walsh after the game. They had smoked whoever they play. I remember he came in and he just, one of the greatest coaches. Literally the greatest coach. You said he was the best coach you ever played for, right?

Best coach I ever played for. Absolutely. Like, he was way, and I think, I talked to him. I said, why don't you go to like, have you thought about going to the NHL? And he goes, there have been some talks before. But he was smart. He was like, whether it would why don't you go to like, have you thought about going to the NHL? And he goes, there have been some talks before. But he was smart. He was like, whether it would happen or not, he was like, I'm not doing it unless I'm an assistant GM and the coach.

I'm getting the groceries and I'm going to try to do it. He doesn't want to coach. He's not. I'm not taking other people's, you know, other people. Because he's picking the guys from Maine. He's like, I'm not coaching guys I don't want to coach from the team before. That's difficult. That makes a lot of sense.

And so he was holding out for that. and he had a great deal at Maine. But when I say, like, I went up there and I talked to him, and he was like, he came in. He always had like a piece of paper or something. No, no, like a bottom. Notepad? Notepad, thank you. He came in. He slammed it down.

He's like, we're going to get it going here, Walsh. Are you going to come in? I'll tell you right now. We're going to do this. We're going to do that. These are the players. This is where I have you. He just in. He slammed it down. He's like, we're going to get it going here, Walsh. Are you going to come in? I'll tell you right now. We're going to do this. We're going to do that. These are the players. This is where I have you. He just played.

He already had me inserted in the lineup for two years out with recruiting charts. And I was like, I'm coming here. And I literally drove the next exit down on 95. And I called my mom from a pay phone. And I was like, Mom, I made my decision. I'm going to go to Maine. Wow. That's fucking awesome.

He was unbelievable. He was so enthusiastic about it where he looked you in the eyes and you're like, man, this guy sold me the dream. Biz, when I say video, no one did video like this. And this is what I thought. Like Glenn Patrick? Yeah. We told a story on the Monday Hater. Glenn Patrick would wheel in the VHS thing like you would.

Betamax. Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry to interrupt you. No, no, no. No, and then he threw in the VHS because we played so bad the game before, and he made us watch the first two periods with, like, no chopped up video. No, I've been there. Waiting out the whistles, the slow changes.

Like, you know, there's no five. Tom Grace's breakdown in the second and third. Crazy. Jimmy Morlock would come in. So go back to how this guy would bring up video. So it would be, and you would have a clipboard, and you'd have all these people breaking this stuff down, like graduate assistants and people who would be chances for, chances against, hits and turnovers, likes and dislikes, first three minutes, last three minutes.

And it would be like all charts. You would go down and it would be like 1358. So like chances for, chance against. I remember Dan Kerlock, who I played with, had a hat trick. He was three chances for and nine against. And he fucking gave it to him. He was like, I can get fucking guys to score goals. I don't need you to score goals.

I can't have goals against. Later on, it's going to matter. So this guy was at the forefront of analytics. Absolutely. Wow. Absolutely. We used to have, we won a national title. In Anaheim, right?

In Anaheim. Against UNH, I remember watching that game. And we had different four checks, right, with guys. You'd have to go and look at your D partners, and the D would have to see who it was, whether it was like 1-2-2 or two men hard. Depending on the line out there. Depending on the line. Not depending on the line.

Just look. I already had. I was 1-2-2, be like center over d oh okay okay so the other team would be like with each different line yeah that's difficult so the other teams are like what the fuck is it two manners at one minute yeah what's going on right and and uh for those listening like if you want to run like a like a one two two yep you know that's a that's a common forecheck that's a very uh passive very passive you know it's kind of like new jersey devil style or you do it where you do uh the press where that where the d-man pinch and the centermans the centermans always in support of the strong side defenseman he knew who on the team who on

the team you're playing against couldn't handle what pretty much or he had he thought he knew at least he would have the he would take an inventory like if you know for me my whole career i'm f1 you know what i mean i'm kamikaze kamikaze you know blow it up and but like some other guys we had like you know guys from you know who did different types of style with some euro guys were like all right played on olympic sheets they were like all right we'll wait this out and you know pick something off maybe we used to in in Wilkes-Barre I don't know if it was Todd Richards or Dan Balsma but very similar in a sense where sometimes he would call out based on the team we're playing first 10 minutes of the first period we're playing full court press I love it four checks I love it just to kind of put them on their heels get a few and sometimes we bank a few early just because we had good teams.

And then halfway through, you'd be like, all right, boys, we're easing off. We're going back to the 1-2-2. And he'd call it on the bench. And I thought it was cool. I'm like, yeah, it's throwing the other team off. You're bringing it to the level where each different line had a different one. Yeah, I mean, the other teams probably think they're going crazy. Before we move on from Maine, I wanted to know, is there, like, the first game against BU?

Do you remember that? I remember one of the last games at BU. I knew you must have had one where it was. We had one where. You're yelling at Parker, I'm sure. No, no, it was unbelievable. So it's like now it's kind of wrapping up my career. I've played them a bunch.

D.P.HPHRO's in net And so actually The year I sat out Very quickly So and he was like Listen The NCAA thing Is not gonna happen for you

You're sitting out He's sitting out And I was like Alright I played all the preseason games So he was like Listen You're part of it

So I was like You know I was like Julie McCoy Love boat Like recruiting coordinator I brought Barrett Heiston Barrett Heiston.

Barrett Heiston, first round draft pick. Alaska, Bazzo. From the U.S. National Program. Tricky, Nicky, Dima Tracos. That's so cool that he made you feel a part of it in regards to where you were picking potential teammates. Doug Janik. Doug, Dougie Janik. Played with him.

Hey, Nico was... And that's kind of a nice thing for you. I don't know if it's part of the reason why you got involved in hockey media after you were done playing, but it gives you a different perspective. All of a sudden, you're just a guy worrying about yourself, and now you're like,

damn, I think maybe this guy could help us out because I really like his game, and now you're watching him play. No, it was good. So we'd have all these guys. These guys in Walsh would come in and give me the crazy backstory. Remember Jeff Jilson? Oh, yeah.

So we had Jeff Jilson. He ended up in Michigan. Yep. And he ended up in Michigan, but he was a National Development Program kid too, right? I believe. Was he in the OHL? I can't remember. Oh, no.

Yeah, he was US National Program. I think he was part of Mount St. Charles before and all that. So he comes in and Walsh, he's like, all right. So he's like, here's the deal. We have dinner at his house. We go have dinner. Walsh, he's cooking steaks out in the grill. There's people in the house.

Steve Korea's with me. Oh, no way. Steve as in Paul's brother? Yes. Yeah, I played an exhibition game against him when he was in Long Island, and he absolutely walked me. The exhibition game was played in Wheeling, West Virginia. Oh, Jesus.

Yeah, so that was a tough one. Sorry to interrupt you. So you guys were at this cookout here. So we have a little cookout, and he's like, so Walsh, he's like, hey, Brandon, why don't you come outside and talk to me? So we go to the grill. It's like And he's like So Walsh is like Hey Brendan Why don't you come outside And talk to me So we go to like the grill It's like total suburbia Where Walsh was

So he comes in He's like Alright Here's the deal You're gonna We're gonna talk about The stats Where we see him

In the future A power play Steve's gonna probably Bring in some of the stuff What we're doing On the power play But like this was like Next level

Like the warm and fuzzies This kid was feeling. And he's like, all right, Brendan, this kid's a forestry major. Then you insert the forestry and gave me some backstory on the forestry thing.

And I'm like, I'm from fucking Dorchester. We don't even have fucking trees. He's like, all right, well, let's just move on. We'll move on from that. He was like, next thing, next thing.

All right, next thing, next thing. And so we didn't actually get Jilly, but but uh great player but walshie tremendous so we could go on for so long but like we still haven't even gotten to pro hockey but but before we get there the one thing i had written down and i'd heard from a bunch of people is go back quickly to the ushl days and an incident in dubuque that went down oh so so for people who don't know that they had we haven't brought up yet this guy is a real was a real motherfucker to play against you were just a dirty hard-nosed little rat and it was like you took honor in it so i'm assuming something had happened in the game that led up to this issue in dubuque so i

the ushl uh was great league and so i so I ended up at the end of the season. I remember being in Dubuque. And they have stands on one side. And there was like three seconds left in the game. Like three seconds left. I remember this kid. I think it was Dwyer. Dwyer.

Big, big, big kid. Tall. And he just wants to get into it. We had won the game. And he's like right in my face. He's like, let's do it, let's do it. And I just looked at him. He's like, let's go, let's do it.

I just look at him. I'm like, I'm exhausted. Just killed a penalty. And I remembered that. I just looked at him. I was like, no. Bink. Just drop him.

Just cross-check him. Kind of near the head area. So in the nose-ish. Yes. And so he drops. And I just step over him, game's over, don't even tap the goalie, open the gate, and we walk out. End the game with a cross-check to the face.

Cross-check, like, boom. Ref's like, what just happened? I was like, all right, I'm going to leave now. See you later. And so we leave. So I'm going. We go into the thing. And so, like, there's a tunnel where you have to go and get to the bus.

And it's like same thing in any rank candidate. You go to the bus, the stick bag, the whole thing. So I'm carrying my bag out to the fucking bus. And so I see what I think is the Dwyer family just standing there. And there's a whole group of people just sitting there like waiting on they're like oh there's walls like you know it's like it's small town so I'm sitting there and this there's like a tall one a medium-sized one which I think I don't even know to this day I thought it may have been his brother could have been 15 years old 16 years old so I'm

sitting there and I'm walking out of the out of the rink and i'm just waiting i'm like i'm gonna get it i'm like i'm this is like i'm walking through the fire yeah i'm walking through the fire someone's just gonna like either hit me with a bottle or hit me with something this is gonna get crazy all of a sudden i get i'm like i'm just waiting i'm just waiting and i'm a lefty, Biz. Keep that for later. So I go and I get pushed and I just turn around. My bag's on my right and I use the weight for my bag. I'm like, I go to smoke.

And I was like, I think it, and I, to this day, I still don't know. There was like a kid who was like 15, 16, had like, the other kid who I went to go hit who hit me was like, see you later. Boom. Extra starch on the 15, see you later. Boom. Extra starch on the 15-year, 16-year-old. Right?

Just the kid goes, bing, bing. Oh, right? Right on. Extra starch. And I was like, oh, my. And so now I just look up. Right? The kid's just like, you could eye in him.

Eye in a board. Eye in a shirt under this kid. I'm sitting there, and then I get stomped. Oh, by all of us. I was like a turtle on my back. I couldn't get my strap off my bag. I was like, ah! And then I rolled over to the side.

It was crazy. Jesus Christ. It was crazy. Oh, my God. It was nuts. So I'm glad we asked about that one. That was it. So main end, Win a national title

Incredible way to end the college career What's first step in pro hockey Where did you get a look Undrafted Free agent signing These are the things that we need I get some NHL guys like Obviously you're undrafted

Obviously you're a piece of shit Obviously you're a fucking rat Obviously your game sucks Obviously you're able undrafted. Obviously you're a piece of shit. Obviously you're a fucking rat. Obviously your game sucks. Obviously you're able to carve out a niche in this little shitty career. I was just petrified in Summer League. I had to see him in Summer League. I was just scared. I was always on his team.

Oh, my God. You got to trust that. Free agent signing, UFA. How did that all go down and where was that? Minnesota Wild. Okay? Minnesota Wild. Okay. Minnesota Wild, the first year of that program. And believe me, I'll tell you what, it wasn't like the Vegas Knights inaugural season.

Minnesota Wild that year. No. That was the time, and there's nothing against, like, and I know what my game is. There's zero ego, right? I'm just telling you, like, you want to know what I'm thinking? So I go to that camp like Scott Pellerin. Great player. Main hockey guy. Kriva Krasov.

There was like Darby Hendrickson. There were guys there. Was Wes Walsh there then? Wes Walsh? Yes. Sean O'Donnell. Sean O'Donnell. He got there late. He wasn't too happy. That's a story for another day. You get picked up late, late, late. That's not who you want

To get picked up by that year Scary man Scary Like eyes like a Mako Yeah yeah Just look at him You're like Jesus

Like a doll's eyes I'm like yeah You look at him I'm like So we go to camp there And I looked at that camp And I was like That was the only time

I went to camp And it was kind of like Freewheeling going around And I was like This is the NHL And I'm not bas camp and I was like, that was the only time I went to camp and it was kind of like freewheeling going around. And I was like, this is the NHL. And I'm not bashing anyone. It just wasn't. Oh, it wasn't. I went to Pittsburgh's camp and it was like, Myra Lemieux, Straka, Lang, Kovalev, Darius

Kasparaitis. I was like fantasy camp. Yeah. It's way different than a first year. Like, who is everyone? Yeah. I was like, hey, nice to meet you. Hello.

My name is Brendan Walsh. And if you go against me in a drill, I'll probably... What's the John Brophy story? Oh, fuck. So I get sent down to... He's a legendary... Awesome. AHL, ECHL coach.

Yes. He did it forever. Real quick, real quick on the Minnesota Wild thing. I go to camp. They're like, there's no fighting in camp. There's no fighting in camp. Wow. And so I'm like, I'm sitting there. They're like, there's no fighting in camp. There's no fighting in camp. And so I'm like,

I'm sitting there. I had like some college kid like burn me for a minus. And like I go and the kid scores, like the kid scores, torches me. So I line back up.

I'm like, Jesus Christ, I'm rattled. There's like, and the kid is like, these are college kids. Like it was like we went to Duluth or something.

And I sat there and I was like, line up with a face off. The kid's like, like bumps into me. And I was like, went to Duluth or something. And I sat there and I was like, line up with the face off. The kid's like, bumps into me. And I was like, I just looked at him and I was like, and I looked at him and I was like, there's, the kid's like, I grabbed him right when the face off. The kid goes, there's no fighting. I go, oh, there's fucking fighting now.

And I don't give a fuck. And then it started from that fight, like lasted. And then Shane Kenny, OHL kid. You know Shane Kenny? No. OHL kid. He ends up smoking Marion Gaborik in an inter-squad game. Oh, a gabric.

He started a whole Donny's. Gaborik? No. Gaborik? You love the fact that you fucked up, so you have to be the guy. Well, I mean, if you're going to correct wit on the, you know, you weren't drafted as opposed to you were a free agent signing. I have thick skin. Gaborik ain't getting the fucking Gaborik name.

Can I say it? What is it? Gaborik? Gabarik? Gabarik. Either way, you got smoked because you started the brawl camp. And so he goes out and gets smoked by this kid from the OHL. I think it was OHL.

Shane Kenney. Super tough kid. Great kid in camp. And, like by this kid from the OHL. I think it was OHL. Shane Kenny. Super tough kid. Great kid in camp. And this kid just freight trains. And I was like, I don't even know how this whole pro hockey thing works. And I was like, that ain't good. That guy's not supposed to be injured. That guy's not supposed to get blown up with the blue line.

And so I go. I change some kid. And I go out. I go 100 miles on my own. Trombley was my coach. And he's like, I don't know if you want to do that. As I left the bench, I'm like, I think I'm going to be okay. And I just went over there 100 miles on my own Trombley was my coach And he's like I don't know if you want to do that As I left the bench I'm like

I think I'm going to be okay And I just went over there I had a great fight You know No winners No losers It's all good shit And I end up hammering him

Dropping him And then I get back to the bench And Trombley And I'm like I've watched him You know With the Montreal Canadiens And he was like

You got to be from Boston And I was like Yeah yeah What do you mean? What makes you say that? Yeah, they told us no fighting at training camp in Pittsburgh one year, and me and Carcillo went at it for a CineSquad game. Yeah, I remember I walked in the rink.

It was 8.30 in the morning, and they were shantanized toe-to-toe. I was like, it's 8.30 in the morning. I love those early fight camp stories where there's just sparks. Sparks going off people's hands. I was petrified. I'm like, please, nobody do anything to me. I was at a point in my career where as you get older and your body gets a little more banged up, it takes a lot to get you warm, and you don't really want to be competing at that time of the morning.

But I knew one speed. I couldn't just play a tummy stick game in NHL training camp. I was there to try to make a team. As stupid as that sounds, as naive as that is. No, you wake up every day. You're like, today's the day. Now, saying that, I ended up almost making the team as an 18-year-old defenseman that year. I was the last cut.

Did you, like even younger, CM, obviously USGL, you were always just be like, I'm just going to piss everyone off. That's just how you were always out there. I think where we grew up, like the neighborhood that I grew up in, and I was able to dance between Dorchester and South Boston. And the kids that I grew up with, playing with, hanging out with, all incredible ball breakers. Like you can't hate the funk you will get scorched but it's like people don't keep you honest and people always be fucking honest the boston part of this podcast it's really i've brought up before that you go away and it's like if i'm not chirping you i don't like you like it's this is no and but that's it's

just it like it's just like that here all the time. Yes. Back to Brofe. Yeah, let's tell that Brofe story. I go to Whaling. I go to Whaling after I was in Pittsburgh's camp, which is awesome. Real quick on the Pittsburgh camp, I've never seen anything like it. They had, Jalenka was the coach, and I get stuck into the first practice group. So it's like once the camp kind of broke And it was right before it went to Wilkes-Barre

So I'm with like It's Mario Lemieux It was like maybe three guys who weren't on the team Who just didn't want to go and golf later So they just went to the late Like skated later practice And the practice was Was it Rich Keough?

Yeah Yep So he's And Hlink is running the practice And the practice biz, these practices weren't built for guys like you and me. This is like everyone's 100 miles an hour

where the last guy in line has got to do something in the drill, which I hate those drills. Oh, we always got to pay attention. You got to pay attention. You're like, alright, Jesus Christ, I forgot that. I'm like, oh, back and forth. And so, it's like, if you're the poster child for Ritalin, these practices aren't built for you. I'm like, oh, back and forth. And so it's like if you're the poster child for Ritalin, these practices aren't built for you.

You're like, oh, my God, this is great. But I remember that. Yeah, like pucks are hitting you in the back, and you're like, hey. Wake the fuck up. Wake the fuck up in life. Anxiety. No, it's not that.

So every time you just go right to the middle of the line? Right to the middle of the line. I was like, I remember, again, we start the line. I was like, I never forget. We start the practice. It was like fucking Canadian Olympic drill, right? It's like, guys, people at home, it's like, Canada Cup, Canada Cup, just crazy flow drill. It ain't that fucking crazy. Even I can put up with that one.

But I'm saying the speed, the speed. Like, these are guys. And I'll never forget, I was never more emasculated. Straka was like Running on his skates Just like running Never stick down So I'm like

And I'm just like Now everyone's kind of looking Because now it's the one pass And then the other guys Are the pass But you have 24 guys behind you Being like

Let me see if this guy Snaps it tape to tape I just lay it out there Just like So he could not skate into it No he skated into it But then he It wasn't even good So it no he skated into it but then he it wasn't even good

so he's gotta like kick it up so he's like and I'm like that was my chance and he kicks it up he kicks it up and looks back at me

and laughs he's like when you're the new guy or the no-namer in camp like you said whereas like if you're on the team for four or five years

and you miss one the guys make fun of you and you're like haha i'm on a one way i'll see you tomorrow yeah yeah you're not you're just when you're on a three-way and you know at the point you're going to whaling at some point during this adventure like yeah so we so anyway that practice goes and i've never seen anything like it we go for like 38 minutes. Everyone's moving and grooving. Everyone's flying. And so they go to the board to like do some drills. And there was like a pause at the board.

And Mario Lemieux was there. I'll say Mario. Mario goes, and the Hellenic goes to do it. And Mario goes, I think we're good. Calls the practice. He owns the team. Calls the practice. Okay, so it's over. It's over. He goes, all right, let's go. That's a good skate, guys. So I, hold on. Calls the practice He owns the team Calls the practice Okay so

It's over It's over He goes alright let's go That's a good skate guys So I Hold on I try to slide out Like right

It's like me and three other guys Who are like East Coast League guys In this group We're done I'm like alright cool And like Like um

Keo was like I think we're done guys Great job Good job guys Let's go good skate And they're like Alright we got a tee time See you later bye

And then I'm like Joey Mullen's like Where the fuck do you think we're done, guys. Great job. Good job, guys. Let's go get skating. They're like, all right, we got a tee time. See you later. Bye. And then Joey Mullen's like, where the fuck do you think you're going? And I'm like, I mean, just practice. He's like, I can bag it. Let's go. Not for you, it is. I've told the story on the podcast before. It was my first NHL training camp with Pittsburgh.

And I was in Mario's group. That's when he came back. And Eddie Olchek was a coach. And that was his first year as head coach. And I was somehow Mario's group. That's when he came back. And Eddie Olchek was a coach, and that was his first year as head coach. And I was somehow in that group. And every time that you were the team that wasn't playing in the inter-squad game, because there was three teams, you would bag skate after. Well, Eddie Olchek's like, hey, boys, great practice today.

We're just going to end it off with a skate. And then you hear a little whistle and and i look over as well as everyone else does and it was mario and and he he just gives her one of these like like nah nah we ain't skating to eddie and it's very similar to your story eddie's like okay boys have a great day and they must have had a tea time yeah yeah and and and i was like what what i've never seen a player just tell the coach, yo, we ain't bank skating. It's over. Yeah. So it's done. That's a humbling experience.

So how does this lead to Brophy? You brought up Brophy. Oh, so I go to Wheeling. Oh, Jesus Christ. You want to talk about the training camp. I go down to Wheeling. I see Broph. I meet the guy.

He's a legend. Complete, complete legend. He's out of his mind. Out of his mind. Like old school. Old school. Like. He's out of his mind. Out of his mind. Like old school. Old school. Like R-Pod Mahaly. One drill.

One drill. One drill. For the whole practice. Yeah. R-Pod Mahaly told me that they weren't playing great at one point. R-Pod Mahaly had a ton of skill. Ton of skill. He could skate like the wind.

R-Pod Mahaly was. Great guy coming off the bus. No word of a lie. No word of a lie. One of the more was great guy coming off the bus. No word of a lie. No word of a lie. One of the more handsome guys I've ever played with. One of the best

practice players I've ever seen. Yes. Yes. My entire fucking life. I was like how is this guy not in the

fucking NHL? I said the same thing. And he's actually still playing. I think he's playing over in Romania which was where he was from. Super nice guy.

But he told me he goes dude I never had a brofist. He goes, man, that guy would bag skate us in pregame skate. Yeah.

Like, line it up. Yeah. Back and, over and back. Like, what? Over and back.

Like, that's just how old school. My first game, my first game, I get down to Wheeling late. I'm like, completely sour. I was like,

geez, I really wanted to make that Wilkes-Barre, I mean, up in Wilkes-Barre, but they're like, all right, it's a contractual thing.

It's going to shake out. You're going to be right back up. Grind it out here. Yep, grind it out. So I go down. So their season already started. So I'm lined up. And I'm in a dark place.

I practiced once that crazy, like, over and back. I'm like, what is going on? Moved into a double-wide trailer. I was like, what the fuck? It literally, like, outside my house. Give me back the Ordo. No. like outside my house. Can't be back to Orono.

It was the trucks like downshifting outside the double wide trailer. I lived with Kurt Drummond and Dylan Geary. And so we go to this thing. I see Shaw. So I would go play Toledo. I look over this kid, this kid Malpy who I fought a bunch.

Oh God, you're playing in the old Toledo barn. No, we're at the wheel. Oh, okay, sorry. We're in Wheeling. So I go over there, and I go there. I think I get to start the game. Don't even really talk to him. 2, 5, 10.

Into the penalty box. You got this first shift? Like, to start the game. I was like, I'm just pissed I'm here. Like, whatever. I get into this thing. I had fought this kid before. 2, 5, get a misconduct.

17, yeah, 17 minutes. minutes right now you're there for The entire first period first period I get out Like a minute and a half Two minutes left right I get out of the thing I walk out I'm like all right there's no fucking possible way in my mind Is this guy gonna put me back on the ice He's like

Good job and I was like What yeah yeah don't draw Now I'm like I've been. And I was like, what? Yeah, yeah. Don't draw. Now I'm like, I've been sitting there. I've untied my skates. I was done with my belt. Tie my belt back.

I was like, give me one second. Let me get dressed. And so I went back out there. I liked the thing, but that was broke. So then we go, we play. He rewarded you for being a psychopath. Complete psychopath. So we go to Reading and they just built this building in Reading.

And the craziest, brof stories I ever had. So we go to Reading, and it's like one of those games you come off the bus, and all of a sudden you're like, everyone's like, Jesus, this is crazy. All of a sudden it's like 3-0 in the first period. Yeah, and they're flying. What is going on? Like, it's crazy. So in between the first and second period He comes in. I'm like I gotta wake up so I go over and get this coffee and

like I the coffee that I go to pour this coffee and It literally it's like Jesus. This is like fucking hot lava. I'm like that's hot That's hot and then I'm waiting for brofe. Brofe comes in, kicks the door open, comes in. He's like, ah. So he goes over and pours the coffee, like pours the coffee. But I'm drinking this hot coffee waiting for this verbal barrage to happen. I'm like waiting for it. He's like, the air is getting sucked out of the room before he's like, we're going to do this.

We're going to do that. So I'm drinking. I can't even drink the coffee. And I'm watching. So I'm like in a different place mentally. I'm just watching the coffee in Brophy's hand right

and the coffee he doesn't know how hot it is he doesn't know how hot it is it's fucking scalding like it's like Indiana Jones pouring off the lava skin right

and so I'm sitting there and the coffee's burning I'm just sitting there like Jesus look at Brophy's hand this is crazy and he's like

he goes in he's like we're gonna we're to get it deep. We're going to get it high. We're going to cycle, cycle, cycle. Get it over the line. Get it in. And then we're going to get shots in the net.

Get shots in the net. We're going to crash the net. All of a sudden, this guy comes in, right? The guy comes in and goes, fucking five minutes. Like right out of Newsies. We don't have a daytronics clock. There's no clock there. So the guy comes in.

They come in and tell you. The guy comes in. He's like, five minutes. And Brof's like, get the fuck out of here. He We don't have a Daytronics clock. There's no clock there. So the guy comes in. They come in and tell you. The guy comes in. He's like, five minutes. And Brof's like, get the fuck out of here. There's some fucking coffee in his hand. So I'm just sitting there. I'm like, all right, this is just taking a weird turn. And so I'm like, I still can't drink the coffee.

This is literally him yelling. It's still hot. 17 minutes of this fucking just him giving it to us. He goes in. The kid's like, three minutes. Like, four minutes. And the guy's like, I told you to get out of here. And then after that, we're going to be in there.

We're going to protect the net. The kid comes in a minute later. He's like, three minutes. And the fucking bro goes, I said, hits the kid with a fucking coffee. Oh, fuck. He throws the fucking kid. He was like, I told how to get out of here.

He was like, you heard Sturridge broke. He's the most genuine guy, nicest guy. He was short-wicked. And he was genuine. I'm not trying to beat on the guy. He just hit this guy with a cup of coffee. The door shuts. The kid's like, ah, behind the door.

It's a shrine. It's crazy. So he gets nuts So then All of a sudden We gotta go on the ice And like the door opens The kid's like half

Picking him up And people are like What are you doing? What are you doing? And so we go I like step over the kid I'm like alright We gotta go

And like we're all Half stepping over this kid Gameplay second We tie it up I thought Ryan Flynn Ended up getting Kicked out of the game And then I think it was Yeah, Fl Ryan Flynn ended up getting kicked out of the game.

And then I think it was, yeah, Flenny. And then I get kicked out of the game. It's not over. We go on the bus. I'm like, where's Brove? We can't find him. Where's Brove? We go mobile on the run around the corner.

The police had come. It's like Slapshot. Police had come trying to find out where Brove was. We picked him up at mobile on the run. He left the building. No.olfe was. We picked him up at Mobile on the Run. He left the building. No. Left the building. We picked him up at Mobile on the Run.

And then nothing ever came of it. He knew. He's like, I got to get out of this barn. I got to get out of here. Like he knew. He coached a great game. We came back. We got a tie.

And then he knew it was coming and he left the rink. He saw the fire trucks there helping the burn victim. Walsh, I want to go back to 01 when you were in camp with the Wild. Did you start that season in the East Coast League or the AHL, IHL? I had Todd McClellan in that, and I started there. You must have been young then. Yeah. Yeah, it was Todd. It was a crazy thing.

It was a crazy year. The owner of the team was some crazy dot-com startup guy. And then in Cleveland. The Lumberjacks? The Lumberjacks and like he had gone like running off to mexico i think it was like this crazy thing we didn't have it like i'm like who owns the team like we don't have sticks like can i get sticks like you didn't know what was going on we had jj daniel oh really all the playoffs and he had a contractual thing that i

saw and it's just a crazy story So I saw J.J. Daniel We have like a preseason I mean a postseason Getting ready for the postseason A meeting Todd McCullen So J.J. Daniel I'm like I was always like

Jesus J.J. is Montreal Canadiens I mean Yeah this guy's done it Like this guy's done it Awesome guy But he had you know To his defense He had done it

Like and I don't know what the Backstory was Or where it was Or what the backstory was But he's an awesome what the backstory was, but he's an awesome guy. Came to play every day. I see him taping up his sticks. We're getting ready to play Grand Rapids in the playoffs. And he taped up his stick. He goes,

guys, I'll see you later. We'll get ready to go. I only got paid for the regular season. Picked up a shit. Shut the fuck up. I swear to God. That was it. That was it. And this is before our meeting started. He played the whole season. And then, because there's no more money, playoff cocky. He's, see ya.

It was like, he was in a different place. I don't want him back. You're telling me, like, obviously they expected him to play playoffs because nobody gets played in playoffs. He was just at the end of it where he was just kind of like, I don't owe you shit. Yeah. Wow. That's fucking cocky.

That's like a funny story To tell on the pod But But at the time You were like Buddy really Probably couldn't really use them Because I was like

I didn't know Like I said It was my first shit I was like Oh maybe this just happens I don't know No that doesn't happen That's

So I would imagine Was that his last season I think it was Well then Yeah I think it was I think it was a long thing What a way to go He had one game up in Minnesota I've heard some pretty funny uh um exit stories i think it was

mike green who plays in uh was he playing detroit now yes when i played with him under 18 he told me one about some euro who came over to the saskatoon blades when he was playing junior because they would always have the euro draft and they were getting this like crazy Russian. He was a sick player. And Mike Green was responsible for grabbing him on the way to the rink and Greener went over to his house before the one preseason game and you know

honked the horn, honked the horn. Didn't come out. Went and knocked on the door. The kid comes out and he's like, me no go. Me no go today. And he's just like, okay. so he drives to the rink and like the turn was on the coach's office like hey that fucking russian kid just didn't want yeah he just didn't want to play today apparently sure as shit they like go like send over one of the assistant coaches to pick him up he ends up getting there he got there for like

right before game time he ends up getting like two goals in the first period and then like halfway through the second he just like apparently walked into the dressing room took all his shit off and then never even saw him again but he said he scored two of the nastiest goals he's ever seen and like and then he just poof famoose he wasn't having it see you later we had the same thing i was in providence zinoviev Remember him? Zinoviev Sick Hey so that year You played with Bergeron In the lockout year right? Yes

Did you know I was in camp with him And he went to World Juniors That year I think Yes But you know what's crazy About like Like hockey in the sense of

Like your path Has never really Picked out for you No First time Patrice Bergeron People don't realize this You think oh he must be

A Canadian hockey darling Like he must be part Of the whole mix Never First time Patrice Bergeron People don't realize this You think oh he must be A Canadian hockey darling Like he must be part Of the whole mix Never First time he ever played He played in the NHL And then played In the World Juniors

That was the only time That's crazy to me Yeah to play in the NHL first Like how does that go And how be so effective But I was When I was in camp with him The one thing that

Jumped out to me Was like Just this kind of like Like Chris Drury in that sense. Just a quiet, subtle game. But like he was there. He never messed up. Never messed up.

There's never a mistake. You're like, geez, who's on the back pressure who just broke up that play in the back and just turn around and just go down and score? I'm like, Patrice Bergeron, Chris Drury, Patrice Bergeron. He had four goals today? And you're like, yeah, I didn't even notice it. But just this kind of business-like game. He's incredible. Did you think he'd be as – I'm sorry.

Did you think he was going to be as good as he is today? Did you see that then? Yes. Yes. Why do you say that, though? Because I saw him in camp, and he was just – He already played in the NHL. He played in the NHL, but it wasn't that.

He was everything that he did, and I had played. And I wasn't, you know, I played with guys who have played in the NHL and have seen that type of work ethic, that type of focus. And to see it, and, like, it was there. He was, like, 18. It wasn't like a 20-year-old college kid. This was, like, he was, like, 18, which is great. The year of that lockout, I went to lockout, I had taken the Boston police exam.

So I called Scotty Gordon, and I said, Gordo, I'm not going to be here. I don't know what this represents, but I'm going to go take the Boston police exam. I'm 32 years old. I don't know what it really represents. Time to start. Time to start to figure these things out. And Gordo's like, hey, geez, absolutely. So I go take the exam on a Saturday.

I said, but I'll be there for the game on Saturday night Go to the game on Saturday night I go there, I get my sticks, four o'clock Start ripping tape off And I see Patrice And so I see Patrice, his English is okay He goes, uh, Walsher, I did not see you at the morning skate No, I did not see you

And I was like, uh, yeah I took the Patrice took the boston police exam and he he looked like 19 his life like he's got the next 20 years of playing and then like his l like his his elevator didn't go to that floor he just looked at me and was like and just disengaged and like oh he's like i'm playing he was like what and he just looked at me and was like, all right. And just walked away.

I was like. Hey, that French accent you just had. And that's probably exactly how he said it. Yes, absolutely. And he was so polite. Kind of like. Oh, he's the nicest kid. Antoine Vermette.

To me, it's crazy how some of these guys are so committed to it. And like, listen, I worked hard. I was committed to the game. But like, I mean, I'm sure you're the same way, Whit, maybe you as well. If there was a very tempting situation, maybe the night before where I would go out and I knew I was going to have a good time,

that was just as, if not more important to me than, like, becoming a great hockey player, where these guys have sacrificed so much of their life. It's all they want. It's all they can. And listen, yeah, that might be their personality where that's what makes them happy,

but I'm like, Jesus Christ. Live a little. Live a little. If I was Crosby, you don't think at one point you would have saw me on TMZ fucking taking a couple bumps off a hooker's tit

and getting my ween sucked by another one. Yeah, that's happening. I think a dead hooker in the car business. If you were scoring that many goals, there's definitely a dead hooker in the car. I've had people burying bodies everywhere. I still am. Before Providence,

because I'm looking like trying to get this numerically, the years, I needed to ask trying to get this numerically, the years. I needed to ask you about one of the best, and I've heard the story, but people at home haven't, one of the best all-time pro hockey trade stories when you were traded to the San Antonio Rampage. So I get traded for this kid, Matt Smith. So I had Paul Vincent, a hockey legend, and I was literally blessed. I was literally blessed going through my career with awesome coaches right and people that you know Neil Shea

got me in Pittsburgh and Paul Vincent got me to San Antonio and there's a host of guys so I get traded and I was a lava soap guy you know what I mean you know like even in men's league guys like a lava soap guy is guy who comes in always has the beer has the good soap to wash off after like I was that guy

you know what I mean I would always be forgetful to pack comes in, always has the beer, has the good soap to wash off after. I was that guy. I would always be forgetful to pack the soap. If you bought the soap, you would have been like, dude, Colin Elliott, who I played minor hockey with, and his family had money too, and he'd always have the nicest shit. And a loofah. Can I use a loofah? Can I loofah?

He had a little backpack with all lotions and keel products. It was like, Jesus Christ. You're like, come out. It's like Sean Avery Jr. Like, he's fucking glowing right now. What's your regimen? What do you got going on?

Oh, no, I take care of myself. Somebody tweeted me the other day. Somebody actually made fun of me on Twitter about, they're like, oh, it's so obvious that Biz is using all the products that Avery was talking about in the YouTube video. So it's obvious that you're trying to take care of your skin. That would be a good thing. Right. But I'm like, bud, I've been doing the exact same routine for 10 years.

I have a cleanser, a scrub, and then I put toner when I get off out of the shower. Nice. And then I apply lotion before I get out the door. I don't do a thing. Right. Yeah. And some people don't. To me, I'm getting a bit of a dad bod now because I don't work out as much.

I'm too busy pumping out content for all these fucking mutant listeners. But no, I take care of my face. Another thing that bugs me is when guys don't shave properly. Are you hot razor? Are you cold razor? Cold razor? I'm in the steam room with the shaving cream and then really hot water razor. But here's one thing I've noticed about you.

Sometimes you'll have the odd long hair around your lip. Oh, man. And you can't even stare at it. I have a light. You're trying to like, wait, wait. I can't look at your hair you missed. No, some people are lazy shavers. And I'm so so ocd i look at their face and i can't even i don't even want to be friends with them anymore do you not see this on your face yeah i've said before

in the show if you're a guy at 30 or older you need a fucking nose here ear here fucking eyebrow trimmer all the fucking random oh yeah i get a little bit of a unibrow but i maintain the shit out of that thing you know who else has a pretty thick one? And congratulations on the run they're on right now, at least when we're recording this interview. Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Martinuk. He has a unibrow. He's like Anthony Davis style, but he takes care of it. He gets their waxed out.

It's like a McDonald's, just the perfect arches right there. Yeah, he's got the They put the bald eagle In the middle And then Anyway how do we get On top of it So we go to the trade Right

Yeah that's right The trade Oh yeah yeah Your story's heavy At the missions I love it That's fine We have a great break

And so I like the fact That you just keep Snapping beers And my throat Is like the Mojave desert Right now You're just like

Snapping beers In my face. Grab Walsh. I have a bottle of Caymus. Grab Walsh. And I'm like, should I bring it up for these fucking guys?

Should I not? I can't even get an Amstel light from these guys. I can't get an Amstel light. So what happens with this trade? I get traded

to San Antonio. I go pack up my bag and I send my stuff underneath on the plane and so it's there. So I just have a carry-on, right? Yeah. And so I think I'm in Chicago.

Yeah, Chicago. We go down and you have the trams. Yep. In an instant, I see this kid, right? He's in, he has hockey sticks. Tall kid, about 6'2".

And, yeah, I think it's Matt Smith. I see him and I go over and I'm like, this has got to be the fucking guy I got traded for. Like, this isn't Chappelle O'Hare, right? He's going to Wheeling. I know he's not going to Wilkes-Barre. They're starting to build it back up. Like, I just, I knew, maybe get a couple games, but I knew he was destined to Wheeling. I know he's not going to Wilkes-Barre. They're starting to build it back up. I knew maybe get a couple games, but I knew he was destined for Wheeling. Right?

And I was in Atlantic City on a carryover from a suspension on a suspension from an AHL to East Coast League. So I get traded from Wheeling, but I'm loaned to Atlantic City. You keeping up with this? Yeah, I am So we're gonna have like Double suspension Minority report As R.A. would say

So I go to I go in the tunnel At O'Hare I see the kid And I'm like You know what? I'm gonna walk up And say

Hey Do you get You and I get traded together? Like what are the chances? You see the guy And he's like this He's like Brendan Walsh

I'm like yeah I'm like yeah What's up? he's like brendan walsh i'm like yeah i'm like yeah it's up he's like how's wheeling and i'm like i don't even answer him i just go um how's san antonio and so he goes you're going to a fucking you're going to like golf course in like just sick spc centers unbelievable weather you know a living situation unbelievable and you're down south it's unbelievable and so i look at the kid and he's like so how's wheeling i'm like um it's kind of like a steel mill town without the steel mill in it i don't know and so he's like is it that bad i'm like i get on the train i get on the tram like takes me out and he's like it was just like setting in and i know and i get on the train. I get on the tram. He takes me out. It was just setting in.

Oh, I know. I get on the train. We get traded. I felt like, insert any 80s song. I was like, don't you forget about me. I was like, that's where the trams were going by. He was sitting like this. I wanted to push my nipple on the thing.

I was like, I'll see you, man. It'll be okay. Oh, Billy. Oh, Billy. And like, San Antonio is not like... I had a great time. Right, but it's not like a super city, but anytime you're playing in those... Right, and anytime you're playing in those

lower levels, American League and ECHL, anything south is good, because it's sunny out, and it's not as depressing. Not as gray. No, yeah. And so I played in England during the lockout. How was that? Because it's sunny out and it's not as depressing. Not as great. No, yeah. So I played in England during the lockout. How was that? I know a lot of guys over there. I played in Cardiff, Wales.

I played in the English Elite League. Okay. I love the emphasis on the elite. I love the people. I love the drinking culture because it's kind of like Boston. But I ended up staying there for seven weeks. I was only supposed to stay for a month because the lock lock hadn't finished and I was late in the fucking league. I'll keep the change.

You filthy animal. But by the fifth week, my depression was so bad. From the gray. Yeah. It rained for like three weeks straight. It's been like that here lately. I needed some fucking sun. I don't need it every day.

Wilkes-Barre would get like that. I lived in Kingston with Doomy. You lived with Doomy? Yes, I lived with Doomy. I had Parsons come over one night. One morning. We got in a fight at the Woodlands. Oh, God.

The Woodlands was a cesspool by the end of my time there. What is it? It's like a hotel Connected to like A nightclub But it was like They had like Koi fish and ponds It was like

They had smoke machines Next to like Cigarette machines It was nuts Oh that's when you Could still smoke in bars Back then too You'd have to air your suit out

Like leave it outside But they're like They would get like The dark and drearies Over there Like you know Like you'd just be like You'd come out

And it would just be like, you'd come out, and it would just be like this thick fog and just settling in on that hole. And you've got a 3-3 coming up with Philly and Syracuse home and home. Yeah, I want to ask you about one pit stop, the Jackson Bandits of the East Coast League. Is that Jackson, Mississippi? Jackson, Mississippi.

You had 25 games played, 179 penalty minutes, over seven minutes a game. Was that your first foray into the pros? I asked you a few minutes ago. I couldn't tell if you started in the East Coast or if you started in the IHL that year. Well, I played the preseason, and my thing was this, and I think, Biz, I think you maybe identify. It's like one of those things where I knew I could play, but there was like a, there was a thousand guys who could have a little bit of game, you know, could, their decision making was good, could play, could, could create offensively, weren't a liability defensively, but you had to, like for me, and I didn't worry about the fighting.

Like I, like I said, I, I didn't, it didn't jam me up. I know some people had a lot of anxiety. You think it was because you grew up boxing? It didn't jam me up. I know some people had a lot of anxiety. Do you think it was because you grew up boxing? I think I just grew up with that mentality. For me, the boxing as a kid, that was a lightning rod.

I was like, Jesus, it's a hockey fight. How long is this thing going to last? Two minutes? I can hang in there for two minutes. Do you have a lot of street fights growing up in Dott? No. Some guys are cool, and not everyone was a tough guy in the city. I had my fish, yeah. I figured you did. Absolutely undefe everyone's a tough guy in the city. I had my fish here.

I figured you did. Absolutely undefeated. I won't say the name, but didn't you have a rivalry with a guy down the street here? You were like Peter Griffin and the Giant Chicken every time you saw each other. Oh, Jesus. Go at it. That could be. That could be. That could be.

All right, back to Jackson. So I went down to Jackson, and it was great, but it was funny. I had Derek Clancy, I think from Newfoundland. He's a coach, and I had a pretty good existence and mixed it up. And I remember Dennis Maxwell. Remember Dennis? He's an Islander. He's a tough kid, and he was running amok.

But I had this thing, and it was just kind of crazy. I had to have a talk with the coach. So I'm sitting there, and this Dennis Maxwell comes on. He finishes like amok. But I had this thing, and it was just kind of crazy. I had to have a talk with the coach. So I'm sitting there, and this Dennis Maxwell comes on. He finishes like four checks. And so I'm sitting there and watching on the bench. And I get this. I get the fucking whistle blows. I look over, and I get an ass tap.

And I'm like, did you just kick me To let me know I'm gonna fight this kid Yeah Like I fight on my terms You know what I mean Like in my mind I'm like I know when to do this Like Yeah like don't

But I'm gonna wait for this kid Who's a complete killer To back check For check And get him at the end of his shift Where he's completely exhausted Yeah And then just to appeal

To his masculinity Where he's like I gotta fight And all of a sudden The adrenaline kicks off And I'm like dude You got You're done in 10 seconds Yeah You gave me 10 seconds of fury i'm gonna wait you

out that's smart yeah that's how i do anything to win and then yes and there was like a an unwritten rule yeah where you know i would sometimes be like oh fuck i gotta get on the ice right now my one leg would be over the boards begging a guy to come off and then if i went up and asked a guy they'd be like oh you fucking asked me at the end of my shift and i'm like no dickhead i wanted i just want to fight you but okay sure yeah i get what you're saying i'll go you next shift but i want one yep whereas yeah going after a guy at the end of the shift is is was considered kind of gutless but you didn't give a fuck you were just trying to get in guys heads and and hey that's a that's a smart move on your

pick. I did it to Brian McGratt once. Okay, well, there you go. So that's a guy where I would... Yeah, but you can't be fighting him when he's at full strength. No. No, it was a good... This is actually pretty good. So I saw... So Colton Orr, who I love... Oh, God.

He was so tough. I fought him three times in rookie camp in Boston. And then I had to, like, after the end, I said, dude, come with me. Let's go to breakfast. We need to become friends. We have talks. No, but I was like, dude, I'm not scared. I'm not anything.

But we're going to fight each other forever. Like, we're both going to end up in Providence. Like, what's the point? And he was like, okay, alright Like three times we fought And I loved the kid, but I was super protective Was this three days in a row? No, three times in one game

And then we went to breakfast And so we took a little breakfast And a little talk And everything worked out Awesome, loved him Super protective So I go out there And Orsi had gone through that year had gone through

like the first part of the like the the nails like had gone through everyone uh flynn uh uh trying to think david cosi the whole thing uh flynn uh the the big fucker who played in hershey as well he was in in Monarchs. Shaved Head? Yeah, he did have a shaved head. Okay, so he's now a firefighter in Arizona. And I fought him when I was in Wilkes-Barre and he was with Hershey. He was a fucking monster.

He's a scary guy. Like, shaved head and handlebar mustache. Yes. And I'm just finally growing out my full pubes in the american league i've finally gotten there where i got like a nice man bush and some chest hair and you gotta go this guy who looks like he he works for the sons of anarchy doing shady shit and gang gang affiliated bullshit so he goes so we had Orze couldn't fight His hands were like mush He had gone through

Like the iron Yeah Of that And if people don't remember Like there's literally Three guys Three killers Per team

In the AHL Right And it's like Vandenbush Jesse Bollerese Oh my god Darcy Vaughn Jason McDonald

I fought Bollerese Yeah A bunch He was tough Super tough. Like these guys, and there's only one guy in the NHL who did that job. And there's three guys who are vying for the one-guy job, and it was nuts.

It was heavy. It was iron. It was crazy. I've talked about the Syracuse team when Konopka was on it, and he made them take crazy pills Whereas like they weren't that good But it was still In somewhat modern Day hockey time where you were

Like hey let's kind of Keep it close so it doesn't get out of hand Where like back in Like 30-40 years ago If you're playing against a tough team They would legit just be like hey let's win by One tonight and if they maybe tie it up late and we give away a point,

who gives a shit? But they're just going to beat the wheel. And that's the way it was. Even when I first came into the AHL, it was just getting out of that. Where there was like a heavyweight, a light heavyweight, and a middleweight.

Not three heavies. So what happened with McGratton on this one? It was funny because I actually listened to the podcast. He was great. He's awesome. And I don't really know him that well. I just know him from the times I played with him. But when you guys

talked about him and you talked about Ray Emery and I was like, I was driving listening to the podcast and I was like, oof. Because I saw them. They had like, the day I was like oof because I saw them they had like the day I were there I found out that Binghamton was having their rookie party in Providence or having some

type of party so I see them at the Providence Place Mall it was like McGratt and Emery and that's the thing I remember they were like Laverne and Shirley Shamil, Shamazo like all doing the mall thing like walking I was like on the other side of the Providence Place and I was like buying socks or something and we had the mall thing, like walking. I was like on the other side of the province place. And I was like buying socks or something.

And we had a game later on that night. And I was like, but it hurt me because I was like, they were that close. They were super close. And I remember like Emory loved the nonsense, loved it. And I don't know him as much as just like high by, but just an infectious kid, like grinning behind the mask if it was crazy oh yeah dude like just grit loved emory's motor was he went not a lot of guys had a motor like him whereas like in the in the face of adversity or any type of like he's laughing

chaos yes he's fucking he's yes he's born for that oh just like just like a happy sailboat like yeah it's a hurricane around him. He's like, oh, we're sailing. The bad stuff's not coming down for a while. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. What's his name? The guy with no legs.

No, in Forrest Gump. Oh, yeah. Lieutenant Dan. Yeah, Lieutenant Dan. Lieutenant Dan. So I see them. I know they have a rookie party. I have some type of party.

And so he comes out, and Orsy's hands are jammed up. So I see them. I know they have a rookie party. I have some type of party. And so he comes out, and Orzy's hands are jammed up. And I was super protective of Colton. I was like, all right, man. I was like, don't go anywhere. Don't go him tonight. Just fucking just wait. So I always stretched out the red line, little chit-chat.

I always loved little chit-chats. It was going on. It was like a total sewing circle. You know what I mean? And I would just, you know, just talk. You just got in a mix. Oh, just sweet talking and headlocking sweet talking and headlocking oh yeah just to come in and just like louis robert i come by just take a snapshot oh louis robert i was just like snapshot off his leg just stupid shit louis robert i uh for those listening played in hershey yes he was a piece of shit i would have loved to have played on his team though

yes i know and he's a great kid And everyone I talked to Who played in Portland I played in Portland Were like dude he's not that bad I fought him like probably 3 or 4 times I actually threw my glove at the red line Like you know people sitting around

And everyone's just jarring Like hey fuck you He starts his shit right at the red line I just looked at him and was like you know what just jarring and like hey fuck you he starts his shit like right at the red line i just i just looked at him i was like you know what and i saw paul vincent dude who's like the straight like uh conditioning strength coach on the ice and he used to throw gloves to kids who weren't paying attention i was like i'm gonna pull old mr vincent middle of a fucking hl hockey game i just looked at him i was like sunk just send a glove straight across the rink and gash him in the face and i'm like that's what i did no just i was like, sunk, just send a glove straight across the rink and gash him in the face.

And I'm like, that's what I did. No, I just, I was like, how embarrassing is that? I just threw my glove at you. Like, if that doesn't get you going, I'm just like, oh, you know, that doesn't get you. Are you like, did you just throw a glove at me? Yeah. You threw your equipment at me? Yeah.

Not your stick. You didn't even have the balls enough. And if he won't fight you the rest of the game, you're like, dude, I degraded you in front of all your own fans. Absolutely. So anyway, back to McGratton. I go, and he comes up, McGratton comes out, and he was feeling, like he was fearless. He's

super, super tough. He comes out. Long hair. Dude, long hair. Vaseline on the face. Just woo! Right out of the gate. Warm-ups ups And just like Everyone's like Oh my god Big kid

He's establishing his dominance Oh he's He could have pissed on the red line Like I'm here This is my rink now Like just total Total domination

And so I'm sitting there He comes over And he was stretching On the red line I'm like hey dude Orz he can't go He's like well I was like well

We all gotta play through it You better tell him He's ready to go And I'm like What I'm like Right now You can't go He's like well I was like well We all gotta play through it You better tell him He's ready to go And I'm like what I'm like what right now You can't go He's like He's off

Just skates off And I'm like alright I'm on my mind And he would high step too He was Oh high step It was all show When I say

Reebok white White skate Yeah oh just In like a big Big Like just Make it entertaining. Oh, yeah.

So I'm like, all right, fuck. I'm like, Orzy, don't go with this kid. I'll figure this out in my mind. I'll figure this out. I'll figure this out. So the first shifts, they don't get out together, right? They're like at the end. They're kind of staring at each other.

Like they go in. They don't go. You're trying to broker a deal. Broker a deal, right? And so I'm like, in my mind, I'm like, shit, shit. So all of a sudden, I'm like, ISO cam him. He goes back check, forecheck. He gets a couple shots on net.

He's gassed. I call, like, Keith a coiner off. I'm like, coiner! And Scotty Gordon's like, Jesus, who's calling line changes? I change up. I go over. I catch him by his bench, and I just, like, rim rock him, just, like, jump in the air, smoke him in the chest.

Doesn't do anything to him. He's gigantic, and gloves are off. And I'm just going, and I'm on for the ride. It was, like, eight seconds. And he's just coming in, and he's tired, but I know he's tired. Referee's coming in a second. Like, I look at the refs. Like, I think we're good.

He's, like, in the middle of just starting to, like, feed me. I think we're good. I think we're good.'s like in the middle of just starting to like I think we're good I think we're good tap in and so we go to the penalty box so we go to the penalty box and normally I'm just chirping you know bullshit and you know giving it back as much as I'm getting it I sat straight like this and when I say he got up he was like it's gonna be I'm going to kill you. I'm going to tell you right now. This is bullshit. He couldn't even, the wires couldn't even touch. He was like, I'm going to center ice next face off when this is done.

He gives it five minutes. He's like this. And I just look at him. And I'm like, I just look over like a minute and a half left. And I'm like, I was like, I wouldn't fucking fight you in a month of Sundays on the straight straight like i wouldn't fight you straight up i said i'll break a stick over your head i don't care and he was like he's like i was like okay do you want to fight again i'll fight again you guys have a rookie party tonight you guys are partying tonight i'll make sure to give you a black guy you want to walk around with a black guy in providence you want to go to federal i mean go

federal hill altwell's out with a black guy and go to the strip joint And not have a good time With a big black eye And he's like yeah okay So then after It was like three weeks later We go up to Bingo And I go up to Binghamton And I'm stretching out the red line

And he's a good guy He stretches out He's over the red line He's like stretching out his groin Hey Walshy and i'm like this i'm like hey what's up he's like how do you feel and i was like i don't want this i just got up and like disengaged i was like i was like all right i'm done i'm done but i i feel like the line he's such a good kid i feel like the line in the penalty box made him

be like okay this guy is a fucking beauty and now i can just kind of toy with him and we're gonna have a good laugh about it. Because you got to keep in mind, we're playing, our guys like us are playing five minutes a game. We got to find other things to keep us occupied. I think with that, honestly, we have to like wrap this up because I think people can tell

that we could do this for four hours. But I think we just make sure you come back on this summer. I would love to. I would love to. I mean, you listening to this and getting to come back on this summer. I would love to. I would love to. I'm totally humbled. You listening to this and getting to come on is just perfect. Thank you. Let me do one more quick one.

Nice. Okay, your last season, Low Lock Months is one game. Did you play it and realize that was it? You were done? Did you get hurt? What was the story with that? No, I was coaching. This is an amazing story.

Keith McCoy is playing for Low. Joel Roullier played for Manchester, right? Andell Joel Roulier Was Played for Manchester Right And so Joel Roulier Was torturing them Right Like Lowell They were

Like they had all college kids It was like Brian Yandel Was on the team They had a bunch of guys On the team Oh my god I know this story Yeah so a bunch of kids On the team

So Tom Rowe And Keith Akoin Call me on my While I'm in the office Coaching at Northeastern They said hey Can you come back and play And I was in good shape

I try to keep myself in shape Just like yourself is Try to stay lean Ready to go You're not that pudgy The old dad bod So I didn't have dad bod So I was like yeah I'm in

I'll go do it But I had previous fights with Joe Rouillet Which I have my favorite thing with joe was i had some guys on who are in manchester who knew him and i know it's not this isn't anything against him i just like you know those guys i'm like you take up a lot of oxygen in a room and just i'm like and the guys are like all right i was like what's the steward roulier you know i talked to my buddies and team who were nameless i don't want to blow them up and so they're like ah this is how he is

This is how he is this thing but he's a good guy But I'm getting ammo so I was like all right good so we go to Go to Manchester's like while I was playing in Providence we're stretching out at the red line Joe Comes over it's like Camilleri Dougie Nolan couple other guys Just sitting there and I'm like

Hey guys we're stretching out talk About something else he comes over like just to kind of be in because it's chit-chat time, right? Red line. You guys know it's warm-ups. Like, hey, what's going on? What are you guys going on? What are you guys going to do later on? So he comes over.

I'm like, guys, seriously, blink your eyes if you don't like Joe. Just blink. I know you can't say it. Just blink if you don't even like this kid. And he's like, what is that? I even like this kid and he's like what is that like what i'm like he's he's a jerk right you just you don't have to say don't say it like stretching out and guys he doesn't like it so anyway he tortures lol i come back for the game so i come back to play lol i sign up pto go back and play lol come out of the warm-ups i took a

little script from b McGratton I'm like, maybe guys have a thing. I got some penalty minutes I got a little bit of pedigree come right out and it's like the stat pack How much is the stat pack you guys even tell oh my god Can you see look and you look and say oh who the fuck is this guy come up for the u-haul for 400 fucking minutes? Like does anyone know this fucking guy anyone knows you left? Before YouTube existed. Before YouTube existed.

I'm like, does anyone have a Betamax tape on us? You're looking at the ancient scrolls. Did you come on the ice legit running and yelling? I came running on the ice. I'm like, I took a little page out of Mr. McGratton's book. Came running on the ice. And I was like, Joey, what's up? And he just like

He didn't see the stat pack He was just like He's like He was like What the And I was like Oh it's on It is on

Like Grey Poupon And it's gonna get weird And he was like What what what And he was like So he played a couple shifts Shut him down They were like in the playoffs

Wow Yeah yeah Didn't come out They brought in their enforcer From Northeastern coaching staff. Yeah. And you didn't even have to go. Didn't have to go.

I came out. I came out. I got like a... You Muhammad Ali, you fucking mentally torpedoed. Two minutes. I still got two minutes. I got on the sheet.

You wanted to get a hooking. You got a hooking or something just to get in there. Of course I did. No, it was like, no, the obstruction was there. Like my stick went to like fucking 90 degrees.

They're like, obstruction. I'm like, this wasn't even in the league when I was there. Maybe grandfathered in., this wasn't even in the league when I was there. You should be grandfathered in. This wasn't even in the league. What's the rule? What is the rule? What do you mean? I gotta keep my feet moving? Hey, Joe didn't read

the stat pack and you didn't read the rule book, so you guys are even. Both. That is the perfect way to end this though, but I mean, dude, you're a guy that you're hanging around the rink running to you. It's awesome hearing these stories. Also to you, great job now, Boston police officer. It's pretty cool to know that you're out there protecting everyone in the city of Boston.

But it means a lot for you to come on and listen. So thank you very much. And we'll have to do this again. Absolutely. Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it. Yeah, it's been a blast. I had to come back in and just unburden myself.

It's perfect. It is cathartic. We're like Oprah's couch today. Thank you very much, guys. Thanks, pal. That interview was also brought to you by SeatGeek. Buying tickets can be complicated and confusing, but there is a simpler way to buy with SeatGeek.

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That's promo code hockey for $10 off your first SeatGeek purchase. SeatGeek, right seat, right now, right from your phone. Thank you very much to Brendan Walsh. That was a blast. The stories about Big Ernie, Brian McGratton,

some classic stuff right there. So there's a way you can talk your way. There's a time you can talk your way out of anything. I think he proved that right there. But thank you very much. And R.A., you were at game one and two of this Boston Carolina massacre, no? Yes, I have been. And now that I'm full time, I'll be going to every game from here on out, thankfully.

And I won't have to do it on the clock. Now I can tell these stories. And you don't have to sneak in anymore because you've got an actual credential. Exactly. No, I used to have to sneak out of work and, like, pretend it was my lunch break, go to the game, and have to rush back in town. So I won't miss having to do that. What you do on your lunch break have 43 beers and smoke nine

joints oh it's the bruins game and yeah and got the w as well yeah boston carolina let's go back to thursday's game one uh bruins wrote a big four goal third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 win uh they looked like crap the first couple periods the canes really outplayed them i thought it was a pretty choppy game by both sides, but the Canes had the advantage in play. Then the Bees woke up third period, outscored them 4-0 to steal the game. Then today, man, today was just a bloodbath.

Like we just mentioned the stat, 93.8 of teams that go up 2-0 in conference finals. That's not all players. That's just conference finals. I was considering that today with Carolina, so they're down 2-0. Matt Kraslick, what a story. His mom was in attendance for Mother's Day.

He gets two cookies. Bruins get the win. Best Mother's Day gift ever. What do you think of this one with today's game? Well, I'll tell you. Sunday's game, sorry. I'll tell you right now. The World Championships are going on, so it's just like a side thing.

And why is Ryan talking about the world championships right now? Well, today I saw USA was playing France, right? And they dusted them 7-1. And Canada's playing Great Britain at some point. Why does this series look like the world championships? What is Carolina doing? Are you kidding me right now? Peter Mrazek, he looks horrible.

Can't stop the puck. Curtis Macklin, there's no chance he's not starting game three. There's no chance that doesn't happen. And the Bruins have played very well. They're a better team overall, but God, is the Magic over that quick? I thought it would be a little more than what we've seen in two games. I mean, yeah, 2-1

going into the third, so was it a horrible effort in game one by Carolina? No. But to get dominated in the third period like that, and then for all day, just to get shit kicked around on Mother's Day, that was tough to watch. The Bruins, yes, give them a ton of credit. They're all playing well.

I watched the game today. Who had a bad game? You know what I mean? It's like everyone's clicking. Everyone looks good. When you win 6-2, it's hard for anyone to look bad. But still, it's like, God, they get the win without McAvoy. He comes back in. He looked phenomenal. Grizzly, what a story that is.

For everyone who – I think everyone knows by now that his father was a part for 30 years already on the Bull Gang, which is the group that changes the ice at the Garden to the Parquet for the Celtics to the concert venue back to the ice, and they're just constantly moving and shaking things all around the Garden to get it ready for whatever event's there. And they grew up less than a half mile from the arena, and this guy's worked there his whole life, and his son scores two goals, first star of an Eastern Conference final game for the Bruins.

Played at BU, played at the national program, similar route to myself, the witness, and it was so cool to see because I know him well enough to know that he's such a good kid, very genuine. And you see like a hometown kid having a star, big game in this type of atmosphere, in this setting. It was an awesome story. So the Bruins right now are a complete wagon. Carolina's embarrassing, right?

They look horrible. Have you seen what part of their game is good? I mean, there are no shows. I didn't hear Sebastian Ojo's name once today. Nino Niederreiter, where was he? It was just a bunch of guys that didn't show up in a huge game. And now they were down 0-2 to Washington. Look how that ended up.

It just seems a little different right now. Yeah, exactly. I was going to say the same thing. They're down 0-2 to Washington, so I'm not going to count them out yet. They have showed some signs of resiliency in these playoffs. You can't follow up by giving up four goals in that third period to drop

game one with a stinker like that. In the first, they were bad. They didn't even have anything from the get-go. Right. You've got to come in swinging. Definitely a goal-tending change, right. You gotta come and swing, and definitely a goaltending change coming here. Going back to that first game, I thought that call that ended up leading

to the game winner, I believe, on Dougie Hamilton was bullshit. Like, that was fucking bullshit. Like, how... The one in the corner, right? On North Shore? Yeah, he went to hit him on the boards, and whatever. And, like, those are the types of fucking calls where it's like, come on, man. Were you watching it or not?

At what point, what the fuck was that a penalty? Rob Brindamore's reaction was perfect. Oh, it was so funny. That's going to be a gif or a meme or whatever for a long time coming. But Boston is just rolling. Their depth is coming. Like, no offense to this Grizz. Is he a player?

What lines is he playing? He was an enormous recruit. He was one of the top players for his age group from 14, 15 years old in the United States. Just a guy who is undersized,

but now it just doesn't matter when you could skate like that. Remember he tours ACL at BU that sucks, but to look like he does now, it just shows that surgery isn't a career killer anymore. I mean, this year he played 66 games. He had 18 points. He's on the,

he's on the fifth, fifth, sixth pair him and Clifton right now. And they look great. And to have those two guys playing the way they're playing as you, as your bottom two D that's when you know know you're a championship-caliber team. Yeah. No, they have great depth.

Ari, what do you think about this one? Yeah, he's on the third pair, Biz. Grizz, he is. But he doesn't play like a third pair D. I mean, I think he could be on a second pair on a lot of teams. And to echo what, you know, Whit said, it is a great story. I mean, he grew up right across the bridge. His father's been on the Bull Gang slash Ice Crew for 40 years

and, you know, have his mom there in attendance. Is he still doing it? I don't know. I think he is. I don't know if old man Grizz retired yet. I'll have to ask him next time. So you think he's the type of guy where once maybe Char is gone and they lose a couple other pieces, whatever,

he's a guy who can step in and eventually be a top four? It's just a lack of ice type. Obviously, you've got to play Char a certain amount. You think you're going to elevate it to that? I think he could be a top four defenseman in the NHL. He's not a top two pair guy. A top two pair guy, you either have to be a very good puck mover to play on that one, too.

There's some good puck movers who are a little bit of liabilities defensively where you consider them a second deep pairing puck mover, or you've got to be a complement to that puck mover where you're very responsible defensively and you're able to kill penalties and maybe even play power play. Like you've got to be a Swiss Army knife on the back end. Yeah, I think if you put him on a lot of other teams, he would slide in very comfortably on the second pair.

I thought Brindamore should have yanked Petem Razic after that third goal today, not because he stunk. I mean, the first one he should have. But to wake the team pair. I thought Brindamore should have yanked Peter Mrazek after that third goal today. Not because he stunk. I mean, the first one he should have. But to wake the team up, I thought. Well, here's the thing, though. Mrazek's given up what? Boston scored 11 goals in the first two games.

I mean, I don't know if any of them were empty netters. But one of them was. But why would you put McIllany in and risk injury? Like, Mrazek seems like, hey, he ain't going to get the job done against Boston. They're going to need some type of elevation, a goaltender that's going to steal a game, and Mrazek's just lacking confidence right now.

I think you don't put him in. You guys are probably thinking, oh, let him get back adjusted to the speed of it, take some shots, get back on the flow of the game. I'm more in the sense of, like, hey, what happens if this guy tweaks his groin? Like, you know, it was take some shots, get back on the flow of the game. I'm more in the sense of like, hey, what happens if this guy tweaks his groin? It was a nothing game. So you've got to worry about the next game.

And in some cases, I would agree with what you're saying, but I'm more so on the other point. How about the I'm hearing local stuff, the moronic fans. I mean, Chara has not looked great with the puck, but people are like bench Chara, Chara sucks.

Yeah, you don't want to shift. Shut up. When he gets the puck, it's not pretty, but do you realize the hole in the Bruins lineup if Chara wasn't playing? I mean, he's still out there defending. He's still an enormous presence. He's still a guy that if he was hurt when he got hit with

that puck in game one on the wrist shot and his foot looked injured, you're like, oh, dude, they would really miss Zdeno Chara right now. It would affect the full feng shui in that lineup. That whole team and Krejci, he looks solid again. He takes heat. Don't really understand it, but

more than anything, it's Tuukka's time right now. Today, he made kind of a stupid mistake on the second goal. Did you listen to Boucher's comments about it? He said that he thought he was going to the D-man. Yeah, so Boucher is awesome, and he's very good. He's able to give that forward perspective too, but he was a goaltender, right?

But on this play, he was asked, and he said, well, typically you don't want to like try to roll anything over you're going like quickest direction just very hard because because i mean you're a goaltender something could slip out you could the puck could flutter and you're to turn it over he also said that that carlo might have been obstructing his vision to where to the lane that that guy was in as he was releasing the puck and then all of a sudden the you know the ocean's part it's like oh shit now it's now it's a pizza but uh i think you just got to go with your first thin thing so it was nice to hear a goaltender's perspective on that and it made me be more

sympathetic to what to what rask play was yeah boucher he is a great announcer i mean carolina came to play i thought at the beginning they were very physical corral he got buried that one hit on grizzy i didn't know if he was going to be able to come back to the game when he got buried on the board Sunday. I'm sorry. I just left the game. I still have today on the brain, but it's Sunday's game. But, you know, the Bruins aren't afraid of a street fight either. And once they got on the board, they woke up and they just played the way

we're used to seeing them play. And Carolina simply couldn't hang. I thought Marcus Johansson was the Bruins' best forward on the ice today. That line, Johansson, Coyle, and Heinen, absolutely fucking dominated. And, I mean, Mojo, he's the guy we saw in the, Johansson, Coyle, and Heinen, absolutely fucking dominated. I mean, Mojo, he's the guy we saw in the Capitals a few years ago. He looked like that player today out there, I thought. Yeah, shout out to everyone.

What a stupid trade. He looks pretty good to me, you dumb fuck. I also think it's hilarious. I need you guys to know that one of the golf clubs I belong to, they put Wagshead, the hat on. Wollaston, it's a great logo. Indian. Indian. It says 1895.

We call him Squanto. Great logo. One of the best on any golf course we've ever seen. So Wagshead, the Wollaston hat on was Squanto. And Wollaston's Instagram put a picture up. Hey, spotted member. Because he's a member there. Chris Wagner wearing Squanto at his press conference,

Eastern Conference Final. Some guy writes beneath it, love Squanto in the picture, but don't love the neutral zone turnovers. Jesus Christ, tough, tough crowd. So Keith Handel's also a member there. He writes at the bottom, hey, buddy, why don't you just sit on the couch

and enjoy the ride? Just giving it back to him. Then I had to respond. I'm like, this guy is probably a pylon. So you can't come after a pro hockey player on your country club's Instagram, buddy. That's going to be an awkward meeting. That's going to be an awkward shower time. Hey, man, watch this season on the Bruins.

Congrats on the Stanley Cup, but you got to work on your neutral zone turnovers. Goaltending needs to improve. That's obvious. Special teams for Carolina definitely needs to improve because Boston's so good. You got to elevate, and that's just not happening. I talked about the magic that Carolina had.

There was just like, listen, I don't think they're supposed to be in the conference finals. And a lot of people didn't think it was going to happen either. And they've been on a magical run. I just – I can't see – that can only bring you so far. That can help you in a terminate-type setting where it's one game elimination. But a seven-game series series we're going to figure out

who the big boys are and we've talked power play pk at ad nauseum is that correct usage of that all right absolutely you're in a fucking role today talk about feeling it so we've talked about special teams ad nauseum carolina i think their pk is clicking around a 70 percent rate that's horrific that means the teams are about 30% against you, which is an incredible power play. So their PK isn't good, and their power play isn't good. So you're looking at the real factor of what's happened here. It's special teams and poor goaltending,

which is kind of going in the same direction. R.A., what did you make of another bad call, I felt, that went in Boston's favor was when Marshawn kind of got high on Williams, and then Williams got up and the frustration let out, and he grabbed him by the face. And then, of course, Marshawn was taunting him with the captaincy, like he was doing the gesture with his hand. Like, what do you think of that?

I mean, I think the refereeing has been ticky-tack all series. I'll be honest with you, Biz, that was one I didn't get to see the replay on. That's one thing at the game, sometimes I don't get to see a lot of the replays. But just in general, some of the calls are just ticky-tack. I mean, we're seeing guys getting literally tapped, like the one actually Williams did go down. He got tapped on his pants. He went down.

It was 5-0, and he's trying to draw a call. I get it. But, again, I almost feel like we're sick of fucking bitching about the ref, and I think today was the one game. I'm sorry. Sunday was the one game. It really wasn't a factor on the game at all. It was just too much ticky-tack shit. I just don't know why they're

calling so much ticky-tack shit. But I'll tell you, man, the Canes got their work cut out for them. They need to beat Tukorask four out of the next five games. Today, I was asking, was it just a tough effort at a bad time or are we just starting to see the disparity in the talent in the two teams? And I think it's the latter. I think the Bruins are just a better team

and they're a little more of a well-oiled machine right now. And I bumped into one reporter up north today, and after the first period he said, what do you think, Bruins in three? I don't know if it's going to go that short. Obviously it's got to be at least four, but today was a show. That's why he's full-time, folks. Hey, you know what Carolina needs

right now? Vladimir Putin. That guy was a buzzing... Oh, my God. How did somebody let that guy skate into the fucking... What do you mean? You can't deny him. He had eight goals. He's like the Wayne Gretzky of fucking men's league. His hands have gotten

way better, too. He went to the backhand on that one. He looked like Gryzlik today on that goal. Now, on a serious note, there was a clip of him scoring on the breakaway. He actually made a pretty nice move, but it went through the goalie's five-hole, which I think he opened up on purpose. But by the time he scores

the goal, the number 55 defenseman had already stopped and started skating towards the center ice circle, like literally just fucking letting him score. Is he that crazy where if you try to play hard against him, he's going to have you murdered? I mean, more than people just talk about it and find out. He's a murderous dictator. Of course they'll skid shit of him.

That guy doesn't want to get fucking garrotted after the game. Right, but I mean, like, do we think Putin's to the level where if you poke check him in a men's league game that he, like, fucking, you know, he gets on the phone on the bench and he's like, yep, and then all of a sudden there's a red dot on the guy's jersey out there. He doesn't even have to pick up the phone. He just looks at someone in the audience. Honestly, I'm not even being smart-ass.

Nothing would surprise me at all with him. I don't think someone's fucking getting... Maybe if they bump into him and he tears an ACL by accident, but maybe that's why they don't even go near it because they don't want to risk that potential injury. That would be catastrophic.

Has anybody actually found the guy who put the carpet down on the ice that he tripped over? Have we found that guy yet? Good hell, he posted the video. He's bringing logs in from the forest for the next couple years. It's just a never-ending gig. Keep that furnace going. I was legitimately scared

after I posted that video. I was going around the office. I even asked Eric Nardini. I'm like, hey, do you think I should delete this? I'm kind of worried for my life here. So then you wrote a blog sucking him off. Yep. I wrote a blog immediately after talking about how he's the greatest hockey player ever. And I'm just shocked that Vladimir Putin has time to run a country

and that he chose to run a country when he has the skill of that level. Hey, he probably crossed your name off. In Billy Madison. Billy Madison right after he read that blog. He's like, okay, your name off like in, uh, in Billy Madison, Madison, right after he read that blog, he's like, okay, that kid's okay. That kid's okay. Puts them, put the lipstick on. Hey guys, before we go any further, I just want to talk to you for a minute about Stitch Fix. Not all clothes are fit for all men. With Stitch Fix though, your personal stylist will send you clothing that makes you look your best. Less one size fits all, more, this fits your style.

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and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box. That's stitchfix.com slash chicklets's stitchfix.com slash chicklets. Stitchfix.com slash chicklets. Speaking of the press box, Biz, you just give me shit for. I bumped into a few chicklets alumni over the last few days I've been up there. I saw Mike Motto at game one. He's chomping at the bit to get on chicklets once again. He's such a fucking cat.

He came on before Biz, too. Yeah. He was in on with Biz. He's the best. Yeah, I want to get him on. You guys said he was one of the best. Who else did you mention? I was going to mention, too,

Bruins' five-game win streak right now. You'll see those very often in playoffs. Yeah. I also bumped into Matty St. Louis. I had to say hello to the boys. I bumped into him. Actually, it was the first round. Nothing like walking on the elevator and having a Hall of Fame

extend his hand to say hello. Any mention of Teddy Purcell and him talking about his Hall of Fame, extend his hand to say hello. Any mention of Teddy Purcell and him talking about his Hall of Fame? Yes. Yep. He mentioned Teddy and Bugsy as well. We shot the shit for a little bit and I bumped into Chris Johnson, Toronto reporter. I introduced myself because we had him on the show before, but I had

never met him and we had a few laughs shooting the shit together and they said to say hello as well. It's pretty cool to run into these people that we interviewed and I hadn't met before. He's a good guy. Speaking of Teddy Purcell, I'm not going to say hello as well. So it was pretty cool to run into these people that we interviewed and I hadn't met before, so he's a good guy. Speaking of Teddy Purcell, I'm not going to say he didn't blow me off twice this weekend because he was in New York City. We made plans to hang out Friday night. Don't get the text.

We make plans to hang out Saturday night. Don't get the text. Well, he texted me, are you going to be in New York this weekend? I said, no, unfortunately, I won't be. I wish I was knowing you're there. And I guess when he got that, he's probably like, I ain't doing Grinnelli without wit in the middle as the buffer. No way.

That's definitely what it was. Another little tidbit of news. Sergei Bobrovsky put his house on the market in Columbus. Took him a while to do that. Probably not a huge surprise. He's probably going to be buying something down in South Florida soon enough. But there's not a whole lot going on. Also, playoff ratings come out.

And shout out to Buffalo. I mean, we goof on the city. The team had a rough year this year. But those people love their fucking hockey, man. When the U.S. ratings come out, Buffalo is always at or near the top. And also, let's give a shout out to Nashville and and Vegas for those cities that, you know, people give them shit for not being – I hate even saying non-traditional anymore because these teams are fucking drawing attendance.

But those people love hockey, man. I think the verdict's in, and it's nice to see all these other cities watching as well. Boys, I don't think we had a chance to wrap up that San Jose-Colorado series to the fullest extent. Because remember we finished at the end of the game, San Jose-Colorado series to the fullest extent. Remember we finished at the end of the game and Gabe Lannisgaard talked about

he basically owned not jumping over the boards. Oh, did he? Yeah, he took responsibility for it. He took full accountability. I saw that clip and everyone was sucking him off like this is a leader. That was actually great. He had no excuses. It's one of those plays where he could have

been like, dude, that's bullshit. It should have been a goal where he didn't cry. He just owned it. I thought that was very cool and that says a lot about the guy. I've heard nothing but great things. Another thing, we found out that Nathan McKinnon was playing through a second or third degree AC

spring. Is that what came out? Oh, you couldn't tell watching him skate? Well, no. I mean, but people don't really know what that is. Like, I've had a second, third-degree. I've had a first-degree AC sprain. I mean, obviously.

I thought you said MCL, bud. Was it knee or shoulder? No, I said AC. Oh, dude, I thought you heard your knee. I was like, how the fuck was he skating like that? Oh, dude, that's tough. That hurts. Yeah, I mean, and usually if you get a second-degree AC sprain,

you're probably looking at like two to three weeks minimum. Third-degree, you're probably out like five to six because I've had them both on both shoulders. So the fact that he got shot up and went back out there i mean i know you know some people always say oh you risk a potential injury for next year it's just like i know but when you're fucking playing for that big trophy you don't give a shit hey what's it feel like when you get shot up there like can you feel your arm or is it just i'll say this right away you're're like, you're, you're, you're not going to have much strength because it just kind of, it takes all the energy out of that area and it feels like loose and shitty

and sloppy. Um, but yeah, well, I mean, once you, you, you,

you, you get shot up, you're by, by now using that shoulder still, you're just not feeling the pain for moving it. Like you would, if you didn't, if you hadn't got shot up,

I mean, which I mean, he, he, no way he's going to back didn't if you hadn't got shot up i mean which i mean he no way he's going back out there if he didn't get shot up not with a second degree ac sprain and and that's what i read online i mean do you guys hear that it was a second to third degree ac sprain i i didn't i didn't see that but i'm sure if you saw it that's what i swore i read that i mean bad getting off the ice yeah i mean yeah it. It was a tough one and an injury that I've had before, so I can talk about it. Oh, I mentioned the World Championships before.

Man Rocket coach of the New York Rangers, David Quinn, is probably hard as a rock watching this Capo Caco play. I don't know if you guys have gotten to witness this kid. He's so good. He's so good. I mean, like, Jack Hughes, you know, is he the definite number one pick? You might, after this tournament, hear

little rumblings that maybe not. I mean, it's domination right now. I saw a quick clip also of him in practice. I don't know who had that. Damn it, I should have written it down, but just incredible skill. So, looked fabulous against Canada. Hasn't slowed down one bit. It's just, it's nuts to see that we're going to have a couple more young studs

coming into the league as rookies next year. And there's one more thing I had in my notepad here, and I felt like it would be cool to mention. With Charlotte sweeping Hershey tonight, that's in the AHL, the Hurricanes organization is now playing a conference final at the NHL, AHL, and ECHL level. With the Everblades, right? No.

Yeah, Florida Everblades, and they're playing Newfoundland. And then AHL Charlotte versus Toronto, which I mentioned I went out to eat in Toronto with my buddy Vincent Laverde, who's with the Marlies again this season. He signed a two-year contract with them, won the Calder Cup last year. This year, why are you guys laughing? Newfoundland? Newfoundland?

I'm not going to get torched on this. I've never heard a Canadian say Newfoundland. Everybody knows I'm a – It's disgusting. If everybody can't – Hey, and you know what? It always happens to be with the East Coast, and I got torched for saying that Jody Shelley was from fucking PEI or wherever the fuck i said he was from but guys i'm a fuck up i don't need to hear it online

just let me be a fuck up you guys know what i'm saying i'm the moron today at school today me and mousy today but back back to toronto like they they really weren't supposed to make a run like this like they did i think they they they got into playoffs and ended up playing Rochester, who was one of the best teams in the regular season. They haven't lost the game yet. No. In playoffs, yeah. They swept both their first rounds.

These guys are fucking buzzing. They ended up getting a few guys back from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Marlies. So very excited to see how that plays out. It would be really cool for my buddy Vincent Laverde to win his third Calder Cup in one back-to-back years with the Toronto organization. He says they get treated like gold.

Really? Oh, man, like the shit that they have, like their training facility and how they get treated with meals. He basically said it gets ran like an NHL team. Yeah, I always wonder what it's like to play in an AHL team when there's also an NHL team in that city. I mean, obviously, the attention's with the big club, but you almost feel bad for a team in the same city in some regards,

but not if they're getting treated like royalty, I guess. Boys, that pretty much wraps things up. That was a good little pod today. I hope you guys enjoyed that Brendan Walsh interview. Yeah, I really think that people will, or you you guys did i know you've already heard it um what else is there anything else i had to bring up game of thrones second to last epi oh i want to ask you one quick last question um how was your wife's first mother's day it was her second it was her second but um it was great close enough we actually uh went with a little change of pace this year

because it's like, where are you going to go to brunch? Mother's Day brunch. That's what everyone does. Well, you got to get reservations in advance. And one of the courses I'm at, the clubhouse is being redone, so that's not open. It was just kind of

like, what do we do? You know what we did? Chef came to the house. Why go wait in line if you can't get a chef to the house, cook you up some omelets, French toast, bagels. I love a good sesame bagel with peanut butter on it or everything with butter or cinnamon raisin with butter or blueberry with butter. I might have had a little of a little of all of them. So egg white omelets, a special request made to the chef. She cooked great. And you know what was really nice is that I mentioned beforehand, man, it's nice to have a chef, but can they clean? Yeah, cleaning the kitchen comes with the payment. What a life. Wow. It was a nice little Mother's Day. It really was.

You know, you see the downfall of like American civilization with the guys on Instagram with the posts to the wives for Mother's Day. Jesus, seven million of them. I put a story up, put three or four nice pictures, and I wasn't going to put a full picture up. You know, I did it last year for Mother's Day. Do you do it every year? I don't know. Some people do.

But either way, it was great to see. My mom came over. Her mom came over. Just a grand old family affair of Mother's Day. So now we're recording, and I'll tell you, the Bruins, them having a game in the middle of Mother's Day, how happy did that make the fellas at home? Hey, honey, I got season

tickets. What am I supposed to do? Sorry, it fell on Mother's Day. I'm going to get crushed drinking crack beers at the Garden. Actually, speaking of the Garden, Portnoy was there. What an absolute madhouse around him. Oh, dude, he's a legit celebrity. They win every time he's at the game.

Every time he's at a Bruins. His hockey shtick on Twitter is like, I crack up every time. It's unreal. He tweeted something out, and he was like, the town of Carolina. Called it a town. People still take the fucking bait off. Oh, they think he's serious. It's crazy.

I actually had to delay my Mother's Day festivities until tomorrow. No, my wife's not a mother, but my mom, I was going to see her today, but I told her, I got to go to the game, and then I got to record after. My mom's a hashtag hockey gal, so she said, go do what you got to do. We'll have dinner on Monday.

So happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Any other stuff, boys? Are we about to wrap it up or what? No, I gotta get going, boys. I'm going to celebrate Mother's Day with... You okay? My friend's mom. I'm in Vancouver. Are you ripping it again tonight, you pimp? No, we're going to go... Well, maybe

afterward. We're going to go for dinner first. Yeehaw, boy. Guys, this has been fun. Thanks again to Brendan Walsh. And I will see you fellas online on Wednesday night. Absolutely. Have a great week, all.

When the night has come And the land is dark And the moon is the only light we'll see. No, I won't be afraid. Oh, I won't be afraid. Just as long as you stand, stand by me. As long as you stand, stand by me. So darling, darling, stand by me.

Oh, stand by me. Oh, stand, stand by me. Stand by me.